oblivious to their conversation.
“The band would break up. The Misfits would be no more.” He leaned
in, close to her ear. “But after graduation, do you really think
we’ll stay in contact?”
She whispered back. “Pru said you were gonna
go to Texas, to be with your mom.”
“ That’s a plan, but
nothing’s definite. If…if I knew we had a chance—”
“ Riddick, don’t change your
life for me. Don’t wait around for me.” She freed her hand from his
hold, went into her backpack, and pulled out the journal, unopened.
“I’m not the Jenna you befriended three months ago. I go into
trances, imagining myself killing people.” She held up her bandaged
hand briefly. “I miraculously heal.” She gave a slight smile. “Not
to mention, I could crush every bone in your body if I got mad or
lost control.” She sighed. “I dunno what my future is gonna be, but
whatever it is and wherever I’m at,”—she held up the journal—“it’ll
be because of the contents of this book. Remember, I have a knife
in my room. My grandpa didn’t leave it for me because I was
destined to be a chef.”
“ If you don’t wanna do this,
you don’t have to. You don’t have to accept this pre-planned life.
There’s something called Free Will, Jen.”
“ But I can’t ignore it,
Riddick. How am I supposed to live my life when I go into trances,
or when I’ve gotta be careful shaking someone’s hand? I’ve changed.
Yes, I am unique. I am…different.” She nodded toward Caleb, who
along with Pru and Kylie, still seemed oblivious to Jenna and
Riddick’s tête-à-tête; thank goodness for Mrs. Dasher’s love of
loud, boot-stomping bluegrass. “In art, Caleb painted a picture of
himself as a silhouette with legs, standing among a group of people
in color.”
Riddick furrowed his brow. “What does that
have to do with anything?”
“ That’s me too,” she
clarified. “I’m among everyone else, alike in some ways, but very
different in one big way. I’m with the crowd, but not one of them.
You know what I mean?”
“ You’re an outsider,” he
concluded.
“ Yep.”
“ So am I.” He waved his hand
at their friends. “So are all of us.”
“ You’re an outsider because
you choose to be,” she distinguished. “I didn’t have a choice to be
or not to be a Mage…whatever that is.”
“ You see? You don’t even
know what this destiny is.”
She looked down at her grandpa’s journal and
pressed her palm against the black worn leather. “I’m about
to.”
SHAKY GROUND
There are certainly more appropriate and
quieter venues to read about your destiny: a library, the bathroom,
a glade in the forest. Yes, these would be better places for Jenna
to learn the truth about her life, but no, she opted to find all
this out at a high school football game.
“ It’s louder than I
expected,” Pru commented.
“ What?!” Caleb yelled, and
then smiled, exposing his dimples. “Yeah, it’s loud.” He turned to
Jenna. “Are you sure you wanna read the journal here?”
They were safe from eavesdroppers, sitting in
the reserved section for the handicapped. The majority of the fans
were several feet away, where the action would be displayed. It
wasn’t even close to the beginning of the game and it was already
rowdy.
“ It’s actually perfect. No
one will be peering over my shoulder, wanting to know what I’m
reading when I should be watching the game.”
“ WHOO-HOO!” Kylie shouted,
holding up her yellow poster, decorated in red glitter with the
mascot scorpion next to the words:
YOU’RE GONNA GET STUNG!
“ I think some of that Pierce
blood is flowing through her veins,” Riddick commented, nodding
over to the cheerleaders.
Sadie was the star of the squad. Daniela and
Emma were always at the bottom of the pyramid, but that didn’t
dampen their school spirit, glad to be part of an exclusive club.
Decked out in yellow and red uniforms with skirts way too short and
tops way too
“The band would break up. The Misfits would be no more.” He leaned
in, close to her ear. “But after graduation, do you really think
we’ll stay in contact?”
She whispered back. “Pru said you were gonna
go to Texas, to be with your mom.”
“ That’s a plan, but
nothing’s definite. If…if I knew we had a chance—”
“ Riddick, don’t change your
life for me. Don’t wait around for me.” She freed her hand from his
hold, went into her backpack, and pulled out the journal, unopened.
“I’m not the Jenna you befriended three months ago. I go into
trances, imagining myself killing people.” She held up her bandaged
hand briefly. “I miraculously heal.” She gave a slight smile. “Not
to mention, I could crush every bone in your body if I got mad or
lost control.” She sighed. “I dunno what my future is gonna be, but
whatever it is and wherever I’m at,”—she held up the journal—“it’ll
be because of the contents of this book. Remember, I have a knife
in my room. My grandpa didn’t leave it for me because I was
destined to be a chef.”
“ If you don’t wanna do this,
you don’t have to. You don’t have to accept this pre-planned life.
There’s something called Free Will, Jen.”
“ But I can’t ignore it,
Riddick. How am I supposed to live my life when I go into trances,
or when I’ve gotta be careful shaking someone’s hand? I’ve changed.
Yes, I am unique. I am…different.” She nodded toward Caleb, who
along with Pru and Kylie, still seemed oblivious to Jenna and
Riddick’s tête-à-tête; thank goodness for Mrs. Dasher’s love of
loud, boot-stomping bluegrass. “In art, Caleb painted a picture of
himself as a silhouette with legs, standing among a group of people
in color.”
Riddick furrowed his brow. “What does that
have to do with anything?”
“ That’s me too,” she
clarified. “I’m among everyone else, alike in some ways, but very
different in one big way. I’m with the crowd, but not one of them.
You know what I mean?”
“ You’re an outsider,” he
concluded.
“ Yep.”
“ So am I.” He waved his hand
at their friends. “So are all of us.”
“ You’re an outsider because
you choose to be,” she distinguished. “I didn’t have a choice to be
or not to be a Mage…whatever that is.”
“ You see? You don’t even
know what this destiny is.”
She looked down at her grandpa’s journal and
pressed her palm against the black worn leather. “I’m about
to.”
SHAKY GROUND
There are certainly more appropriate and
quieter venues to read about your destiny: a library, the bathroom,
a glade in the forest. Yes, these would be better places for Jenna
to learn the truth about her life, but no, she opted to find all
this out at a high school football game.
“ It’s louder than I
expected,” Pru commented.
“ What?!” Caleb yelled, and
then smiled, exposing his dimples. “Yeah, it’s loud.” He turned to
Jenna. “Are you sure you wanna read the journal here?”
They were safe from eavesdroppers, sitting in
the reserved section for the handicapped. The majority of the fans
were several feet away, where the action would be displayed. It
wasn’t even close to the beginning of the game and it was already
rowdy.
“ It’s actually perfect. No
one will be peering over my shoulder, wanting to know what I’m
reading when I should be watching the game.”
“ WHOO-HOO!” Kylie shouted,
holding up her yellow poster, decorated in red glitter with the
mascot scorpion next to the words:
YOU’RE GONNA GET STUNG!
“ I think some of that Pierce
blood is flowing through her veins,” Riddick commented, nodding
over to the cheerleaders.
Sadie was the star of the squad. Daniela and
Emma were always at the bottom of the pyramid, but that didn’t
dampen their school spirit, glad to be part of an exclusive club.
Decked out in yellow and red uniforms with skirts way too short and
tops way too
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