Mother of Darkwaters: Book one of the Vessel series (87 page)

   “A-men,” Caroline complains.

   Julianna covers her phone while she speaks quietly, “Do you really want raw bacon?”

   “Nah, I’m over it.”

   Jennifer moves her mouth as though she has eaten the nasty idea.

   Julianna removes her hand from the phone, looks up at Jennifer, and grins. After an extended pause, Julianna becomes agitated, “Something wrong?”

   “Uh - ma’am,” Brian answers, “Do they sell Gatorade by the gallons? Also, I might have a problem in purchasing the Tylenol company on such short notice.”

   Julianna rolls her eyes, “Brian, I have a headache. They’re figures of speech. Please, just get us some Gatorade and Tylenol.”

   “I want the red stuff,” Caroline says.

   “I’m good.” Jennifer replies.

   “One blue and one red Gatorade, Brian,” Julianna reconfirms the order, “One bottle of Tylenol.”

   “Yes ma’am,” Brian answers, “Breakfast and store items will be there in forty-five. Your vehicle…”

   “Brian,” Julianna interrupts.

   “Yes ma’am?”

   “I don’t need a play-by-play,” Julianna says within her exhaustion, “I know you’re good at your job.”

   “Yes, ma’am.”

   Julianna pushes
end
on her phone and tosses it on top of the sleeping bag. She looks over at Jennifer who is now sitting on the couch.

   “How in the world are you looking like that? I feel like a train wreck.”

   “Same here,” Caroline complains with closed eyes.

   “It’s not my problem you two virgins are light weights,” Jennifer gives her answer.

   “What does our virginity have to do with a hangover?”

   “I’m not hungover at all,” Jennifer says, “It
must
be your virginity. It’s the only common factor between you two.”

   Julianna grins.

   “Oh gawd,” Caroline complains, “The mouth is alive and well.”

   “I felt a little rough when I first woke up,” Jennifer confesses, “But a shower made me feel better.”

   “Crap,” Caroline complains again, “I didn’t bring anything with me – didn’t expect to sleep over like this.”

   “I’ve got some clothes you can wear until you get home,” Julianna says.

   Caroline opens her eyes. Julianna is looking at her.

   “Thanks. I’ll probably take you up on the offer.”

   “No problem.”  

   “Let’s try it again,” Julianna continues.

   “Can’t we wait for the Tylenol?”, Caroline complains.

   “No can do, cousin. You almost made me throw up. You two are extremely powerful and need to learn this. Thought projections are nothing, but speech. You must learn to block. Bleeding into each other’s minds is one thing, but bleeding into anyone’s mind is a serious issue. If you can do what I can do, then you can project into anyone’s mind who isn’t under
His
protection.”

   “You said all this last night,” Jennifer reminds, “But this crap is hard.”

   “Your ability is unheard of,” Julianna reiterates what she told them already. She closes her eyes, “Tell me what I’m thinking.”

   Caroline and Jennifer concentrate.

   After a few moments, Jennifer shrugs her shoulders, “I couldn’t hear anything.”

   Caroline sits up and yawns, “Me neither.”

   “Jennifer,” Julianna looks at the girl on the couch, “What’s the power that binds us?”

   “Demons,” Jennifer answers what she learned, “And that power is deep inside of us. And that power is tied to our spirit-soul – it acts like an amplifier.”

   “You must look deep inside and learn to
feel
that power,” Julianna teaches, “Close your eyes and imagine a blue ball. It is small and full of electrical energy.”

   When the girls comply, Julianna continues, “Every time you say a word in your mind, this ball releases power. It shoots outward. Think of me and say a word.”

  
Word!

   Julianna!

   Julianna grabs her head, “Don’t force it. It sounds like you’re screaming at me. Try it again…”

   Thirty-minutes later, the two cheerleaders begin to gain real control over their projections. Julianna moves her phone to the coffee table as she stands up. She directs the girls to the clearing in the room. Caroline and Jennifer take their standing position near the stereo.

   “Blocking,” Julianna instructs, “Close your eyes and think of your little energy ball.”

   Jennifer and Caroline both close their eyes.

   “This time,” Julianna speaks, “
Before
you say your word, think of your ball releasing a pulse of energy that envelops your brain with a solid blanket.”

  
Thump-thump.

   “Ummmm,” Julianna stares down at the two unconscious cheerleaders lying on the floor, “Sorry about that. That would probably be
too much
covering of the brain.” With her now wide eyes and high arching brows, Julianna turns and heads towards the couch.

   After Caroline and Jennifer come to, Julianna decides to give them a rest in exchange for pancakes. They all make their way to the dining area down stairs.

   “This is a lot of table,” Julianna observes while waiting for Jennifer to remove a cloth from one of the long tables. She had seen this area whenever she first arrived, but had other things on her mind at the time.

    Caroline sits the food down as Jennifer uncovers three chairs at the table’s end. The hostess seats herself at the head, Julianna sits to the left, and Caroline to the right.

   “It’s been the place of many a party’, Jennifer, finally, answers. She pauses while opening the Styrofoam containing her breakfast.

   Jennifer finishes her thought, “Before Danny died.”

   Julianna takes a drink of her orange juice. She cuts into her pancakes, “You seem to be much better.”

    Jennifer picks up her chocolate milk, “I feel like a person again thanks to you. It was stupid of me to blame myself for Danny’s death. I guess I was trying to kill myself, but just didn’t see it like that.”

   “Aww,” Caroline coos, “I think Jennifer wants to kiss you.”

   Jennifer glares at Caroline while placing her lips to the milk container’s plastic opening.

  
Say it again, shrimp.

   “Relax,” Caroline teases, “It’s not like Julianna’s
really
a lesbian.”

   Jennifer chokes and quickly turns her head, but not enough to avoid hitting Julianna as she spits out the brown liquid.

   “Oh crap,” Jennifer panics, “I’m so sorry.”

   Julianna uses her napkin to wipe her face, “It’s fine. I haven’t had my shower yet.” She lowers her napkin and looks at her cousin sitting across the table, “You guys are quick studies, I didn’t hear anything that time.” She wipes milk from her neck, “Good job.”

   “You said no lies,” Caroline ignores Julianna’s attempt at changing the subject, “What’s going on?”

   Jennifer looks at Caroline, “You
can’t
be that naïve. I’ve called her lesbo – I don’t know how many times, and you already know about her
beat me
fetish. Open your eyes.”

   “Sorry,” Caroline responds, “I didn’t know.”

   Julianna looks down at her milk splattered breakfast and closes the lid.

   “Here,” Jennifer says while knifing her pancakes in half, “You can have some of mine.”

   “No, I have to meet up with Amy later. We’ll grab something. Eat up.”

   Jennifer tears the lid off of her container and splits her breakfast. She pushes it over in front of Julianna, “I insist.”

   Julianna grins as she obliges the tall cheerleader by stabbing her plastic fork into a piece of sausage.

   “You’re really a
lesbian
?”, Caroline questions.

   “Whatever you do, Caroline,” Jennifer says, “Don’t let it go.”

   “It’s okay,” Julianna responds while looking up at her cousin, “I kinda fell in love with Tamara. But I’m still into boys, too.”

   Caroline’s eyes widen, “Tamara?!
Our
Tamara?” She looks at Jennifer, “And you knew?”

   Jennifer points at Julianna with her fork, “Kinda fell in love my ass. And keep telling yourself that about the guys. Like I said before, ‘Let me know how all that works out for ya’.”

   Jennifer points her fork at Caroline, “As for you, you need to grow up and leave the fifties where they are. It’s not that big of a deal.”

   Jennifer looks at her food and stabs up a piece of her pancakes with a fork, “And yes, I have known about it. But Tamara doesn’t know that I know.”  Jennifer looks back up with a warning stare, “And she better not find out from you.”

   “Gawd,” Caroline answers, “You don’t have to be such a witch about it.”

   “I’m just sayin’.”

   Caroline looks at her cousin, “When did it happen?”

   “After I parked in Tamara’s spot.”

   Caroline’s head retreats, “How did you fall in love with someone by parking in their spot?”

   Jennifer drops her fork and stares at Caroline, “You are the densest person I have ever known.”

   “You need some Midol,” Caroline counters, “You’re being really mean.”

   “Pfft,” Jennifer responds by shaking her head and picking her fork back up. She remains silent while cutting into her pancakes.

   Caroline looks at Julianna questioningly.

   “It wasn’t the parking spot,” Julianna answers. Her face blushes slightly, “And I didn’t expect it to happen – never seen it coming. I had no idea. I had a plan, but falling in love wasn’t part of it.”

   Caroline pauses within her thoughts while Julianna remains silent. Jennifer watches the girl to her right with her peripheral vision. Caroline’s mouth opens.

   “
There
it is,” Jennifer announces.

   “You mean?”

   “That’s what she means, Yoda,” Jennifer replies, “Tamara slapped that ass just the right way.”

   Caroline’s nose crinkles as she looks at Jennifer.

   “Heh,” Jennifer amuses, “How’s the imagery?”

   Caroline looks down at her food. She suddenly feels full. The girl looks up at her cousin, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pried.  Jennifer’s right, it’s no big deal. I…”

   “It’s alright,” Julianna intervenes before Caroline can say something she might regret.

   “Ready to leave it alone?”, Jennifer questions.

   Caroline nods, “Yeah, I get it now.”

   “Finally,” Jennifer replies while taking hold of her orange juice, “I was beginning to think that Jamés gave you brain damage.”

   Caroline’s brows narrow.

   Jennifer grins as she looks at Julianna.

   “On another note,” Jennifer speaks, “You explained the stone thing to us, but I still haven’t figured out why you chose us. I mean, I understand Caroline – she’s your cousin. But I’m not. So why’d you choose me?”

   “I didn’t choose any of you – you chose me,” Julianna corrects. She observes the confusion on Jennifer’s face.

   “I made contact in order to give Caroline a choice,” Julianna informs, “But from there, I’ve been gifted to know her friends.
You
sought me out after your trip to the girl’s locker room yesterday. You could’ve easily taken a different route, but you didn’t. I only provided you an opportunity. You made the choice on your own to come back and follow me outside. You made the choice to let me come here. You chose to trust me. The only thing I have done is to say yes – yes, I would be honored to call you family.”

   Jennifer lifts her right brow as she studies the girl sitting to her left. Whenever she relaxes her brown brow, she sits back in her chair, “You need to run for public office.”

   “Not happening,” Julianna counters with a slight grin.

   “I feel like a slut,” Caroline complains, “I’d rather wear a bathing suit.”

   “You’re supposed to be slutty-looking,” Jennifer responds, ‘It’s the whole point.”

   “Why can’t you do it by yourself?”, Caroline urges, “You have all of the experience.”

   “Did you just call me a slut?”

   “No, Jen. I’m serious. I’m freaked out right now.”

   Julianna examines Caroline’s short skirt. Part of her bare buttocks is showing.

   “I feel naked,” Caroline says while her heart pounds. Her forehead and palms are sweaty.

   “We’re only walking down there long enough for Brian to weed out the horn dogs. He has to know who is showing too much interest in you. You
have
to be there.”

    Jennifer continues, “Soon as he gives the signal, we’ll come back up here and change into our regular clothes for the interviews.”

   “You can see my boobs,” Caroline pleas with her eyes, “The lace doesn’t hide anything.”

   Jennifer looks downward, “They’re nice – good DNA.”

   “I hate you,” Caroline complains.

   “You love me and you know it.”

   Jennifer looks at Julianna, “We need to get this done before she passes out.”

   “Go,” Julianna nods, “He’s ready.”

   Caroline and Jennifer walk towards the stairs. With each step, Caroline’s breathing becomes shallower and shallower. Jennifer grabs her left arm.

   “Hold up,” Jennifer says while turning Caroline to face her.

   Caroline shifts her eyes towards the stairs.

   “Look at me,” Julianna coaches.

   Caroline forces herself to obey by finding Jennifer’s brown gaze.

   “Why are you trippin’ like this? It’s not that much different than your cheer uniform, and you wear that all day.”

   “It’s
nothing
like our cheer uniforms,” Caroline counters, “If we were on the street, they’d take us to jail. This is horrible.”

   “You’re looking at it all wrong,” Jennifer replies; “We have to find someone who will clothe you if you’re ever in a compromising situation – someone who won’t try and take advantage of you. You need a protector who
actually
protects and doesn’t try to get some when he thinks he might get away with it.”

   “I know,” Caroline responds while shifting her stare back towards the staircase, “But they’re strangers – men. It’s not like school.”