Authors: EJ Valson,Michelle Read
“Again,” Azura reassured, “it’s the thought of competition.” She rolled her eyes. “Elizabeth is particularly territorial, which can be very irritating, but relatively harmless. She is, as you know, a very talented woman. She can get much accomplished in a very short amount of time.”
I nodded in agreement. But there was obviously something in my face that challenged her assessment of Elizabeth Asch, because she sat back a little and raised one eyebrow.
“Is there anything
else
that you noticed about her? Any other outstanding qualities?”
Her change in body language threw me a little, and I felt slightly embarrassed. Like there was some part of this conversation that should be so very obvious, and I was too thick to see it.
“She . . . is. Well, she’s very organized.” Recalling her refrigerator labels the first time I met her almost made me laugh out loud. I didn’t chance even a smirk, though, and tried very hard to remain serious. “And she is always put together. She always
always
looks nice. No—perfect. She always looks perfect.” I wondered if she could detect the hint of jealousy in my voice.
“Yes, she does.”
And?
I thought.
“Elizabeth’s
special qualities
are things that are very important to her. Attributes
she
values, and that make her who she is. As I said, the part of her personality that feels threatened easily, well,
that
part can get quite irritating.”
It was such a relief to hear someone else finding Elizabeth irritating.
“Next.”
“Excuse me?” I muttered, startled at the odd command.
“What have you noticed about the others?” Azura insisted.
“What others?”
She leaned forward on the table again, her eyes suddenly more intense.
“The other women you work with. Has anyone else done anything questionable? Out of the ordinary?”
Of course it wasn’t difficult to come up with an example of something unexplainable. Questionable.
“Danna.” It was all I could get out. I would feel foolish saying the words “superhuman strength” out loud.
Charlotte made a noise and cringed a little, letting me know that she remembered the encounter in the hallway before school had started.
I looked back at Azura, who nodded, but otherwise said nothing. Was I supposed to be piecing something together, here? Were we done asking questions? Or maybe I wasn’t asking the right ones?
“Danna,” Azura broke my dumbfounded train of thought, “was not very fond of being weak – physically.”
Charlotte began wringing her hands together like a nervous old woman. She looked at me in horror . . . really
looked
at me for the first time since she had been kicked out of the conversation. And she looked as though she might have the most silent, inward nervous breakdown.
“It was all she really wanted,” Azura continued, as if her friend and co-worker were not feeling mentally ill in the chair right next to her. “And Claire,” she smiled when she said her name—an expression I rarely pictured on her firm face, and her features were illuminated for a fraction of a second. “Well, Claire is just lovely.”
“I agree.”
“She would never want for anything, even though before I met her, she literally had
nothing
. Her husband worked very hard, and still does, but made barely enough to keep the lights on, let alone a fridge full of food or— ”
“Or clothes for her kids,” I interjected. She smiled again.
“Precisely.”
I turned to look at Charlotte, who had now taken to rubbing the back of one thumb with the other, both of which were trembling slightly. It looked like she was working on claming herself down.
“So I simply enhanced what she came by naturally. An inner beauty, if you will, that simply shines through to the outside now. And if you will notice, it often helps meet her needs, being such a lovely person inside and out.”
“Like the success of her garage sale.”
“Yes, like that.”
“But,” the sheer ridiculousness of this conversation was about to overtake me. “
You
enhanced— ?”
“And our dear friend Charlotte,” she put her hand firmly on Charlotte’s wrist, which made her jump. “One of Charlotte’s most endearing natural qualities is her compassion.” Azura rubbed her arm, and patted it intermittently. It seemed like an irritating, acerbic sort of touch. “And her knack for thinking she can protect people. That she can save them from feeling things that are necessary.”
She turned to look Charlotte in the eyes. “Or from making decisions that are theirs to make.”
“What decision is this that I’m supposed to be making for myself?” I demanded. I was suddenly tired of playing games. “And why is she shaking?” Charlotte’s hands were growing more spastic, despite Azura’s firm grasp on her arm.
“You are to decide whether or not you want to be involved.”
“In what?”
“In the situation at hand.” She released Charlotte’s forearm. “And she is upset because this isn’t how she wanted you to find out about our little community.” She checked her phone quickly. “However, there is simply no more time for pleasantries— Charlotte, do it now. Or I will.”
I was rapidly becoming more horrified. The past hour of confrontation made me think of sorority initiations and horrible pranks.
What kind of
community?
And what kind of
choice?
“Erin,” my dearest friend sighed. “You know I love you.” She looked at Azura. “And
I
want what’s best for you.” Then her eyes met mine again. “And what’s best for your family. For Vy, and John.”
I didn’t say anything. It would be silly to respond to the obvious, I knew she cared about us. But why was she caring
so
much, right now?
“Azura is capable of . . .” she looked as though she was about to cry, but also as if I wouldn’t believe her. “. . . she can give you your own set of ‘special abilities’.”
I was sure I looked confused, what other expression could I possibly have? Charlotte looked exhausted. And Azura looked positively impatient – checking her watch every few seconds now.
“Erin, honey. Do you understand?”
“Not really,” admitted. I didn’t laugh, though, like I probably should have done. They were both staring at me so very seriously. Azura checked her watch again, and leaned onto the table.
“There is a war coming, Erin. To our small society of friends. And I need to know if you are to be a part of it . . . if you will fight with us.” She spoke quickly, and a little too quietly, considering it was just the three of us at the kitchen table.
“Alright ladies.” I stood forcefully, nearly knocking my chair over backwards. “I’m thoroughly confused,
still
frustrated with all the secrecy—you’re both being so cryptic, and
now
I’m hungry.”
I turned around and stomped across the small kitchen, trying once again to take hold of the anger I was feeling. My sudden departure from the table and little stomping fit left them both taken aback.
Unable to focus on anything in particular besides being hungry and frustrated, I snatched a Pop-Tart package from the cabinet and ripped it open. Then I leaned back on the counter facing the table.
“So what you’re saying,” I crammed half the Pop-Tart in my mouth, “is that
you
two are in some kind of trouble. And you want
me
to help. Well—
you
do,” I mused, pointing dramatically toward Azura. “And
you
,” Charlotte only blinked when I waved my hand at her, “know that I’m a weeny and would be no good in a fight, so you want me to stay out of it. Is that right?”
Charlotte started to speak, but I closed my eyes and waved my half of a Pop-Tart through the air to cut her short.
“Even
though
,” I added loudly, “I still have no idea what’s really the issue here. And
you
,” I now realized that I was mimicking Charlotte’s body language from the big argument I witnessed earlier this morning. I thrust one finger toward Azura, who seemed to be enjoying herself, though she was clearly growing more impatient. “
You
are going to give me some special power that I can use to save your butts. To help you, and all the people who have been giving me the cold shoulder all year long?!”
“Don’t be dramatic, Erin,” Azura chimed. “It’s not like we
couldn’t
do this without you. But of course our chances are greater with greater numbers.” The woman sounded like a war general, giving simple statistics in the middle of my kitchen.
“Okay, so . . . say I believe that you are capable of bestowing on me some supernatural ability,” I was really hamming it up now. “What would it be? Do I get to pick it? By the way,” I added, “this is ridiculous.”
“It’s only ridiculous because we’re throwing it at you like this.” It was Charlotte’s voice now, trying to maintain reason, as usual. Trying to help me understand. “It usually goes much more smoothly, and is easier to digest.”
“Mm-hmm.” I highly doubted that.
“I
am
capable, and no, you don’t get to choose. I chose
for
you.”
“—Chose?” My eyes bugged out involuntarily.
“Yes. Chose. Please try to calm down and pay attention. I visited your home earlier in the year. You were returning from Claire’s house, I believe. I tested you then.”
I drew my eyebrows together, trying to recall actually talking about
any
thing that day. I only remembered her leaving sooner than I had expected her to.
“You wouldn’t remember,” she added, rolling her eyes slightly, as if this fact should have been obvious.
“What, did you erase my memory?” I was being overly sarcastic, of course, and shoved the other half of my Pop-Tart in my mouth.
“Yes.”
As if on cue, Azura’s phone rang in her pocket. It vibrated, actually, and only once. How I heard it, I had no idea. She rose from her seat in one swift move.
“Have you made a decision, then?”
“Uhh-h-h.”
Was I really supposed to have an answer to that?
“Erin, it’s dangerous,” Charlotte finally resorted to begging, which didn’t suit her. “Azura has assured us all that there are likely to be casualties.” Azura’s unexpected rise from the table seemed to have made her crazy, she was becoming frantic now. “Can you imagine?
Casualties!
” Her eyes searched mine, pleading for me to turn away from all the nonsense I had just heard. Half of which still didn’t make a lot of sense.
“Erin,
please
,” Azura commanded.
“But—I still have so many questions.” It shocked even me that I was taking any of this seriously, but I was now growing more worried.
“There isn’t time, dear. I’m sorry.” If I wasn’t mistaken, there was a hint of regret in her voice.
“Erin—”
“Charlotte!” Azura snapped. I heard the phone vibrate once more in her pocket, and watched as her faced changed. “She must decide
now
!”