Chapter 7- Wicked Forest

The weekend passed slowly. The minutes ticked by at a snail pace. All the while, Crystal avoided her parents. Refused to go to the community school and take part in any of the coven’s activities. The silence seemed to scream at her. But she never budged; her stubborn personality wouldn’t allow it. Even though the loneliness was weighing down her heart she knew she couldn’t face her parents or the snickers and remarks from the coven’s teens. Jeanette had only caused a bigger rift between her and the rest of her people. Marrying a Carmichael would destroy her.
Countless times her mother had demanded that she get up and grow up. Her words floated over Crystal. Her life was over, and she knew it. No number of angry words or scowls would make her change her mind.
By Monday morning, Crystal was ready for school.
For the first time, she was early. The corridors were already bursting with students, all of which gathered in their peer groups. There were the jocks huddled by the lockers. The cheerleaders sat on the benches in the communal area. The school’s band paraded up and down the hallway blasting their instruments. Crystal covered her ears to block out the noise.
She caught a glimpse of Drake as she passed his locker. He gave her a smile and her heart fluttered. She smiled back and continued down the corridor. For years she had wanted Drake to notice her, it was a dream come true, just a little smile, it was more than she could have hoped for. However, her heart wasn’t in it. Her depressive state, wanted to hate everyone and the world itself.
When Crystal entered the library, there were the nerds, all noses deep in books. Yet she didn’t fit into any of those groups. She was a loner. She wondered the school, lost in her own world. While others had their own friendships, their own clinches where they had human contact. For Crystal she was an outsider, just looking in on what life could be like. She longed for a friend. Someone she could relate too. Yet the wall around herself acted like a shield. How could she let anyone in?
Picking a table in the corner, Crystal got out her English notebook and proceeded to catch up on schoolwork while she waited for the bell to ring. She was engrossed in her textbook when she heard a cough. Looking up her gaze met a pair of brown eyes.
“Do you mind if I sit here?” Drake asked. All Crystal could do was nod. Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth and her heart danced. She had been crushing on Drake since she started high school. Not once had he spoken to her. Yet here he was asking to sit at the table she was occupying. She observed the library. There were many empty tables.
Giving him a smile, she returned to her book. Every now and then she would dare herself to peak at him. Each time she did he was watching her with a look of curiosity. It was a look many gave her. Her nerves became a tangled mess. She prayed she didn’t have anything on her face.
“I was wondering if you would like to come to the Halloween dance with me?”
Crystal’s head shot up and she looked around the room. Was he talking to her? Actually, asking her to the dance? No one had ever asked her before. Twisting her blond locks in her fingertips and fluttering her eyelashes she grinned.
“Sure.”
“Great, I will pick you up around seven.” He gave her a smile and got up. Crystal watched him retreat with a smile on her lips and a blush to her cheeks, with also a little embarrassment. In a split second she had turned into Maria, why did she flutter her eyelashes? She placed her head in her arms on the table and let out a silent scream, for her silly actions. What was it about boys? Why did they get girls all tangled up to a point they find themselves doing things out of character?
The day passed quickly, Crystal was lost in her thoughts and daydreams.
As she walked home, she had a spring in her step and happiness threatened to explode her chest. Her latest worries had all but been forgotten. She had something to look forward too. Yet a part of her told her to stay away from Drake, her emotions were conflicting. It wouldn’t hurt to have some fun. After all she was doomed, forced to marry a Carmichael.
Entering her home, still she wore the smile. Her mother raised her eyebrows.
“Good day?” she asked, which only made Crystal’s smile widen.
“The best.”
“Well, sit, we need to have a little chat.”
Within a split second her smile vanished and her mood changed to despair. Her impending wedding broke through her mind. The last time they needed a chat, it didn’t end well, and dread seeped into her pours.
Crystal folded her arms and leaned against the kitchen counter. She knew her face must have looked like thunder by the agitated look in her mother’s eyes. Being asked to sit never meant good things and she was ready for her mother to yet again shatter her world.
It is what she did best.
“On Saturday, we will be having a ball, your engagement party. The Carmichael’s will be coming to meet you and….”
“Not gonna happen,” Crystal cut her off and held up her hand.
“It is tradition.”
“Maybe it is time we changed these ridicules traditions. Every state has banned arranged marriages yet here you are, still trying to force me into marrying a monster.”
“Crystal! It has always been the way of our people, to keep our lines strong. So many covens have lost their powers due to diluting the blood line.”
“No mother, the reason that many covens have lost their power is due to the Carmichael’s. Or have you forgotten everything you have preached? How many covens have they murdered and stole power from?” With her arms crossed, Crystal glared at her mother. Why didn’t she just give it up? Let her get on with her life the way she wanted to live it? Was that all life was about? Power? Crystal would give up her power without a second thought if it meant she could be normal.
“We have no choice. You don’t have a choice. It is the only way to save our people.”
Crystal watched a lone tear spill from her mother’s eye and walked away. It was no use. She could argue all day, but she knew her mother wouldn’t budge. She looked back as she reached the door. Her mother’s face was composed and back to normal. “Crocodile tears,” she muttered. She was accustomed to her mother’s manipulation.
Alone in her room, she tried concentrating on her homework. Why? She didn’t know. It wasn’t like getting an education would help her in the future. Her fate had already been sealed. She was to become a monster’s wife.
Her phone beeped and when she glanced at the screen her breath caught in her throat. “What u up to? Drake X” the message read. How’d he gets her number? Drake had texted her. Her heart drummed and she grinned.
“Just homework, x” she texts back, after contemplating whether or not to put a kiss on the end. Would it make her look desperate? She had no girlfriends to ask and rarely got any messages. She decided to just go with it and closed her eyes as she hit send.
“Cool, wanna hang out? x”
“Sure, x”
“Meet me at the Craven in half hour x”
Crystal sighed. There was just one problem. Her parents would never allow her out. Not now that she was betrothed to the monster.
The next ten minutes she spent putting on makeup and taming her curls. She smiled at herself in the mirror. She was about to meet up with Drake. Excitement bubbled in her chest, and she did a little crazy dance and squeal before leaving her room.
Creeping down the stairs she kept close to the wall using the side door that hardly ever got used. Breathing in the fresh air she felt proud of herself. She had mastered slipping out unnoticed. Her home felt more like a prison each passing day. As she moved further away from the house she wondered if she was making a mistake. After all she didn’t want to be the popular kid, just normal. Hanging out with Drake wouldn’t make her normal. It would just complicate her life more. However, she needed too, if only to drive the loneliness away for just a short while.