Evan Elemental (The Evan Elemental Series) by Crystal Groszek Page B
Authors: Crystal Groszek
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women stand up and head to the kitchen.
The
other women give me shy smiles, except for Miranda whose eyes sparkle with
amusement and Susan who just glares. Miranda opens her mouth to speak, but Gena quickly cuts in with a story about a recent shopping
trip in New York City.
I do my
best to keep up with the conversation, but I'm dwelling on what Mary Morris was
about to say. My mother never spoke about her time here and I'm aching for any
details I can get. After a while, Mary and Selma return to the table. I notice
that Mary is slightly deflated, and I find myself feeling bad for her. The
others don't acknowledge their return, but keep up the chatter, which also bothers
me.
"Evan,
how would you like to be a part of the Church picnic planning committee?" Gena asks, causing me to flinch since I'm not paying
attention.
"Oh,
we would just love that!" Mary exclaims.
"Yes,
we would," says a bright, unfamiliar voice.
I turn
to see a girl about my age standing in the doorway. She has hair the color of
corn silk and is just as tall, thin, and tan as Miranda Holloway. The
resemblance is explained when the girl saunters over to Miranda and places her
hand on her shoulder.
"Hello,
mother," she says coolly.
"Delia,
you're late," Miranda replies in a bored tone.
Delia's
hand drops from her mother's shoulder, but her smile remains sunny and
unbothered. "Ladies, I apologize for being so late, but I was being fitted
for my Miss Apple Fest dress."
Everyone
coos simultaneously and I stifle a giggle. They have to be shitting me if this
is a real thing. Delia seats herself in the empty chair next to her mother. Her
gaze wanders around the table and lands on me. The disdain is clear. Internally
I cringe; it was one thing to have to avoid Miranda Holloway, it's entirely
another to have to deal with someone I'm probably going to end up in school
with.
"Dear,
you don't have to apologize for a thing!" exclaims Mary Morris, her
previous enthusiasm fully renewed. "Miss Apple Fest is such an exciting
time! Why, I remember it like it was just yesterday!" She sighs and her
eyes take on a glassy, faraway look.
"Anyway,"
she says, shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, "you haven't been
properly introduced! Evangeline, this is Delia Holloway. I'm sure you two will
be good friends before you know it!"
Delia
and I exchange a look that clearly says no way in hell. Her mouth breaks into a
wide grin but her eyes remain cold and fixed.
"I'm
sure you're right, Ms. Morris," Delia answers in a honey smooth voice
dripping with sarcasm.
"Ms.
Morris! You make me sound like an old woman! How many times do I have to tell
you to call me Mary?"
Delia
just smiles wider, her gaze still fixed on me. The stone at my wrist grows
cold, so cold it burns. It hurts, badly, but I refuse to flinch.
"As
entertaining as this afternoon has been," Miranda interrupts in a bored
tone. "I'm afraid I must be going. Joshua is returning from his business
trip to Japan and I'd like to be home when he arrives."
Miranda
and Delia both rise in one fluid motion. I clench my teeth to keep my jaw from
dropping; it's unnatural the way they move, like they have an impossible amount
of control over their bodies. Maybe it's Pilates; maybe it's something else.
Everyone
else rises, too, leaving me sitting awkwardly. I stand up as gracefully as I
can, but my legs have gone slightly numb from sitting for so long.
"Evangeline,"
Delia croons as she walks closer to me, "it was so nice to finally meet
you." She looks me up and down as she extends her hand. I consider leaving
her hanging, but everyone's eyes are on us. I straighten my back and take her
hand, locking eyes with her to let her know that she can't intimidate me. Out
of nowhere, I feel a surge of power shoot through me and into the hand that
holds on to Delia's. It reminds me of what happened the night of the lightning
storm except in reverse, the power flowing out of me instead of in to me, and I
realize that I'm entirely in
The
other women give me shy smiles, except for Miranda whose eyes sparkle with
amusement and Susan who just glares. Miranda opens her mouth to speak, but Gena quickly cuts in with a story about a recent shopping
trip in New York City.
I do my
best to keep up with the conversation, but I'm dwelling on what Mary Morris was
about to say. My mother never spoke about her time here and I'm aching for any
details I can get. After a while, Mary and Selma return to the table. I notice
that Mary is slightly deflated, and I find myself feeling bad for her. The
others don't acknowledge their return, but keep up the chatter, which also bothers
me.
"Evan,
how would you like to be a part of the Church picnic planning committee?" Gena asks, causing me to flinch since I'm not paying
attention.
"Oh,
we would just love that!" Mary exclaims.
"Yes,
we would," says a bright, unfamiliar voice.
I turn
to see a girl about my age standing in the doorway. She has hair the color of
corn silk and is just as tall, thin, and tan as Miranda Holloway. The
resemblance is explained when the girl saunters over to Miranda and places her
hand on her shoulder.
"Hello,
mother," she says coolly.
"Delia,
you're late," Miranda replies in a bored tone.
Delia's
hand drops from her mother's shoulder, but her smile remains sunny and
unbothered. "Ladies, I apologize for being so late, but I was being fitted
for my Miss Apple Fest dress."
Everyone
coos simultaneously and I stifle a giggle. They have to be shitting me if this
is a real thing. Delia seats herself in the empty chair next to her mother. Her
gaze wanders around the table and lands on me. The disdain is clear. Internally
I cringe; it was one thing to have to avoid Miranda Holloway, it's entirely
another to have to deal with someone I'm probably going to end up in school
with.
"Dear,
you don't have to apologize for a thing!" exclaims Mary Morris, her
previous enthusiasm fully renewed. "Miss Apple Fest is such an exciting
time! Why, I remember it like it was just yesterday!" She sighs and her
eyes take on a glassy, faraway look.
"Anyway,"
she says, shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, "you haven't been
properly introduced! Evangeline, this is Delia Holloway. I'm sure you two will
be good friends before you know it!"
Delia
and I exchange a look that clearly says no way in hell. Her mouth breaks into a
wide grin but her eyes remain cold and fixed.
"I'm
sure you're right, Ms. Morris," Delia answers in a honey smooth voice
dripping with sarcasm.
"Ms.
Morris! You make me sound like an old woman! How many times do I have to tell
you to call me Mary?"
Delia
just smiles wider, her gaze still fixed on me. The stone at my wrist grows
cold, so cold it burns. It hurts, badly, but I refuse to flinch.
"As
entertaining as this afternoon has been," Miranda interrupts in a bored
tone. "I'm afraid I must be going. Joshua is returning from his business
trip to Japan and I'd like to be home when he arrives."
Miranda
and Delia both rise in one fluid motion. I clench my teeth to keep my jaw from
dropping; it's unnatural the way they move, like they have an impossible amount
of control over their bodies. Maybe it's Pilates; maybe it's something else.
Everyone
else rises, too, leaving me sitting awkwardly. I stand up as gracefully as I
can, but my legs have gone slightly numb from sitting for so long.
"Evangeline,"
Delia croons as she walks closer to me, "it was so nice to finally meet
you." She looks me up and down as she extends her hand. I consider leaving
her hanging, but everyone's eyes are on us. I straighten my back and take her
hand, locking eyes with her to let her know that she can't intimidate me. Out
of nowhere, I feel a surge of power shoot through me and into the hand that
holds on to Delia's. It reminds me of what happened the night of the lightning
storm except in reverse, the power flowing out of me instead of in to me, and I
realize that I'm entirely in
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