cantina mean? Singer?”
“I don’t know Spanish,” Angie said.
“ Cantina means tavern. Like a bar,” Kaitlyn said, hearing the contempt in her voice as she added, “Do you even try to know your own language, Julia?”
“Hey, let’s not start arguing again,” Angie said, her soft voice cutting off whatever Julia’s reply might have been, but Kaitlyn felt the waves of anger pouring out from Julia. It was obvious that not knowing how to speak Spanish was a huge sore spot for her… Kaitlyn didn’t know why, but it made her feel better that she could speak Spanish and Julia couldn’t.
A fierce cord of bitterness coiled around her heart. She did know why it made her feel better. It was because she was a jerk, just like Julia had accused her of being. She had known for a long time that she didn’t care about anyone except herself. A hard place inside of her stung, bringing sharp heat to her eyes. She would always be this way. She wasn’t like Angie… she wasn’t nice. She was naturally mean and jealous and full of boiling rage, and she liked feeling better than other people. She couldn’t pretend she didn’t.
Suddenly Kaitlyn wanted to let go of their hands. She wanted space. She wanted to be alone.
“Can you tell which time period it is?” Angie asked, sounding more faraway than ever. “Maybe there’s a year on one of the signs.”
“I’ve got nothin’,” Julia said, “but wherever it is, we sure go to a lot of bars.”
Kaitlyn should be doing her part. She should leave this vision of the three of them fighting on the beach. It told nothing about the location or the year, and that was what they needed to know… but she watched as Angie was tied up by pirates. Julia lay face down in a pool of her own blood. A man knotted her hair in his fist and pulled back her head. Still, she watched.
What was she going to see?
Her heart rose to form a lump in her throat at the sight of the struggling girls. She didn’t want to help anymore. She didn’t want to be in this basement. She wanted to go home and forget the world, listening to music until she fell dead asleep.
“Are we done here?” she finally asked, releasing the vision with a shove of her palms as her own throat was about to be slashed.
Angie blinked rapidly, her enormous blue eyes looking childlike and lost for a moment. “Please try not to pull us from visions so abruptly.”
“My power wasn’t going to hold out forever,” she said, forcing the image of them all being killed from her mind. “And as much fun as you guys both are—” and she didn’t bother hiding the fact that they were anything but— “I have a life of my own I’d like to get back to.”
“We barely started,” Julia said. “This is our second mission. We’re not just practicing for funsies, you know.”
“Good thing, because this is boring as hell.”
“What’s your problem?”
Before she could reply, Angie placed a gentle hand on Kaitlyn’s arm. Kaitlyn looked down at it, swallowing hard as she looked back into Angie’s eyes.
“That’s okay. We can take a break from the magic,” Angie said, her eyes filled with so much compassion that Kaitlyn had to lower her gaze. She could see why Angie was so well-liked at school. Looking into her eyes, it was nearly impossible not to want to please her.
“Can you stay for a bit to help us research?” Angie added.
Kaitlyn nodded, not trusting her voice yet.
“Great,” Angie beamed. “Julia, let’s start with you. What did you see?”
Julia frowned, her forehead puckering. “Nothing about us. Just…” she trailed off, waving her hand as she looked away.
Angie sat next to her and took her hand. “Are you okay?”
Kaitlyn’s jaw tightened a little and she looked away. Dawn used to sit beside her just like that. Are you doing okay? she would ask, tilting her head and making Kaitlyn feel as though she really cared.
“It’s Brian and Ethan stuff,” Julia said. “Nothing to do with the
“I don’t know Spanish,” Angie said.
“ Cantina means tavern. Like a bar,” Kaitlyn said, hearing the contempt in her voice as she added, “Do you even try to know your own language, Julia?”
“Hey, let’s not start arguing again,” Angie said, her soft voice cutting off whatever Julia’s reply might have been, but Kaitlyn felt the waves of anger pouring out from Julia. It was obvious that not knowing how to speak Spanish was a huge sore spot for her… Kaitlyn didn’t know why, but it made her feel better that she could speak Spanish and Julia couldn’t.
A fierce cord of bitterness coiled around her heart. She did know why it made her feel better. It was because she was a jerk, just like Julia had accused her of being. She had known for a long time that she didn’t care about anyone except herself. A hard place inside of her stung, bringing sharp heat to her eyes. She would always be this way. She wasn’t like Angie… she wasn’t nice. She was naturally mean and jealous and full of boiling rage, and she liked feeling better than other people. She couldn’t pretend she didn’t.
Suddenly Kaitlyn wanted to let go of their hands. She wanted space. She wanted to be alone.
“Can you tell which time period it is?” Angie asked, sounding more faraway than ever. “Maybe there’s a year on one of the signs.”
“I’ve got nothin’,” Julia said, “but wherever it is, we sure go to a lot of bars.”
Kaitlyn should be doing her part. She should leave this vision of the three of them fighting on the beach. It told nothing about the location or the year, and that was what they needed to know… but she watched as Angie was tied up by pirates. Julia lay face down in a pool of her own blood. A man knotted her hair in his fist and pulled back her head. Still, she watched.
What was she going to see?
Her heart rose to form a lump in her throat at the sight of the struggling girls. She didn’t want to help anymore. She didn’t want to be in this basement. She wanted to go home and forget the world, listening to music until she fell dead asleep.
“Are we done here?” she finally asked, releasing the vision with a shove of her palms as her own throat was about to be slashed.
Angie blinked rapidly, her enormous blue eyes looking childlike and lost for a moment. “Please try not to pull us from visions so abruptly.”
“My power wasn’t going to hold out forever,” she said, forcing the image of them all being killed from her mind. “And as much fun as you guys both are—” and she didn’t bother hiding the fact that they were anything but— “I have a life of my own I’d like to get back to.”
“We barely started,” Julia said. “This is our second mission. We’re not just practicing for funsies, you know.”
“Good thing, because this is boring as hell.”
“What’s your problem?”
Before she could reply, Angie placed a gentle hand on Kaitlyn’s arm. Kaitlyn looked down at it, swallowing hard as she looked back into Angie’s eyes.
“That’s okay. We can take a break from the magic,” Angie said, her eyes filled with so much compassion that Kaitlyn had to lower her gaze. She could see why Angie was so well-liked at school. Looking into her eyes, it was nearly impossible not to want to please her.
“Can you stay for a bit to help us research?” Angie added.
Kaitlyn nodded, not trusting her voice yet.
“Great,” Angie beamed. “Julia, let’s start with you. What did you see?”
Julia frowned, her forehead puckering. “Nothing about us. Just…” she trailed off, waving her hand as she looked away.
Angie sat next to her and took her hand. “Are you okay?”
Kaitlyn’s jaw tightened a little and she looked away. Dawn used to sit beside her just like that. Are you doing okay? she would ask, tilting her head and making Kaitlyn feel as though she really cared.
“It’s Brian and Ethan stuff,” Julia said. “Nothing to do with the
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