Shattering Crystals

"Pass the salt," Lynda calls down the long table. It's early in the morning and we're having breakfast, but no one seems to mind being up at this time. Strange, but true.

The salt is closest to me, right in front of my plate, actually. But being as I am, I am too lazy to pass it down the table to Lynda, who is sitting on the other side. Instead I just lazily flick my fingers, sending it flying through the air and landing safely by her side.

"You should really try to do it," I say to Lynda. "It makes things a lot easier."

"I have," she says. "It's just not really that easy."

"Yeah, it took practice," Lorraine says. "But it's worth it, in the end."

I poke at my eggs using my fork, letting all the yellow yolk ooze out onto my plate. I wonder if Lynda really does believe us. She's been getting friendlier - taking us shopping nearly every week, talking more, and just overall happier than before. Not that she was ever unhappy, just not as happy.

"Can you help me, then?" Lynda asks.

"When?" Lorraine says. Whenever someone asks about magic, it is usually Lorraine who answers their questions and teaches them different techniques. She has always been the best, anyways.

"Now." Lynda slides back her chair and gets up from the table. Lorraine throws her napkin on her plate and follows.

"Dana, come too," Lorraine says. "You can help."

I get up, leaving my barely touched breakfast on the table. Connor steals the plate from me and starts eating from it.

"So, our room?" I ask Lynda.

"Where ever," she says. "Just as long as I can practice on something."

We walk up the stairs and into the now familiar daisy room. I flop down on my bed and Lorraine sits down on hers. Lynda sits beside her.

"So," Lorraine says. "What do you want to learn?"

"Anything," Lynda says eagerly. "Just teach me something."

"Okay," Lorraine says. "There's really isn't much to teach you, really. But I can help you, I guess."

"What do you mean there isn't much to teach?"

"I mean that it's not very hard, and everyone does it differently," Lorraine explains. "You just have to concentrate."

I nod. "Like so." I point to a tube of Lorraine's lip gloss sitting on the nightstand between our beds, and it floats slowly into my hands.

"Try it," Lorraine says. "Just imagine it moving through the air. You have to picture it."

"Um... okay." She squeezes her eyes shut, concentrating so hard that I can see the picture she's trying to bring into reality. The lip gloss levitates about an inch or two, but then wobbles and falls back into my hands.

"Good," Lorraine approves. "That's really all you need to know for moving stuff. Just keep practicing and you'll get it."

"That wasn't so hard," Lynda notes.

"I never said it was hard. Do you want to learn anything else?"

"Nothing for now..." Lynda says. "I just want to practice this first."

Lorraine smiles brightly at me as Lynda tries to move the lip gloss again. And we know we've completed our mission - Lynda is really, truly, one of us now.

----

"I wonder when she's coming back from the party," Lorraine says. After a few weeks of practicing moving objects, Lorraine is supposed to teach Lynda something new tonight. That is, if Lynda ever comes back from her party.

"She didn't really like parties before. I mean, she said so, but we never really saw her go to any," I notice. "She's changed a lot."

"Yeah," Lorraine says, "but she's still the same, in a way."

"True."

"Hmm... that reminds me, are we going to throw a party for Cody and Connor?" she says. "Their birthday is next week."

"We really should," I say. "But we'll have to ask Lynda - I mean, it is her house and her money."

"She has to actually come home first," Lorraine grumbles.

Connor bursts in through the door, not bothering to knock like he usually does. I try to stop myself from smiling when I see him, even though his expression is certainly not happy.

"Lynda's home... but..."

"But what?" I ask.

"You might want to come see this," Connor replies nervously. "In the lobby."

"Is it an emergency?" Lorraine questions.

"Yes."

I glance at Lorraine and then jump off of my bed. I quickly walk down the stairs, two steps at a time. Lorraine is right behind me.

Thoughts flash through my mind as to what could be wrong. Someone hurt? Someone lost? It could be worse than that, with our situation. Magic does have its consequences. I learned that in a past life.

I jump down the last two steps and run into the lobby, sliding a bit on the marble. I don't see much, other than everyone huddled in a circle.

"What's going on?" I ask. Everyone moves back, and I see a tall athletic guy standing next to Lynda. “Who’s this?”

“Ask Lynda,” Elise says, venom on her words. I shoot Lynda a questioning look, but she averts her eyes

"Someone tell me!" I say. I look all around the circle, silently begging someone to explain. Dean, Cody, Elise, Ashlee, and Aaron. They don't give me an answer other than give me horrified looks.

"Lynda?" Lorraine says, her tone commanding. Lynda opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. Connor catches up with me and I try asking him.

"Connor, what's happening here?" I ask, starting to worry even more.

Connor looks from me, to Lynda, to me again, and then finally to the unnamed boy standing in the back. He answers me with only two words, two words that change a lot.

"He knows."