Heathcliff sighed. Starting a math camp seemed like a good idea at the time, but now he was starting to have second thoughts. Not only was he having trouble figuring out what he should do during the camp, such as an objective, but he'd already started the ball rolling, so he couldn't stop now. It would only make more problems if he did. However, it was the only thing he'd been able to come up with to get that girl close enough to him that he could try to use her to open the gates that wouldn't raise suspicions on what his motives were.
Part of the issue with the gates is that he was running out of places he could use his magic to create gold in the ground where he would dig. Never a large amount, as far as how much gold was estimated to still be undug in the world, but enough that it let him to run his business as well as employ those who he needed to make it a legitimate company. He was also eager to get the gate open so he could see if there was anything in the other worlds that he could capitalize on. The only problem with the gate by Berthoud Pass was that it wasn't on property he could try to purchase himself, but rather just barely in the National Park property line.
Technically he could still try to use his magic to get ownership of where the gate was, but it likely would raise too many questions about his interest in the land. Besides using magic in that way would be much less subtle than his preferred methods. In the end, he knew he'd just have to work with circumstances that he had currently and see if things might change in the future without him doing anything else about it.
Regardless, the biggest problem right now was getting that girl, Charlie Rivers, to be cooperative with him. He didn't know enough about her and even his sources were limited on what information that they could give him on what information they could find. His biggest hope with dealing with the girl was to get her indebted to him. If he could do that, she would likely be easier to control and potentially be an asset to Heathcliff's endeavors.
The biggest problem he was having with planning on the 'math camp' is that he couldn't decide if there should be a project to work on that relies heavily on math, an engineering project, or just more of a study camp. Though, he also had to figure out how to get the girl over to Berthoud pass without raising suspicion from everyone else at the camp. While getting the girl there was the hardest part, Heathcliff needed it to be a simple reason for her to go to the gate, otherwise it could derail his goals.
Heathcliff sighed. Maybe he should just let the campers decide through a vote and have the needed materials for each so whatever was done, it would be favored by most, if not all.
That might be the best way to go about it.
_
Charlie was finishing up her cereal when there was a knock at the front door. Charlie didn't bother getting up to answer it. Her mother was closest and typically was the one who had visitors this early in the morning, especially on Saturdays.
"Hello, is Charlie here?" Charlie heard Amelia ask her mother after the door was opened.
"Yes, may I ask who wants to know?" Charlie's mother replied.
"I'm Amelia Adams," Amelia replied, apparently deciding that was all she needed to say.
There was quiet for a minute, during which Charlie became aware of the surprised expression Cherie was giving her. Then finally Charlie's mother apparently made a decision.
"Come in, I believe you're a friend of Tim's, right?"
"That's right, Mrs. Rivers," Amelia says as, Charlie can only assume, she enters.
"What's this about?" Charlie's mother asked, her tone stating clearly that not answering wasn't an option.
"Last Wednesday was my birthday, and I wanted to invite Charlie to my birthday party today," Amelia replied. The volume indicated to Charlie that they were making their way to her.
Charlie wasn't sure how to react. Even Cherie's expression was getting more and more shocked. Charlie tried not glancing at her sister, given how embarrassed she could feel herself getting merely knowing Cherie was shocked at this news and was sure it wasn't going to stop there.
Charlie got up from the table as her mother returned to the kitchen with Amelia. "Charlie, you have a visitor," Charlie's mother told her, not giving any signs that she was aware that Charlie and Cherie could hear what was said at the front door.
Charlie figured it would be better to play dumb as well. "Need something, Amelia?" Charlie asked, made her way over to the sink where she put her bowl in, rinsing it out quickly before setting it to the side of the sink.
"Um, I was wondering if you'd like to come to my birthday party today," Amelia said, her usual cheerful expression almost nervous and shy. Charlie couldn't understand why she was this way, all the time before Amelia was always outspoken and never showed any signs of being shy. One word that Charlie would have said never would describe Amelia was shy.
"How late will it go?" Charlie asked. She wasn't sure what Amelia had in mind. It might just be the afternoon, but Charlie knew that some were held at night. Charlie never really cared much for birthdays, aside from her parents' or her sister's, but largely she hadn't ever paid much attention to anyone else's. Charlie also preferred her birthday to be forgotten as well, but so far her family hadn't done that for her.
"The plan was to have to go until about nine or ten tonight," Amelia replied, her eyes focusing on Charlie's nightgown left sleeve.
Charlie sighed. She didn't want to turn Amelia down with how she was right now, but she still had the punishment from being out late without letting her parents know earlier in the week going on. "Sorry Amelia," Charlie said. "I'd like to go, but right now I have to do the dishes after dinner every night, so I have to be here in order to do that."
"Are you serious?" Cherie blurted, clearly watching them from the table. "You have a custom ordered excuse to get out of your punishment for the night and you're giving it up without a second thought."
"Cherie," her mother gently rebuked. "Your sister can make what decisions she wants. Even if you disagree, you need to respect what she decides for herself." Charlie's mother turned to face Charlie. "Now Charlie, if you'd like I can talk to your father about giving you a break from you punishment for tonight, given unexpected events."
Charlie wasn't sure how to respond right away. Whenever Cherie had tried using something like this as an excuse to get out of one her punishments, she rarely was allowed. Were their parents treating Charlie differently than Cherie? They might not be the same person, but Charlie wasn't sure what the reason would be. Nothing came to mind as she tried to think about it.
"So, would you come to my birthday party?" Amelia asked, jarring Charlie out of her thoughts. Apparently Amelia took Charlie's continued silence as reluctance, based on the expression Charlie read on Amelia's face.
"I guess," Charlie replied. She wanted to sound more confident in her reply, but she couldn't help but let it come out in a hesitant tone.
Amelia squealed in delight, grabbed Charlie's hand and started pulling her towards the door. Her sudden change in demeanor more in line with what Charlie expected from Amelia. "Let's go then, I still need to get some of the others too."
"Can I first get dressed?" Charlie asked, offering what resistance she could, which meant she was slowly sliding across the kitchen linoleum floor as Amelia pulled Charlie.
Amelia looked at Charlie in the face, the first time since she arrived that morning. "Sure, I'll just accompany you to make sure you don't try to run."
Charlie rolled her eyes, tried to get her hand back and found that Amelia had a grip to rival Beth's. Charlie heard Cherie giggle as Charlie tried to extract her hand from Amelia's grip, with no success. Despite that, Charlie still walked her way to her room but didn't stop trying to get her hand out of Amelia's grip.
The only consolation about it was that Charlie could see Amelia make an effort to keep Charlie's hand from getting away. Not that it soothed Charlie's nerves any.
Once they were in Charlie's room, Charlie hoped that Amelia would let her hand go and wait in the hall, but Amelia kept it firmly in her grip while following Charlie into her room. Charlie stopped at her dresser, then turned to Amelia.
"You do realize that you'll need to let me go so I can get dressed, right?" Charlie asked.
"Yeah, I figured you would," Amelia replied, not showing any signs of releasing Charlie.
Charlie sighed. "Then I guess I should make myself comfortable," she commented, sitting on the floor, making sure her nightgown didn't ride up on her.
Amelia stared at Charlie in surprise. "I thought you were going to get ready," Amelia protested.
Charlie looked directly in Amelia's eyes. "I would if I could. Your not letting me go lets me know that I can't get ready just yet," Charlie replied, wondering if she should have declined going to Amelia's birthday party, which brought to Charlie's mind what was discussed the day before. How they'd meet at Amelia's place to practice their magic. Charlie wasn't surprised that they didn't mention that Amelia's birthday was on the first of April, but the effort that Amelia was going to, to make sure that Charlie wasn't going to try to get away, made Charlie wonder if this was rather personal for Amelia. Which wasn't anything that Charlie could understand. It also explained what was being communicated by the others without speaking and only now did Charlie realize that she could have tried to use her magic to see what their thoughts were and learn about it from that. But somehow, it didn't feel like it would have been as good of an idea as Charlie would have liked.
Amelia seemed to think about what Charlie said for a minute before releasing Charlie's hand. Charlie stood up after it was clear Charlie's hand was Charlie's again, then Charlie turned to Amelia.
"Would you mind giving me some privacy?" Charlie asked.
"It's ok," Amelia replied. "I don't mind."
Charlie stared at Amelia for a minute before sighing and getting her clothing she'd planned on wearing for the day out before heading towards the bathroom. Amelia was a couple steps behind, her expression one of surprise, annoyance and outrage.
As Charlie entered the bathroom, secretly thanking Cherie for not being in there right then, she turned to stop Amelia from entering behind her. "I'm sorry, but I need privacy to change," Charlie said, not caring how her statement might affect Amelia.
While Charlie didn't like hurting others, she still knew that she had to take a stand for what she felt was important, no matter what effects it had on others.
Amelia sighed. "Fine, I'll wait outside, but as soon as you're done, we need to get moving. I still have a few stops to make before my party can start," she said as Charlie closed the door.
Charlie shook her head once the door was closed and locked. She didn't understand why Amelia wanted to be in the same room as Charlie when she changed, but let the thought stop there. What was important to Charlie was that she had the privacy she wanted and she locked the door just in case.
It didn't take long before Charlie had changed her clothes. As Charlie opened the door to the bathroom, Amelia was right where she was when Charlie had closed it. "Let me put my nightgown in my room and then we can leave, okay?" Charlie asked, not sure if Amelia would let her do that much before insisting on heading out right away.
"No problem," Amelia replied, stepping aside so Charlie could leave the bathroom.
Charlie wondered if there was a reason behind the way Amelia was acting, but she couldn't think what it might be. She also felt that it wasn't her place to ask, so she tried to think of something else she could focus on, but at the moment, nothing was coming to mind.
Once Charlie dropped her nightgown on her bed, Amelia grabbed Charlie's hand again and started pulling Charlie to head out again, catching Charlie off-guard enough that she nearly fell over.
"Slow down, please," Charlie pleaded, but Amelia didn't seem to hear. She was intent on getting out and didn't seem interested in letting Charlie a moment to even get her balance.
Charlie was starting to wonder if Amelia was pull her all the way to her house when they left the front door and Charlie could see a car parked around forty feet away at the end of the driveway waiting for them. Then, as they drew near the vehicle, Charlie could see a woman in the driver's seat, whom she had to assume was Amelia's mother given their physical similarities.
Charlie was ushered into the back seat, where Charlie was a little surprised to find Tim and Beth already in, before Amelia took the front passenger seat. "Let's go mom!" Amelia cried, fastening her seat belt.
Amelia's mom laughed and pulled out. "You don't need to be so excited," Amelia's mother commented, but Charlie wasn't sure Amelia even heard her.
_
Charlie felt like a sardine by the time they'd picked up Wes and Ralph. Beth was squeezed on Charlie's left side and Wes on her right side. The only consolation she had was that they were now heading to Amelia's house.
Hannah lived near Amelia, so she was going to at least be spared joining them in the sardine seat. In fact, Hannah was already waiting for them, leaning against a tree halfway between Amelia's house and the road. Charlie was starting to wonder if she made a big mistake in agreeing to coming to Amelia's birthday party, especially since from the appearances of what was going on was that it was going to last all day.
"Is your zip line still set up?" Wes asked Amelia as they were finally able to get out the car.
"No, the tree that held one end up got hit by lightning, so we had to take it down, remember?" Amelia replied.
"Yeah, forgot," Wes said, sheepishly.
"So what's the plan then?" Tim asked as he got out of the car.
"Well, we still have that smash brothers. tournament going on," Amelia replied. "Why don't we finish that?"
"Have fun, kids," Amelia's mother said, as she started walking around the house.
Charlie stretched her legs as she was finally able to get out of the sardine can. She allowed herself to fall behind the others as they began making their way into the house. She kept up enough so she wouldn't lose where they were going, so when she entered Amelia's room, she kept behind everyone as they started to continue their video game tournament.
Charlie looked around Amelia's room while the game console was powering up, then when the game loaded. The base color of the room was yellow, but it was difficult to tell given how much of the surface of the walls were covered in posters, pictures, and human biology diagrams.
She did what she could to blend into the background while they finished their tournament, content to just watch them, which only lasted until the first tournament ended.
–Okay, let's let Charlie take a turn.– Beth said using her magic.
"Not bad," Tim said. "I still haven't gotten the hang of it yet."
–Really?– Wes replied with his magic. –I didn't have any trouble.–
Charlie didn't say anything, but merely let them push her into taking a turn. Not that she survived long. She wasn't surprised, but declined when everyone offered to let her go again. Charlie wasn't sure what the big deal with the video games were. Video games never caught her interest and, if anything, her inability to properly work the controls made her less interested in them.
–Would you like to try another game? One that's a little slower paced?– Beth asked.
Charlie tried replying with her magic, but she couldn't make the connection, so she answered aloud. ""I'll be fine."
–Not a chance.– Amelia replied. –At my parties, everyone needs to feel included and have fun.–
Charlie wasn't sure how to respond. On one hand she was annoyed that she wouldn't be allowed to keep to herself but on the other hand, she was touched that care was being taken so she would feel part of the group.
–How about Minecraft?– Ralph suggested. –That game should be noob friendly.–
"You've never played Minecraft," Tim commented. "Are you sure you know what you're talking about?"
–Ha, ha, ha.– Ralph replied dryly. –Very quick witted, Tim.–
Charlie let them debate what to play next and everything. At the moment, she'd like to just be left alone. She wasn't sure why, but she just felt adrift on a sea and distant from those around her. While she knew that they wanted to include her, it felt like she was a lily surrounded by lilacs. Not matter what she did, she just didn't fit.
"Okay," Amelia called out. "We'll play Minecraft. Charlie gets first controller, Beth gets second, Hannah gets third, and I get the fourth. Tim will change with Beth when my timer goes off, Wes will change with Hannah, and Ralph with switch with me."
Charlie was surprised when she found herself being forced back into the front of the TV again. Amelia set her timer on her phone and they began. Charlie was shown how to start a new map and while Charlie had an easier time keeping up with the pace, it was clear everyone else knew precisely what they were doing, while Charlie was still working out how to create the tools.
Charlie was able to hang in there until Amelia's timer went off the second time. At that point, she'd had enough. She had started mining, only to find her mine shaft ran straight into Wes' which meant all that she could have gotten from it was already harvested.
As the others started up their turn, Charlie had to ask Amelia, "When will your party start?"
Everyone laughed, which surprised Charlie, but also made her annoyed. –Charlie, this is part of the party.– Amelia said through her magic.
Charlie wasn't sure what she could do about getting out of this directly so, she set her controller down and walked out of Amelia's room, no one appearing to notice her leave. Charlie walked down the hallway and up the stairs to the main floor. Right by where the top of the stairs were was the kitchen.
"Are you doing okay, hon?" a voice asked her as she entered the kitchen.
Charlie jumped, but calmed down as she saw Amelia's mother sitting at the dining room table, which adjoined the kitchen.
"Yeah, just needed some air," Charlie replied, pausing for a moment before realizing she could use some water. "Could I get a glass of water, Mrs. Adams?"
"Sure, hon," she said, setting her newspaper down as she got up and walked over to a cupboard and pulled out a glass.
"Thanks," Charlie said as she was handed the glass.
Then as she filled the glass and drank it three times, Amelia's mother walked back to where she was sitting when Charlie entered the kitchen.
"If there's anything else, feel free to ask. Though, I'll be leaving around three to get some things for the party tonight," Amelia's mother commented, not looking at Charlie.
When Charlie had enough water, she felt another need. "Where's the bathroom?" she asked, setting the glass down next to the sink.
"The closest is downstairs, first door to the left," Amelia's mother said, again not looking at Charlie as she spoke.
Charlie thanked her as she returned downstairs and turned away from the direction that Amelia's room was and entered the bathroom.
When Charlie was done in the bathroom, she found herself not having any desire to leave the bathroom at the moment. She washed her hands, dried them, then sat back on the toilet, this time with the lid down, and just sat there.
While she wasn't used to being around others, she hadn't expected this when she agreed to go to Amelia's birthday party. For one, she expected that she'd only need to show up towards the end of the day, rather than right after getting dressed after breakfast. All that she had originally planned on doing in for the day was now going to have to be dealt with another time.
Then when she was playing video games, while she appreciated the others going out of their way to include her, it still didn't feel like she was a part of their group for some reason. It wasn't anything that she could just put her finger on why, but it felt like she was just intruding on their group and they were just accepting of her presence. She wasn't sure if they really thought of her as one of them, but she certainly didn't feel like it herself.
She wondered if she would get any insight with her worries by using her magic to look at their thoughts. While she hadn't gotten full control of that ability, she had a few ideas of what might direct that ability. She also pushed down her reservations of doing that to those whom she felt she had their trust. She hadn't decided on if it was something that would be okay or not, but she wasn't sure if she really should be doing that to those who could her friends or not.
She focused on each person in Amelia's room at a time, and while she couldn't hear their thoughts as clearly as when it occurred without her trying, she could at least get a thin idea of what their thoughts were. Each one was still focused on Minecraft, which Charlie actually found a little depressing, until she looked at Amelia's thoughts, she caught the tail end of a thought wondering how long Charlie would be gone.
At that, Charlie felt a little better, more that someone noticed that she wasn't there. Knowing that, Charlie stood up and opened the door, ready to head back to the group, even if she still felt like someone who didn't belong being included for the day.
Charlie just wondered if things would change or if her fears would prove to be true and she was merely a trespasser being allowed in the group until it was time for her to move on.
Shaking the thought off, she went back in and continued to try and figure out what she was supposed to do to get what the others had already accomplished. She didn't expect to figure it out on her first time playing but, at the same time, wasn't sure if she'd ever play this game again anyway.
She tried not to think of those thoughts the rest of the time playing Minecraft. Though, her interest in the game didn't increase through her time playing.
_
Lunch didn't seem on anyone's mind when they stopped playing video games, though Amelia's mother brought them down something to eat, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Charlie didn't mind grape jelly, but it wasn't her favorite by far. At the very least, it was filling.
–What next?– Charlie asked, still not sure about her place in the group. –I mean, you guys are done with the video games, right?–
Everyone had seemed to be getting restless to Charlie and it had looked like interest in the gaming was waning.
–Yeah, we're done with that.– Amelia replied. –It's movie time.–
–What movie did you have in mind?– Tim asked.
"Princess Bride," Amelia said out loud.
Ralph groaned. –We watch that almost every time you get to pick the movie.– Ralph's tone sounded more weary than upset to Charlie.
–Should we do a double or triple feature?– Beth asked, putting her arm over Amelia's shoulders.
–Let's hold off on that until the end of the movies. We can decide after each movie.– Hannah chimed in. –I mean, we don't know what Amelia's mom has in mind for the party, dinner, or even what we'll do after all that.–
Charlie realized something that she hadn't thought of before, though she knew she really should have. –Amelia?– Charlie asked, tugging on Amelia's sleeve.
"Yeah?" Amelia asked, moving away from Beth.
–I just realized I didn't bring you a present. I mean, it is your birthday party and all.– Charlie had to look away from Amelia as she started talking to her with her magic, nor could she bring herself to look at Amelia as she waited for her response.
–I consider you unsealing my magic, or whatever you did, as my present.– Amelia replied, her mental tone laughing in Charlie's mind. Then, before Charlie could do anything, Amelia pulls Charlie into a hug. –Though I'm still getting used to using magic to talk to everyone.–
"I'm still getting used to it too," Charlie replied, not sure how to handle the sudden physical contact, but grateful when Amelia let go of her.
–Well, let's settle down in Amelia's family room and start the movie. We've seen enough we probably could re-enact the entire movie, but lets get it started.– Ralph commented.
–I'll get it set up.– Beth said, already moving towards the family room.
Charlie let everyone move ahead of her, not sure what exactly to do. Once she was at the end of the group, she started following, still trying to figure out what place she had there, or if she really didn't belong like she currently felt.
–Should we get popcorn or something?– Wes asked, laying on the ground in front of the TV, his head on a pillow from a couch nearby.
–We just had something to eat. Maybe we should if we do a triple feature, but otherwise, lets just watch this.– Tim replied, stretched across an armchair, his head resting against one armrest and his legs hanging over the other.
"Charlie over here!" Beth called, out, clearly having saved Charlie a place. Charlie didn't say anything, but did walk over to sit next to Beth, unsure what else to do.
Beth immediately put her arm around Charlie's shoulders companionably, though Charlie wasn't sure what she could do about it.
"What's your favorite part, Charlie?" Beth asked, her attention focused on Amelia getting the movie going on her family's blue-ray player.
"Umm…" Charlie couldn't think of what to say. She'd never seen the movie, but once saw the book at the library.
Beth turned to Charlie, pulling her arm back. "Wait. You've seen this movie, right?" Beth asked.
"Umm…" Charlie wasn't sure if saying she had or not would be the better answer, so she went with her option not to say anything.
Beth laughed, loud. Drawing the attention of everyone. –What's so funny?– Tim asked.
"Charlie hasn't seen the movie before," Beth crowed.
Amelia stopped what she was doing and turned to face Charlie. "You haven't?" she asked, her expression looking like she was hurt by the thought.
"Umm…" Charlie felt like it might be better if she suddenly developed a medical problem. An upset stomach would certainly help right now, but sadly nothing was happening that she could use.
Amelia walked over to Charlie, leaving the movie at the main menu, and pulled her into a tight hug. Charlie could only think to pat Amelia's arm, given how surprised she was at Amelia's reaction.
Then, as she pulled away from Charlie, she walked back to the TV, picked up the remote and walked to sit on the other side of Beth. "Now, before I start the movie, since Charlie hasn't seen it, no commentary, no saying what parts will happen before they do, not MSTing, and especially no comparing the part showing to another part. We need Charlie to see the movie without anything spoiled. That way she can form her own opinion of the movie and not what we think of it at any part of it. I will stop the movie the first time it happens," Amelia declared firmly. Then she turned to Ralph. "This includes you Ralph. If I have to stop the movie, most of what I want to do today will be taken off the table."
Charlie wasn't sure how to take Amelia's declaration. She was at least touched at Amelia's concern that she get to enjoy the movie, but at the same time, she was worried at being singled out. It wasn't a strong worry, but she still wasn't sure of her place in the group. Then there was how she couldn't help but think that this could be the start of a pattern, which she wasn't sure would be a good pattern to have happen. Especially if it caused others in the group to either resent Charlie or get upset about preferential treatment for her.
In the end, however, she didn't have much to worry about. The worst that happened was Ralph mocking scenes as they popped up. Amelia tried shushing him more than once, but it appeared to Charlie that Ralph didn't cross the line that Amelia had set for all of them.
As the credits rolled, Amelia leaned forward to see Charlie around Beth. –What'd you think? Great movie, huh?–
Charlie couldn't help but chuckle. It was clear the move was at least one of Amelia's favorite movies. "It was a good movie," Charlie replied, wondering what movie would be picked next.
–What was your favorite part?– Amelia immediately inquired.
"Well, I'd say my favorite part was the battle of wits," Charlie replied, not sure if there would be more questions.
–My favorite part was the miracle worker scene.– Amelia commented.
"I did like the 'I'm not a witch, I'm your wife!' line," Charlie couldn't help but laugh as she continued the conversation.
"Yeah, that one was classic," Hannah said. –Especially how the miracle worker tried getting out of making a miracle for them.–
Charlie didn't say much more as others said what their favorite parts of the movie were, but merely remained where she was. Part of her was starting to get tired while part of her was wondering what was going to happen next.
While waiting for the others to calm down so they'd be able to find out what the next movie would be, Charlie closed her eyes. She didn't expect it to take too long and knew that they should get to it soon. She didn't plan on taking a nap, but didn't count on just how tired she felt.
When she opened her eyes, she saw the credits for another movie rolling. The next thing she noticed was that her head had slid so it was using Beth's shoulder as a pillow. Beth looked at Charlie as Charlie sat up straight, a smirk telling Charlie that Beth was aware of Charlie's embarrassment at waking up in that position.
"So, how was that movie, Charlie?" Amelia asked.
"Um…" Charlie wasn't sure how to say she didn't even know what movie she'd just slept through.
–She looked so cute as she slept through it.– Beth commented, offhandedly, a picture of Charlie sleeping on Beth's shoulder from Beth's perspective entering Charlie's mind. –I'm pretty sure she was asleep before you even said what the second movie was going to be.– Charlie could feel her face going completely red.
Amelia looked disappointed for a moment, but perked up in the next breath. "Well, we can just watch the movie again," she stated cheerfully.
Wes, Tim, Ralph, and Hannah groaned. "Let's watch another movie instead, okay?" Wes pleaded. "Charlie can see 'A Walk to Remember' another time."
Charlie was surprised that she recognized the title. "Actually, I think I saw it a while ago. My sister put it on and my parents made me watch it with them," Charlie ventured.
"What was the movie you remember watching about?" Amelia asked, her tone indicating she was suspicious of what Charlie was saying.
Charlie described the basic plot of the movie she remembered. Amelia sighed. "I guess you did see it," she mumbled, sounding like Charlie just ruined her mood.
"What was the next movie you had in mind, Amelia?" Tim asked.
Again Amelia seemed to perk right up at the question. "Don't worry, Ralph, it's not a romantic comedy," she said laughing.
Does Amelia watch mostly romantic comedies? Charlie wondered.
"The movie will be Twilight," Amelia announced.
Ralph groaned. "Come on!" He complained. "That's another romantic movie."
"No, it's a horror movie. There's vampires in it," Hannah chimed in.
Charlie shook her head. She had to agree with Ralph. While there were vampires in it, it was still a love story, but at the same time, she had to agree with Amelia that it wasn't a comedy. Though, it was clear to at least Charlie, and probably the others too, that whether it was a comedy or not wasn't what Ralph was unhappy about.
"Doesn't matter," Amelia declared. "We're watching it. If you're done you can leave now, but then no birthday cake or dinner here."
Charlie watched Ralph settle back down, but it didn't seem like he was completely upset about it, so Charlie wondered if the complaining was part of the group dynamic or something.
–So, what about the popcorn?– Wes asked. –You said earlier that if we did a triple feature, we could have popcorn.–
–I guess we can.– Amelia replied, sounding like she'd just rather start the movie without the popcorn.
"I'll get it," Charlie said, jumping up from where she sat. "You can start the movie while I'm gone. The Twilight series is a favorite of my mom's and sister's."
–Thanks.– Charlie heard Wes in her mind say as she left the family room and went back up to the kitchen.
Charlie wasn't sure where the popcorn was, but wasn't too worried. She figured it would at the very least give her an excuse as to why she took so long.
As Charlie reached the top of the stairs, it suddenly felt like she could breath regularly again. Almost like the presence of her new friends was creating a force that kept her from being able to breathe regularly. A presence that she only was able to notice from its absence as she left it.
Charlie wasn't surprised to see that Amelia's mother wasn't around, given the clock read 3:30. Though, Charlie did wonder what to expect in regards to what the party would look like.
Charlie was about to begin searching the cupboards when she heard Amelia's voice in her mind.
–Forgot to tell you. The popcorn will be in the cupboard next to the fridge. If you pop three bags that should be enough. Normally we only get two, but with you we'll need more than what's been enough for us.– Amelia told her.
The strangest part of the effect was how Amelia seemed to be right next to Charlie when she spoke. With Petals, it didn't matter with how that was the only way Charlie could communicate with Petals, but with Amelia, she was used to talking with her using her voice rather than magic. It certainly was more than a little disconcerting to Charlie at that moment.
By the time Charlie had returned with the popcorn, she wasn't surprised to see Bella already meeting with Jacob. Getting the popcorn hadn't really taken as much time as Charlie would have liked, but Charlie had taken as much time as she could without making it obvious she was.
Charlie passed a couple bags of popcorn out as she moved to her spot next to Beth. Then, as Charlie sat down, she realized that she had thought of everyone in the room as her friends.
When did this happen? Charlie asked herself, not sure if she truly wanted to know the answer or not. All she could determine was that somewhere along the way, she did consider all of them friends, even Ralph.
Charlie noticed Amelia's mother's thoughts as she watched them just outside the family room during the baseball game in the movie, but didn't think she would disturb the movie based on the thoughts Charlie heard from her, so Charlie let her attention return to the movie.
After the movie, Charlie was surprised to find that all the popcorn had been eaten and she knew that she'd had a good amount herself.
"Well, it's good that you're done with your movies. If you don't have anything else planned, it's time to go to dinner," Amelia's mother called out as the credits started to roll.
Amelia yawned. "Are we taking the car, mom?" she asked.
"Do you really think all of you will be able to fit in that thing?" Amelia's mother replied. "We were barely able to fit all of your friends without Hannah earlier today and that was with a shorter drive than we have with where we're going. Not to mention we'll have Theresa and Derek with us."
Amelia's eyes lit up. "You mean we're going to Café on the Ridge?" Amelia asked, her voice full of anticipation.
Amelia's mother smiled warmly. "Yes. Your father should be getting here with the SUV soon and he'll have your brother and sister with him."
Amelia suddenly seemed hesitant. "Will Kristy be here?" Amelia asked, her voice much softer than when asking about the dinner destination.
Amelia's mother shook her head. "Sorry, Kristin's not going to be able to make it. She still has college classes that will keep her from being here. Though, I'm sure she'll make it up to you when she can," Amelia's mother replied.
"Okay," Amelia muttered, clearly disappointed.
"Cheer up, Amelia," Hannah said, putting her arm around Amelia's shoulders. "I'm sure Kristy won't let your birthday pass without acknowledging it in some way."
Amelia smiled weakly. "Maybe, but it's not the same without her."
Charlie didn't want to hear Amelia's thoughts, but suddenly she was bombarded with them. Not just from Amelia but everyone's in the room, though Amelia's were the most prominent in Charlie's mind. Charlie could see how close Amelia was with her older sister and how much Amelia still depended on her. The other thoughts were along the lines of dinner, a few thoughts on Kristin, and even a few about what else to expect from the party.
"So, what's this Café on the Ridge?" Ralph asked, clearly interrupting whatever discussion they were getting on.
"Only my favorite place to eat," Amelia stated, rather defensively Charlie thought. It also surprised her that there were things about Amelia that the others didn't know, especially since there was almost everything about her new friends that she herself didn't know.
"Where is it?" Tim asked.
"Over in Wheat Ridge, not quite in Denver," Amelia replied.
"That's a bit of a distance," Wes whistled.
"It is, but Amelia and I haven't had anything better," Hannah declared. "It's not as fancy as Olive Garden or Golden Corral, but we both agree that we'd rather be there than any other place."
"So, what are the seating arrangements going to be?" Charlie asked, hoping that she wouldn't get sandwiched in the middle of anyone.
"We'll figure it out when Hank arrives," Amelia's mother replied, already heading back towards the stairs.
Everyone started to follow her, though Charlie excused herself to go the bathroom again. Mostly to collect her thoughts and calm her mind than to actually go.
After she was done, Charlie went upstairs to wait with everyone else. Amelia's father was waiting for them, reading the newspaper at the kitchen table, in the same place Charlie remembered seeing Amelia's mother earlier.
Charlie found the others in the living room, Amelia helping her younger brother and sister with a simple game of chutes and ladders. Theresa and Derek were twins and Charlie estimated they were around six or seven. Amelia was helping Derek while Hannah was helping Theresa.
By helping, Charlie could see that they were trying to rig the game so one of them would win sooner rather than later. Charlie couldn't fault them for their efforts, but wondered if it would help the twins later in their lives.
Once the game was done, everyone was packed into the SUV and the car that Charlie remembered arriving in. The twins were situated in the car while Charlie was put in the SUV her friends.
Charlie started to feel like she was becoming an observer of herself and her friends, almost like it was someone else controlling her body. Maybe it was because she was tired, though she wasn't sure why that would be. However, it did feel like she was going on auto-pilot, for lack of a better term, of herself.
The trip to the café was mostly uneventful and Charlie found she enjoyed herself more than she had expected. The radio also was on, which played a few songs that Amelia and her father sang to.
At the café, they occupied two booths. Amelia's mother and father were in one booth with the twins while Charlie was with her friends in another. Sometimes they'd use magic to talk with each other, but mostly they didn't, given they agreed that it would look weird if they were quiet or if someone responded to something verbally when they couldn't get their magic to work correctly to talk with it.
However, while Charlie never felt like she wasn't being included, she found herself talking less and less. Not that she really was much of a talker to begin with, but as the night went on, even after most of them were done with their meal, she didn't feel like she had much to contribute in the way of conversation. She didn't even talk much about the chicken fried steak she'd gotten. Part of her wondered if anyone else had noticed that she wasn't talking as much or if they didn't think about her that much.
_
Charlie sat down at the dining room table when they got back to Amelia's and waited patiently with everyone else for Amelia's mother to get the birthday cake lit up with candles. Everyone was hushed, even Amelia's twin siblings.
The trip to the diner took longer than Charlie had expected, both the trip to and from the diner as well as how long it took them to eat. She couldn't help but wonder what activities that Amelia had wanted them to engage in, had to be discarded as options given how late it had gotten.
Then when Charlie was starting to think about getting some water, the lights went out and the room got mostly dark, with only the lit candles of the cake providing light.
They sang the birthday song, but after they were done with it, Charlie was expecting the candles to be blown out, lights turned back on, and the cake starting to get distributed. Instead, everyone else started singing more to Amelia with the same tune:
"Have a Birthday that's swell, Have a Birthday that's great. Now blow out the candles, but don't spit on the cake."
Once they finished that bit, Amelia blew out the candles, though she was only about to get all but one candle with one breath. After which, all that Charlie had expected to happen did happen. Charlie wasn't surprised that Amelia got the largest piece, but was surprised when Amelia directed who got which piece and when. She wasn't sure what to make of it, just assumed that maybe it was a birthday tradition for Amelia's famliy.
Charlie started to try to pick up on the thoughts of Amelia's mother, but wasn't able to hear anything. When she tried Amelia, however, all she was able to pick up on was what that extra verse in the birthday song was about.
The reason for the extra verse was that Amelia's grandmother once had it on a birthday card and the entire family loved it so much that it became a tradition to sing after the main part of the song was done. Which had continued on with Amelia.
The rest of what she could catch sounded full of static. Which made her wonder a little on how much of her magic hearing the thoughts of others was being used. The only other thing that she could sense was a strong desire for Charlie to feel included and part of the group. It made her feel like her worries were unfounded that she wasn't really going to be able to be part of the group. The knowledge of that sent emotions sweeping through her with ease. Though, she did have to struggle to keep her feelings from showing, especially with how she wasn't sure if her eyes were tearing up. She definitely did not want to have to explain how she was looking at their thoughts at any point. Charlie would not expect that to be taken very well. Nor did she want to explain any sudden display of emotion, which she never did anyway.
Charlie took her time eating her cake, and enjoyed when presents started to be presented to Amelia to open. Each were well received, though Charlie didn't know what each meant to Amelia. Hannah had given Amelia a pair of earrings. Tim, Wes, and Ralph had given her a human biology textbook. Beth had given a matching shirt and skirt marbled with pink and white, which seemed like any ordinary outfit and so couldn't understand why Amelia loved it so much. Theresa and Derek had given Amelia a homemade card and picture they'd drawn. Amelia's parents gave her a medical textbook with a small CPR booklet. Lastly, Amelia opened a card that was from Amelia's older sister, Kristin.
As Amelia read the card, she couldn't help but to start to cry. Charlie was stunned. Even though she could tell just how close Amelia was to her older sister from earlier, she didn't expect Amelia to have such a strong reaction to a birthday card from her.
Maybe it was what was written on the card, Charlie mused, itching to reach into Amelia's mind to see what the card said, but held back, partly out of respect for Amelia and partly from feeling too tired at the moment.
Amelia closed the card before even Hannah had a chance to look at it, who was sitting right next to her, but Amelia did pull Hannah into a tight hug before they were thanked for making it such a great day for her. Charlie was ready to just call it a day personally, but felt that she should at least not try to see if she could leave so she could let Amelia feel the comfort of her friends presence as long as she wanted to. After all, she didn't have much experience with these parties, so she wasn't sure about the etiquette of knowing when the party was over.
Not that doing so kept her from starting to nod off. As Charlie finished the last bite of her cake, she felt her eyes telling her that they were done for the day. She let them close, then rested her head on the corner of the table and let her breathing slow.
She was almost asleep when Amelia's mother made a loud noise that startled her awake, getting her to sit upright, looking around for the noise, which turned out to be a wooden cutting board that Amelia's mother had slapped on the table.
"Well, it seems like it's time for us to start sending your friends home, Amelia," she said to Amelia. "They seem to be ready to fall asleep where they are, so you should say good-bye and I'll give them a ride home."
Charlie's mind felt like a fog as they said their good-byes and made their way out to the car that they'd been picked up in that morning. Since Amelia wasn't with them this time, Tim took shotgun while everyone else filled in the back of the sedan. While it felt a little tight, it wasn't as bad as it would have been with Tim back there and Charlie was happy for it.
Beth let Charlie take the window seat and let herself get a little squished by being next to Ralph on the other side of her. Charlie was able to manage to use her magic enough to thank Beth, which Beth used her magic for her reply.
While they sat in the car on the trip, Charlie let her mind wander to what they'd done the entire day. While there was more than Charlie had expected at a birthday party, especially since Cherie never had anything that elaborate that Charlie had seen, she did have to admit that she had fun. Even when she was falling hopelessly behind in Minecraft, she didn't feel like she wasn't able to do anything. It was more clear that she just didn't know what she needed to do in the game to move as quickly as the others.
When they arrived by Charlie's house, Charlie got out of the car and made her way to the house. She wasn't surprised to find the front door open even though the door was usually closed at this time. It was her family's way of leaving the porch light on without turning it on. Though in winter they did use the porch light. So, she closed the door as she entered, unconcerned at that fact, but turned the porch light on anyway with how Charlie never really liked leaving the front door open like that, as expected her father and sister were still out, based on them having mentioned they had plans for that day earlier in the week.
She made her way to the kitchen and saw her mother sitting at the dining room table. Charlie couldn't hear her father or Cherie, which told her that they were, in fact, still out.
Charlie walked over to the sink to get a glass of water and as she turned the faucet on, her mother turned in her chair to face Charlie.
"How was your day, Charlie?" her mother asked her, fiddling with something in her hands.
"It was fun," Charlie admitted. "Just not sure how long I'll be part of their group."
"What's wrong with their group?" her mother asked, motioning for Charlie to sit in the chair next to her.
"Nothing's wrong with their group," Charlie said, as she set the glass next to the sink and walked over to her mother and sat in the indicated chair. "It's just that I'm not really sure I belong with their group."
"Oh, dear, you just need time to find your place in their group," Charlie's mother said, putting her hand on Charlie's hand, giving it a squeeze of reassurance before releasing it. "You haven't had friends before, so of course you're going to feel awkward around them."
Charlie sighed, not sure if she really accepted her mother's reassurances. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw what her mother was fidgeting with when she'd gotten home. It was the necklace she'd gotten anonymously. "Where'd you find that?" Charlie asked, not sure if it was the same or not.
"Oh, I saw this on your desk when I dropped off your laundry today. I just wanted to ask where you got it," her mother replied, sounding kind, but her words telling Charlie that she might be in trouble depending on how she answered the question.
Charlie explained how she got the necklace, how Beth helped her deal with the whole situation, and how Beth saved it from being confiscated when the package it was in was opened by a teacher.
"So, you don't know who gave it to you?" her mother asked.
Charlie shook her head. "No, I'm not even sure I should wear it, especially with what Mrs. Carlson said when she finally gave it back," she replied, unable to look at her mother as she said this.
"Well, maybe I'll need to have a talk with your principal about that," Charlie's mother mused. "Now if you wear that necklace that will be up to you, but if you do and get in trouble and lose the necklace just by wearing it, give me a call and I'll see what I can do. Hopefully nothing will happen, but we should still be prepared if something does happen, should you decide to wear it."
"Thanks, mom," Charlie replied quietly, still not able to look at her mother.
Charlie's mother reached over, took Charlie's chin with her fingers, and turned Charlie's head so she had to look at her mother.
"Remember, this is a choice you have to make and whatever you choose will be up to you. Your father and I will support you in whatever way we can and that you need. However, the choice you make will still have consequences that will affect not only you but whoever left you that necklace. Keep that in mind as you think about it. You may not even realize just how pivotal your decision could be until years down the road," Charlie's mother told her, her eyes holding Charlie's but still full of love that Charlie couldn't help but pull her mother into a hug after her mother was done talking.
Though, Charlie wasn't sure exactly what her mother meant, but didn't doubt that her mother knew what she was talking about, probably. She assumed it was just likely one of those things that she wouldn't understand until she was older. Kind of like understanding why naps were important. She wouldn't mind if they had a period in the school day that allowed her to take a naps now, though she could remember when she didn't want to take naps. She had things she'd rather do back then than to take a nap. Now she could only recall those days wistfully.
As Charlie released her mother from the hug, she took the necklace. "Thanks, mom," she said as she got up from the table.
"Your very welcome, dear," came the reply.
Charlie made her way up to her room, wondering what she should do with the necklace. If she decided not to wear it, should she ask Beth to find whoever left it in her locker and return it? It wasn't a bad idea, but Charlie wasn't sure if she should do that. Maybe I should table the thought and return to it in a week or two, Charlie told herself.
As Charlie entered her room, she noticed the crystal on her desk, almost as if it was pulling her attention to it.
Charlie walked over to her desk, opened a drawer and put the necklace in it before closing the drawer and turning her attention to the crystal.
"So, what is it you want me for?" Charlie asked the crystal softly, not trying for her magic at the moment.
–Your magic feels like its rather drained. Were you practicing with it?– the crystal asked.
"Yeah, I was using my magic to communicate with my friends while we were hanging out today," Charlie replied.
–What were you using your magic for when you were practicing?– the crystal asked, not appearing concerned with what Charlie was doing with her new friends.
"We were using it to talk with each other," Charlie replied, not sure if that mattered or not.
–Was there anything else that you did with your friends while you were practicing your magic?– the crystal asked, it tone making Charlie wonder if there were things she shouldn't try using her magic for. At least right now.
"No, we were just using it to talk with each other," Charlie replied.
–If that was the case, you wouldn't be so drained. I can tell that your connection with your magic is rather weak. Which means you used your magic to the point that you wore yourself out. If you continued you likely would have passed out from the exertion. At the very least.– the crystal stated.
"Well, I did see what the others were thinking of me, but I thought that was something that would occur on its own, regardless of if I wanted to or not," Charlie said, sitting down at her desk while picking up the crystal and holding it up level with her eyes, about a foot away from her face.
–You were using your magic without thinking when you actively sought out the thoughts of others. You used a lot more of your magic than you realized. Talking with magic doesn't require much magic, but using rare talents like yours actively uses a lot more. When it occurs without you trying, it won't use as much of your magic, but you won't have any control over it. The positive for you is that you're building up your strength with your magic quickly. The downside, however, is that you are wearing yourself out quickly as well. You'll likely need to slow down trying to actively use your talent if you don't want to fall asleep at inconvenient times.– the crystal informed Charlie.
"How long do you think it'll be before I can do this without being in danger of falling asleep because of that?" Charlie asked, standing up from the desk and walking over to her bed.
–I can't honestly say. It could be quickly, but it could also be that your magical stamina will always be low. While it's rare for someone with as strong of a connection with their magic as you have to have very little magical stamina, it does happen. We can only ever tell after. Like knowing what your magic feels like, you only will know after you touch it for the first time.– The crystal replied.
"Okay," Charlie sighed, starting to feel like she was going to just fall asleep where she was.
Charlie set the crystal on her bed as she changed into her nightgown, leaving her clothing on the floor, not caring if it looked bad rather than putting it in her hamnper like she usually did. Then she picked the crystal up as she slid under her covers. Then before she knew anything else, she was asleep. She didn't even know when her head touched her pillow.
As Charlie slept, her dreams were filled with possibilities and wonders she'd never imagined before, but couldn't remember any of it when she woke up in the morning. Just a vague feeling of what her dreams were about.