"No way!" Theadora Evans opens the gift she has received from her boyfriend of 2 months and 3 days. Today is Thea's sixteenth birthday-she rebelled against her parent's dream of a large sweet sixteen party and settled on a small party in the park with her best friend, Ethan Cohen, and her boyfriend, of course, Daniel Woods. She pulls the fifty piece artists kit she had admired a while ago at the mall with Daniel out of the wrapping paper covered box. "Daniel!" she squeals, jumping up from her seat on the bench and squeezing Daniel in a hug. He wraps his arms around her waist, his breath blowing strands of Thea's curly brown hair. He kisses her forehead.
"I saw you gazing at it a few weeks ago, and every time I see you, you're drawing, so I bought this." He tells her.
"Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome. And Happy Birthday." He smiles and smoothes her hair back.
"It is a very happy birthday." She agrees, kissing his cheek and bending down to pick up her gift from Ethan, who was standing off to the side, looking out onto the clearing awkwardly.
"You can look now." She calls out. "Not that you couldn't have earlier."
Ethan just smiles and walks to the bench where Thea settles down. She slowly unwraps the wrapping paper, putting it aside and opening the box. Inside is the whole series of her favorite movie series in the world: Star Wars. She laughs, getting up to hug Ethan. "Thank you." she said. In her arms, Ethan sighed. "I expected a bigger reaction."
She shakes her head, grinning. "Don't you always?"
He shrugs. "Yeah, pretty much." Stepping back, Thea smiles. "So much better than a freaking sweet sixteen." Daniel's phone rings-the peculiar ringtone, like chimes in summer mixed with a saw buzz, it sounded like. The calls with these ringtones are the only ones he didn't let Thea listen in on-he even let her listen to the ones with his ex-girlfriend on the other end, or pizza delivery. But not whoever this was. He gave Thea an apologetic smile and went to hide behind a slide, answering the phone. Thea sighed and turned to Ethan. "I'm grateful, you know. For the gift that you got me. I haven't watched the last one yet-now I can!"
"That's more like it." He said, smiling. "Act-" But before he could finish his sentence, Daniel grabbed Thea from behind and she jumped with a squeak. Daniel chuckled and spun her, kissing her softly. She melts against him, their bodies fitting perfectly. Thea sighs against his lips. They were soft and gentle, but at the same time, wanting and longing. Ethan clears his throat and Thea jumps back, blushing profusely. Daniel laughs at her and pecks her cheek. "Here." He says, handing her a paper. "Meet me at that address. I want to take you somewhere…special. That paper has the time I want you there."
She smiles. "'Kay. Can't wait." He smile sadly and kisses her again before leaving.
At 7:30, Thea began getting ready for her date. She's never heard of the address, but it wasn't as far away as she thought, but actually only about a half-hour away. She stares into her closet, looking for something to wear. She was a shirt and jeans type of girl-not really fancy things. But as for the second look at the not, it was a parking lot. She decided on just a pair of jeans and a silk shirt with a bow in the back-it was white with black polka dots. She took ahold of her keys and stepped out the door, ready for her date with Daniel.
She opens the door to her car, going out into the dark. "Daniel!" she calls out. "Daniel? I'm here!"
"Sara?" a voice asks. It was Daniel.
"Who's Sara?" she says. "It's me, Thea!"
"Oh, Thea. You came!" he runs to her and kisses her, heavy but gentle.
"Hey!" A voice says from behind her. A girl. "Um, Daniel?" Daniel lets go of Thea.
"Sara." He smiles. "This is Thea. The girl that I suggested we add."
"Add to what?" Thea inquires.
"That's why we needed you to come here. We want you to join us." Sara says.
"In what?"
"That's just it. We are the Ariolos. The wizards. And the only way you can be with Daniel is if you come with us. We have another world-and we cannot fall in love with mortals. You are breaking the rules. Take my hand." She held out a slim hand, and without thinking, Thea took it, and all she saw after was a red and blue mixture. She just found a way into another dimension. A mortal girl, a normal, ordinary girl-found a way into the Ariolos dimension without a dose of methane.
Theadora Evans is special.
TO BE CONTINUED