It wasn't that easy to get the circle started, but this time, it was going to be different. They weren't babies anymore. Miley and Jackson were in love this time; they only had to admit it to themselves. Miley and Lily had convinced Sarah and Oliver to come over tonight twenty minutes to midnight. Jake and his new girlfriend, Tessa, were both coming too.
The magic was about to start up again. The circle would be lit. The flame would blow in the wind forever, concealing all of their secrets in the utter darkness that brings this deep abyss that all seven of them could hide in. The world wasn't ready for what they had become.
Miley and Lily were at Miley's house, preparing everything for tonight's ceremony. The other day Lily had bought eight candles. For the past half an hour Miley and Lily had been searching the house for a lighter and sharp knives that they could use for the initiation process. The plan was for all of the members to carve a secret word on their upper thigh to pledge allegiance to the midnight circle. The trick was, though, no one would carve the word into their own flesh. Each person would carve the secret word into the upper thigh of the person sitting to the left of him or her in the circle.
"I found the lighter," Lilly said.
"Cool," Miley said. "I found a bunch of sharp knives. I think everything's all set. Now all we have to do is wait."
"I hope people actually come," Lilly said. There was worry in her voice. What if something went horribly wrong?
"Don't worry," Miley said with subtle confidence that somehow wasn't that assuring (what if they took it too far again? What else would they start??), "They will."
"How can you be so sure?" Lily asked.
"I just am," Miley said. "Trust me."
Lily did.
"Lily?" Miley asked.
"Yeah?' Lily replied.
"You know, I have a secret I want to tell you. This is kind of why I wanted to do this. Last night, something happened."
"What happened?" Lily asked.
"I had sex with Jackson."