Vanessa hurried out of language arts class. She looked at her watch. It read three thirty. She was supposed to have been at Maggie's fifteen minutes ago but unfortunately she had to make up a test. "I can't believe I'm late," she said, throwing her things into her locker and grabbing her backpack. Vanessa never liked to be late to anything. She always tried to be the first one to everything. She caught a bus over to the apartment buildings where Maggie stayed.
She pushed the red button at the gate. "Maggie?" she said when a voice said hello. The gate opened and she ran up the apartments stairs and started to knock on the front door when it opened. Maggie stood before her.
"Come in," she said.
Serena, Catty, and Tianna were sitting at a table, drinking from tea cups. Vanessa pulled a chair beside Catty.
"How come you're late?" Catty asked as Maggie sat down and gave Vanessa a cup of tea.
"I had to make up a test…" Vanessa replied.
"The girls have been asking me about Jimena," Maggie said.
Vanessa looked at her. "Yeah. Serena had said that maybe she thought Jimena remembered something. Is that possible?"
"It's not possible for someone who has forgotten to come back as a Daughter. The other Daughters asked me the same questions when their friends chose a different path. They've all tried to help the friend remember…"
"But anything's possible, right, Maggie?" Tianna asked. "I mean, I became a Daughter by just helping. What if we could get Jimena to help us?"
Maggie looked at her with a sort of sadness in her eyes and Vanessa knew that Maggie was trying her hardest to convince them that they couldn't make Jimena remember being a Daughter.
"If I pull a few mind tricks on her—" Serena began.
"Mind tricks won't work," Maggie stated.
"So are you saying that you erased every memory of Jimena having powers and being a Daughter?" Catty asked.
"I wouldn't say every memory. I mean—"
"Today, I thought that Jimena remember something," Serena said in a whisper as if saying it to herself. Vanessa leaned in to listen. "I was talking to her and she was saying something like we were leaving her out of something and she stumbled back and it was like she was having a premonition but then I thought that it couldn't be possible that she remembers…"
"Serena, I know how much you miss Jimena as a Daughter – I know all of you do – but there are some things that are just meant to be. Like you, Serena, you're the key between the balance of good and evil. Vanessa," Maggie looked at Vanessa, "you're the Daughter of Pandora. Catty, she's the only Daughter that can touch the Secret Scroll because of her parents and Tianna; she saved the other Daughters through her own will so she has become a Daughter—"
"Are you saying that because of Tianna, we just happened to have lost Jimena?" Serena blurted. "Was there only meant to be four Daughters?!"
Vanessa could tell that Serena's temper was rising but she did have a point. As quickly as they gained Tianna, they lost Jimena. (A/N: I'm not saying that Tianna doesn't fit in the group, I'm just saying what I figured first.) Vanessa looked at Tianna and saw a little hurt in her eyes.
"I'm saying nothing of that sort, Serena!" Maggie countered. "Everyone has there own path and it was Jimena's to be the first Daughter to forget." She looked at Catty. "No, Catty, you can't travel back in time. Not in a situation like this! I've told you girls that this is what's meant to be and no one can change that."
Catty looked down in her teacup.
Maggie sighed as if finally giving up. "I'm sorry, girls."
Vanessa nodded. "Maybe…maybe Maggie's right…"
"How can you say that?" Serena protested. "After everything we've been through with her… I'm sorry, Tianna…" She looked at Tianna before she stomped out of Maggie's apartment.
Maggie shook her head. "So many times I've dealt with this before…"
"Sorry, Maggie. We came here for answers but we're just too attached to Jimena," Catty said with a nod and she walked out with Tianna following.
Maggie looked up at Vanessa, hoping to find comfort but Vanessa sat in silence.
"Maggie… She'll calm down. I'll come back with the other girls some other time." She left, shutting the door behind her. She walked down the apartment steps and found Catty and Tianna. She ran over to them. "Where's Serena?"
"She called for Stanton," Tianna said. "He came and he took her into the shadows."
Vanessa shook her head. "She won't turn to Stanton – not at a time like this. Never. We need her and she knows it."
*
"Stanton," Serena whispered, longing for his touch. They reappeared in a park behind a tree. "I've tried so hard… I can't convince anyone…" She could feel Stanton pushing into her mind but she didn't care.
"Serena—" but before Stanton could finish someone called her name.
Serena turned and saw that it was Vanessa and the others. "I don't want them here. They don't understand. Take me away." She fell onto Stanton and they drifted back into the shadows. They soon reappeared on the porch of Serena's house. Collin was home. She could smell the salt water smell drifting in the air.
"You could always come with me," Stanton said.
"I won't. I've said it before. When it comes to leaving the other Daughters, I can't. You should know that by now."
"But you need someone to fill that empty space in your heart… I can."
Serena shook her head. "No, you can't."
The two moved closer and Serena could feel Stanton's breath against her cheek as his hand caressed her cheek. "Serena…" he whispered in her ear.
She jerked away. "I should go… I'm sorry, Stanton." Serena walked into her house and slammed the door behind her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I hope it's getting better for you guys! Please review! :)