Hey everybody! Wow, I didn't expect all the reviews to come in in one day, but thanks for the awesome feedback! Thanks for bearing with me as well. Thanks to topazchick08, Elementalflame, dittogrrl, irma rokz, JayxKay, harryrulesmyworld and Valinor575 for reviewing!
Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own them.
Chapter 8
Hearts Drop in a Tearful Whirl
The skritch-skratch of pencil upon paper could lull Hay Lin to sleep, the strange melody set as the soundtrack of her life. She let the sharpened point glide over the paper, shading a black sphere into the center of an eye. The air girl looked up, coveting from afar the soulful eyes she was so vainly trying to capture on a piece of paper. I'm starting to wonder if a portrait is such a good icebreaker after all, she thought, letting her pencil stray down to sketch the shy smile that Eric Lyndon never failed to melt her with. She looked up again, ready to try those eyes again, but he was no longer at the front of the auditorium, singing along to Matt's random guitar chords. Now where did you go? she asked the boy who couldn't hear her, her eyes swiveling around the room.
"My eyes are a little lighter. Maybe you could see them better from this angle."
Hay Lin's head snapped around. Eric stood behind her, gaze dipping over her shoulder to look upon her drawing. He smiled at the blush creeping into her face, leaning in so that she could see his eyes. He was right. They were lighter, twinkling like the falling stars they'd stood under together the very day they'd met. Hay Lin wanted desperately to move, not to sit there like she was, held by Eric's inviting stare.
"I…wasn't done yet…" Hay Lin stammered, wishing she could simply run from him rather than try to will him into love with her.
"Can I see it when it's done?"
Hay Lin was panicking. "Um…hey look! The bubble machine's here!" And she took off, running away from a simple YES that her voice wasn't willing to speak. Eric turned back from looking where Hay Lin's finger pointed him, sighing as he looked at her now empty seat. But before he got up to take the stage, a piece of paper on the floor caught his eye. He picked up the drawing of himself, smiling at one word written in Hay Lin's curvy handwriting:
Yes.
HEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRLHEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRLHEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRL
Uriah Dunn was not a happy camper…er, actor. His eyes, sharpened as a hawk's, peered out from behind the curtains, sweeping over the happy-go-lucky chaos that was rehearsal from his backstage darkness. He ran a hand through his rough copper hair, wondering why he wasn't out there with everybody else, then reminding himself that he wasn't with everybody else because…well, because he was nothing like everybody else. The bully leaned back against the wall, humming softly to himself the tune that he wished he could be singing on opening night instead of Matt Olsen, Sheffield's resident pretty boy. The golden guy, the girl-getter. Uriah sighed, letting his gaze finally rest upon his former friend, who chased Taranee Cook around the stage, finally catching her in an embrace. Love, he thought bitterly. Maybe I should be glad I'm not like them…
But no matter how sincere he made his inner voice, he couldn't deny the twinge of loneliness, however faint it was.
HEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRLHEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRLHEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRL
The Oracle of Candracar wasn't supposed to be big on love, or advice, for that matter. However, when a rebel leader who's been through Phobos and beyond came to you, head bowed to hide his aching eyes, not even the Oracle could help but offer him an ear to listen. The former murmurer proved his feelings right then, pouring his confusion out to Candracar's ringleader. Finally, the Oracle spoke out as Caleb asked him, "Is there any way that I can see her?"
"As a matter of fact," the Oracle began to answer, waving his hand in front of him, "you can." And Caleb could only watch in fascination as the Oracle took them to Earth without ever leaving the other world. The rebel leader sat and watched through the clouds as a head of blonde hair bobbed up the street to Sheffield, a figure with wavy brown locks following close behind.
HEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRLHEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRLHEARTSDROPINATEARFULWHIRL
Cornelia swept through the auditorium doors graceful as ever, leaving it to almost slam on Irma as she took her place among the ensemble. No one would know that only hours ago, her eyes had spewed tears like no tomorrow over a boy she loved so much, he was all that could reduce her to her six thirty in the morning state.
Irma walked in behind her, the tiniest bit happy that her friend had reverted to being herself again. The Cornelia she'd been with earlier…the tearful, breaking, fallen Cornelia…it scared Irma to think that a mere boy could reduce her strong-willed friend to what she'd been. Then again, he was no mere boy…he was her true love. Is that how it's going to be if I pass this test? Am I going to be powerful again, only to have my happiness ripped away by the unhappiness that "true" love brings with it?
She didn't have time to think about it. Paul's flaming head of hair flashed before her eyes as he grabbed her wrist and dragged her half-awake form over to the makeup department in the corner.
"Okay honey, no offense, but if we're going to transform you into the living asparagus before Christmas, we need all the practice time the world's willing to give us."
"Love you too," Irma muttered, her gaze wandering from Paul to the stage, where Cornelia's operatic voice was proclaiming how only goodness knew that wicked die alone. She could feel green makeup gracing her skin, she could hear Paul talking to himself, but she only had ears for the music. Even when Paul told her that he was finished, she didn't look in the mirror he held up to her. She watched as the crowd onstage scattered as the song came to an end, Cornelia floating gracefully down the stairs…and knocking not-so-gracefully into a boy, a boy with shaggy blonde hair and golden stubble…
Joel held out his hand as he apologized to Cornelia over and over, helping her to her feet as the pair tried to cover their own embarrassment. She took his hand and rose to meet him, smiling as he talked with her, her already radiant face glowing as she laughed at a funny that no one else heard. And in a corner of the auditorium, a green face watched them. If you didn't know her, you'd think she was the tiniest bit jealous. And if you did know her, you'd think she was a little jealous too.
Hope you guys liked it! Sorry if it's not as long as you hoped, that's just where I envisioned the chapter ending. I'll need at least 52 reviews before I post chapter 9.
