Stacie, Age 7

The young girl carefully brushed her hair, counting the strokes. "…19…20." She then created a perfect part in her long dark hair. Tilting her head to one side, she carefully braided her hair and tied the ends with a deep green bow. She repeated the process on the opposite side and was finally ready. She pushed her glasses up her nose and stood from her bed.

"Stacie, breakfast is ready," the girl's mother called from downstairs. The girl straightened her school uniform shirt and headed to eat.

"My goodness, darling," her mother said. "I'll never understand how a seven-year-old can braid hair better than I can. You look nice."

"Thanks," Stacie said as she crawled into her chair, sitting on her knees.

"Are you excited for your first day?"

"Mmm hmm," the little girl nodded as she shoveled a fork of pancakes into her mouth.

"Well, finish up your breakfast. The bus will be here soon. Don't forget your brother is picking you up after school to take you to dance." Stacie rolled her eyes. "Did you pack your dance clothes and shoes?" The little girl nodded. "Then I'll pick you up after."

"I got it, mom." A horn blew outside, and Stacie shoved one more mouthful of pancakes into her mouth. Bye, mom. Love you." With that, the little girl grabbed her bag and ran outside to crawl into the big yellow school bus. Her mom stood at the door, waving until the bus disappeared around the block.

The Conrads had moved into the neighborhood only a few weeks ago, so Stacie didn't know any of the kids on her bus. She and her parents met her teacher last week when they registered Stacie for second grade. Luckily, school was easy for Stacie, so none of this bothered her. She'd settle in quickly enough.


Sure enough, Stacie quickly got used to her classmates and even made a few friends while doing so. Her teacher soon realized that Stacie wasn't being challenged enough by regular classwork. Enrichment assignments were always available after Stacie finished her regular work.

Afterward, the young girl was happy spending time reading copious amounts of books. Her personal goal was to read every book in the school library. She'd only made it to the "C" section at her previous school. So she had high hopes of meeting her target at this school since she was older and could read much faster.

Despite Stacie's family moving around a lot, one constant in Stacie's life was dance. She'd been taking dance classes for as long as she could remember. She'd always been in ballet class, and this year was excited to start tap, too. Both dance classes were a mix of older children and even some adults. Stacie excelled in dance much as she did in academics.

O

Her father tried to get Stacie to expand her interests to sports or martial arts. But, the young girl was stubborn and refused to venture outside of the world she'd created for herself. School, books, and dance were all Stacie needed. At seven, she thought her life was complete.


Christmas was Stacie's favorite time of year. She could hardly go to sleep as excited as she was for Christmas morning. She knew the sooner she went to sleep, the sooner she'd wake up and see what presents Santa had brought. She pulled the covers up to her chin and squished her eyes shut, willing herself to go to sleep.

The following day, the seven-year-old woke up smiling from ear to ear. Christmas morning! She couldn't wait to open presents. Stacie threw off her covers and ran to her bathroom to brush and braid her hair. She grabbed the gifts she had hidden for her parents and her brother. After getting dressed, she raced downstairs and came to a screeching halt when she saw the tree.

There was not an overabundance of presents under the tree, but seeing them all there in one place made her giddy. Stacie carefully placed her and the wrapped gifts in strategic spots, careful to not touch any boxes already in place. Her family had strict rules about Christmas morning. There was no touching, no peeking, and absolutely no shaking until everyone was downstairs.

Stacie skipped into the kitchen as her mom slid the breakfast casserole she'd prepared the night before into the oven. Her dad had a cup of coffee and was sitting at his usual place at the table reading his morning newspaper. "Where's Tommy?" Stacie crawled onto her chair and reached for a banana from the bowl in the center of the table.

"Probably still sleeping; you know him," Stacie's mom said as she put a glass of juice in front of her daughter, quivering with excitement. "Why don't you go wake him?" Not waiting for her parents to change their minds, Stacie shoved the rest of the banana into her mouth and raced up to her brother's room. "Careful. I don't want you choking before you open your presents," her mother called after her.

Stacie's brother was sprawled on his bed, still sound asleep. "Tommy, Tommy. Wake up! It's Christmas. Santa came." He groaned as he turned over. "Tooommmyyyyyyy," she whined.

Suddenly, Tommy lurched up in bed and began tickling his little sister. "Christmas, you say? I say it's a holiday for me to sleep in." He fell back on his bed, mock snoring.

"Nooooooo, Tommy. Come on. You know the family rules. We can't open presents until everyone is downstairs. Pllleeeeeeeeeeease?" She grabbed his arm and started tugging him towards the door.

"Okay, okay," he chuckled. "Let me get ready, munchkin. I'll be right now. Have the cocoa ready."

Stacie raced back down and excitedly told her parents that Tommy was awake. "He's getting ready, Mom. Can we have hot cocoa while we open presents?"


Eventually, the Conrads were all in place around the living room. Being the youngest child, Stacie's duty as Santa's elf was to distribute presents. They typically exchanged one each, then Stacie always got an extra from Santa. The family never went hog wild like some families did on holiday gifts.

This year, Stacie was in second grade, and her interests were starting to diversify. This year, the little girl decided to open the present from Santa first. She'd been precise when she visited Santa Claus a few weeks ago. Stacie had whispered her request into his ear and had him repeat what she wanted back to make sure he'd understood.

Smiling from ear to ear, she ripped open the paper from the package and tore into the box. When Stacie saw what was inside, her face dropped. She rooted around the contents to ensure nothing was hiding. Stacie screwed up her face and began crying as she raced upstairs.

Stacie's mother looked at her father who shrugged. "What? New ballet shoes are all she could talk about for the last month. I'll go talk to her."

Tommy raised his hand. "No, let me handle it." Stacie's brother went upstairs to talk to his little sister. When he got to her door, she could hear her tiny sobs coming through the door. He lightly rapped on the door. "Stace, may I come in?" When he didn't hear a response, he cracked open the door and saw Stacie face down on her bed.

He walked over and sat next to her. She curled into him, sobbing. "Bill told me Santa Claus isn't real. But he's not real. Bill was right. Santa is fake."

Tommy began rubbing her back. "Stace, Bill is a jerk. What makes you say Santa isn't real?" He knew his sister would realize this at some point, but at seven? Seven was too young to have the magic of Christmas taken from her. Especially from an egghead like Bill. "Talk to me, Stace."

"Bill said Santa Claus was just our parents buying the best presents."

"I still don't understand how that makes him fake. Those ballet shoes were pretty dope. You've been hinting about them for weeks. Even I noticed."

"Yeah, for mom and dad to get me. But that's not what I asked Santa for. So I know he's not real! Santa always gets me what I ask for." Stacie sat up and snuggled under her brother's arm. "I asked Santa for a science kit."

Tommy began to chuckle. "My little sister asked Santa for a science kit?"


Stacie, Age 14

Stacie made sure her French braids were wrapped around the back of her hair and pinned up. She examined herself in the mirror, ensuring her uniform was in order. She gave a sideways smirk, then unbuttoned two more buttons on her shirt just to irritate her father. Stacie was starting yet another new school. She'd spent most of her elementary years at Davis and middle school at Schroeder. Now she was headed to Mauber for her first year of high school.

Stacie's love for science and mathematics flourished after the fiasco of her finding out about Santa Claus prematurely in second grade. Her brother, Tommy, took Stacie to the mall where she got to pick out a premium science kit that was probably a bit too advanced for a second-grader. Her mother, however, was a staunch believer in the arts and insisted that her daughter not drop dance to make room for enrichment in her favorite school subjects. So Stacie compromised and stayed enrolled in dance classes as long as her parents let her attend every science camp she could find.

Stacie had accelerated through middle school mathematics, taking both algebra and geometry at Schroeder. When Stacie learned where her family would be moving, she got on the high school's website and researched their advanced academics programs. Stacie forced her mother to allow her to take the qualifying exams for advanced classes her freshman year.

She had a plan mapped out in her mind to provide a balance of high school to college-level courses. Stacie would be able to transfer into a four-year university after high school graduation as a junior. Once she got through her first year of high school, some of her classes would shift to the local community college for dual credit, while others she'd take at the high school.


The tall brunette slipped into a desk on the side about halfway towards the front of her AP Biology classroom. While she didn't want to sit at the back of the room, she knew that taking a seat at the front would make her stand out a bit much since teenage boys tended to leer at her because of her dancer's physique. During her first period, she also learned that she was taller than most other students. She slouched in her chair to not stand out as much.

Stacie knew that most of her classes would be easy, but this was probably the last year of a simple load. Next year, she'd ease into two college classes, then four during her final two years. Granted, she'd be taking jazz and ballet classes her junior and senior years at the college, which would be a nice break from the academics. However, they'd still be for college credit with different expectations than the regular dance lessons she'd always taken.

"Conrad. Stacie Conrad." The brunette snapped out of her gaze and straightened up at her desk.

"Present." She lifted her hand slightly, then pushed her glasses up her nose. Stacie flipped open her bio notebook and poised her pen over the paper to take notes.


Stacie thrived through the challenge of the first three years of high school. By the time her senior year rolled around, she had a challenging load. However, Stacie only had one semester of science this year, Chemistry II, and the accompanying lab, giving her a free slot in her schedule for the Spring semester. She was looking forward to the small respite from the work.

During Senior orientation in the Mauber High School auditorium, Stacie had her long legs kicked over the chair in front of her. She lazily listened to the drone of the head counselor. One of the best things about taking classes off-campus was she got to wear her own clothes. No uniforms.

Suddenly the group of seniors was murmuring amongst themselves. Stacie sat up, wondering what she'd missed. The counselor continued to drone. "Your senior project will be due the Friday after the Easter holiday. Remember that your project should represent a culmination of your studies and is required for graduation. Log in to the student portal for specifics."

"Senior project?" Stacie muttered to herself. "What the hell?" She put her feet on the back of the seat in front of her and pulled out her laptop to pull up info about the senior project. After perusing the information, she closed her laptop with a sigh.


Midway through the fall semester, her chemistry professor approached her about joining a grant study some of his graduate students were working on. "I feel some of this might be right up your alley. Plus, it could very well qualify for your high school's senior project." Once Stacie heard that, she was convinced to join before listening to the details.

The student group met two evenings a week and every other Saturday afternoon. Stacie's professor arranged to introduce her to the older students the following Saturday. At first, she was nervous, then realized that she had no reason to be apprehensive. She wouldn't have been asked to join the project if she didn't have something to offer.

Stacie's concerns were unfounded because she fit right in intellectually with the graduate students despite the obvious difference in ages. They respected her without question due to the advanced nature of the science classes she was taking while still in high school.

The grant study focused on the chemical properties of the materials that made up soulmate rings and how the rings work. The group had already determined that soulmate rings were indestructible except for the death of one's mate. They were now working on what caused the ring colors to change and if any substance was able to block the coloration.


"I know we think the coating is right. But how do we test it?" Sam was frustrated at one of the other girls in the group. They were at a point in the project where they could go no further without some experimentation. This was science, after all. "We need test subjects."

"Some couples at school are soulmates," Stacie offered. "I could ask them. Of course, they'd probably flip out if something happened to the color of their ring." Stacie and the others pondered. The group finally tested on some of their own rings and found that acetone would dissolve the coating they'd created.

A bottle of the substance was filled and given to Stacie. She pocketed it along with a bottle of nail polish remover. Sam said she'd e-mail her documentation forms to collect names, dates, times, and observations. "And don't forget to take pictures."


On Friday, Stacie searched the commons area for Amber. Amber's soulmate had moved into the area a few years ago, and they met during the summer between their ninth and tenth-grade years. They'd been inseparable ever since. Her mate was a little on the dense side but adorable in a goofy kind of way. But his love for her was apparent.

She finally located her sitting at a table across the way. "Hey, Amber." Stacie nonchalantly sat next to the other girl. "How's your weekend looking? Are you and Mike doing anything special?"

Amber looked at her suspiciously. Stacie normally kept to herself, and this was probably the first time she'd ever spoken to Amber. "Ummm, the Bulldogs have a basketball game tonight. We may head into Athens." She returned to working on her math assignment.

"I like your ring," Stacie stammered. "I'm not sure I've ever seen a platinum soulmate ring on someone so young before." She mentally kicked herself for being so awkward. Amber just gave her a strange look. "Okay, I know I'm being weird. I need to ask you and Mike a favor."

Amber turned to look at her. "You? Stacie Conrad? Need help from me? And Mike?"

"Well yeah. I wondered if you'd like to help me with my senior project," Stacie said quickly. She didn't quite know how to ask, so she launched into a complex operation of the study she was doing at the university on chemical properties of soulmate rights, etc. When she finally took a breath, she realized that Amber's eyes had glazed over. Amber was no longer listening.

"Sorry. Basically, I have a substance I'd like to try out on yours and Mike's rings to see what happens." Amber pulled her hand to her chest, protectively covering her ring with her other hand. "No, no, no. Nothing bad. Nail polish remover takes it right off. Like this."

Stacie pulled out the bottle of coating and slathered it on her ring. Once it dried, she took a cotton ball and the acetone and removed it. "See, cleaned it right off."

"Why can't you test it on yourself?" Amber motioned to Stacie's own hand. Stacie replied that she hadn't met her soulmate, and that's what the experiment and her senior project were about.

Amber thought for a few moments. "What's in it for me?"

Stacie hadn't been expecting that question, then looked at what Amber had been working on. "I can help you with your math homework."

"Make it math and science, and you have a deal." She offered her hand, and they shook.


Stacie pulled out the clipboard with the form Sam had sent and filled out the initial information. She then snapped a few pictures of Amber's ring. She coated the ring with the liquid and once it dried, slipped the ring back on Amber's finger.

"Now what?"

Stacie shrugged as she snapped a few pictures. Suddenly, the color of Amber's ring began to shift and morph. It went from a beautiful silver color to a mottled brown color. "Hmmm." Stacie noted the time and took some more pictures.

"Gawd, that's ugly. I don't think I like this, Stacie." Amber was staring at her ring. They both stared at it a while, noting that the color didn't change any more.

"At least it's not changing," Stacie said.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from across the commons area. "Aaammmmbbeerrrr." Mike was racing top-speed towards them, his face ghost white. When he got there, he wrapped his soulmate up in his arms and squeezed hard before pushing back to check her up and down. "Are you okay? What's going on? Are you hurt?"

"I'm okay, baby." Amber reassured him as best she could. Stacie sat back and watched the interaction. "What's wrong?"

"This," he shouted and held up his hand bearing his ring. "I was working out, and it started changing colors - into all these colors nobody had ever seen before. I thought something happened to you."

"Who are you, and when am I going to find out what's going on?" Stacie jumped up, grabbed his hand, and began taking pictures of his ring as it changed colors. He jerked his hand back.

Amber's face was bright red as she grabbed the used cotton ball Stacie had tossed on the picnic table and doused it with more nail polish remover. She began furiously rubbing her ring. The more the coating she removed, the more the soulmate rings went back to normal. When she was sure she'd gotten it all off, she glared at Stacie and gathered her things. "The deal is off. We won't help you with your senior project."

Stacie felt miserable as she watched the couple walk off arm in arm. However, part of her was delighted because she knew that the coating worked. Stacie knew Amber and Mike were upset right now, but she was thankful. She made a note to find Amber later to apologize. She'd also make good on her promise to help her with her math and science homework.