They Had Lights in Their Eyes

Six

'Feel Our Souls Lose Control'

Cassie followed Diana into the rich emerald forest, trying desperately to stay calm. Her emotions were an irrational mess of desire and duty, and she felt herself on the verge of explosion. Why did everything she wanted seem so wrong? It was an idea she kept coming back to since moving to Chance Harbor. She couldn't lay full blame on meeting Adam, because he was just a boy—a very wonderful and attractive boy, granted, but still just a mere mortal. Cassie had never felt a feeling quite like what she felt now, and she knew it was more than just the influence of a guy. As her feet sank into the damp soil, she felt little tidbits of water seep into her Converse, and she couldn't help but be a bit irked by that. Was all this trudging and stress really necessary for an art she'd thought was pure myth until about three days ago? Of course not, but then again, curiosity killed the cat, and temptation sparked the witch. It was funny calling herself a witch; she'd never even done magic, save for the droplets with Adam in the clearing.

"How much farther do we have?" Cassie asked, trying to hush her groan. Diana looked back at her, a blend of amusement and annoyance dancing in her caramel eyes. Cassie had to respect the brunette's tolerance for all of the actions she would just roll her eyes about.

"Oh, come on, the journey's more important than the destination, right?" Diana was jokingly perky and optimistic, and as much as Cassie loved that, she would have preferred a little more of a real answer.

"Cliché sayings kind of lose their meaning for me after about the fiftieth time I hear them," Cassie drawled in return. To be honest, the saying wasn't that irksome to her. Seeing the hurt and put-off look that Diana gave her, she sighed and continued. "It's just that my mom used to say that to me all the time and it's just kind of a fresh wound right now…" Cassie gave a tight and toothless smile, to reassure Diana that she hadn't depressed her. The brunette gave a knowing nod, and dropped her head slightly, as if she was about to tell a dark part of her own history. Cassie waited patiently for Diana to process and then speak.

"My mom died when I was really young; I know what you're going through. I'm sure Adam's told you he lost his mother too," Diana said empathetically, slipping distain into the final sentence. "But I guess what I'm getting at, is that you're definitely not alone in the lost parent department. The Circle is more than just a group of teenagers that get together to do magic. We're like a support group for each other. It's actually a really nice and lucky safety net to have." Diana presented Cassie with one of her signature smiles, and it finally hit the blonde: Diana was like Marilyn Monroe.

Certainly not a carbon copy, but Cassie could see the similarities. Both beauty queens hid behind success and style, and used their brilliant yet practiced smiles to mask their melancholy and insecurity. It was actually sort of depressing, when Cassie thought about it. The two had such potential, but were so stifled by all of the curve balls life had thrown at them. It made Cassie think; maybe Adam was right when he told her that she couldn't base her life and decisions on her mother's death.

"It sounds like it's great," Cassie returned hesitantly, almost afraid that Diana had read her thoughts. "But since you guys are so tight, wouldn't I be kind of an outsider?" And there went Cassie's insecurity, running her mouth uncontrollably. Diana laughed lightly in kind denial.

"No, you wouldn't be an outsider! Cassie, we want you in our Circle. Adam's accepted you; I've accepted you… that's all you need. Melissa stays to herself mostly, but I'm sure she likes you. Nick's, well, Nick, and he's pretty basic; he won't bite."

"What about Faye?" Cassie had disliked and maybe even feared the girl, since they first met. There was something in the way her plush lips pursed in denunciation, and how her eyes seethed with dour, that made Cassie uneasy.

"Faye, is… well, she's just a tough exterior to get past. Trust me; she likes to make enemies before friends. Don't let it get to you; she'll come around eventually." Diana certainly had a way of spinning words to make the listener feel whatever she wanted them to feel. Cassie was too calmed by Diana's assurances to rebel against it.

"Thanks," Cassie smiled, "I really appreciate you being so supportive."

"It's not easy moving to a new place because of a death, and then being thrown into something as crazy as the Circle and magic. But you're doing great with it, Cassie, honestly. It really shows how strong you are." Sincerity was apparent in her swirling caramel eyes, and Cassie breathed in contently.

"How do you do it, though?" Diana gave the blonde a curious look. "I mean you're still so upbeat and happy, despite everything you've been through. I don't get how you can do that." Cassie guessed her words could be considered a compliment (and technically they were) but it was more of a plea, than a flattering comment.

"It's not easy; as I'm sure you're figuring out. But I think if it was easy, death wouldn't be so significant. I'm not going to go all philosophical on you, but I think it's all part of the human condition. We make ties over our lifetime, and when they're severed, it's only right that we get saddened by that. Well that's what I like to tell myself, at least." Diana shrugged her shoulders, sending Cassie a glance of compassion and understanding.

"I think that's a really nice way of looking at it. It almost makes it more like a lullaby rather than screamo. I don't know if that makes any sense, but there you go." Cassie laughed, smiling, but still feeling the clump of sorrow building in her throat.

"Adam was the one to tell me that, actually," Diana replied distantly, as if she was sinking deep into a lost memory. "After the funeral for my mom, I was crying and he pulled me off to the side and told me basically what I just told you. It was one of those memories you can never forget, you know?" Diana shook her head with a sad smile. "I think about that day a lot, and it all seems so weird. It was like I was there, feeling and experiencing every dose of pain and nostalgia, but I was looking down on everything."

Cassie dare not inquire about Diana's obviously precious recollection, so she rather asked,

"Do you ever wonder why it all happened? For a few weeks after my mom's death, I hated her: how crazy is that? I kept feeling like she left me on purpose; a sort of cruel joke. It makes no sense to me now, but in the moment, I was so set on it. Minutes before she died (I guess) she was laughing and joking with me on the phone. But then I get home, and the house is no more than charred scraps, and my mother's scorched remains are somewhere in the rubble. I couldn't get it out of my head that she'd done it on purpose; penalizing me for something. How terrible am I?" Cassie wrapped her arms around her waist, looking anywhere but to Diana. Tracing her eyes up the massive trunks of the pine trees, the area felt familiar: the house was probably very close. In some ways, Cassie was relieved by that. She wasn't sure how much more she could wring out of her heart before bleeding to death.

"You're not terrible at all," Diana returned soothingly, her voice a melodic whisper. "You feel what you feel, and that's all there is to it. I wish I could give you more insight, but I think you've got it all figured out. All that's left to do is to move on. And you will one day; it's just a matter of when."

Although Cassie loved and cherished having someone to talk to about a tense matter such as death, it almost felt unreal. How great of a friendship would she and Diana have, if they only bonded over death and a silent battle for Adam? Both topics were certainly way past skin deep, but were they enough to manage a relationship? Cassie sighed, giving up on the matter. The fact was, they had bonded and connected, and that's all that really mattered right now.

Diana turned to look at Cassie as they approached the old house, giving an excited glance. She was ecstatic to finally complete the Circle, and to perform true magic; not fragmented greatness and shallow illusions of power. When she thought about it, not only had they made the Circle whole, but they had rounded out the personalities too. They had Diana, the optimistic facilitator, Melissa, the quiet and loyal companion, Nick, the comic relief with sparks of seriousness, Faye, the dark tempter, Adam, the shyly genuine and powerful one, and now Cassie, the pure and potential-packed one. Diana smiled at the Circle's growing abilities, happy to be a part of something much bigger than herself.

Reaching the steps, she noticed as Cassie hesitated. "After you," Diana said, gesturing her hand in the direction of the wooden stairs and chipping gray-blue front door.

Cassie slowly made her way up the stairs, her mind processing seconds more closely to minutes. Eyes locked on the experienced and well used door in front of her, it eerily reminded her of something. Maybe it was the feeling of chaos bonding to a need for security, or possibly it was the actual personality of a person in a tangible form. Her first thought was that it was her mother, but then she realized it was a stretch. It had qualities of Amelia, but it wasn't the exact match that Cassie had wanted or expected. Gazing at the small and numerous chips in the sullen paint, she realized it was her that she was looking at.

She'd been used, metaphorically, by fate, and it had screwed her over in the end—leaving many pieces in disheveled heaps. Loyalty and security radiated from her truthful smile, and her eyes had sunken to the dismal graying blue of the door. Gazing at the piece of wood, she hoped that people did not see her as pitiful and broken like it, but they probably did. Cassie wasn't ever talented at holding in her strong emotions. She could hide the pain in her voice, but she always gave it away on her face. Turning the rickety doorknob, she prayed that the Circle could breathe the life into her that she'd been vacant of for so long.

She and Diana entered the creaky house, met only with a silent void.

"I guess they're downstairs already," Diana commented nonchalantly, gesturing for Cassie to follow her to the right, and down the stairs. The blonde tailed behind Diana obediently, looking intensely at the aged paintings and photos hanging from the walls.

The house probably hadn't had a makeover since the mid nineteen-twenties, and it was quite apparent in the amount of dirt that had accumulated around the rims of the pictures. The long and gray hallway stretched on longer than Cassie had anticipated, but she was pleasantly surprised. History had always fascinated her, and she wished there were more places like this house, that kept that irreplaceable history in its true and original form. It wasn't that the future was an inconvenience for Cassie; it was simply that history, she felt, should be more cherished and adored. People seemed to focus on the anticipated events, rather than those events in the past that dictate what the future can hold.

The two finally reached the stairs, and made their way down them. Adam, Melissa, and Faye made eye contact with Diana and Cassie, and the brunette raised an eyebrow.

"Where's Nick?" Coming fully into the room, she crossed her arms. Cassie made her way conservatively into the room, throwing a quick glance in Adam's direction. His enchanting eyes met hers, and she couldn't help but feel her heart flutter.

"I don't know… he just said he couldn't make it," Melissa returned. The girl's intense quietness reminded Cassie of a mouse. She hoped that Melissa would open up more as they got to know each other; seemed quite nice.

"Whatever, doesn't matter," Faye interjected tightly. "So you brought Barbie, huh? Won't run away this time, will she?" She sent a sharp smirk in Cassie's direction, and raised her eyebrow slightly.

"Cassie's here to stay," Adam said defensively. He said her name the way a sonnet should be whispered, and made it worth listening to. Cassie smiled at the mild chivalry. She wouldn't mind being saved by Adam; if he was the key to salvation, she had her lock ready to be broken.

She inwardly rolled her eyes. Why was she so cheesy when it came to Adam?

Another short chapter! I don't know what's wrong with me… I'm way too busy to be as thorough as I want to be with this story. Please forgive me! I promise there will be action next chapter. As always, PM me with any ideas.

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