Illusions

Chapter Thirty-Three

LAUREL KNELT ON THE FLOOR, SCRUBBING OUT THE bottom of her locker with a wet paper towel — something every student had to do before leaving for winter break. Technically she was required to clean it with the can of heavy-duty cleaner, but that stuff wasn’t exactly faerie-friendly. Besides, the teachers didn’t watch very closely. If anything, they were more anxious for winter break than their students.

“Hey, slowpoke, let’s go!” Chelsea said teasingly. “You have to come over and help me pick out a dress!”

Laurel smiled her apology. “I’m almost done,” she said, gesturing at her locker.

“You want some help?” Chelsea asked, reaching for a roll of paper towels that had been left in the hall for them by the janitorial staff.

“Sure, you can clean my locker and I’ll pick your dress; how’s that for a trade?”

“Hey, sounds fair to me,” Chelsea said. “Are you going to wear that one dress?”

“I think so,” Laurel said. Chelsea was referring to the dress Laurel had brought back from Avalon and worn to the Samhain festival. Ever since Laurel had told her about it, Chelsea had been pestering her to wear it to a dance. “I don’t—”

Laurel just managed to bite off a scream as her head exploded with literally blinding pain. An eerie, whistling wind filled her head with sound and pressure and darkness.

And then it was gone.

“Laurel? Laurel, are you all right?”

Laurel opened her eyes to discover she had fallen backward and was now sprawled on the floor. Chelsea was kneeling next to her, concern written all over her face. Laurel sat up and glanced furtively around her, embarrassed. She hoped nobody else had seen her fall over like a moron.

Her eyes met Yuki’s. She was in the middle of cleaning out her locker across the hallway, and looked away immediately, covering a smile with one delicate hand.

Momentarily, Laurel wondered if Yuki might be the cause of her headaches. She’d often been around when they struck… but then, she’d practically invaded every aspect of Laurel’s life, so she was always around. Besides, “causing headaches” was not a faerie power, and even if it was, there were easier ways to distract Laurel from whatever it was Yuki was supposed to be distracting her from. Not that it mattered. If Yuki was doing something, it would all be over in a few days. Shar had arrived and was even now strategizing with Tamani.

“Let’s get out of here,” Laurel muttered, embarrassed.

Chelsea put a protective arm around her and they walked out toward Laurel’s car.

They drove in silence, which at first Laurel thought was weird, but she quickly realized it was restful. All week she had been jumping at every sound, waiting for something to happen. For Yuki to realize they’d found out about Klea — for trolls to come barreling through the school wall — she didn’t even know what. But something! The world had changed and no one else seemed to sense it. Yuki still clung to Tamani; Ryan still hung around cluelessly; Laurel and David and Chelsea tried to talk and laugh normally. Not to mention pass their final exams.

At Chelsea’s house, Laurel did her best to put all of this aside. She had always liked Chelsea’s house. No matter what happened in her own life, at Chelsea’s house it was only her brothers who were the monsters, her room that was the mess, and the most difficult decision Laurel would be asked to make was the black dress or the red one.

“The red, I think,” Laurel said, as Chelsea put it on for the third time.

“Why are we going to the dance with her, anyway?” Chelsea asked, examining herself in the full-length mirror that doubled as her closet door. “If we know Yuki’s a distraction or whatever, then why does it matter if we keep her occupied? I so want to just ditch her. And what’s she distracting us from, again?”

“The cabin,” Laurel said, though she wondered what could be in the cabin that was worth keeping from them. “For all we know, Yuki doesn’t even know the role she’s playing. Klea is some kind of puppet-master, I’m telling you. But just in case, until they actually raid the cabin, we’re supposed to act like nothing has changed.”

“When are they going to raid?”

Laurel shrugged. Shar had been characteristically vague about that. The way he kept putting it off was driving Tamani crazy.

“Hmph. Well, Tamani’s boss. Or is it Shar?” She looked at the mirror as Laurel shrugged again, twisting her curls up on top of her head. “You don’t think it clashes with my hair?”

“Actually, I think it brings out the auburn,” Laurel said, grateful to be done talking about Yuki. “I think you look gorgeous in it. Ryan is going to swoon,” she said with a grin.

Chelsea’s face fell.

“What?” Laurel said. “Is it the college thing? You won’t even know for sure on that for a couple months yet.”

Chelsea shook her head.

“Then what?” Laurel asked.

Chelsea turned and sat silently on the bed beside Laurel.

“Tell me,” Laurel said, her voice soft.

Laurel saw tears gather at the corner of Chelsea’s eyes.

“Chelsea, what?” she asked, a hand on her shoulder.

“I’ve been thinking for days how to tell you and make you understand. And not lose you in the process.”

“Oh, Chelsea,” Laurel said, her hand immediately on Chelsea’s shoulder. “You could never lose me. You are my best friend in the whole world. There is nothing you could tell me that would change that.”

“I’m breaking up with Ryan after the dance.”

Laurel blanched. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but this wasn’t it. “Why? Did something happen?”

Chelsea laughed. “Besides me constantly running off at inopportune times and keeping half my life a secret from him?”

But Laurel didn’t laugh. “I mean, did he say something? Did you say something?”

Chelsea shook her head. “No, he’s been fine. We’ve been fine. I mean, he didn’t apply to Harvard, but so what? I might not even get in there. Just because he doesn’t want to go to Harvard doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about me,” she said, bitterness coloring her tone. “It just means he cares about staying in California more.” She paused, taking a slow breath. “But really, I can’t expect him to throw his dreams away for me. It’s because of you, actually.”

“Me?” Laurel asked, shocked. “What did I do?”

“You broke up with David,” Chelsea said softly.

Laurel looked down in her lap. Now she knew what was coming.

“I thought I was over him. I really did. And I was happy with Ryan. Very happy. But then you broke up with David and he got so sad and I realized that when the two of you first got together, I was okay letting him go because he was happy. Now that he’s not, I—” She paused, taking a moment to compose herself. “If he’s not happy, I can’t make myself be happy.”

Laurel was silent. She couldn’t even muster up any jealousy. She just felt numb.

“I’m not going to chase him,” Chelsea said, as if reading Laurel thoughts. “It’s not fair, and it’s disloyal, and I won’t do that to you. But,” she said, taking a deep breath, “if he decides to actually notice me after all these years and I miss it because I’m forcing myself to stay with Ryan, I…” She blinked back tears. “I would hate myself. So I’m just going to — to be there, if he needs me. And since you’re my best friend, I thought it was only fair to tell you.”

Laurel nodded, but couldn’t meet Chelsea’s eyes. She was right; it was only fair. In fact, it would be easier. If things worked out between David and Chelsea, then everyone would have someone.

So why did it make her weep inside?

They sat in silence for several seconds before Laurel threw her arms around Chelsea, hugging her tightly. “Wear the red dress,” Laurel whispered in her ear. “You look best in that one.”