Tainted

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"How could everything go so wrong it one day?" She asked herself, as she paced the path around the pond back and forth, reliving her now upside down life. She had ruined her friendship with Ryan, her best friend. No she thought, he did when he tried to change their friendship into something that couldn't be. She thought over their long friendship wondering how long he felt like this and how she never really picked up on his feelings before. Was she such a horrible friend that she couldn't see how he was feeling? Would have it been easier for them both if she had known? 

No, she thought, it would have happened eventually. She took an aggravated breath. Things would be weird between them now. He would avoid her like the plague. He was probably embarrassed when he saw that she didn't feel the same and would be angry. Give it time a voice in her head reasoned. The voice sounded strangely like Seth's. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She must be hallucinating, to hear him so clearly. She needed a breakfrom it all. Good thing the youth retreat was this weekend.

"Oh no!" she had forgotten to ask Sarina to help them. She needed Sarina to be a counselor, there wasn't enough.

"She'll never do it now" she ranted as she replayed their argument in her mind. She felt guilty. She knew how Sarina was. She did strange things all the time, making spells, voodoo dolls, and if she thought Nova was in danger of course she would go to Mayan.  

Mayan had been a trusted friend since their parents had died. Nova visited with her just as Sarina had. Mayan was a wise woman. Even though Mayan gave the impression that she was a voodoo priestess, Nova had always wondered. Mayan advice didn't stem from her Cajun beliefs. She seemed to read into Nova's soul, and sometimes she caught Mayan's smile as Nova stayed loyal to her convictions. This seemed to please Mayan. Nova would think Mayan would debate God's existence, but Mayan never argued that point. She never pushed Nova to believe differently, she gently pushed Nova to stand by her heart.

She even helped Sarina, Nova laughed. Mayan was always thwarting Sarina. Every time Sarina had gotten a crazy plan to form a spell, she would go to Mayan for advice, thinking Mayan would know how to conjure the spell. This made Novalaugh harder when she remembered Mayan's mischievous look and Mayan would start naming wild chants. Nova knew then Mayan was indulging Sarina's whims. Sarina took Mayan seriously, and ran off to finish her spell. She and Mayan would share a secret smile. But when the spell didn't work Sarina never got discouraged. She would try again.

"I love you Sarina" she hated fighting with Sarina. "I guess I better go and apologize" she decided.

*~* 

"There you are" Seth sounded like he had searched the world over for her. She rolled her eyes as she shut the door. Of course she would she would be home. Wouldn't that be the first place one would look?

"Don't roll your eyes at me hussy, I've come to impart serious business.." he couldn't help from teasing her. He found it was natural to joke around with Nova. She made him feel lighter. That wasn't necessarily good considering he was here to corrupt her. But as he followed her through the house and into the living room, he wondered who was corrupting whom. She hadn't changed at all and well, he felt more alive than he ever had.

"Seth this is my grandfather, Pastor St. James." She introduced as they entered the living room. The older man was seated in an old lazy boy with a bible in his hands.

Seth watched the old man recite his paragraph before he looked up at who was intruding on his studies. The old man said nothing at first, just looked Seth over. Slowly the man smiled and extended his hand. Seth didn't know how to react. Her grandfather was a pastor! He exclaimed in his head. Could he feel the evil he radiated?