Fire Stones - By Kailin Gow Page 0,15

his fingers tightened around my wrist, the way he pleaded with me to remember, to remember whatever it was I was supposed to know about our past. That was Vesta's choice – not mine.

But what if I was Vesta, as Chance was so sure I was? I wasn't sure I liked Vesta – the more I came to know about her, the less sure I was. Vesta who had set up a decoy to trick Jana, Vesta who had betrayed both Mars and Neptune. Was this my destiny?

The next day at school seemed to go by in a blur. I couldn't concentrate on schoolwork; my head seemed to throb feverishly with every step I took. I was too distracted, too worried. Thinking about Vesta was taking up all of my time. How could I possibly be expected to learn about post-Erosion history when more important things were taking place?

I had gone to my locker before Literary Responses to the Erosion in order to switch out my textbooks when I heard a familiar female voice behind me. “Hey, Mac.”

I whirled around. It was Haven, standing with her customary coterie, Cassie and Leia. All three had been far nicer to me ever since I joined the swim team, but I still couldn't help but be suspicious. Girls like Haven – perfect, popular, without a single hair out of place – were very good at convincing you that they were your best friend. That is, until they stabbed you in the back.

“You come shopping with us?” The invitation seemed innocuous enough, and Haven even managed a small smile.

“I don't know...” I began. I'd been hoping to see Chance after school.

“We're all getting dresses for Haven's birthday,” Cassie added. “Nothing in my closet's good enough.”

“It's going to be really fancy,” Leia added. “We're having it at the Cutter Imperial.”

Haven said nothing, but only smiled brightly. Damn, I thought. I knew exactly what I was going to be wearing to that party: a white apron and uniform slacks. I'd already promised Brandon I'd work the party shift with him. But something stopped me from admitting this to Haven and her friends; a blush rose in my cheek. “Sure,” I said at last.

“You are coming to the party, aren't you?” said Haven. She hadn't of course invited me earlier, but it seemed that Haven naturally assumed that I, along with everyone else at Aeros Academy, would have been waiting for bated breath for an invitation.

“I guess so,” I said. “Sure. Sounds good. Looking forward to it.”

After school, Haven's shiny pink convertible pulled up to the school steps. She had somehow managed to change into painfully fashionable (and dress-code-breaking) day clothes only moments after the last class-bell rang. How does she do it? I knew she was a Siren – Varun had told me that much – but even Sirens had to deal with the line at the girls' locker room.

“Mac gets to sit up front,” Haven announced, opening the car door for me. Looking slightly astonished and more than a little envious, Cassie and Leia clambered into the back seat.

To my surprise, I found myself enjoying our impromptu trip to the mall. Haven, Cassie, Leia and I made conversation – first about swim team practice, then about our classwork, gossip, and other idle pursuits. We enjoyed trying on clothes in the many shops lining the mall, and even indulged in a few slices of chocolate cake from the food court. After the pressure and the stress of the last few weeks, not to mention the male attention, it was nice to spend some time far away from the men in my life, firmly and solidly in the company of women. I didn't have to worry about Vesta; I didn't have to worry about stones or sharks or my own possibly-impending death. I could just gobble down chocolate cake, discuss the merits of strapless dresses, and laugh about Mr. Henderson's habit of breaking chalk every time he tried to write something on the board.

I may not have trusted Haven, but I was starting to like her. She might have been a bit abrasive at the beginning, but it was clear to me that Haven – however she treated her acquaintances – was good to her friends. She spent plenty of time listening to Cassie's latest romantic trials and tribulations, offering gentle but firm advice to “dump him, now,” and helped Leia find a black dress that perfectly flattered her rounded figure.

Soon Cassie and Leia had both found