Talisman 01 - The Emerald Talisman

use your power to do good, but that’s not the point,” Katie said pretentiously.
    “I agree with Dena,” Morgan said quickly. “That’s better than the one I thought of.”
    Morgan, somewhat attractive with his dark hair and smoldering auburn eyes, was a newer addition to our little clique. Even though he didn’t let on to anyone, I knew he had a crush on Dena. Daily, I felt his internal struggles. His yearning was very subtle on the outside, but not to me; the chemistry was so strong sometimes it felt like I could cut it with a knife.
    “Well, what did you pick?” Dena asked.
    “Oh it’s stupid,” he said and turned away, averting her stare.
    Katie laughed. “I bet its x-ray vision,” she said, flipping her short raven-colored hair, currently tinged with magenta highlights.
    Morgan’s cheeks flushed. “Shut-up.”
    Dena put her hand on his shoulder and his elation erupted, subduing his anger.
    “Well, since the rest of you won’t answer . . .” Katie said, glaring at Morgan. “I’ll share mine. I want mind reading abilities.”
    I wanted to laugh and say oh no you don’t , but then I’d have to explain why. Of all people, that gift might be the medicine she needed to be humbled. People didn’t like her total disregard of people’s feelings when she verbally marched right over them.
    The problem was, unlike Dena, Katie knew she was attractive. Her conceit caused her to be pretty shallow most of the time. But since I knew she was just as insecure as the rest of us, I’d encouraged everyone to give her some leeway, hoping we’d rub off on her in time. Today I didn’t feel so inclined.
    “I don’t think I could handle knowing what people are thinking of me,” Dena said softly, tilting her head down, hiding under her long white-blond hair.
    I wondered if she’d feel the same way knowing people envied her.
    Morgan grew nervous. I sensed he definitely didn’t want her to read his mind, especially at this moment.
    Currently, Katie’s crush was on a very popular Senior, Tyler Kennedy, who had a serious girlfriend and wouldn’t give Katie the time of day. Since Katie felt she was far prettier than his girlfriend, she saw it as a competition and tried to gain his attention any chance she got. I really wanted to tell her Tyler picked his girlfriend, Mandy, because she was pretty and one of the kindest girls in school, but I knew she wouldn’t believe me.
    I watched her glance wistfully in Tyler’s direction. Mind reading definitely would’ve helped her formulate her next ‘accidental’ interaction, but then she’d really know what Tyler thought.
    “Well, I’d like to control the weather,” Sam said.
    Samantha or Sam as we called her, with her impeccable style and long brown locks was my very best friend. She was the most genuine and happiest person I’ve ever known—someone I called safe .
    I’ve always struggled with making new friends. It’s difficult to give people a real chance when you’re able to size someone up as soon as you meet them. Most people are untrustworthy, so I prefer to stick with my short list of safe friends. And if Katie didn’t watch it, it might grow shorter soon.
    “That would be cool. Why don’t you make a hurricane or something, so we don’t have to go to 5 th period,” I said.
    Sam closed her green eyes and threw out her hands, acting as if she was summoning some powerful force of nature and then peeked out to see if anything happened, which it didn’t.
    “Crap, I need to figure out how to use it.”
    A sly smile crossed her face. Everyone laughed except Katie. I’m sure she thought we were making fun of her.
    “So anyone ask you to homecoming yet?” Katie asked in my direction.
    What’s with the questions today?
    “Oh . . . um . . . no. I think I have to work that day.”
    “Work?” She turned her nose up in disgust. “But it’s homecoming! Don’t you want to go?”
    “Not really?” I said, not meaning it to sound like a question.
    If I really wanted to go, Cameron would take me. We’d been each other’s date, as friends, for quite a few dances. But homecoming didn’t appeal to me for some reason. Not only did I dislike the feelings of the crowd at dances, but I currently didn’t have any prospects. It seemed the short list of guys I liked didn’t know I was alive.
    “I wish Tyler would ask me,” Katie murmured to herself, glancing over her shoulder again.
    “I’m not going either,” Cameron said trying to sound like he