After class, she saw Vicki walking by in the hall. Waving her over, Debi asked her if she'd heard the news about Mrs. Ruen. She said she hadn't. Debi filled her in on the details.
"It's so weird�I could swear that just before Alana told me about the accident, Mrs. Ruen had given us a pop quiz and taken mine up for asking someone for a pencil!" explained Debi.
"Hold on, you say now that Mrs. Ruen was teaching you guys last period? Did anyone else see her?" asked Vicki skeptically.
"No, that's the weird thing! No one else seems to have noticed anything!" exclaimed Debi frantically.
"Oh, I see...you're playing your April Fools joke early, right? Ha ha. Very funny, Deborah. You had me for a minute there�" Vicki said sarcastically.
"I'm not! You're acting just like those people on TV! I am beyond serious! May the powers that be strike me down where I stand if I'm lying!"
"Yeah�sure�anyway, I gotta get to class. See ya later!" Vicki waved and hurried to her class.

Debi had been staring at her paper for a long time now. She was about to snap from frustration.
Suddenly, she started to sketch something on paper. The outlines of a crystal began to take shape on it. She realized that she was drawing her pendant. After finishing the pendant itself, she put shapes in the crystal. As if something was controlling her pencil, the shapes turned into people. They were all women. There were many figures, all identical except in various stages of invisibility.
As she worked her teacher wandered over to inspect her work.
"This is great, Debi!" exclaimed Mr. Mellott.
"Thanks"
"I knew you had some creativity in you!"
He picked up the paper and held it at arm's length. Noticing her necklace, he asked "Is your necklace the inspiration for this?"
"I guess," said Debi uncertainly.
Patting her on the shoulder, he returned the paper and said that if she felt like it she could begin to paint it. She got up and walked to the cabinet to get a set of paints. Returning to her seat, she caught Taylor's eye and flashed him a shy smile. She worked for the rest of the period on the painting, filling in outlines and details. Each time she added a detail to the women, however, they seemed to grow a little less solid, a little more ephemeral. She rather liked the effect it achieved.
She was still working on the painting when the bell rang. Rushing to put everything back in its place, she bumped into Taylor.
"Oh, sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going," Debi apologized profusely.
"Hey-no problem-I have something to give you anyway." He reached into his bookbag and rummaged around. Debi's heart was beating so fast she thought she must be visibly shaking. He finally found what he was looking for and handed her a small stiff white envelope. He handed it to her with a smile and said "see ya tomorrow!"
She wanted to open the envelope, but she didn't, trying to wait until a nice quiet moment. Debi glowed for the rest of the afternoon.

That night she dreamed again of the crystal pendant. This time, the swirls solidified into the shapes of women more permanently. She fancied that Mrs. Ruen was one of them. Slowly, the people began to disappear. Her veil of sleep went with them, and she woke.

After the next day of school, the four girls went to the park and sat down on a floating dock at the end of a small pier. It was a beautiful day, with a perfectly azure sky dotted here and there by fluffy little clouds, gently being blown by the warm breeze. Or, rather, it would have been if it weren't for the fact that the sky was overcast, it looked about to drizzle, and the breeze was bitterly cold. Still, it was a beautiful day.
"This is so weird," moaned Debi, "I can see why you guys don't believe me. Am I going insane?"
"I think you're there already," cracked Mira, "Sorry-I couldn't resist."
Debi flashed Mira a dirty look.
"So what does that pendant have to do with this?" Vicki asked, interrupting the staring contest between Debi and Mira.
Debi told them about the dreams and her painting.
"Oh, that's no big deal-your mind is probably just subconsciously blaming yourself for Mrs. Ruen's accident," offered Lis.
"I just can't get over the fact that Mrs. Ruen was there one minute and gone the next. And it doesn't help that I just wished she were gone about 2 seconds before that�" Debi mused.
"Speaking of Mrs. Ruen, does any of you guys know how she's doing?" Lis asked.
"I think she's doing worse�" Vicki trailed off.
"Great! Just what I need-a dying teacher!" Debi threw up her hands in disgust.
" I thought you hated her, Debi! What's with the St. Theresa act?" asked Mira.
"Oh, I dunno�just�it's so bizarre! Anyways, this conversation is depressing! Let's discuss something else, guys?"
Debi swung her feet back and forth in the icy water that lapped against the side of the dock. The others looked at each other meaningfully.
"Hey, Debi, what's up with you and Taylor? I heard you got an invite to his private little par-tay!" Mira teased.
Debi's face brightened, "Yeah, he gave it to me in Art yesterday. I'm so psyched. I'm absolutely dying trying to figure out what to wear!" she laughed lightly at her own ditziness.
"Don't you feel special? None of US got invited..." Lis said with a pout.
"Oh, he said he was inviting everyone-he probably just hasn't had a chance to give you yours yet," Debi responded. She changed the subject; "Do you guys feel like going out for dinner?"
"Sure--if you're treating!" Vicki laughed.
"Yeah-in your dreams!"
"Well, I'm broke, so�" Mira began to explain.
"You don't have to eat anything-you might actually gain body weight!" Lis said towards Mira.
"PPBBBT!" Mira blew a raspberry at Lis.
"I'll cover you, Mira, as long as you don't take 3 months to pay me back," offered Debi.
"I didn't take 3 months to pay you back last time," protested Mira, pretending to be offended, "only two!"
"Alright, well, let's go then! We can decide where to go on the way." Debi ran to the car.
They piled in and headed off in the general direction of food.