Disclaimer: All characters, songs, and movies, except Rose and Kayla are not mine.
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The phone beside my bed rang. I picked it up & said, �Hello?� A voice on the other end said, �Jasmine? It�s Demona.�
I smiled. �Hi.�
�I was calling to ask if you wanted to spend the day with me tomorrow.�
�Terrific.�
�I�ll meet you at the new cyber-restaurant at nine A.M.�
�Okay. Bye.� I hung up the phone & walked out of the room. Winter had arrived & out of generosity, Xanatos gave me a fur covered coat to wear. He said my cloak wouldn�t keep me warm during the winter days. He was, as usual, right.
I was glad Demona wanted to go shopping. I was surprised, also. Demona usually hates doing any activities that humans do. I, however, needed a trip like this. It was December 22, 1997. Christmas was in three days, & I still had some gift shopping to do. I had more friends this year than last year. Among them were Athena, Dr. Ares, Angela, Gemini, Kayla, Cassy, & Demona.
I headed for the library, softly singing �Once Upon A December� from the movie Anastasia, which I saw a month ago, then received the CD on December first. The clan told me that I sang the same pitch as the character. I wonder, though.
I sat down at the table & wrote out a list of people who I still had to buy gifts for. I had received wish lists from everyone, so I looked at them & checked off what everyone had bought for everyone else. I paid the list so much attention that I didn�t hear Angela & Elisa come in.
�Jasmine?� Elisa said.
I looked up, startled. �Oh, hi Elisa. Hi, Angela.�
�Can we talk with you?� Elisa continued.
�Sure.� Inside, I wasn�t really sure. I haven�t spoken to the clan very much since I told them I was part fay. That fact made me feel very different from the clan. I had a feeling that my recent behavior was the topic. I was right.
�Jasmine, why are you avoiding the clan?� Angela questioned.
�I feel different from everyone else. Like I don�t fit in,� I admitted.
�You mean because of your magical heritage?�
�Exactly.�
�You shouldn�t let that get in the way. We end up forgetting that you have magic powers. We�re sorry if we make you feel uncomfortable, we just don�t know what to say.�
�I guess I owe the clan an apology for avoiding them.�
�That would be best,� Elisa agreed. The three of us walked out of the library & toward the TV room. I felt very nervous. I knew what I was going to say, but what would the clan say?
Elisa & Angela entered the room, leaving me in the doorway with everyone�s attention focused on me. I quietly cleared my throat.
�I want to say I�m sorry for avoiding you guys for so long. I just feel�different.� There. I said it.
�Jasmine, you not different from all of us. Now, come in & help me watch Rose,� Brooklyn said.
I smiled & sat on the floor with Brooklyn & watched our daughter. She was getting to be a big for eight months old. She was almost a steady walker.
The alarm clock beside my bed rang. I woke up, shut it off, & looked at the time. Five forty-five a.m. Good. Sunrise was in fifteen minutes. I got dressed in my usual clothes, fixed my hair, & headed out of the room.
At six o� clock, I was outside. I watched as the clan chose poses for the day. The sun rose & the clan turned to stone while I changed to a human. I went back inside, before I got too cold.
Three hours later, I was in front of the restaurant that I was to meet Dominique at. She arrived a few minutes later. We greeted each other, walked in, & sat down at a booth with two computers. We spent an hour and a half having breakfast, e-mailing each other, & using the Internet. Afterwards, we left to finally go shopping together.
We shopped on the West Side, then the East. I found what I need to buy for the remaining friends that didn�t have gifts from me. I managed to buy Dominique�s gift & have it wrapped without her finding out.
We had lunch on the Upper West Side. After we ordered & waited for our meal, I casually looked around the restaurant. Dominique was looking at her recipients & adding up the money. Near the front of the place, I saw someone looking at me. No, wait a minute, he was looking at Dominique. Or at least her hair. I looked at the man, hoping that he wasn�t planning on asking her on a date. I almost gasped when I saw who it was: MacBeth.
MacBeth glanced at me & I looked down. Did he know Dominique, just from her hair? Possibly. There�s no way, he could know me. I only saw him once before when he took the Scrolls of Merlin.
When I glanced up, MacBeth was ordering. Just then, the waitress brought our lunch. Once the waitress left, I leaned toward Dominique.
�I think you should know that MacBeth�s up near the front of the restaurant,� I whispered.
�What?� she whispered back. �What is he doing?�
I glanced up. �Watching us.�
�Well, we�ll take a different route in order to get out without him spotting us.�
We ate our meal in silence, occasionally talking about other things, like Dominique�s company, Rose, & Angela. At last, we stood up & took the long way to the front. I resisted looking back. The last thing we needed was Dominique�s enemy trailing her, waiting for sunset to trap her.
As we headed for the bus stop, I heard footsteps that, obviously, was at the same pace ours was. I quickly looked back. Oh, no! MacBeth was behind us! I told Dominique, & she told me that the bus was already at it�s stop. We ran to the stop & got on before the doors closed. We paid the fare & found an empty seat. We got away.
At five o� clock, Dominique returned to her company & I rode a bus back to where the day had started. It was an easy, few blocks walk back to the Eyrie Building. I paused when I came to the alley where I first met Darkwing Duck, when I felt someone pin me against the brick wall.
I looked at my attacker & saw MacBeth looking back at me.
�Where�s Demona?� MacBeth asked.
�Who?�
�Don�t play with me. You know who I�m talking about. You were with her all day. Where is she?�
�I was with Dominique Destine, not this Demona you�re looking for. Now, can you let me go?�
MacBeth released me & I looked to the west. Sunset was in five minutes! I needed to get out of here. Now!
�Thank you. I need to go home,� I said.
�Do I know you? I think I�ve seen you before. Two years ago, I think.�
I spun around. He did know me! Did he have photographic memory or something? No, it must be security cameras.
�I don�t think so, but we can get know each other. I�m Jasmine.�
MacBeth looked at me & shook his head. �No, I can not be friends with someone who�s friends with Dem-Dominique.�
�Why is-,� I started to ask when a pang of pain hit me. Darn! I didn�t pay attention to the sky & now I was changing. I slipped my coat off & turned from MacBeth. My secret was out.
When I finished changing, I looked behind me & saw the immortal staring at me with recognition.
�You are the female gargoyle with Goliath�s clan I saw two years ago.�
I nodded, �Yes, I am.�
�So, where is Demona?�
�I don�t know where she is,� I lied. I did know, but I wanted to protect her.
�All right. I�ll just find her the hard way.�
�Please. I don�t think you should do that.�
�Why?�
�I don�t want to seem mean, but I think you should leave her be.�
�I suppose you�re right. I�ll leave her alone. For now.�
�Great. I need to get back to the clan. They�re probably worried about me.�
�Well, I hope to see you another time, Jasmine.�
�Same here, MacBeth.� I climbed up the wall, glided into the air, & towards Castle Wyvern.