Chapter Eighteen
He had to go through a grilling from the police. He told them that Raven had left but skipped out the part about them being soulmates. He told them the same story he�d told Adrienne, but they didn�t really buy it, either.
Nick was finally let out of the hospital and he was left at home until he was feeling up to going to work. He�d mope around the house, all depressed and saying pessimistic things whenever spoken to. The others avoided speaking to him. He rarely showed up for Circle and though he would never admit it � the others knew � he cried himself to sleep every night.
When the others got home from work one day, Nick was nowhere to be found. They searched all the rooms, high and low, and even called AJ. No one had seen him. Then they heard voices from outside the kitchen. They ran through the den and to the kitchen. Adam yanked open the door, getting ready to yell in fury or just sigh in relief.
Nick was standing on the porch, dripping wet in a pair of baggy surfer shorts with a surfboard under one arm. He was just waving good-bye to Trey.
�Someone�s feeling better,� Sean muttered. Suzan stomped on his foot discreetly.
�Where have you been?� Adam demanded.
Nick turned to look at him, and they all saw it. Nick was his old self again, they could see it in his eyes, but they were staring at the blue crystal that lay against his chest, glistening and wet.
�I was out surfing with Trey,� he answered. �I�m going back to work tomorrow.� He stood his board against the railings, toweled himself dry and headed into the house, ignoring the others staring at him.
�Did you see it?� Cassie whispered.
Melanie nodded. �That�s why he�s feeling better.�
That night at Circle Nick decided to attend. It was almost time for the Spring Equinox and the others were trying to decide what to do.
�So you decided to come,� Chris said, a little sarcastically. Melanie shot him a warning look. Deborah scooted over so that there was enough room for him.
�Why did you decide to come?� Adam asked.
�Didn�t want to go drag racing with the rest of the guys,� Nick answered with a little shrug.
Adam�s eyes flashed. �You�ve been going drag racing every night?�
Nick reached into his jacket pocket for a cigarette and struck a match.
�So what?� he retorted.
�I thought you�d quit,� Cassie said in a low voice.
Nick chuckled mirthlessly and took a deep drag. �Back in the habit."
�Nick, man, mom was right, you�re just as bad as your dad was,� Deborah muttered.
Nick turned to her, his eyes so dark with fury that they were almost black.
�Think I care?� he hissed in an acid voice.
�Man, you�ve been so hung up ever since Raven left. You weren�t this bad when you lost Cassie to Adam, so get over it,� Deborah said.
Nick rose to his feet and towered over her. �Don�t tell me what to do.�
Deborah rose up so she was facing him. She was strong, but no match for her cousin.
�Get over it, jerk,� she hissed scathingly.
There had never been a fight between the Armstrong cousins, and no
one had ever really wanted to see one. They stood there just glaring, but Power hummed around them.
�Um...� Chris peered behind them nervously. Was it just him or were the waves growing larger? Power hummed in the air. The citrine crystal at Deborah�s throat was glowing.
The others began to look worried, too.
�Snap out of it!� Deborah yelled and dove at Nick. He went down with her on top of him and they began rolling in the sand, yelling at each other. Adam was on his feet and yelling at Nick to stop it. Chris was cheering for Deborah and Doug was cheering for Nick. Suzan was muttering about how unfeminine Deborah was and Cassie was yelling for it all to stop.
The waves were definitely getting bigger, and Diana was yelling for them to stop their Power. She was too late as a huge wave nearly thirty feet tall rose and was about to crash right down on the two wrestlers. Adam grabbed Cassie and they began to run. The others ran, calling for Nick and Deborah, but to no avail.
�Deb! Come on!� Chris called over his shoulder.
Deborah looked up and noticed the wave. She swore.
�I told you to stop your Power!� Melanie shouted.
�Get over Raven!� Deborah yelled down at Nick whom she had pinned beneath her. His eyes and blazed, and suddenly the wave above them froze solid.
The others stopped and stared. Deborah got off of Nick and yanked him to his feet.
�Get over her! She ruined your life and you almost died in your grief for her!� Deborah yelled. �She wasn�t worth it.�
�Don�t ever say that about her,� Nick yelled. �I love her, and nothing you can do will ever change that.�
Deborah slapped him across the face, something that had never been done before.
�Get over her!� she repeated.
The ice above them creaked, making a cracking noise.
�Move!� Cassie cried.
Nick was staring at Deborah in astonishment, one hand lifted to his stinging cheek. Power hummed in the air around him and she backed away. There was a splintering crack and the huge ice above Nick began to plunge downwards.
�Nick!� Deborah screamed. He didn�t even know it was coming.
People that were staring out their windows at the phenomenon turned away. Cassie buried her face in Adam�s shirt, unable to watch. The others whirled away while some stared, paralyzed. Time seemed to slow as the huge block of ice plunged downwards towards the boy below. It was three feet above his head when it exploded.� Nick threw himself down in the sand, his hands over his neck, as ice rained down, icy shards landing everywhere in the
sand around him. It was becoming a hailstorm. Deborah pulled Nick to his
feet and they all ran to the house for shelter. People were staring out their windows in amazement and disbelief � snow in the middle of April, in Florida? Reporters were on the scene and it was all over the news as the others went inside. Meteorologists had no way to explain the anomaly in the weather pattern and there had been no sign of it on satellites.
But that didn�t matter to the Circle. Nick ran into the bedroom and they left him alone, knowing that he was crying. But when he came out, he apologized to all of them for having been so awful. There were hugs all around and Nick told them that he had realized that if Raven had stayed she would have died. They stayed up and finished their plans for the Equinox indoors. Everyone was so
happy that night when they went to sleep. No one noticed Nick crying himself to sleep...
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