Chatoyant College Book 7: Upon What Soil

Chapter 13: Faeries in the Department

As Dawn had predicted, the grocery store in West Ashburn was pretty much picked clean of candy—all that was left were two bags of Mounds and a box of cheap brightly-colored lollipops. They looked around the store anyway, but even the bright displays at the ends of aisles, meant to catch people's attention as they shopped for other things, were empty. Also, they didn't sell posters.

"One of these days I'm going to make the rest of you pay for my gas," Corrie threatened as they piled back into her car, but it was a beautiful, cool evening, and Dawn didn't worry about it. They followed the same route as they had looking for the craft store, but this time, luckily, they didn't have to go past more than one strip mall. They found what they were looking for in the first one: a party store that wasn't totally sold out of its Halloween stuff.

"I almost wish it was a costume party," Naomi said, holding a demonic-looking mask up to her face. "This would be a fun one."

"It suits you," Dawn grinned, receiving a smack in the arm for her trouble.

"What kind of a Halloween party is it without costumes?" Corrie said, holding up a pair of pink, glittery fairy wings. There was a hole in one of the lobes.

"One with a lot of candy," said Naomi firmly. "That's the important thing. You really should all come. It'll be a lot of fun."

Edie shook her head quickly. "I have plans with Leila."

"Not going to the theater party in the woods, are you?" Corrie asked, putting down the fairy wings and quickly turning around.

"No, she says all they do at that is drink anyway. I'm not really sure what she has planned, actually. But don't worry! She wants to stay as far away from her sister's party as possible."

"I wonder what it would be like to watch that party with the Sight," said Dawn.

"No way," Naomi protested. "You're coming to the art department party."

Dawn shook her head, frowning at her shorter roommate. "Do you really think I'd fit in with that group?"

"You get along with me!"

"Sure." She was too polite to say it, but she was pretty sure that if Naomi wasn't her roommate, they'd be nothing more than passing acquaintances, if that. Proximity was the main reason they'd gotten close. "But I don't know about a crowd of people, high on sugar, painting each other..."

"Painting each other?" Corrie asked.

"Only some people do that," Naomi said. She didn't mention that she'd once come home covered in so many intricate paint designs that Dawn couldn't, and hadn't wanted to, see them all. "I swear, Dawn, you'll love it. You have to come. Remember when you agreed to do me a favor?"

"No." Dawn looked to Corrie for help. She shrugged. Edie was poking quite seriously through a bin half-full of masks.

"It was on your birthday. You got me to agree to try roasted garlic on the condition that you would do something I wanted you to do. Well, this is it."

Dawn groaned. Now she remembered. "Come on, a party is a lot bigger deal than tasting some food."

"But I hated it," Naomi said. "And I don't think you'll hate this party. Come on, you promised."

"Oh, fine. But I reserve the right to leave if I hate it." Then she had another idea. "And I want to invite Tom."

Naomi guffawed. "That is a brilliant idea. He seems like just the kind of guy who will make the party really interesting."

"Faeries at the party? Is that really a good idea?" said Corrie.

"There are already faeries in the art department," Dawn said. She'd met a few of Naomi's arty friends, and more than one of them had sported strange, inhuman features. "I don't think it will be that big of a deal."

"It'll be great," said Naomi. "Now if we could only convince Edie to come..."

"Not if Leila doesn't want to," said Corrie. "Right... Edie?" She turned in a circle. "Where did she go?"

Dawn felt her heart rate speed up immediately. Why were they always losing Edie? "It's not a big store," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. "She can't have gone far." And the only people inside it besides the four of them were the two teenage boys behind the counter trying to spray each other with fake blood.

"She was right there," Corrie said, pointing to the mask bin. She walked closer to it, turning her head this way and that. "Edie?"

"Down here!" came Edie's voice, somewhat tinnily. Dawn instinctively looked down, but there was nowhere to go. Then Naomi grabbed her arm and pointed down an empty aisle. Edie was waving a rolled-up poster.