Destiny Rising

Chapter 2

As we drove through St Thomas to the sub-division where I lived, Kiara was leaning forward between the front seats fiddling with my iPod that was connected to the sound system.

“Just pick something already” Jasmine aid as she pulled her hair into a ponytail to keep it from blowing in her face, since we were driving with the top down.

“Hey, good music isn’t something you can just pick at random,” Kiara replied as she finally settled on Heart Attack by Demi Lovato. I laughed silently at them as I gazed straight out the front window with my focus on the road ahead. Turning the corner, I pulled up through the pillars of the Shaw Valley sub-division that was just off Sunset Drive. My parents, Derek and Odette Tallulah, had moved here with my two sisters, Crystal and Jayde, and me when I was 4. That was when they had come into a fair amount of money, but they hadn’t won it or anything, they earned it naturally. First, my mother had gotten a huge promotion at the Real Estate agency she worked at and was made a partner. She now sells real estate all over Ontario and runs an office in London, Ontario, which is a large city only 30 minutes north of St Thomas. Then, a few months after that, my dad’s diner really took off and he now owns 9 uber-successful diners, with 1 in every major city in Ontario. But for now, I had the house to myself, because my parents were away on vacation at a resort in Banff, Alberta. My sister, Jayde, now 19, is traveling around Canada with a group called Katimavik that travels from community to community and does volunteer work within them. Crystal, now 25, lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband Josh and works as an ER doctor at a big hospital. Driving into the subdivision, I saw kids out playing while parents, older siblings, or babysitters watched on to make sure they didn’t get hurt. Pretty much a typical Saturday evening when the sun is still shining brightly, and the weather is nice. In the distance, I could smell someone starting up a barbeque. Turning into my driveway, I reached into the compartment under the sound system and pulled out the garage door opener. Pushing the button, we waited as the door rose smoothly. Once it was completely up, I glided into the cool interior of the garage. Turning off the car, I climbed out pushed the button to close the door, and put the door opener back in the compartment. I pressed the button on my key ring to unlock the trunk and rounded the front of the car to the door that led into the house.

“Where am I showering?” Kiara asked as she shouldered her duffle bag and slung her dress bag over the opposite shoulder.

“You’re using the bathroom in Crystal’s room” I replied as Jasmine slammed the trunk shut after extracting her bags. “Jasmine, you can use Jayde’s.”

“When do your parents get back?” Jasmine asked as I unlocked the door and ushered them through it before following them in shutting off the alarm and locking the door.

Um, a couple of days. I think,” I replied as I followed behind them into the kitchen.

“That’s good, I hope they had a good time,” Jasmine said as I rounded the kitchen island to the fridge.

“Who cares about them having a good time? I wonder what they are going to bring you back.” Kiara said as she slid onto a stool that was placed along one side of the island. At the same time, Jasmine and I turned to look at her. “What?”

“Nothing, I don’t want anything from their trip,” I answered as I turned back to the fridge and pulled it open. Looking around the contents of the fridge, I found and pulled out a can of Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey Arizona “You want one?” I offered them.

“No, thank you,” Jasmine said politely.

“Sure,” Kiara answered as she accepted the can

“Well, I don’t know about you two. But I am going to go shower and get dressed for the dance” I said heading towards the door that led to the foyer and stairs.

“Wait for us!” Kiara screeched as she stooped to grab her bags and hurried after us. Shaking my head in amusement at her, I led them upstairs and gestured to the rooms they could use.

“Oh,” I said, checking my phone for the time. “The limo will be here in 45 minutes”. With that said, they disappeared into the rooms and I walked into mine. Everyone laughs at my name once they see my room. Of course, it’s all blue, white and silver. Just because my name is Sapphire, they assume that’s why I love blue, but really, I love blue because it’s such a calming shade. I also have a strange love for the water and was thrilled when I heard they had installed a pool at school. My parents and sisters always joked around over the fact that I was born in late November on the night of the worst and only rainstorm ever recorded for that time of year. That was following the hottest and driest summer on record. Apparently, the night I was born, the rivers and creeks were overflowing, low-lying areas got flooded and hydro was knocked out just about everywhere. The only way the doctors had managed to deliver me was because Victoria Hospital in London’s backup generator had still been working to keep the power on. My family is forever calling me the water-child, which is completely ridiculous. How could it be my fault that the storm happened? Tossing my purse on my reading chair, I plugged in my phone to charge while I was getting ready. Sitting down on the edge of the chair, I undid the tiny strap of my sandals and kicked them off. Then I stood and strolled into my ensuite bathroom and stripped before stepping into my shower. Just standing there and letting the water flow over me, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander to all the things that have been occurring over the past months. Like, I get that she’s the new girl and he’s just being nice to her but driving her to and from school and her always hanging around him. Then, of course, he’s been so busy preparing for college and hanging out with his friends, that it just seems like he has no time for me anymore. I also can’t seem to shake this weird feeling about her, like something just isn’t right with her, almost like she doesn’t really belong. But it’s probably just me being a jealous girlfriend and it’s truly nothing at all. Grabbing my Simply Olay Refresh Body Wash that was Rainforest Flower scented, I quickly squirted some onto my loofah and quickly washed my body, before washing my hair with my TRESemme Platinum Strength shampoo and conditioner. Stepping out of the shower, I dried myself off quickly and pulled my bathrobe on. Then I went on to blow dry my hair, before pulling it back into a simple updo that left a few tendrils loose and framing my face. A light application of make-up leaves me looking natural and glowing. Leaving the bathroom and walking back into my bedroom, I move to my dresser and pull out a strapless bra and matching panties, sliding them on underneath my bathrobe. Walking across my room, I headed to my closet and pulled the double doors open. Reaching into its depths, I retrieve my gown in its garment bag. Hanging it on the hook beside the closet door, I slowly unzipped it carefully to avoid the zipper snagging on the fabric of the gown. Pulling the gown on from the floor, I fastened it and turned to look at my reflection in the mirror. My gown looked amazing, it was aqua blue and strapless. It was fitted in the bodice, before cascading down to the floor like a waterfall. The back was a series of jeweled straps across my back that ended where the skirt began. Finishing off the ensemble, I added simple diamond stud earrings, which had been my 16th birthday present from my parents, and strappy silver-heeled sandals. As I left my room, I grabbed the matching silver clutch and tossed my keys and phone into it. Jasmine was already in the hallway waiting for us, she was sitting primly in one of the straight-back chairs that were positioned on either side of the hallway table. She wore a floor-length, one-shoulder Grecian-style gown in pale pink with an empire waist that had flowers embroidered along it. She had a little sparkle from the shoulder strap, which was embellished with rhinestones. She had left her hair down, and it was a straight and shiny curtain of strawberry blonde hair, which was currently tucked behind her ears to show off the delicate yellow flower drop earrings she wore that matched her pale yellow kitten-heeled sandals.

“You look so beautiful,” I gushed as she stood and gave me a quick hug “Just like the flower you were named after.”

“And you look like a cool waterfall,” she remarked, then glanced over my shoulder as a door behind me opened. “Perhaps you could cool off, Kiara.”

Laughing, I turned and saw Kiara’s gown for myself. It was a strapless red gown with a high-low hemline, which had the skirt in the front coming down to her mid-thigh, then the back of the skirt was floor length. The shortness of the front of the skirt showed off her long, tanned legs that only seemed longer in her black wedge heels. The top was a tight corset and made her breasts look like they might pop out at any moment, and then she had a jeweled belt encircling her slim waist. Her red hair was down as well, but she had scrunched it into it had a messy edge to it with a black headband nestled into it, her white bangs were straightened and hung across her forehead and over her right kohl-rimmed eye. To finish her look, she wore a black chocker that had a ruby dangling from it that matched the large ruby hoops in her ears and red lipstick.

“Damn girl, I could try, but I think I would just evaporate” I answered “Now, we should probably go before you burn my house down.” I turned towards the opposite end of the hall and made my way to the stairs. Turning, I saw my friends just staring at me. “What?” I asked.

“Were you aware that you really do look like water?” Kiara asked bluntly as Jasmine elbowed her

“Yeah. So?”

“Well,” Jasmine started nervously “We were just wondering, what’s with you and water?”

“I don’t know. I’ve always loved water. You all know that already. I just…I just find it fascinating and beautiful. Also, I could as you the same about you and the earth. Or Kiara and fire. It’s just some weird thing about our personalities.” I replied with a huff and stormed off downstairs and waited for them to follow. Once they were outside, I turned on the alarm, followed them out, and locked the door.

Climbing into the limo, I saw concern etched into their faces. “What now?’ I demanded.

“Calm down. We’re sorry and didn’t mean to upset you.” Kiara said.

“It’s okay,” I said with a sigh “I’ve been feeling weird a lot lately. I’m sorry too, I didn’t mean to say those things.”

“It’s okay, we understand. Plus, it’s true anyway. We do have weird personalities,” Jasmine said with a shrug, “but how about we just forget about all of that and just have some fun tonight and enjoy all our hard work on this dance”

“Agreed”, Kiara and I said in unison, then busted out in giggles. Even though the night seemed to have shifted back to the way it should have felt, I was still chewing on what had been on my mind all day. But, I forced a smile on my face and decided it was best to just enjoy myself tonight, all other things could wait until tomorrow.