"Yeah, but that was because the effects wore off."
"Sorry, my friend, but no. Tristan gave me these little heart candies every time you got a new stalker. He asked me to put them in your backpack and duffel bag. And immediately your stalkers stayed away. I always wondered how he did it, though."
"And now you're thinking it was some kind of magic spell?"
She nodded.
So it wasn't just the gaze-daze effects eventually wearing off. I'd had help all along.
At first, I absolutely melted at the idea of Tristan secretly playing knight in shining armor for me. He was so incredibly sweet and good to me, looking out for me like that months before we'd even started talking again. Not to mention the fact that his working with Anne could not have been fun for either of them.
But then the blood drained from my head and seemed to pool in my toes, taking my smile right along with it. Oh, no. If this was true, then...
"What?" she demanded.
"I've made eye contact with Tristan twice now. Once right after he fought with Greg in September, and then again last week. Though I could swear he wasn't affected." I cringed in anticipation of Anne's reaction. She hadn't thought me too brilliant when I'd messed up with Greg. I could guess how she'd react this time.
She leaned back against her door with a thump. "And you said ever since he's been asking you out?"
I nodded, saw the direction of her thoughts and felt sick to my stomach.
"No wonder. He's gaze dazed." She sounded like a doctor announcing I had cancer.
Suddenly it was hard to breathe. My fingers twisted together. "But he didn't look possessed like the others. And besides, why would he want to help with the algebra boys? That was way before he and I ever made eye contact."
"That was just guilt from dumping you so badly in the fourth grade."
I cringed. "You really think so?"
"The pattern behind his actions seems pretty clear to me. He protected you from the Warty Boys in algebra and then later from Greg because he was feeling guilty for being such a jerk for years. And then you popped him with the gaze daze, so he joined the Charmers so he could be around you, then was driven by a second hit of the gaze daze to ask you out until you finally gave in." She stared at me like it was all too obvious and I was an idiot for even doubting it. "Why else would Mr. Macho go from not talking to you at all to joining your dance team and begging you twice a day to date him?"
So much for the knight-in-shining-armor image.
My stomach cramped so hard I had to wrap my arms around myself.
I remembered how Tristan had smiled at me last night, how he'd held me while we danced, how he'd touched my face as if I were something delicate and precious while he kissed me. How he'd staggered and seemed ready to fall over after our kiss, and was worried that I might not want to see him again. And how I'd wondered why in the world he would be so into someone like me. Oh, crap. Anne was right. I knew it had all been way too good to be true.
"Fine, he's gaze dazed." Anger at myself and the whole situation, along with a sinking sensation I didn't want to think about just yet, made me snap. I took a deep breath, blinked away the burning sensation in my eyes and tried not to take it out on her. "Okay, so now what? If he's the only reason those other guys left me alone...who's going to save him?"
"His sister?"
"I can't ask her for help! Can you see that conversation? 'Hi, Emily, I'm the reason your brother has gone all goofy and obsessed lately. Listen, could you do a spell to keep him away from me? I know it's my fault, but it would be such a big help. Thanks so much!'" I shook my head. "Yeah, that would go over so well."
She sighed and put the truck back into gear. "Well, you can always go with plan B. See how long it really takes for the effects to wear off without help."
The only problem was...that evil side deep within me didn't want the effects to wear off Tristan. Ever. "Or there's plan C."
"Which is?"
"Do what my father wants, switch schools and move in with him."
"Oh, you will not move in with your dad! Coleman can just get over it naturally. I'm not losing my best friend just because some player finally got hit with a dose of karma."
I sighed, my shoulders slumping in defeat. No matter what I did, someone was going to be hurt. And it would be all my fault. Again.
That night as I climbed into bed, I wondered...what if I really had dream connected with Tristan last night? Would he try to connect with me again tonight? And if he did, should I try to end the dream? If he didn't see me anymore, at least romantically, maybe the effects would wear off faster. It seemed almost cruel to encourage his feelings for me when, as Anne had clearly pointed out, they obviously were just a product of the gaze daze.
Which meant nothing about our date had been real, either. The dancing, the kisses, his asking to see me again... He was just acting from a vampire effect I'd put on him.
And I was a horrible, selfish person for even partly wanting him to stay under that spell.
Reluctantly, I took off my gold locket. If we dream connected again tonight, I would do the right thing and tell him I couldn't date him anymore.
The next morning, I didn't know whether to be grateful or depressed that I hadn't dreamed about him at all.
What I did know was that it was time to learn how to control this awful gaze of mine. Unfortunately, the only person who knew how to control vampire abilities without magic wasn't answering his stupid cell phone, because apparently my father was still too busy with his precious council. I thought about leaving him a message then decided against it. A panicked plea for help would only make this into a huge deal the council would want to get involved in, and who knew what would happen then. Better just to wait until he called me again. Then I could casually ask about the gaze daze's cure in general as a hypothetical situation.
He'd said he would be out of contact for a while. Hopefully it wouldn't be too long, though. Because in the meantime, it looked like I would be on my own to clean up the mess I'd made.
And what a gorgeous mess he was as he leaned against the foyer doors of the sports and art building Monday morning.
I gulped and steeled myself even as the familiar ache slammed into me. The pain wasn't too bad today. Maybe my body had gotten its fill of his kisses for a while.