Sage's Eyes by V.C. Andrews Page B

the rest of it, but a few minutes later, they both came into the living room. I put my book aside and looked up.
    â€œThis will be your first party as a teenager,” my mother began. I smiled. They were going to let me go. “We’re not going to give you all the warnings your friends get from their parents, I’m sure. We trust younot to do stupid things. There is one rule you must obey, however,” she added. “You don’t leave the party with anyone. You don’t go anywhere else. We’ll come for you at eleven thirty. That’s more than adequate time.”
    â€œBesides,” my father said, smiling, “if we wait until twelve, my car will turn into a pumpkin.”
    I thought that was it. My father turned to go up to shower and change for dinner.
    â€œIs there a particular boy you are going to be with?” my mother asked.
    â€œNo.”
    She nodded, looking satisfied, but then looked at me more intently. “Have you told any of your girlfriends things about themselves that no one else would know? Are you still doing that sort of thing?”
    She asked the question so fast that I held my breath for a moment. My father heard her ask it, too, and stopped in the doorway. So they knew about what I had done in my old school with Sidney Urban after all, and here I had done something like that again. She would surely be angry about it. There was no sense hiding it. She could find out just the way she had before.
    â€œI gave one girl advice on how to win the attention of a boy she liked.”
    â€œWhat sort of advice?”
    â€œHow to wear her hair, a color he liked, stuff like that.”
    â€œWhy did you do that?”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œDo you like the boy? Did you do it to keep the boy from liking her more?”
    â€œFelicia!” my father said.
    â€œLet her answer, Mark.”
    â€œNo. I did it to help her. I don’t want the boy for a boyfriend,” I said. Even though it was the first time she had accused me of such a thing, it brought tears to my eyes. “She’s my friend. I don’t want to hurt her.”
    â€œAnd? Did it help her?”
    â€œYes,” I said.
    She looked at my father. He wasn’t smiling, but he looked happy about my replies.
    â€œHow did you know what to tell her?”
    â€œJust a feeling, an idea I had when I watched him with other girls. Lucky guess, I suppose, or maybe it was bound to happen anyway, and nothing I said or didn’t say would have made any difference.”
    She narrowed her eyes. “Take my advice. Don’t do that again, Sage.”
    â€œDo what?”
    â€œTell anyone how to get what he or she wants, especially new boyfriends.”
    â€œC’mon, Felicia,” my father said. She looked at him. “Teenagers giving each other advice is just them being teenagers.”
    â€œNever mind what other teenagers do. You be careful. You especially don’t start talking about those visions you used to have, understand? Do you?” she demanded, her eyes big, her pupils floating in some unimaginable fear.
    I nodded quickly. “Yes, Mother.”
    â€œGood. You know how it frightened the parents of other girls at your old school when you warned themabout certain things they did, how something could bring them great harm.” Then, to drive it home, she added, “That was why you never had any real friends. They didn’t want to hear such things.”
    â€œThat wasn’t why,” I countered. Rarely did I ever do that. “You wouldn’t let me do anything with them.”
    She stared at me a moment, her eyes darker.
    â€œShe’s partly right,” my father quickly interjected.
    â€œMaybe, but she still frightened their parents,” she insisted. “She’d better not do anything like that in this school.”
    He didn’t disagree. In fact, he nodded.
    She finally turned to leave.
    Don’t tell anyone how to get what he