The Skinwalker's Apprentice by Claribel Ortega Page A

doomed,” said Emerald, letting her head fall on the table, her forehead landing against her overlapping hands.
    “Speaking of which, what are your plans for after graduation?”
    She should have expected the question, but still it caught her off guard. She kept her head down for a few seconds, half hoping he’d forget, but she could feel Charlie’s eyes burrowing into the back of her blue head of hair. He wasn’t going to let her wiggle her way out of this one.
    “Well, you know, probably going to a local school, or I don’t know—taking time off before going back to school. Traveling, maybe? There are … so many possibilities.” She said ‘so many’ a little too enthusiastically, and Charlie looked unconvinced.
    “Okay, and now that you got the lie out of your system, what are you really doing?”
    “Sheesh, Charlie, beats me,” said Emerald, admitting defeat. She trained her eyes on her pizza and took a ferocious bite before looking back up at her friend, shamefaced.
    She had been having such a good time with Charlie on the way to grab food that she had almost completely forgotten about the incident at Seneka’s. But now the torrent of awful feelings came rushing back, making her stomach lurch. Her lack of plans was another stinging reminder of the future that lay ahead of her. With or without summer school, she was destined to be the loser friend who never left town. Even if that town was New York City, it didn’t make it any less pathetic. Some future.
    “Why don’t you apply to some schools? Your grades aren’t bad. What about going to school to study music?”
    Hmm. Somehow that thought had never crossed Emerald’s mind, but as Charlie said the words ‘study music’, Emerald’s face lit up, and she could feel butterflies in her stomach. It made total sense. Music was Emerald’s obsession; her room was filled with cassettes and records, and when she wasn’t with her friends or at a library, she was in a record shop.
    “I’ve never actually thought about it,” she said, prepared to take a final bite of her pizza.
    “Well, think about it now,” said Charlie, grabbing the small piece of crust from Emerald’s hands quick as a wink and holding it over his own mouth.
    “Do it, and prepare to die by plastic spork stabbing,” said Emerald, pointing her spork in Charlie’s direction.
    Charlie moved the crust closer to his mouth, and Emerald lunged forward.
    “I’m serious, doofus. I will end you right here in this pizzeria. Your mom will be sad. Do you want her oldest son to die covered in tomato sauce?” 
    “Fine, why don’t we make a wager? You catch me, and I’ll give you your precious pizza crust back. I think I see a piece of cheese on it. Maybe I’ll just eat it,” he said, pretending to take a bite.
    “CHARLIE,” squealed Emerald with a laugh, “come on, quit fooling around! You know the last bite is the best part; now you’ve gotten your disgusting track hands all over it.”
    Charlie tossed the pizza back at Emerald, and she caught it with her mouth midair. Food came at a close second behind music as her favorite pastime. Emerald couldn’t stop eating for the life of her.
    “So, are you going to?”
    “Am I going to what?” asked Emerald, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
    “Apply to music programs, duh. And I mean really apply, not just say you did to shut me up.”
    “Yeah, why not?” shrugged Emerald, hoping Charlie didn’t realize how intoxicated she was by the idea. The less she pretended to care, the less face she’d lose if she didn’t get in.
    “Good,” smiled Charlie as he got up to refill his soda and seemed to drop the subject, though Emerald knew she hadn’t heard the last of it.

Chapter 12
    Easthampton, NY
    1658
    Margo ran faster than a jackrabbit. She could feel her heart pounding in her throat as she ran against the rising sun, trying to beat it to the stone house.
    “If you are late, or break any of the rules I’ve set,” she remembered The