She smelled like basement and earth and something else stinky I couldn't identify. Hey, I said quickly under my breath to her. I dumped Erik and he's hooked up with Venus-- in front of everybody. Well, that sucks like your mama forgettin' your birthday, she said out loud, not paying any attention to our audience. Yeah, I said. It definitely sucks. You gonna go in and face him, or turn tail and run? she asked with a wickedly cute smile. What do you think, Ado Annie? Aphrodite said. Z doesn't run from a fight. Who's Ado Annie? Heath asked. Dunno, Stark said. That's a character from the musical Oklahoma! Sister Mary Angela said as she tried to stifle a giggle by clearing her throat. Shall we have breakfast? Smiling, the nun headed into the cafeteria. I sighed and had the urge to run shrieking down the hall in the opposite direction.

Come on, Z. Let's go in there and get somethin' to eat. Plus, I got stuff to tell y'all that's gonna make your boyfriend issues seem like nothin'. Stevie Rae grabbed my hand, and swinging it, pulled me into the dining room. Trailed by Stark, Heath, Darius, Aphrodite, and Dallas, we found seats beside Sister Mary Angela at the same table where Damien, Jack, and the Twins were already sitting. Hey, Z! You're finally up! Check out the seriously yummy pancakes the nun cooks made us, Jack bubbled at me. Pancakes? My world instantly brightened. Yeah! There're plates and plates of this stuff and bacon and hash browns. It's better than IHOP! He glanced down the table and yelled, Hey! Pass the pancakes! Platters started to clatter our way, and my mouth began to water. I seriously heart me some pancakes. We like French toast better, Shaunee said.

Yeah, it's not as mushy, Erin said. Pancakes aren't mushy, Jack said. Merry meet, Z, Damien spoke up, obviously defusing a pancake debate. Merry meet, I smiled at him. Hey, except for your poofy hair you look lots better than you did before, Jack said. Thanks. I think. I said it through a big bite of pancake. I think she looks amazing, Stark said from where he was sitting a little way down the table. Me, too. I like Zoey's bed head, Heath grinned at me. I was rolling my eyes at both of them when Erik's voice drifted across the room to me. Really, really crowded over there. His back was turned to us, but that didn't stop his voice from projecting obnoxiously. Why couldn't breakups be easy? Why couldn't Erik just not be a butt? Because you really hurt his feelings flitted through my mind, but I was sick of being worried about Erik's feelings.

He'd been a possessive jerk! And what a damn hypocrite. He'd called me a ho, but it'd taken him less than a day to hook up with someone else. Jeesh. Wait, Erik's with Venus? Jack's voice caught my attention. We broke up last night, I said, nonchalantly forking pancakes onto my plate and waving at Erin to pass me the platter of bacon. Yeah, that's what Aphrodite told us. But now he's with Venus? Just like that? Jack repeated, staring at Erik and the aforementioned Venus, who was spider monkeying all over him so much that I was shocked that he could eat. I thought he was a nice guy. Jack sounded totally young and disillusioned, like Erik had just burst his perfect-guy bubble. I shrugged. It's okay, Jack. Erik's not really a bad guy. We're just bad together, I said, hating how upset Jack looked. Wanting to change the subject, I announced, Aphrodite had another vision.

What did you see? Damien asked her. Aphrodite glanced at me, and I nodded almost imperceptibly. Kalona burning up vamps and people. Burning them? Shaunee spoke right up. Sounds like something I should be able to discourage. I am Miss Fire. Right you are, Twin, Erin said. Brain sharers--you weren't in the vision. Aphrodite jabbed her syrupy fork at the Twins. Fire and blood and horror and whatnot were. You two were probably shopping. Shaunee and Erin narrowed their eyes at Aphrodite. Where was Zoey? Damien asked. Aphrodite's gaze found mine as she answered. Zoey was there. In one of my visions that was a good thing. In the other, not so good. What's that supposed to mean? Jack asked. The vision was confusing. Seemed like what I saw was a double-edged sword. To me it was obvious that she was stalling, and I was just opening my mouth to tell her to go ahead and tell them everything when Kramisha, who was sitting down the table to my right, raised her arm and waved around the piece of paper she was holding.

I know what it means, she said. Or I know part a what it means. I wrote this before I went to bed last night. She smiled at Sister Mary Angela. After we finished watching that nun movie. I'm glad you liked it, dear, Sister Mary Angela said. I did, but I still think them kids was bad. What are you flailing around? Aphrodite asked. You could be a little patient, Kramisha said. And show some manners. It's for Zoey anyway. Here, pass it down to her. The piece of paper was passed from person to person till it got to me. As everyone had probably suspected, it was one of Kramisha's poems. I stifled a sigh. As if reading my mind, Aphrodite said, Please tell me it's not another one of those prophetic poems. Goddess, they give me a headache. Better stock up on Tylenol, I said. I read the first line to myself, blinked, and then looked up at Aphrodite.