How to Have Passion for Life in One Easy Step
By Tom and Lisa
VB1 S: October 4, 2010 3:51 PM
VB1 E: October 19, 2010 11:51 AM

I sighed and tugged on my jacket. I didn't knock my Monster can off the hood this time, an improvement from yesterday. Work was boring enough with the energy drink.

Rain was coming down hard. Everybody else in the parking lot was running. I thought they looked pretty stupid trying to stay dry. I just threw up my hood, wandered over to the glass door, and pushed it open. A tiny bell rang above my head, announcing my grand entrance to all of one stoner named Jerry and the coffee girl Nancine.

The Isaac's Book Nook was as small as it sounded. The cramped coffee bar dominated the left side of the room, while bookshelves lined every other wall in the place. Isaac had purchased the old Berry Juice next door and knocked out the wall, giving the place a few more square feet for book aisles. A smattering of rickety tables and chairs tottered between the bar and the aisles.

"You're late," Nancine growled while she stared at the clock above the door. Her huge black glasses magnified her brown eyes. She wore a small glittering pumpkin on her apron today. It was about the only Halloween decoration in sight.

"Like you care." I shrugged and sent little water droplets flying onto the thick black and red carpet.

"You're lucky Stenson called out sick," Nancine warned. "Or else he'd have your butt."

"Get off my case, Nanny," I snapped. I wasn't in the mood for a power trip from her today. "You still aren't queen of the universe. Anyway, you don't really even care. Just like me."

Nancine huffed, flipping a streak of pink and blond hair over her shoulder. When she wasn't playing management games she was kind of cute. But she always was so hostile to me. Then again, she wasn't much better with any other guy I'd ever seen come in here.

I ignored her, slipped past Jerry the stoner's usual table, and went through the door marked "Employees Only." The break and storage room was just as I'd left it last night, a huge mash of misshapen paperback books stacked to the ceiling. The ancient computer sitting in the corner flickered as I punched in.

At least Stenson had called out sick. It would make things easier. He always wanted me to do something, even when it was totally dead. I hated busywork.

I wanted to just slide into the corner and take a nap for an hour or so, but last time I'd done that, Nancine had dumped a stack of books on me. Instead, I took another swig of my Monster and stomped back out to the floor.

"What a shock!" I gasped. "There's no one here!"

Jerry drooled a little on the dingy table in response. Nancine didn't look amused.

The rain came down in sheets outside. I couldn't even see across the parking lot to the other stores. The fake pumpkin Isaac put out last week was floating away on a river of muddy water.

Some places got busy when it rained. But Isaac had been dumb enough to pick a corner spot in the strip mall, so no one could see us from the road. I had eight miserable hours of dullsville ahead of me.

The first hour crawled by. Jerry was passed out, but he was totally harmless so we left him alone. Nancine just stared between her iPhone, the rain and me. Well, when she was looking at me, it was more of a glare.

I just continued to take swigs of my Monster, but it didn't help much. At least the heater still worked. I wandered around, pretending to organize the books, just trying to stay busy enough for Nancine not to snip at me.

I was so bored I kept sneaking glances at her when she wasn't looking. I wondered what she looked like with her hair down. She usually wore it in a messy bun with a couple chopsticks holding it all together and some long bangs flittering on either side of her face. I thought she might be cuter with it down, but last time I saw a guy make anything resembling a pass at her, she'd almost knocked him flat.

Somewhere after four o'clock, she caught me staring at her. I was near the door, going between looking at the rain and enjoying my little fantasy of her in some nice clothes. Nothing trashy, just a dress or something.

"What?" she snapped. "Don't get any ideas, Nolan. You aren't my type."

"And what is your type, Nancine?" My words were a testament to how mindlessly bored I was. "You always give all the guys grief. What's your problem?"

Her eyes narrowed and her cheeks turned red. "None of your business."

I grunted and rolled my eyes, staring back out the glass door. With all the rain, I kept expected to see some guy shepherding animals two by two past the door.

A few minutes passed. I banged my head against the window a few times just for kicks. There were maybe four cars in the parking lot. If this rain kept up, a lot of kids were going to be really sad on Halloween night. They'd all have to go as mermaids or something.

"You really want to know?" Nancine muttered behind me. Her voice was low, annoyed and bored.

Jerry snored loudly for a second.

"What?" It took me a minute to get back on her train of thought. "Yeah, sure, if you want."

I turned and glanced at her. She was staring at the thick green tile of the bar.

"I kinda had this boyfriend a year or so ago." I was shocked, she was actually going to open up to me. My firm policy of apathy faded a little from the vulnerable tone in her voice. "He…he wasn't very nice."

A few pieces clicked together. I remember her taking a bunch of time off around a year ago. And when she'd come back, she'd told everyone she was in a car accident from the bruises.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." I actually meant it, which I thought was an accomplishment.

Nancine shrugged a little. I didn't have a clue why she was suddenly opening up to me of all people. Maybe something else "Well…um…a friend of mine, you know, Katie? Katie…helped me…well, get out of the situation…She just moved to Forest Cove last week."

I remembered Katie. Used to be in here all the time. She would read books like frat boys pounded beers. Always used to come in with Nancine. Was that why she was talking to me? Because her best friend was gone and she didn't have anyone else? I realized I'd never seen her leave with anyone or talk about parties. In fact, her life was about as dull as mine, come to think of it. What little I knew about her life, anyway.

"And…one night…we got a little…well…we got hammered…"

Nancine was blushing. I don't think I've ever seen her blush before. Her cute level went up a few notches. I walked over so she could talk quieter.

"It was just after she got…got me out." She sounded embarrassed. "Got away from him. And well…we had a ton to drink…then…"

My eyes widened a little bit as a few more pieces fell into place. I had just opened my mouth to speak with the door erupted open in a flurry of water and sound. Somebody had moved Niagara Falls to Riverdell from the sheer sound of it.

I whirled around and Nancine jerked her head up. My jaw fell open.

A tall elderly woman was struggling through the door with a huge box covered in a series of plastic grocery bags. I was so shocked someone came inside that I just stood there like an idiot until Nancine shoved me forward. I staggered right into the old woman and nearly knocked her off her feet.

"I'm sorry!" I croaked as I went for the box in her hands. She smiled at me underneath thick oval glasses and a soaked blue bonnet. The old woman happily gave me the box and creaked into one of the chairs. "Are you okay?"

The woman beamed at me and nodded. "Oh, aye, sonny. One hell o' a storm, ain't it?"

The box almost slipped out of my hands before I dropped it on top of another table, which groaned in protest. I stared at the woman, my jacket soaked from the water pouring from the plastic bags.

"Yes…yes it is…" I muttered.

"Haven't seen one like it in near eighty years," her bright green eyes peered out through the glass. "Back when I was just a young pup like you."

"Can I get you something, miss?" Nancine said, her voice a bit higher than usual.

"A nice cup o' tea would be lovely, dear." She sent another wide smile across the room, aimed squarely at Nancine. She blushed again and scurried off to heat some water.

"What are you doing out here in this weather?" The words just popped out of my mouth in disbelief. "The roads must be flooded!"

"Oh aye, it was hard travellin' today." She pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at her face. She must have been cute once, probably about the time of that storm she'd mentioned. "But I think it's worth it today. It's a special day, sonny."

She threw her handkerchief onto the table and untied her bonnet, revealing enormous curls of ghostly white hair. The old woman reminded me of Great Aunt Marleen. Marleen used to always sneak me candy after dinner at my grandparents.

"What kind of tea would you like, miss?" Nancine set a small cup of steaming water on a saucer and held open the tea box. Her worn but delicate fingers wandered between the packages until she snatched one up, tore it open and began to steep it.

"Thank you, dear," she patted Nancine on the shoulder and she blushed. "Now, you asked me a question, sonny. Remind me."

I hated nicknames, but I didn't have the heart to tell this old woman. "Just wondering what you're doing here in weather like this, miss."

"No more o' this miss stuff," she scoffed, waving a hand in the air. "The name's Jade. As for my reason, well, I rarely have any energy these days and found myself starin' into the rain. Always feel so alive when the rain comes crashin' down. Decided it was high time to stretch these old legs."

As if to prove her words, she stretched her legs. "Though I might need some help from you, sonny. Got a few more boxes in the trunk."

"A…few more?"

I couldn't quite stop the groan from escaping my lips. Now I'd have to catalog them after she was gone. And it was such a lazy day. The fact that I was bored into stupor a few minutes ago seemed to be a much nicer state.

Jade winked at me. "I promise it'll be worth it, sonny. Believe you me!"

I tried to give her a polite smile. It probably turned into a grimace, but she either didn't notice or didn't let it bother her.

I knew Nancine was watching me. I doubted I would get to hear the rest of her story, but if I had any chance, I needed to do this right. So I asked her which car she drove and if she'd like me to bring in the books.

Jade smiled her biggest smile yet as she dropped her keys in my hand. She gave quick and precise instructions. But as she talked, I noticed she was studying me intently. Great Aunt Marleen always had a distracted air about her, like a lot of the old people I knew. But Jade was something else. She seemed to be sizing me up, like she could read me like a book if she just looked hard enough.

By the time I had zipped up my coat, I was eager to run into the torrents outside. Her stare wasn't creepy, but there was something just weird about it. So I turned around, flung open the door and bolted out into the monsoon outside.

It took four trips to get all of the boxes inside. They were bankers boxes, but they were heavy and well wrapped to protect their contents from the rain. By the time I stacked the last one near the door, I was soaked to the bone.

I brushed the water out of my short hair and flung off my jacket, tossing it onto a chair in relief. My jeans, socks and shoes were waterlogged, but at least my shirt was just damp. Not like it mattered as I squelched over the drenched floor.

"Such a kind soul," Jade praised. She took another sip of her tea.

Nancine refreshed her tea with a smile as I plopped down the chair opposite from Jade. Her green eyes glittered behind those huge glasses. I heard a clatter in front of me and looked down to see another teacup.

I glanced at Nancine, who shrugged at me and retreated behind the coffee bar. I couldn't catch her eye again as she started to work on the espresso machine.

"Drink up, sonny," Jade mimed for me to pick up the cup. "I'm sure you're frigid after your good deed."

My Monster was sitting in the fridge in the back and something hot sounded better, so I took a swig. It wasn't half bad. Some mix of apple and cinnamon. Jade continued to stare at me and I squirmed again.

The silence over Isaac's Book Nook grew. It was totally ridiculous. The only sounds were the pounding rain from outside, Jerry's light snoring and Nancine working on the espresso machine. Jade's fingers then started to drum lightly on the table.

"So…um," I stammered, glancing at the enormous pile of dripping boxes. "How many books you got?"

"Oh, probably about two hundred or something'," Jade shrugged. "Somethin' special about them books. All books, really."

I nodded absently and stared at my teacup. "I should mention that Isaac isn't in today and our normal manager called out sick. We won't be able to pay you for them right now."

She waved a little hand and laughed. "That's just fine, sonny. Isaac knows about the whole thing. I know the sweetie's good for it."

"Well, I should know what you've got at least," I drank the last of my tea and stood. I felt warmer already. My jeans had even dried out. The heater must be working overtime today.

"By all means!" Jade called.

I went for the box she had brought in first, then stripped the plastic wrapping. It took some doing and I got water all down my front again. But when I opened the lid, another groan escaped my lips.

Nothing but pink and red book spines were staring up at me. And every one of them had a small diamond logo of a sitting woman I knew all too well. Harlequin romance novels of every conceivable kind filled the box and I had a terrible suspicion the rest of the boxes had them too.

Jade giggled slightly, a noise that came across as a lot younger than the old woman sitting at the table. "Guilty pleasure, sonny. Don't judge an old lady too harshly. After all, compared to my youth, most of them are pretty tame."

I scrubbed the words out of my brain the moment they entered.

Glaring the books, I let out a long low sigh. Nancine would be merciless for weeks after this.

"I'm sorry to give you so much trouble, sonny." Jade smiled. I didn't think she was that sorry. "But like I said, you'll find somethin' special in there. If you're supposed to."

I rolled my eyes. I hated when customers tried to be all mysterious. One of our regulars swore he had the original Necronomicon. Another one swore she had a lost play of Shakespeare where Moses goes on a double date with Cleopatra.

Jade stretched like a cat, then shuffled to her feet. Her eyes glittered like jewels behind her glasses, though I couldn't figure out why. I looked back to the book and saw my lazy day vanish in a puff of housewife romance.

"I should get going," Jade shuffled to the door, wrapping her bonnet around her head again. "I'll call Isaac later about the books."

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"Thank you for the tea, dearie." She gave a little wave at Nancine, who returned it, smirking. "Oh, what's your favorite gemstone?"

I frowned and stared at her. I just picked the first thing that came to mind. "Uh…I don't know…rubies?"

She dazzled me with another explosive smile. "I knew you were a ruby. Well, enjoy the books, dearie."

She winked at me and headed out into the rain. I couldn't shake the feeling that I had just missed something. I watched her disappear into the rain and stared long after I saw her car drive out of the lot.

"Weirdo," I muttered.

"I thought she was nice," Nancine proclaimed, laughing.

I glared at her and she promptly stuck out her tongue at me. Rolling my eyes, I headed to the back. So much for our intimate conversation.

"Hey!" she called after me. "Aren't you going to clean up this mess?"

"Later," I grunted. "I need a break!"

I slumped into a folding chair in the storage room and just tried to relax for a bit, but Nancine interrupted me within three minutes, dumping the first box in front of me.

"Oh come on!" I groaned. "Can I have five minutes?"

"I'll leave the rest of them," Nancine shot back. "Just do one, okay?"

"You never did tell me how that story ended," I pointed out to her back.

She stopped in the doorway. "Maybe another time." She vanished.

I muttered a curse. I thought I'd been getting somewhere. However, I think I knew what happened anyway. It wasn't that hard to make a guess.

I was a bit disappointed. I wondered what it would be like to be with her. What kind of person did she go for? My curiosity was demanding I go interrogate her at this moment, but I suspected I would wake up in a hospital if I did that.

To quiet my mind, I decided to tear through the box before me. Even though I hated anything approaching real work, it was better than letting my mind wander. Fantasies could get me into even more trouble.

The bankers box was filled to the brim with the stuff. Each of them had stupid titles like "Summer Rose," "Eden's Call," "The Honeysuckle Cave," and "Jungle Passion." I didn't even look at the cover for "Jungle Passion." I couldn't bear to.

I slowly lost an hour of my life to that box. Isaac wanted a full catalog of all the books in his store so he could always point customers in the right direction. I've been to libraries with less organization that Isaac's Book Nook. The problem was his computer system was a beige box with no recognizable logo and an operating system that ran as fast as Aunt Mareen on a hot summer's day.

It took all my willpower not to smack my head against the enormous monitor as I waited for each book to be added to the database.

It was almost lunchtime when I put the last awful romance book on the sorting shelves. Stenton would be proud and that made me feel even worse.

With a grunt, I kicked the box and frowned as I heard something else in it. When I looked, there was something else, wrapped in a worn and stained brown cloth. It had blended in with the bottom of the box in the dim light of the room.

An imaginative voice in my head declared this the wonderful prize Jade offered me for my service today. I chuckled at the idea. I was pretty sure the old woman was just a little crazy.

I carelessly unwrapped it and flung the cloth back into the box. It was a book, but it wasn't like any book I've ever seen before. The jacket was made of thick, well-worn leather, inlaid with gold stitching around the cover and the spine. It was a bit dusty and as I wiped it away, I saw a smattering of jewels in a half circle on the bottom, all different colors. They sparkled in the dim light of the single light bulb.

With one final wipe, I could make out the title of the weird book.

"The Book of Jewel," I muttered as I turned it over in my hands.

I fingered the jewels. Maybe this was some sort of collectible or something. I know some of those collectors went wild for old-looking books. It could be worth a lot. I wondered if this really was the surprise Jade offered me, or if this had been put in here by careless mistake.

I heard the small bell ring outside, but I barely registered it. Nancine would yell if she wanted help.

I'd never been big into books. My mom knew Isaac and hooked me up with this job. Usually it was pretty boring and gave me a chance to screw around. I'd probably only read like one book after working here. But there was something about this "Book of Jewel" that just grabbed me. The book seemed to shiver in my hands, like it was excited.

Or maybe I just didn't get enough sleep last night.

Nancine poked her head in. "Hey! Nolan!"

I let out a yelp of surprise and jumped a foot in the air. Staggering against a pile of books, I tumbled backwards and fell as books crashed down around me. A few moments past and I looked up, covered in Tom Clancys.

Nancine, shockingly, looked like she was trying not to laugh. I didn't know why she was stopping herself. Usually she'd be howling.

"Yeah, um," Nancine's face was twitching with effort. "Jerry…Jerry just staggered out. I thought I'd close down the shop for a bit to go to lunch. You want to come with?"

I still clutched "The Book of Jewel" in my hands. She hadn't noticed it yet.

"No, you go ahead," I muttered. I wasn't sure if it was because I wanted to look at the book without interruption or because I was so embarrassed. "I'll get something later."

I thought I caught a flicker of disappointment, but she shrugged and vanished. After a moment or two, I heard the bell ring again.

I sat there, covered in books for a few minutes, just staring down at "The Book of Jewel." Why I was suddenly so interested in a moldy old book? Yeah, it looked cool and it might be worth some money, but there was something more. It was like I'd been waiting for it to arrive. I was actually excited about it.

I didn't remember the last time I was really excited about anything. I hadn't had a girlfriend since high school. College had no interest to me. My job was boring. My dad once told me that I was living like a ship without a rudder. Just wandering through life.

What had my girlfriend in high school accused me of when we broke up? Oh yeah. No passion. I guess it was kind of true. I was just easily bored.

I smirked down at the book. In my head, I replaced "The Book of Jewel" with "How to Have Passion for Life in One Easy Step!" I guess it would be nice to find stuff more interesting.

My mind was going in weird places today. Then again, it had been a weird day. Why not see if it got a little weirder before the end?

I hesitated for a moment as my fingers found the edge of the cover, then noticed the red fabric bookmark. With a shrug, I opened the book.

It opened on the page labeled "Ruby." I scratched my head in curiosity, wondering why Jade asked me about gemstones earlier. Rubies were my birthstone after all.

There was a large picture of one of the most perfect rubies I'd ever seen. My mom was big into gemstones, so I'd seen my fair share. This would have made her pass out. Around the ruby was a whole lot of text. More out of curiosity than anything else, I read the words aloud.

"The ruby has always been highly valued throughout history. It has been thought to contain a host of magical powers including warnings about danger, the ability to increase heat and even cure indigestion. Most cultures praise ruby as a perfect symbol of passion and love."

I laughed. Whoever wrote this definitely loved her gems. Even as my voice echoed through the storage room, I studied it closer. The text was flowing as if done by one of those calligraphers. It was quite beautiful. My mom would go nuts to see this book. My laugh at my thoughts of her expression competed with the echo of my voice.

I glanced up. Why was my voice still echoing?

"A perfect symbol of passion and love." Wait a second. The voice sounded weird. Like it was higher pitch than it should have been. And it was getting louder.

"A perfect symbol of passion and love."

Something wasn't right. I scrambled to my feet and realized I still had the book open in my hands. My heart just about stopped when I saw the brilliant picture of the ruby glittering and rotating in its frame.

I tried to throw the book to the ground, but my hands wouldn't let go. The echo was getting louder as it pummeled my ears. The voice now only had hints of my tones in it. It was definitely a girl's voice now. A woman's voice. It sounded mature and wise, but I was still freaking out because I couldn't get rid of the damn book. I couldn't even close the thing!

I staggered around the room and made for the door, but it wouldn't budge. The pages of the books all around me fluttered and shivered like a tornado was gearing up to start.

"A perfect symbol of passion and love."

I was beyond freaked now. I pounded on the door with the book, shouting over the words, but I couldn't even hear my own voice. And I knew Nancine had locked the door like she always did. Both hands were glued to the sides of the book. I couldn't get to my phone to call for help. The sound of the words just crashed over me, battering me like an ocean wave.

I staggered with every word, flailing around desperately as I beat my hands against the wall, trying to dislodge the book from my grip. Books were flying around the room as I crashed against the rickety bookshelves and tumbled through the haphazard stacks. A shock of red hair fluttered over my eyes. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

My heart hammered in my chest. This was insane. This couldn't have been real. As the books around me began to leap off the shelves with a mind of their own, I knew I had totally cracked, but it didn't help the panic.

"A perfect symbol of passion and love."

"SHUT UP!" I shrieked at the top of my lungs.

"Oh do stop carrying on," a droll voice said from behind me.

I froze in place, terrified. My hands shook, still clinging to the book as I realized all noise had stopped. Slowly opening my eyes, I realized that wasn't the only thing to have stopped.

The break room was caught in an instant of time. The books were frozen in place as if somebody had snapped a picture of a tornado in motion. "Jungle Passion" was floating right in front of me. The book cover was as bad as I expected.

"You know, after doing this for a couple hundred years, you'd think it get easier," the voice commented behind me. I could hear the tapping of a foot. "But no matter what, the freakouts are just as annoying, no matter the decade."

I had to look. I slowly turned in place.

The first thing that caught my eyes were the glasses. They were almost identical to Nancine's, but they were studded with every kind of jewel imaginable. On any other woman, it would have looked horribly garish, but somehow she made it work. A knot of silver hair was perched on her head, but I didn't get the sense that it was silver because of age, but because she liked it that way.

Somehow, I expected something extravagant in her attire, but she was dressed in a forest green sweater top with a jean jacket and a pair of black capris. She looked to be in her mid-twenties. She would have fit right in at Riverdell University.

"Hmph," she said as she surveyed me like a mediocre slab of meat at the grocery store. "So Jade gave you the book, eh? Jade was always a little weird."

"Huh?" I was fervently praying that this was an insane dream. Then again, a padded cell with custom clothing didn't sound too terrible at the moment.

She stalked around me, looking me up and down. My eyes followed her.

"Well, you're definitely lacking in that department. She was damn right about that."

"Huh?"

"You should have been a poet. Haven't heard such eloquence since the American Revolution. Martha Custis would have been green with envy."

I couldn't even get out the "huh" this time around. She rolled her eyes at me.

"Okay, let me fill you in before you start to drool in confusion." She started to tap out fingers. "One. The name's Jewel. Yeah the same Jewel who's on the book. Two. Jade gave you this book because you're missing out on life. Since you're a Ruby, I'd say you're one of those apathetic, slacker types. Three. You're the lucky winner of a new version of you, if you want it."

My brain tried to process this information. The first thing to pop out of my mouth was "I'm crazy aren't I?"

Her sigh reminded me of a DMV operator. "No. This is real. I hate it when they asked that. Just pretend I gave you a bunch of proof. Yadda yadda yadda… try to keep with the program!"

"Uh…Okay…" I stammered. "How do you know I'm a slacker?"

Her glare almost knocked me on my butt. I held the book up in front of me, trying to fend off the force of her stare as I sputtered out an apology.

"If you ask another stupid question of that caliber, you'll get to spend the next three weeks as a muskrat."

I finally jumped to her last statement. She shouldn't do anything horrible if I asked about that one. "What do you mean a new version of me?"

"Most intelligent thing you've said so far," she huffed. "About time too. Okay, here's how this works."

I peeked out from behind my book as she took a deep breath. Her eyes were still bored, as if she'd gone through this ten thousand times before. I wondered if she actually had.

"This is a book of gifts," she started, gesturing to the book in my hands. "It arrives to a person who is sorely lacking in one aspect of their lives. If you want, I can infuse you with the power of your chosen gem to rectify that issue. You will be an embodiment of that gift. You will undergo some serious changes as a result, though."

"If I want?" It seemed the first thing to ask.

Jewel glared at me again, those it wasn't so severe this time. "I'm not here to force this on you! The book was supposed to be a gift, not a curse!"

The next thing that worried me popped to mind, assuming I wasn't being hauled away in an ambulance at the moment. "What changes?"

"Ah!" Now a hint of excitement bubbled up within her bored expression. "Everyone is different, especially considering their gift. However, there are always some common elements. Rubys always get long red hair, for instance. Like the kind you're sporting now."

I pulled out a lock of hair from behind my ear and stared at it. It didn't look any different. I had always had fiery red hair. And then, for a brief moment, a glimmer of a dull, boring brown appeared beneath it. I realized that wasn't true. I used to have brown hair. I remembered it in the mirror this morning.

"And of course, you'd have to be a girl."

My confusion regarding my hair vanished. "What?"

She slapped her forehead with her palm. "When was the last time you met a Ruby who was a man? It's part of the magic of the gifts. My book was always designed to work specifically on women, though it works great on men too. Just with modifications."

"Wait just a second…"

"Before you get all uppity, slacker," she snapped. "Take a moment and think. You haven't had a girlfriend since high school. In fact, the first girl you've ever found interesting is Nancine and while you might eek out a friendship with her, you know full well that you'll never get farther. You barely have any friends at all save for a few internet buddies you play Halo with. So don't get all up in my face about the female thing. Do you really care?"

Her tirade stopped me in my tracks. I'd never heard my life summarized like that, but something in my head agreed with her. I hated her for it, but she was right. To me, my gender didn't really matter all that much. It was just damn weird to think of changing it.

Her voice settled down as a note of sympathy squeezed between the words. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, you don't have to stay that way. If you really hate being a girl, open the book again next time it rains. I'll change you back."

She sounded sincere, at least. And then I shook my head. Why the hell was I believing this insanity? This was just a dream! Or I was really wacked out.

"So what?" she laughed. I heard a bit more warmth in her laugh than I expected. "If you're mad, it doesn't really matter. And if it's a dream, who cares?"

She had me there.

"So what does this gift do?"

Jewel rolled her eyes again. "You don't listen real well, do you? You'd be a Ruby, so you will find passion for all aspects of your life. You'd…"

"Wait."

Jewel stared at me in shock. I suspected she wasn't used to being interrupted. And to be honest, I wasn't sure why I had said it. After all, assuming I wasn't crazy, this was an interesting offer and I should get all the information I could get. Every movie I'd ever seen involving magic made it real clear magic wasn't something you should go into blindly.

Yet maybe there was a tiny little rebel inside of me. A sliver of a risk-taker.

At this point in my life, I was ready for a change. I think I'd known that, I just hadn't figured this kind of change would happen.

My caution and apathy were screaming like two-year-olds as the words escaped my lips.

"Do it."

Jewel's eyes narrowed. My heart beat in triple time as she studied me shrewdly. "You're sure? You aren't the kind of person who makes snap decisions."

It was weird, but I just accepted she could read my thoughts. "You swear that if I don't like it, you'll change me back?"

"Next time it rains, yes."

Another voice in my head informed me that there was going to be a twenty-year drought starting tomorrow if I accepted this. I mentally bonked it with a hammer.

"And this will make my life better?"

I didn't have a terrible life. But it was boring. And I was a bit jealous of all those people who got excited about life. I just never could get up the energy.

"That's up to you," she shrugged.

I hesitated another fraction of a second, then nodded. I wanted to do it before I lost my nerve.

She reached into her jacket pocket, pulled out something, and threw it to me. One of my hands immediately detached from the book as I caught it. It was a fine silver ring with a single glittering ruby.

"Put it on." Jewel instructed.

My other hand let go of the book, which just floated in midair. I slipped it onto my left ring finger. Jewel laughed slightly.

"Interesting choice. And a good one."

I felt something. It tingled through my hand. The stone began to shine brightly as a fine red mist floated into the storage room.

"I should tell you that you'll have some issues with the memories," she commented. "But don't worry, you'll remember Nolan when you want to."

"Remember…Nolan?" I asked.

The room was filling now with a shimmering red light. My hair seemed to reflect and intensify it. Jewel seemed to be fading and the books around me shivered. The Book of Jewel glowed brightest of all in the frozen whirlwind.

"Well of course," Jewel laughed. "You can't exactly go around with a name like Nolan now, can you?"

"What's my new name going to be?"

Just as I lost sight of her, I could hear the rolling of her eyes in her voice. "You really need to pay attention. It's Ruby, of course!"

There was a flash of beautiful red light.

"Ruby?"

I blinked and brushed the hair out of my face. Stretching, I felt the Book of Jewel fall from my lap. I smiled down at the Book and glanced up. As usual, the room was in perfect order. Nancine always teased me about how fervently I attacked any mess back here. She thought it was cute.

"Hey, Ruby!"

Nancine was waving at me at the doorway, looking at bit damp. I grinned sheepishly at her.

"Jeez, girl, I swear," Nancine laughed. "You're working yourself too hard back here. Stenton's going to kill you if you keep outdoing him."

I got to my feet. I can't believe I fell asleep back here. But something about the way the books were neatly laid out on all the shelves just made me feel right at home.

"Don't tell him I fell asleep!" I squawked. "He'll never let me live it down!"

"Only if you're a really good girl," she giggled. She beamed at me as she held out a slightly wet brown paper bag. "I got us lunch. You hungry?"

I straightened my black denim jacket and tried to rearrange myself beneath the thick red sweater that matched my hair. My legs were cramped from sitting, but it was a side effect of the black jeans Nancine had picked out for me this morning.

"Definitely!" I laughed and bounced up to her, snatching the food out of her hand, but she grabbed it back.

I pouted. "Hey! You said it was for me!"

"Pay up first!"

I tried to make my lip as fat as I could, but she wouldn't budge. Her lips twitched a little though. It was enough. I leaned forward and gave her a peck on the lips.

"That's my girl," Nancine giggled, relinquishing the bag. "Now, let's go sit in our special spot. I'll leave the store closed for a bit longer so we can watch the rain and have our own little romantic lunch!"

I giggled with her. "That's a great idea! Let me get something first."

I leaned down and grabbed the Book of Jewel. As I touched it, I remembered what had actually just happened. But when I looked around to see the cute Halloween decorations scattered through the break room which I remembered putting up with Nancine last week, I realized maybe this whole passion thing wasn't so bad after all. I'd been Ruby for less than five minutes and I was already happier than I could remember in all my time as Nolan.

"Come on, slowpoke!" Nancine called from the doorway.

We walked back out into the main shop. Jerry was gone and the door was still locked. I giggled at the big orange lights flickering around the place. It had been my idea to decorate this year. Isaac loved it and Nancine had loved it even more.

Nancine already had a few orange candles out for lunch. It was gorgeous. And as I sat in the rickety chair Jade had been in a few hours ago, I allowed myself to settle comfortably in the memories and attitudes of Ruby. I played with my favorite ring on my left hand. Nancine always admired that ring.

"So, lover," Nancine giggled as she set out the sandwiches. "Have any good dreams during naptime?"

"Only ones involving you," I laughed.

She joined in my laugh as she took a seat and finally noticed the Book of Jewel.

"Was that Jade's surprise?" she asked, pointing at it.

"Yup."

"I can't read the name. What's it called?"

I hesitated only a second.

"How to Have Passion for Life in One Easy Step."