by Mandi Oyster
Cody pulled himself up and stepped toward her. “No, it’s not funny. It’s Dacia’s life. Believe it or not, it’s the way it is.”
“It’s fine.” The words scratched my throat.
Samantha turned her piercing gaze on me. “It’s not fine. We haven’t known each other long enough for the two of you to gang up on me. It’s one thing to joke around but another to keep going.” She pointed her finger at me. “I thought you were my friend.”
“I am.”
“Then stop yanking my chain!”
My gut twisted, and I dug my fingernails into the chair. “I. Am. Not. Yanking. Your. Chain.”
Even with my hands clenched, I felt them shaking, felt myself losing control. The walls trembled, and Samantha’s backpack wobbled before falling over and spilling its contents. The TV shuddered on its stand. Samantha’s eyes widened, and her hand covered her mouth.
Cody stood in front of me and held my eyes with his. “Calm down, Dacia.” His fingers brushed my cheek. The tenderness of his touch released some of my tension.
Samantha looked at the door, then back at Cody and me. “I think I need a minute.”
I thought my heart would break when the door closed, but it didn’t. Instead, I felt hollow.
Cody stared at the door long after Samantha pulled it shut. “I didn’t see that coming.” He looked down at me. “I’m sorry.”
“I knew this would happen.” My voice was flat and lifeless. Cody blurred through my unshed tears. “But, I hoped it wouldn’t.”
“She wasn’t screaming.” He shrugged. “Could be a good sign.”
“You know there’s not always a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, don’t you?” I stared out the window for a moment, then added, “Sometimes there isn’t even a rainbow.”
Cody reached his hand down to me. “There’s always the possibility of a rainbow.” He lifted me to my feet. “Let’s get some fresh air.”
When Cody opened the door, Samantha fell back into his arms and let out a scream of surprise. Red tinged her cheeks as she tried to right herself.
Cody helped her back to her feet. “You didn’t make it very far.”
“No.” Samantha tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I just needed a second.”
Relief slammed into my chest, making me stumble. I bent forward and rested my hands on my knees. “So you’re okay with this?”
“Uh … well …”
Samantha walked around us and plopped down hard enough to rock the chair. “No, I can’t wrap my mind around this. There’s got to be some logical explanation, something that makes sense.”
“There isn’t.” I wiped my hands on my jeans. “Believe me, I wish there was. I wish there were other people like me, so I didn’t feel so alone all the time.”
Her eyes searched Cody’s face, then mine as if she looked for some sign of deception. “Okay, so you set Cassandra’s books on fire. What does that have to do with Dean Aspen?”
My hands pulled through my hair, catching at the ends. “When she talked to me Tuesday, she caught a glimpse of my powers.”
Samantha’s fingers went up to her mouth to cover her gasp. “Oh, no.”
“Oh, yeah.” I shook my head. “And, she was excited.”
“She was?”
“Yeah, she thinks I’m part of a prophecy.”
Her mouth fell open, and she stared at me. “So … Dean Aspen is crazy?”
A small laugh escaped my lips. “It kinda seems that way.”
Cody crossed his arms over his chest. His posture was stiff, imposing. His voice was hard. “You, Dean Aspen and I are the only ones who know what Dacia can do. Cassandra is just guessing.”
Samantha swallowed. “Okay.”
“It needs to stay that way.”
She glared at Cody, then turned to me. “Dacia, you can call your guard dog off. I’m not going to tell anyone.”
Cody rubbed his hands together. “So that’s done. What kinda pizza we gettin’?”
Chapter 9
Truth Hurts
Cassandra sashayed into speech class flanked by three cronies. Bryce stood on the left. A girl with auburn hair and dark-rimmed glasses covered her right side. While a wiry guy with dark hair walked up behind her. From the corner of my eye, I watched them climb the stairs. When Cassandra neared my desk, she stumbled and dumped her cappuccino in my lap. I jumped up and wiped at my burning legs. The smell of the coffee made my stomach turn. My jeans dripped steaming liquid. But that was nothing compared to the beast raging inside me.
“Oh, my gosh. Are you okay?” Cassandra’s hand shot up to cover her mouth. “I am so sorry.”
To somebody sitting nearby, I’m sure she sounded sincere, but the laughter in her eyes sent a spark of fury shooting through me. I grabbed my papers and shoved them in my backpack. I wonder if I can change my schedule. If she keeps antagonizing me, she’s going to end up in the hospital or worse.
“Why’d you do that?” the girl with Cassandra asked.
Cassandra shot her a nasty look. “Not now, Vanessa.”
I took a deep breath. Just get out of here, Dacia. I started to push past them, but my anger won out. Through clenched teeth, I asked, “What did I ever do to you?”
Cassandra stood inches from me, her eyes slicing into mine. “You were born. Isn’t that enough?”
My jaw floundered. “Wh-what?”
“You heard me.”
I stumbled backward. People avoided me, feared me even, but her intense hatred surprised me. I turned and charged out of the room, my face hot with humiliation, my body vibrating with anger.
The wind howled through the trees as I walked back to my dorm room. Storm clouds rolled across the sky. Breathe. The first drops of rain fell with my tears. How can a stranger hate me so much? I wondered as I pulled my door open. I grabbed new clothes and went to take a shower.
Hot water pounded on my shoulders, easing the tension from my body. I stood under the steady stream until I felt reinvigorated.
By the time I got to English Literature, the storm had blown over. I sat beside Cody with my head down, doodling in the margins of my notebook. I didn’t want to see Cassandra walk into class. I didn’t want to see the haughty look on her face.
“People are wondering about these storms,” Cody said. “Something happen?”
My pencil stopped mid-stroke. “After Cassandra dumped her cappuccino on me, she told me why she hates me.”
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders but said nothing.
I sucked in a deep breath and whispered, “I was born.”
“Don’t let her get to you, Dacia.” Cody rubbed my arm. “She’s not worth it.”
“Maybe.” I resumed my drawing. The eyes from my nightmares took shape. I turned my pencil over and erased all traces of them.
Cody squeezed my shoulder, then stood up. I turned to see what was going on, just as he told Cassandra, “Stay away from Dacia.”
Cassandra’s voice was sweet innocence. “It was an accident.”
“She told the little princess she was sorry.” The dark undercurrent in Bryce’s tone made me shiver. His green eyes simmered.
I shook my head and whispered, “We all know it wasn’t an accident.”
Cody slammed his fist down on the desk behind him. “It ends now.”
“Sure, blondie,” Cassandra said as she pushed past Cody, “whatever.”
I walk alone. A burning need pushes me. My pace quickens against my will. The glow from the streetlights can’t penetrate the dense fog, but it doesn’t slow me down. A scream cuts through the still night air. I pause, wanting to turn around. Instead, I sprint toward the sound. Stopping, my hand covers my mouth, holding in my own panick
ed cry. A crumpled body lies on the sidewalk.
I can’t tell if it’s a man or a woman. I don’t know if the person is living or dead. I want to turn away, but I can’t. I need to see who it is. I need to help. I glance around before I creep toward the body.
An owl hoots, and my heart jumps into my throat. I close my eyes and gather my wits. I pull my fingers through my hair before moving again. Stepping closer, I realize the body is a woman’s. Brown boots are pulled over her jeans. The hood of her red coat hides her head. I close the distance and suck in a deep breath, unable to move.
Sarah’s lifeless eyes stare into mine.
Chapter 10
The Ice Princess
“Dacia, wake up.”
I opened my eyes to find Samantha standing on the ladder of my loft, shaking my shoulder. “I’m awake. I’m fine.”
“You screamed.”
“I …” I pictured Sarah’s empty eyes. “I had a nightmare. I’m sorry I woke you up.”
“So, are you ever gonna talk to me about these nightmares, or are you gonna just keep waking me up every night?”
I ran my hand through my hair. “I can’t right now. I’m sorry.”
“Fine.” Samantha climbed down my ladder and up into her loft. “I need to get some sleep before I start failing my classes anyway.”
Morning’s light warmed my skin but did little to stop the chill from last night’s dream. I couldn’t keep the images from playing back through my mind. I climbed out of my loft and grabbed my bathroom bag before slipping out the door.
I hoped a hot shower would wash away all traces of my latest nightmare. When I opened the door, the scent of bleach, perfume, and soap assaulted my nostrils. Cassandra stood in front of the sink dressed in a pink bathrobe, applying makeup. Seeing her there, I wanted to turn around and go back to my room, but I didn’t want her to know she could get to me without even trying.
She caught my eye in the mirror as I walked by. “You sure you should be here without blondie?”
Ignoring her, I decided to use this opportunity to practice restraint, and if I wasn’t able to control my powers, oh well. We were alone after all.
Cassandra, it seemed, didn’t deal well with being ignored. “What is he doing with you anyway? Do you have some sort of spell on him?”
I locked the door and set my bag on the bench. I took out my soap, conditioner, and shampoo.
“Ooh, if I kissed him, would it break your hold on him?”
I turned the shower on to warm the water. Don’t listen to her. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
“I don’t know why they even allow people like you out in public.”
Her voice clung to my skin and tore away my control.
“Your parents must be so ashamed and embarrassed by you.”
The words cut through my barrier, lodging in my head, replaying over and over again. I pictured my parents’ disgust every time my powers surfaced.
“I can almost imagine their surprise when they found out what a freak you are.” A phony laugh followed her words.
My teeth chattered and goosebumps rose on my skin. I rubbed my arms, only managing to get colder.
“Poor mommy and daddy, I bet their first thought was they should have given you up for adoption.”
I slid down the wall to the floor, trembling. My fingers and toes were numb.
“I’m surprised they didn’t lock you in a cellar to keep you away from everyone.”
The tips of my fingers turned blue. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before. I breathed onto my hands but felt no relief.
“I can’t believe they let you out in public, but they were probably too excited to get rid of you to care what a menace you’d be. I can’t really bl—”
A horrified scream stopped her incessant chatter.
Warmth reclaimed my body. Confused, I pulled myself off the floor and left the stall to see what I’d done. Cassandra stood in front of the sink, her hands frozen together under the faucet. The mirror in front of her was coated with a heavy frost. She fought to free her hands, but she couldn’t budge them.
I struggled to keep the smile off my face. “Well, Cassandra, you can’t say you didn’t deserve that.”
“You little witch.” Unshed tears made her voice husky. “Fix this!”
“If you stop insulting me, I’m sure the ice will melt in a couple of minutes. If you continue to annoy me, God only knows how long you’ll stand there.” I took a lengthy shower. Then pulled on black sweat pants and a grey hoodie.
If Cassandra was still frozen to the sink, I wanted her to spend that time fretting about whether or not she would be okay. When I got out, she was gone and the sink was back to normal.
Humming, I walked back to my room, feeling good about the upcoming day.
I opened the door to find Samantha with her arms crossed, glaring at Cody. She only came up to his armpit, but even in her pink Tweety Bird pajamas, the look on her face could’ve stopped a grizzly.
Cody’s hands were tucked in his jeans pockets, and his shoulders hunched forward.
“You need to explain to him”—she jabbed her finger toward Cody—“that Saturday mornings are for sleeping, especially if you’re going to keep waking me up every night.”
Cody threw his hands up. “It won’t happen again.”
I pushed the door closed and sat my bathroom bag on the floor. “I’m sorry, Sam. I don’t mean to wake you up.”
“It’s fine.” Samantha’s voice was gruff.
“Nightmares?” Cody asked at the same time.
“Later, Cody.”
Samantha started back for her bed but turned back toward me and asked, “What was the huge grin for when you came in? Did you know he was here?”
A smile tugged at my lips, but I suppressed it. “Uh, no. I sorta froze Cassandra to the faucet.”
“What?” Cody’s eyes narrowed.
“You did what?” Samantha said at the same time.
I rocked from heel to toe. I should have realized Cody would be annoyed with me. “I tried to ignore her, but she went too far.”
Samantha clasped her hand over her mouth, but the giggle escaped anyway. “I’ve got to see this. Is she still down there?”
Cody slowly shook his head before focusing his attention on the ground.
“No, she left before I finished showering.” I let out a deep breath. “I’m sure I’ll end up paying for it, but the look on her face … it just might have been worth it.”
“Oh, that is too funny,” Samantha said as she climbed into her loft.
Cody led me outside. “Dacia, you have to be careful. It’s one thing when you’re in a group and nobody knows who set the books on fire, but when you’re alone with Cassandra, you have to get a grip.”
I stopped, put my hands on my hips and glared up at him. “Don’t you think I know that?”
“You’re not acting like it,” he answered, but I talked over him, not allowing his words to sink in.
“Don’t you think I’m scared to death that somebody is going to take her seriously and I’ll end up expelled or in some government lab somewhere?”
His expression softened a little. “Why do you let her get to you?”
“She knows all the right buttons to push.” I kicked at the ground. “Somehow she knows all my insecurities, all my fears, and she won’t stop until she gets some sort of reaction from me.”
Cody’s breath tickled my ear. “You can’t let her win.”
Goosebumps dotted my skin. I had to regain my composure before responding. “I know.” I rested my hand on his arm. “I have to go see Sarah now. Do you want to come with me?”
“Yeah, and on the way, you can tell me about these
nightmares you’re having.” He put his hand on the small of my back, leading me down the sidewalk.
“That’s okay.” I remembered Sarah’s lifeless eyes staring up at me, and a chill ran over my skin. “They’re just dreams.”
He frowned at me but let it go.
When we arrived at Sarah’s office, the receptionist wasn’t at her desk. I thought about leaving, but I knew Sarah would want to know what happened this morning. Sarah didn’t look surprised when she answered my knock. She led us to the couches and sat across from Cody and me while I told her my side of the story. When I finished, she paced in front of the windows.
“Cassandra’s version was different,” she finally said. “She, of course, didn’t provoke you.”
“She’s been here?” Cody asked what I’d already guessed.
“She called me.” Sarah continued pacing. Finally, she stopped and stared into my eyes. “You are putting me in a very difficult position.”
I rubbed my arm while looking at the floor. “I know.”
Cody stepped in front of me. “You can’t blame Dacia.” His voice rose steadily. “Cassandra can’t keep egging her on.”
I put my hand on Cody’s arm. “She can blame me. It is my fault. I’m the abomination here.”
“First off,” Sarah shook her finger at me, “you are not an abomination. You have an amazing gift.”
I opened my mouth to argue.
“Don’t. Secondly, Cody, I know you feel the need to protect Dacia. You don’t need to protect her from me.”
“That’s good to know,” he said.
“I informed Cassandra that she couldn’t continue making up such ludicrous stories. However, I’m not going to be able to hold her at bay forever.” She resumed pacing. “You’re going to have to learn control soon.”
“I didn’t mean to put you …”
“Enough said.” Sarah held her hand up. “If you have some spare time today, you need to start training.”