by Tara Chau
“Helen?” I ask.
“Yeah, that’s what Ty calls me.” She nods.
I open my mouth once or twice, attempting to make my mind work around this. “I don’t understand,” I say.
“Di, Helen and I are...together. We met before she came to the school.” Ty says, his face unreadable. “I was out on patrol, and I came across her fighting a vampire. I helped her out, and she wanted to repay me by taking me to coffee. We did a few other jobs together. Then one day, I came to school, and she was here. I was kind of shocked at first, but after that, it was nice to have her around. We spar together and occasionally still go on jobs, but mainly we’re just a normal teen couple.” Although I had no interest in their love story, I couldn’t bring myself to speak.
“After the fire, it was really hard for her. I regret to say I kind of believed everything about her being a witch for a while. Then I came to my senses and realised she couldn’t have been. It was just a freak accident. I’m lucky she was kind enough to understand how I felt and how sorry I was. We’ve been together for about…three years now?”
“I-I don’t know exactly what to say…I’m happy for you?” I’m really not. It feels like Ty has just punched a hole right through my heart and taken the thing with him. Ow. “Then why did you tell me the prophecy if you think she’s amazing and all that?”
“Umm…it’s just a precaution. I can handle Helen if something happens. We’ve already discussed it. But I don’t want you to get hurt. You’re my friend.” Double ow.
“So, you want me to stay away from your girlfriend?” I ask coldly.
“When you put it like that, it sounds selfish and irrational. Think of it as protection. After all, we wouldn’t want those rosy eyes to go blank, now, would we?” he teases.
“Okay. I might go sit back with Anne then. I guess I’ll see you around Helena. Bye, Ty.”
“See you, dude.” Ty gives a little wave and goes to sit down in the seat I’ve just vacated. Did Ty just friend zone me? Triple ow. I make my way back over to Anne and resume my seat.
“Hey,” Anne says. “Why do you look like something really devastating and soul-crushing just happened to you?”
“Not a something, a someone,” I say defeatedly. “Did you know that Helena and Ty were dating?”
“Oh, I completely forgot about that. They tend to keep it on the downlow. They don’t publicly kiss or tell each other super-secret stuff. If they hadn’t told me, I would have just thought that they were really close friends.” She says casually.
“Stop trying to make me feel better,” I say. “I’m fine with it, completely over it. I was just shocked that he was dating someone. He seems like a guy that would be very independent, not dating girls that are more dominant.” I attempt to hide my disappointment while saying these words. Otherwise, Anne will not believe me. I’m about to begin again, trying to convince Anne that I couldn’t care less when the teacher walks in.
A tall, lanky woman, dressed in a baggy fluoro yellow dress, walks into the classroom. She has fuzzy brown hair that has its own agenda. Resting on her nose are the biggest coke bottle glasses you will ever see, making her eyes look twice as big as they should be. The first thing she reminds me of is an owl that was dipped in bright yellow paint. Maybe I can ask Anne if she could give her some fashion tips. As she walks over to her desk, I decide that she must either be hurt or wearing ridiculously high heels. Yes, they’re heels. Bright green heels. She reaches her desk and raises a shaky hand to write something on the board.
English with Miss Canit.
Canit? What kind of a name is Canit? She turns to face the class and looks directly at me. Her voice is raspy and quiet but somehow insistent and reassuring.
“Welcome class, to English. This term, our focus shall be on William Shakespeare, the famed poet.”
And my first lesson at ESG has started.
* * *
Finally! Two hours later, 25 students rush and push their way through the open door. Free. I struggle to find my way back to Anne. The lesson wasn’t that bad. Miss Canit gave us Romeo and Juliet to read over the next week then write a summary of it. Woah, first lesson, and I already have a weeks’ worth of homework. I stand to the side and peer over the mass of heads.
At last, Anne sees me and starts to walk over. As she reaches me, she extends her hand for me to take. Someone else comes and pushes her away, taking my outstretched hand instead.
Suddenly everything goes into slow motion. I can see Anne slowly falling to the ground, her arms outstretched to catch her fall.
This is so strange, everything around me blurring and moving in slow movements. All the sound around me becomes white noise, and all my focus zooms in on Anne. My whole-body tingles as I watch with wide eyes, my breathing becoming laboured. The worlds force seems to crash into my gut, and I squint to focus. My head begins to ache, as does my body and lungs. Then as quickly as it started, everything goes back to normal speed, and she’s hit the floor with a loud thud. I turn around to face the person who still has hold of my hand. Gabe.
“Sorry, Na-Na…I guess I underestimated how strong I am.” He says with a shrug.
I study his dark pupils and raise my hand that is still interlocked with his. I lift one eyebrow and give him a you’re cute, but don’t push it, look. Gabe laughs and pats my hand before letting go.
“So, how was your first class, Di?” Gabe says as he casually hauls Anne back onto her feet.
“Ahh… same as yours?” I attempt. Gabe gives me an amazing smile and chuckles.
“Couldn’t have been. I had math. You had English.”
“How did you know?” I ask accusingly.
“Because I’m amazing and a magician!” He drawls, chuckling as I narrow my eyes. “Nah, Ty told me. He was wondering which class you were in, and so we went and found out from Alice.”
“Alice is the receptionist, right?” I guess.
“Spot on, beautiful.” Gabe smiles and winks.
“Gabe, I told you not to do that. It’s creepy, and if Ty heard you, he would so totally punch you square in the jaw.” Anne chimes in.
“Ty might be stronger than me, but I am faster and have better technique.” Gabe boasts. “He wouldn’t be able to catch me. Besides, he’s with Helen. He can’t be with one girl and stop a guy walking with another. Ty’s my mate and best friend, but the dude is seriously confused. Anyway, Di likes me. Don’t you beautiful?” Gabe drapes his arm across my shoulders and steers me into a tight hug. I laugh and struggle out of his arms, playfully punching his shoulder, hurting myself way more than him.
“Don’t push it, Gabe,” I say sternly but with a hint of sarcasm.
“Oh, this girl has got some temper. That was a solid punch. You should come to martial arts with me.”
“Yeah? I’ve been doing a few classes from YouTube, but I really would like proper lessons. I’d totally be up for that.”
“Cool, give me your number. I’ll send you the details.”
“Nice one Gabe, but no. I’ve known you all of three hours. I’m not going to give you my number. Just write it down on some paper for me.” He shrugs and crosses his arms.
“Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
“As much as I love standing around watching you two flirt with each other, may I suggest that we go find somewhere to sit?” Anne asks, crossing her arms.
Gabe and I glance at each other, and I blush. He smiles. I go another shade darker. Was I really flirting? I really got to get myself under control. First Ty and now Gabe? What the HELL? Okay, new rule, no dating. No dating until I’m fully settled in, and I know the boy well enough. That should do.
We turn the corner, and I see Ty walking towards us, arms linked with Helena. Okay, that will not do. It will most definitely not do. I look over to Anne, and she catches my eye, praying that she can read me well enough. I look at her and then at Ty, giving her a signal. Of course, she understands immediately.
“Hey Gabe, why don’t we sit out on the oval for a change?” She asks.
Ty is now five metres away.
“Why?” he says curiously.
“Because it’s a nice day. Okay? Now let’s go down this next corridor. It’s a shortcut.”
“Umm…” Three metres. “That’s not a shortcut. It would take the exact same amount of time, no difference.”
Two metres.
“Well, then, there is no problem if we go that way.” And with that, she pushes Gabe into the next hallway, and I quickly follow behind.
Ty and Helen walk down the corridor we just exited, whispering something I can just make out as we walk away.
“It’s okay, Helen. Di isn’t like that. I’m sure she’ll understand….” Damn, too far away! What were they talking about?
“Hey Di, why are you even here?” Gabe askes.
“Umm…”
“Most of the kids are here because their parents want to dump them in the dorms provided, or they just like the extra electives. This school isn’t really for gifted people. It’s just the way the school makes everyone feel good. Though something tells me that’s not the case for you.” He says slyly.
“I-I…have awesome dreams?” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret them.
“Huh? You what?”
Both Anne and Gabe look at me like I’ve got a big sign flashing above my head saying kick me. Did I not tell Anne about my dreams? I feel like I’ve known her forever. I’ve only been here for three hours. God, it feels like a lifetime.
“Oohhhh…do you have dreams of really cute puppies?” Gabe guesses.
“As if, I bet her dreams are of really cute topless dudes,” Anne says with a laugh.
“Well, at least we know what you like dreaming of Na-Na,” Gabe says, earning a hard shove from Anne.
“Not even close,” I say with a sheepish smile, doing my best to cover up my nerves.
“Then what?” they both say at the same time.
All three of us stop to the side of the hall. Gabe and Anne both look at me with wide and curious eyes.
“Well…do you want to know what I really dream of, or what I wish I dreamed of?”
“What you really dream of,” Gabe says.
“Although, I wouldn’t mind knowing what you wish you dreamed of either.” Anne probs.
“Don’t push it, Na-Na,” I warn.
“Okay, just tell me. Please, Di.” Gabe begs, his large eyes mesmerising.
“Alright, but remember you asked for it. And you have to promise that you won’t ignore or judge me afterwards.”
“We would never,” Anne says, adding a bit of hurt into her voice.
I close my eyes and take a breath, trying to conjure the image of the blood-red sky, the thunder and lightning. Cracks in the ground. Animals, humans and other things falling through. A familiar sense of fear and unearthliness washes over me, making a muffled whimper slip through my lips. Alright.
“I dream of blood-red sky, thunder, lightning, the world opening up and swallowing half of everything. Angels, demons, monsters…death.”
Silence. That’s what I hear. Silence. Not a gasp, no running footsteps, no screams. Nothing. Slowly I open my eyes to face my newfound friends. Anne’s eyes are teary, like she is about to cry. But Gabe’s, his are serious. His face is set like stone, so I can’t read his expression. Anger, fear, worry, guilt, sympathy? I can’t figure it out. Suddenly out of nowhere, Gabe comes in to give me a tight hug. His arms strong and warm, feel comforting, like he could and would protect me from my own dreams. At that point, Anne comes in and hugs me as well. I am now in a cocoon of arms, feelings and sorrow, my chest rising and falling with the rhythm of their own.
“Di, I have no idea why you thought we would think any less of you for telling us. If I had dreams like that, I would be too terrified to close my god damn eyes. You are brave and caring. I haven’t known you all that long, but I know this much. You went up to Helena to befriend her even after Anne told you about the incident. That makes you caring and thoughtful. I can’t even imagine going to sleep at night knowing that you’re going to have a visit from demons or Angels. Both are terrifying. That makes you brave.” Gabe whispers quietly.
“I’m not brave. Just because I go to sleep with demons running loose in my head.” That just makes me crazy, I think inwardly.
“Being brave doesn’t mean that you have to fight or kick ass. You can be brave by simply standing up for something, someone or even just standing up while being afraid.” His voice calms me somewhat and knowing that Anne’s here listening and not denying any of it makes me feel stronger.
“Di, dreams or no dreams, you are you, and you are unique.” Anne prompts. “The most interesting people are.”
Something wet rolls down my cheek and splashes onto Gabe’s arm. Tears. I’m crying. Silent sobs escape from my lips, and a shudder comes from deep within my chest, making Gabe pull back. The relief is so harsh that I feel as if I could fly from the lifted weight but fall under the added danger. The approval I craved was satisfied, and the fear dulled as I allowed myself to reveal it all to these people.
“Don’t cry.” Gabe wipes away my tears from each eye with his finger, smiling sadly. Anne flattens my hair and pulls it back into a ponytail, drawing the loose strands away from my damp face.
“Come on, let’s go sit down and get something to eat.” She suggests, “I have cake.”
9 am to 3:15 pm. English, math, science and art. Ty, Anne, Helen, Gabe and Lucien. Happy, angry, sad, and confused. That would be my first day at school. How in the name of Dyla am I going to make it through three more years of this?
I give Anne a hug goodbye and ruffle Gabe’s hair as I pass him going down the stairs. It’s going to take ten minutes to walk back home. That’s good. It will give me time to think. I walk around the corner onto the main road, where masses of cars are zooming past. I turn another corner and notice a small opening in the brick wall to the side of the path.
It seems to be glowing, maybe sun from the other side? I curiously peek into the ally, and I can just see where it ends. It could be a shortcut, or maybe it’s a scenic route. Either way, I decide to turn down it. The ally is a short one that leads out onto a dirt road. Looking to my right, I can see forest, lush and green. To my left are clumps of long grass and trees dotting a meadow. I continue to walk down the path, making sure to note down some landmarks in case I get lost. A huge rock that is at least five metres high, a gorgeous bush of yellow flowers, a small stone that looks somewhat like a heart resting on a log.
After about six minutes of walking, I come across a fork in the road. Left or right? To the left, the path continues as meadow, beautiful and bright. To the right is the forest, mysterious but dark.
I choose left.
Turning to walk down the left lane, I can hear a faint sound, like the sound of a running tap. A waterfall? The sound echoing from my right, the forest. I can imagine a wonderful waterfall flowing into a vast cavern, crystal clear water and the sounds of native birds calling. Next time. I’ll bring Anne with me, or maybe even Gabe.
I slowly turn back down the other path into a meadow so green and lush, I forget about my dreams and drama momentarily. If I look closely, I can just make out a path that had been worn down by people, leading to an enormous and magical willow tree. I run down the path to get a closer look at it all. Wow!
The path leads out to an open space where the grass is cut short, and the only thing in sight is the magnificent willow. From here, it looks amazing. The light catching its leaves, the wind swaying its branches. If only there were violins, then I would feel like I was in a movie.
As I gaze at the sight, my fingers twitch with the urge to paint. I would have to mix greens, blues, yellows, and white to get the complete range of tones that this field would require. Part of me dances up and down at the idea of going home to paint this, the other cringes at the thought. I could never do this
justice.
Slowly, I walk up to the trunk of the tree, and I place my hand on the trunk. It’s cool and sturdy, not a hole or any sight of vandalism. Perfect in its imperfection. I turn around to face the rest of the meadow. The whole thing is beautiful, unreal. I place my bag down and sit, leaning my back against the trunk. I let the stress go and close my eyes. Breathing in the sweet air and handing myself over to a feeling of peace. It’s been so long since I can remember being so at peace like nothing horrifying or unfortunate had ever occurred in my life. I feel so light, so… free.
* * *
I open my eyes to a setting sun. What? Oh. I must have fallen asleep. I’m not surprised. No demons or angels, nothing.
The sight is wonderous. The sky alights with all different colours. Yellow, orange, pink and blue. The sun sets over the meadow with the forest in the background. It is almost…magical?
“Gorgeous, isn’t it?” A voice so soft I can barely hear startles me.
I jump up, refraining from screaming out loud and look to where it came from. Not too far off, Anne is sitting with her legs tucked up under her chin, arms wrapped around them.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, my chest rising and falling dramatically.
“This is where I come when I need to think about things. I got here and found you passed out in my favourite spot.” She says with a half-smile.
“Sorry,” I whisper. “What did you need to think about, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“T’was written in the stars it’s tragic,
but only then she shall find her magic.
To lose whom she very well loves
that shall send her, to us above;
and at that time, she shall save us all
or she shall bring us to our fall.”
Damn it! What is with all these prophecies!
“Di, it’s going to be okay. Ty, Gabe and I will help you.”
“So you and Gabe, huh?” I say softly, the fact she just admitted her heritage flying straight over my head. “Must be pretty cool to save people from death, right?”