by Nathan Howe
He stopped and turned to face her. “Huh, what?”
Having his smoke grey eyes focus on her stole her breath. For a moment, she thought she’d actually lost the ability to form words. He probably thought she was crazy, standing there, her mouth open, saying nothing. But just when she thought he’d roll his eyes and walk away, his dimpled deepened, just like it always did just before he smiled. Was he about to smile because of her?
Natalia’s heart thudded so hard, she could hardly breath. She’d never let herself think about it before. It was too ridiculous to even consider. But what if her crush wasn’t a one-sided thing? What if Brandon liked her too but hadn’t worked up the courage to do anything about it?
Natalia felt a warmth spread across her cheeks at the thought and looked down to hide her blush and the smile tugging at her lips.
“I, huh. Wanted to ask if you wanted to, um, go out sometime?”
And then it happened. Brandon smiled. Natalia's fists unclenched, her heart slowed, and she found herself smiling back.
“You're cute and all. Doable even. But you're a nerd. I can't be caught dead with you.”
A coldness hit her core. She stumbled back and dropped her books. Around her, she heard muffled laughter. Though tears blurred her vision, she knew all eyes were on her. She hung her head, not wanting to see their faces. She tried to smile and make her voice light. “Uh, okay.” Tears flowed. She ran away.
Behind her, she heard Abby. “You pig.” A slap followed.
Natalia weaved through the crowd in the hallway. Not stopping for anyone. She kept her head down, desperate to hide her reddened and tear-stained face. It didn’t matter. They all turned around. They all stared. Abby called for her. But Natalia didn't want to talk to anyone. She wanted to get away. Away from this place. Away from Brandon. Away from the leering eyes of her classmates. She reached the parking lot and her car. She jumped in and left the school. Luckily, she had just got gotten her license and could make a fast escape.
In no time, Natalia arrived home. With her mom at her downtown office and her brother at school, the house was empty. Natalia's phone rang for the fifth time since she'd left school. All of them from Abby. She ignored it. The silence of the house welcomed Natalia. No eyes. No worries. She ascended the stairs to her room. She flicked on her radio and put her favorite playlist on. She fell back on her bed. Took one of her pillows and covered her face. The tears still flowed. How could she have thought he'd say yes? That he wouldn't be a jerk? Just because he was a gentleman to everyone else didn't mean he'd be nice to her. Natalia wished she had listened to herself before. Trusted her instincts. If she had, she wouldn't be the laughing stock of the school.
A gentle tap sounded at her door. It opened, Natalia looked up, and her brother greeted her. “Hey,” he said. He walked in and sat on her bed. “Abby came to see me. She was ready to kill someone.”
“I'm sure.”
“You want me to kick his butt?”
Natalia smiled. “He'd rip you to pieces.”
Jacob pulled her close. “It's not like he's an Ardent or something. I'd take him. No one but me can hurt you.”
Natalia smiled again. She didn't think she'd be able to so soon. “Thank you.”
“Come. Let's go get some lunch. Then go wherever.”
The next morning Natalia sat in her car in the school parking lot. The last place on earth she wanted to go was school. But Natalia had to. At least it was Friday, but she knew today would be bad after yesterday's scene. She contemplated skipping, but she had two tests today.
Natalia glanced at her dashboard clock. Ten minutes to class. People walked by pointing at her in the car. Whispering. Natalia looked away. As much as she told herself, she wasn't prepared for today. She closed her eyes. Took several deep breaths in.
A tap sounded on her window. Natalia jumped in her seat. Her heart pounded. She opened her eyes and saw Abby waving. Natalia opened the door.
“I was worried you wouldn't show today.”
“I almost didn't.”
“It'll be okay.”
“I have heard you say that before.” Natalia didn't think everything would just go back to normal. She already felt the eyes on her. The people leering at her. Pointing and whispering. “I don't know.”
“Be the strong lady I know you are.”
Natalia never thought of herself as a strong person. That was Abby. Her mom. Her brother. Her dad. But not her. She'd try today. She had to.
With Abby at her side and knowing her brother had her back, she walked to her first class. Only five minutes before class started. She'd waited as long as possible, and she'd headed straight to the room and her seat. It scared her the whole time.
Her first hour biology class wasn't too bad. A few snickers and pointing. Natalia did her best to ignore it. At least this was one of the classes that she had a test in, the other was Calculus. Natalia didn't want to step foot in that room again. On the drive to school this morning she tried to come up with ways of getting out of class today but came up empty. She wished there was a way to get out of it.
After class Natalia walked to her second hour Political Science; at least Abby would be with her for her next two classes. Of course, that meant the second one was Calculus. “Look at the crier.” One boy pointed at her while he threw some balled up paper. Natalia ducked.
Abby joined her. “Grow up.”
He wasn't alone with the comments. They followed her. Ranging from the tame like that to downright vile. Nerd. Dork. Loser. Baby. Pathetic. Ugly. So many that Natalia couldn't keep track. Why she tried, she didn't know. But she did. By the time she got to class, she had done everything in her power not to cry again. Not to run away.
“I'm not sure I'm going to make it, Abby.” Natalia said as she sat next to her. This time in the back of the room. Usually, they sat in the front, but Abby suggested the back today. Natalia was thankful for the suggestion. The day was rough and painful. Natalia’s emotions had been all over the place. Scared and worried for the most part.
“You'll be okay. They are just jealous of you.”
“I don't think it's jealousy that's driving them.” It hurt how the others had been rude to her. The joy they appeared to be having at her expense.
Much like the first class, she didn't have much to deal with. Sure, a few people pointed and whispered to each other. A few notes were passed between students, that was common, though, but she knew today they were about her. Even if they weren’t, she still couldn’t help herself from thinking they were. Luckily no one passed a note to her or Abby.
Natalia left the class unaware of the lesson at all. She didn't listen to a single word the teacher said the whole class. Instead, Natalia watched her classmates and pictured the horror of her next class. She couldn't get it out of her mind. How they would react. How Brandon would. Would he even acknowledge her?
Natalia and Abby walked in a minute before the bell sounded. Most of the class was already seated, getting ready for the test. Brandon sat at his desk in the front. He didn't even look up. Part of Natalia hoped he would, but it was better he didn't. It would only make things worse.
The class went off with no problem. Natalia focused on the test, and it went well.
Natalia sat at home later. The day had for the most part been a total disaster. Jacob walked into the room. “You did well.”
“I wanted to kill myself.” It took everything for her not to relive the moment. She did her best not to dwell on it, but it was hard. She felt so stupid.
“That is a little drastic. It will fade. They will forget.”
“Not soon enough.”
Their mother arrived home. “How was your day?” she asked as she settled into her chair.
“Could have been better.” Natalia stood. She didn't want to talk about it to mom.
“What's wrong?”
“Let her be, mom.” Jacob walked to the kitchen to have his pre-dinner meal. He ate more than anyone Natalia knew.
“Tha
t bad?”
Natalia sighed. She held back tears. Her shoulders drooped. “Yeah, Mom.”
Natalia arrived in her room. All she wanted was to be alone. Her bed called to her and Natalia obliged. She covered her face and cried some more. At least it was the weekend. Maybe they would forget by Monday so things could go back to normal. She turned on her radio and picked a new playlist. One that would help her relax, a jazz list. She stripped down and threw on some sweats.
She pulled out her political science book to catch up on what she missed today. She didn't want to ruin her 4.0. She spent the night with the book reading the chapter over and over until she fell asleep.
Drool covered her open book the next morning when she woke up. Her head ached and her mouth was dry. Books don't make the best pillows. She stood and rubbed her head. She wasn't ready to venture out of her room. Her mom might try to pry something out of her about yesterday. Natalia could hear her vacuuming below.
To avoid going down, she turned on her computer and started to surf the net. It didn't take long before she cruised her usual sites and found nothing new. Her mom called up. She ignored her. Natalia didn't spend too much time on her social media sites, but to stay in her room, she ventured to them.
Her feed was filled with posts. Way more than normal. Natalia read the most recent post from a classmate she vaguely recognized from her literature class. “Stupid crybaby.” Her head jerked back. Her eyes blinked rapidly. She couldn't believe what she just read. She looked at it again, it didn’t change it was real.
The next post similar in nature. “Stop pretending whore.”
The more Natalia scrolled down her page, the more she saw of it. Tears flowed. She rested her head in her hands. She didn't want to move ever again. Natalia wasn't sure how long she sat there crying, unmoving. But she heard a knock on the door. “Honey?” Her mom tapped again. “You missed breakfast. It's almost lunchtime.”
Natalia had no appetite at all. Nor did she want to deal with her mom or brother. She didn't want to see another person at all. “Go away.”
Her mom sighed. “We can't help if you don't let us.”
Natalia stood and flopped on her bed. She waited for her mom to leave her alone. She fell asleep and woke up hours later. Her hair tangled, bags under her eyes. Her mind was sluggish. All that crossed her mind was the post, the day at school. People wanted to hurt her. They hated her. All she did was ask a guy out. Why did they suddenly hate her so much?
Natalia hated herself for listening to Abby. For listening to her dad. If she had just ignored them, things would be the way they were before. That was what she wanted. To go back to the way it was. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible.
Natalia dressed not caring what she put on. She had to get out of the house. To be away from people who knew her. With saggy shoulders and vacant stare, Natalia walked down the stairs. Her family spoke to her, but she ignored them. She exited the house with voices trailing behind her, both her mom and brother stood at the door when she backed down the drive in her car.
She had to get away from it all. To make the pain end. To make her classmates forget about her asking Brandon out. To forget about her running through the hallway like a crazy girl. If only she were an Ardent. Some had to have the powers to make people forget. To make it not happen. Maybe time travel was possible. Natalia shook her head. No. That wasn't possible. She was no Ardent. And even if she were, she'd probably have some other power.
Before Natalia knew it, she’d parked her car in the school parking lot. It was empty except for a few random cars left over from the earlier events of the day. She didn't know why she showed up here. It was the last place she wanted to be come Monday. Yet she stood in the parking lot alone. It seemed right to her. The place she needed to be. It was quiet with only the wind and a few bird calls. She entered on the west side of the school. It held the Tower. When she was younger, the Tower scared her. It was five stories high. Nothing compared to the Hero Coalition building in downtown, headquarters to the local Ardents. In her short time at East Port Sinclair High, she never ventured up to the top. She wouldn't say she was scared of heights, but she didn't seek them out.
That was about to change.
She arrived on the roof with wobbly legs. Her heart ached and she felt empty inside. The wind howled around her in the chilly evening air. Port Sinclair was in north Ensurift and didn't get as hot this time of year as the south did. Her hair blew in the wind like flames of a fire. She inched her way to the edge. The sun set behind part of a cloud. The sky was a beautiful orange-red. Natalia's heart sank. She loved the feeling now but knew once she left that it would go back to the hate she had for her classmates and the hate they had for her.
She stood on the ledge and looked down. She teetered. The wind rocked her back and forth, unsteadily she stood. One false move and she’d fall. It would be the last thing she'd ever do. She leaned forward, moving ever closer to the edge. She closed her eyes. Her balance faltered more. Yet she didn't topple over. She wanted to now. To fall. It would end the pain of the last few days. Make those around her suffer. They needed to see what they did to her. That what seemed like just fun and games to them could cause someone real pain.
When she opened her eyes, a few people stood on the ground below her, pointing up at her. Of course, they did. It's all people had been doing when she was around. Several of the people talked on phones, too.
In the distance, sirens sounded. The police, fire, and Hero Coalition were on the way. They'd arrive soon. She didn't want a crowd. Just to be alone. She pulled at her hair. Thrashing. Oh’s and awes sounded from the now larger crowd below.
“Leave me alone!” Natalia didn't want them to see her like this again. To see her cry. Give them more fodder to make fun of her. More reasons to hate her. She turned and let her heels hang over the edge.
The sirens grew louder. They would arrive soon. Try to talk her down. To tell her that everything would be all right. The Ardents at the coalition would just carry her away.
She jumped.
Shouts rang below. Natalia stared up at the moon. Peace filled her. The air rushed past her now bent frame. She gained speed. She’d be on the ground soon. Time slowed. Her life flashed before her eyes.
Going to Abby's softball games, being the only one with a book in the stands reading. Almost getting hit with foul balls. Movie night after the weekend games. A tradition they had for years.
Time with Jacob. He inspired her to get into math. That it wasn't just for guys. Even with the recent fights, he loved her. Her mom tried so hard to make things work. Even with the fights with her dad. They both loved her. Her father who refused to be an adult sometimes. The food fights he caused. The messes they had to clean up after. Her mom fuming afterward. Much like she did with dad gone. Her over protecting, prying into her life. Her mom only wanted to make Natalia happy. Natalia realized it all now.
Too late.
She flipped over. The ground taunted her. Laughed at her. She'd hit it any moment. No one could stop it. Her body tingled. Panic rose in her. Fear and desperation consumed Natalia. The wind around her increased. Like a hurricane. Natalia looked for an Ardent and saw none. The air around her turned violent. Her body burned. Her stomach curled.
She slowed.
Not a lot at first. People on the ground went silent. Natalia puked and it hung in the air around her. Smelling disgusting and grossing her out. Then she stopped falling. She hung in the violent, hissing air. Still no Ardent. How did she stop? What in the world happened?
A news chopper arrived in the sky above. A camera centered on her. Natalia was only ten feet from the ground. She should be dead. Splattered on the concrete, a mess. It didn't make sense. Panic overwhelmed her. Suddenly, the world was even more confusing.
A herd of cars arrived. A dozen police cars, two fire trucks, and one Hero Coalition SUV. They all nodded at each other when they exited. Two Ardents in bright, colorful uniforms, both red and white, walked over. A short female with pur
e white skin and hair, with sparks of electricity shooting from her body, approached next to a slender man with blond hair and several guns holstered. Parts of his body were covered in armor and electronics as if they kept him alive.
“Hello, young lady. I'm Project P,” the man said. From watching the reality show, Natalia knew that sometimes names could give clues to powers. This one must have been experimented on. He nodded to the female. “This here is my partner, Alleviate.”
“What is happening to me?”
“Well, I'd say it's obvious,” Alleviate said. “Welcome to the club.”
It couldn't be. Natalia couldn't be an Ardent. No one in her family had ever been. At least not that she knew of. “I… I.” Natalia couldn't even voice it. She was in shock.
“You're an Ardent.” Project P stepped closer. “You just harnessed some sort of control of the air or the wind or something.” The closer he got to her the more the air blew against him. His hair danced.
“You need to focus. To relax,” Alleviate said.
“What?” The air around Natalia picked up. She rose in the air slightly. It frightened her. It wasn’t easy to focus.
“Clear your mind. Think about coming to the ground and you will.”
“Are you sure?” Natalia had no idea what was going on. She wanted to be down, that much she knew. “Will it hurt?”
Project P shrugged. “It might. It's your first time. I'll try to catch you.”
Natalia cleared her head. The thought of lowering to the ground. To stop the wind. And then the wind stopped. And she fell the last twelve feet to the ground. She landed softly in Project P's arms. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome.”
“I didn't mean to–”
“I know,” Alleviate said. “Here let's take you home. And we can talk.”
Natalia nodded. She rode in the coalition SUV while Alleviate drove her car back to her place. So many things ran through Natalia's mind. Wind control or whatever Project P said. He didn't seem too technical. “How did I stop falling?”