by Lizzie Rose
‘Are you sure?’ Tommy spoke warily. ‘Are you absolutely sure, Ava? I mean, it’s a wild animal and we have the children around, not to mention everyone else.’
‘Let me show you.’ Looking him straight in the eye, I replayed the memory of how the animal had found and helped me. ‘I’m sorry, I should have mentioned it to you before but to be honest, with everything else going on it just didn’t occur to me.’
The cat pushed his head against my legs and let out a rattling purr. A chuckle came from behind Tommy.
‘Brogan, no!’
The little boy was just out of reach, his arms stretched out in front of him. The cat watched him approach then lay down on the grass and tucked his paws in like a domestic pet. Brogan reached him and flung his arms around the cat’s neck, cuddling into the warm fur. The creature nudged him gently with his nose and purred again. I looked up at Tommy who was staring open mouthed.
‘Is it ok if he stays?’
The creature rolled on to his back with his paws in the air so that Brogan could tickle his tummy. Tommy rolled his eyes. ‘As long as it doesn’t eat any of us, I guess its ok.’
I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on the grass, leaning against the cat and playing with Brogan. On discovering that I could make objects fly too, we spent quite some time sending items zooming around in the air. Brogan particularly liked it when I made Tommy’s burger fly around the garden, just as he was about to take a bite out of it. We were in the middle of a buttercup race when Oscar and a group of his friends arrived.
‘Whoa! What the hell is that?’ A particularly tall, gangly young man pointed at my feline friend.
‘It turns out that the myth of the Moors Monster is true,’ Brock told them jovially as he flipped some burgers over on the grill. ‘And Ava here has not only found it but has tamed and befriended it.’
‘Sweeet!’ The man whistled and came over to sit next to me. ‘But what is it? Can I touch it?’ He reached out tentatively and touched the creature’s back.
‘I think it’s a panther,’ Tommy replied. ‘There were rumours some years ago that someone in a nearby village was keeping some big cats in their garden. The law enforcement people were called in because of complaints from the neighbours, but the guy let the creatures go before they got there. They were supposed to have found them all but then people kept reporting sightings and the stories took hold. I have to say, I didn’t believe a word of it until now.’
The man looked at me carefully as though he were assessing me. ‘I’m impressed,’ he said at last. ‘I’m Noah by the way and you must be Ava.’
‘That’s right.’ I nodded, shaking his hand. Several other people came to sit with us. One of them handed Noah a plate laden with food which he promptly began to stuff into his mouth.
‘Nice, Noah.’ Oscar rolled his eyes. ‘Ava, meet Kenzie . . .’ A girl with jet black hair streaked with purple, a small metal stud in her nose, and several tattoos on her arms waved and smiled at me. ‘Lissa,’ a mousey haired girl sitting next to Kenzie smiled and nodded, ‘and this is Skye . . .’
‘I’m Oscar’s girlfriend.’
I looked up curiously at the girl who had spoken. She was very pretty with wavy brown hair and hazel eyes, yet her tone of voice and body language were hostile. She surveyed me with cold eyes, then made a point of fawning over Oscar. I decided to avoid her as much as possible.
*
As the light faded, Brock and Tommy lit lanterns and placed them around the garden. The panther stirred behind me. ‘You should go,’ I murmured. ‘It’s probably not a good idea for you to come here too often in case you get seen by someone.’ He purred and nuzzled against my back then sprang lightly to his feet and disappeared into the darkness.
‘You have got to be kidding me. You can’t possibly rate that racket as music. It’s rubbish!’
The voices broke through my thoughts and I turned back to listen.
‘What sort of music do you like, Ava?’ Kenzie asked me.
‘I don’t really know. I’ve never really heard much music.’
‘Really?’ Noah tipped his head and regarded me. ‘How come?’
‘It just wasn’t something that we listened to.’
‘Ever?’ He raised an eyebrow at me. ‘What about TV?’
‘My mother never let me watch it. She said it would give me the wrong impression about people. I was allowed books though.’
‘What type of books do you like?’ Gwen called over from one of the reclining garden chairs.
‘Cookery books,’ I replied. ‘I love seeing how people start out with raw ingredients and end up with a piece of art. But anything factual is fine.’
‘Well, I’ve got lots of cookery books which you’re welcome to borrow. Some are quite old and have regional recipes in.’
‘That would be great, thank you.’
‘Can you actually cook though?’ Noah asked.
‘Yes, my mother taught me when I was younger. Actually, come to think of it, she played the piano at the hotel she worked at so I did hear some music. It was about the same time I found out I could communicate with animals too.’
‘Come on then,’ Noah settled back on the ground, shuffling until he was comfortable, ‘tell us what happened.’
‘Well, one day Mother took me to the city zoo. It was the middle of the week so she thought it would be quiet. The animals were amazing, but it was the other children that interested me the most. Some were well behaved but others were awful. One boy caused trouble wherever he went. We followed a sign to the polar bear enclosure to try and get away from him. The path went underground into a viewing tunnel but the water was so cloudy we couldn’t see a thing. Then the boy came down the tunnel and pushed me out of the way. I remember putting my forehead against the glass, trying to block him out and the next thing I knew, I was staring into a pair of black eyes. The bear floated right up to the glass and the boy jumped up and down beside me, yelling at the top of his voice. I screamed “Stop it!” at him and at the same time, the polar bear bared its teeth and swam at the boy. Even though the glass was protecting him, it was still really scary. The boy screamed and ran away up the tunnel. My mother was furious with me – she was convinced I’d done it on purpose. When we got back out into the open the bear was out of the water and was watching as we walked around the edge of the enclosure. It roared really loudly and we ran all the way home.’
‘So was that the first time you realised you had powers?’ Gwen asked.
‘No, I’ve always known I had them but they’ve grown much stronger recently. When I was younger they kept bursting through when I got really angry or upset. The only time I was ever allowed to play with other children was when we came across an open-air ice skating rink one winter. I begged Mother to let me have a go and she gave in. I copied what the other people were doing and took to it really quickly. But then I noticed a little girl at the side of the rink crying because her sister had left her alone. I helped her learn how to skate and she was so proud of herself. As she skated past her sister, she looked up with this huge smile on her face but her sister said something nasty to her – I can’t remember what now. I was furious though and my powers erupted from me and knocked the sister off her feet. Everyone laughed except for Mother. She said that she saw the powers coming out of me, like a ripple on the wind or something. After that, she wouldn’t allow me anywhere near other people in case I hurt someone. And I had to try and stay calm all the time, so I basically had to stay inside all day long and only go out for a short walk with Mother at night.’
‘That’s awful.’
I shrugged. ‘Mother did what she thought was right but it was very lonely. Actually, I just remembered a song that she used to sing to me. It must have been years ago.’
‘Come on then, let’s hear it,’ Noah requested.
‘What, now? You want me to sing?’
‘Yep,’ he nodded, ‘let’s see what you’re made of.’
Closing my eyes, I let the music
come to me. I could hear my mother singing along in my head, her voice so clear that it felt as though she were close enough to touch. But then the image of her lifeless body swam into my mind and the song caught in my throat. Something built up inside me fast and the ground underneath me shook. My eyes flew open and I saw the faces of the people around me. They were scared. Some were crowding in on me, their mouths moving soundlessly. They were too close. Terrified, I tried to suck the powers back inside me. My body convulsed as a wave of pain forced my back to arch away from the ground. It felt as though my insides were melting. And then, suddenly, as though a switch had been flicked, the dark sky seemed to fall towards me until I could see nothing else.
*
I woke up in my bed. Brock was perched next to me, his face several shades paler than usual.
‘Are you ok? Sorry, it’s a stupid question.’
‘It’s ok, I’m all right.’ I flexed my fingers and gingerly moved my legs. Everything ached but that was nothing new. The memory of what had happened seeped into my mind like grains of sand falling through an egg timer.
‘I did it!’ A huge grin stretched across my face. Brock raised his eyebrows in alarm.
‘Did what exactly?’
‘I stopped my powers.’
He frowned, his brow wrinkling. ‘Why?’
‘Don’t you see?’ I sat up in bed and stared at him wide-eyed. ‘I managed to pull them inside me so that I didn’t hurt anyone.’
He sat very still, regarding me carefully. ‘Are you telling me that in order to protect us from your powers you put yourself through excruciating pain by turning them in on yourself?’
‘Yeah, kind of. But the main thing is that no one got hurt.’
‘Except you.’
‘That doesn’t matter.’
‘Of course it matters! You matter, Ava! Seeing you like that, in so much pain . . . it was awful.’
My grin vanished. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.’
‘Well, perhaps you could work on a way of controlling your powers which doesn’t involve ageing me twenty years?’
‘I’ll try,’ I promised. ‘Is everyone else ok? Are they upset with me?’
‘No, not at all. They’re worried – we all are, especially Oscar. He didn’t want to leave until he knew you were ok. Right now he’s flat out asleep on the sofa.’
‘He is?’
‘Yep. Esther’s covered him up with a spare duvet so we’ll leave him there for the night. As long as you’re ok, that’s the main thing.’
‘I’m fine.’
Brock squeezed my hand gently then left the room.
*
I woke up feeling refreshed and full of energy, after the best night’s sleep I’d had in a long time. Esther insisted that I stay in bed, though, and brought up endless trays laden with chicken noodle soup, homemade bread and all sorts of wonderful treats that she’d baked for me. When Oscar came to see me on the Friday evening, I practically begged him to talk to her.
‘Actually,’ he grinned, ‘I was going to speak to her anyway. My friends and I are going to meet up at the diner tomorrow. Would you like to come?’
‘Really? Are you serious?’
‘If you want to.’
‘I do, I do! Absolutely I do!’ Flinging my arms around his neck I hugged him then, realising what I’d done, I scampered back under the covers, my cheeks blushing furiously. Oscar threw back his head and laughed loudly.
‘So that’s a yes then?’
‘Yes, it’s a yes,’ I replied.
‘Great. Well I’d better go check its ok with your guardians.’ He got up and walked across to the door.
‘Oscar?’ He paused and looked back at me, his eyes shining with humour. ‘What’s a diner?’
He let out a bellow of a laugh and left the room shaking his head.
Chapter Six
Esther made me sit downstairs in the lounge for the entire next day so that she could keep an eye on me. When three o’clock came, she looked me over with a critical eye, pushed some money into my hand then bundled me out of the door into Oscar’s car. Music blared from somewhere by my knees and Oscar sang along cheerfully.
The diner was situated to the north of the town in a small industrial park. It stood alone, in front of a huge shopping centre. Inside, there were tables in the middle of the room and large booths around the edges. Neon lights flashed overhead and a large juke box stood against one wall, churning out pop songs. At the far end of the room was the kitchen area. Dozens of people in yellow aprons were rushing around trying to get orders ready. Oscar led me over to a booth which was already occupied by Noah, Kenzie, Lissa and Skye, who gave me a strange look and went back to her conversation with Kenzie. Remembering my exit from the barbeque, I felt the warmth of a blush creeping across my cheeks. Noah was the only one who greeted me as though nothing had happened. He gestured for me to sit next to him and I did so gratefully. Skye patted the seat next to her and Oscar slipped in beside her.
We’d been there about five minutes when a harassed looking girl wearing a yellow cap and apron approached our booth.
‘Hiya, what can I get you?’
‘Hey, Beth, how are you?’ Oscar smiled at the girl.
‘Oh, it’s you,’ the girl smiled back, wiping the back of her hand across her brow. ‘I’m ok, thanks. Is it the usual tonight?’ She looked around the table and stopped when she got to me. ‘Oh, hi!’
‘Sorry, Beth, this is Ava. Ava, this is Beth.’ We smiled at each other. Beth had a pretty face with gentle pale blue eyes, freckles across her nose and dark red hair which was tied back in a chunky plait. ‘And yes,’ Oscar continued, ‘we’ll have the usual. How about you Ava? What would you like?’
‘Um . . .’
‘The others have the burger and fries,’ Beth explained, ‘apart from Kenzie who has the veggie burger. Would you like to try one of those?’
‘I’ll try the veggie one please.’
The diner door opened and a group of youths entered. Beth looked over at them and groaned. ‘Oh, great. Just when I thought this evening couldn’t get any more fun,’ she muttered before rushing back to the kitchen.
For a while I sat quietly, watching the other customers. The little group that had just come into the diner caught my eye more than the rest. They’d headed over to a booth directly opposite where I was sitting, which had been occupied by a couple of younger boys who’d vacated their seats immediately, leaving half their meals behind. The three boys and two girls then slouched into the booth and sat waiting to be served, banging their fists on the table and shouting insults at the waiting staff.
‘They’re a right bunch of idiots,’ Noah said quietly in my ear. ‘They’re always upsetting someone.’
‘Why?’
‘Because they can,’ he shrugged. ‘The one with the buzz cut is Connor. His dad, Marcus, is the security manager who came to the farm looking for you. Connor thinks he’s untouchable.’ Noah scowled. ‘The others just follow in his shadow really.’
‘I’ve seen them before,’ I realised. ‘The first night I came into town. They scared me. Are they Nexes?’
Noah snorted. ‘The only power they have is the power to cause chaos and get away with it. Doesn’t make them any less dangerous than us though. Oscar told me what happened at the bus stop. Funny how there’s never any security around when it’s them that’s causing trouble.’
‘Tell me about it,’ Oscar agreed, twisting around to see the group. ‘Connor’s a nasty piece of work at the best of times and Tariq – that’s the guy with the longish dark hair; he’ll do whatever Connor tells him to. He’s big into martial arts. The other guy, Nathaniel, is ok when he’s on his own but when he’s with that lot he turns into a right tosser.’
‘What about the girls?’ I asked. The one with the long blonde hair seemed to be draped across Connor and the other was talking animatedly to Tariq. ‘Is that Connor’s girlfriend?’
Kenzie let out a bark of a laugh. ‘She wishe
s! It’s disgusting really – just look at her. She’s all over him! You’d think she’d have learnt her lesson by now but she just lets him string her along no matter how badly he treats her. You should see them at college – Chantelle practically sits on his lap half the time.’
‘When she’s not in the bathroom crying because he’s been flirting with another girl,’ Lissa put in quietly. I was about to ask another question when we were interrupted by a waiter who carefully unloaded a tray full of food and drinks on to our table. The smell was incredible and I was happy to immerse myself in the new flavours and textures for a while.
Across the other side of the diner, Beth emerged from the kitchen area carrying another tray, which had several plates of food on it. She was walking with a look of grim determination on her face towards the booth where Connor and his friends were sitting. Tariq stuck his foot out just as Beth came level with them. She didn’t see it and tripped, squealing loudly as she fell forwards. The tray flew up into the air and the plates and their contents came crashing down, all over the floor. Sitting with my burger halfway to my mouth, I watched in shock as poor Beth tried to pick herself up whilst Connor and his friends doubled up with laughter. A middle-aged man rushed out of the kitchen and across to the table. Connor contorted his face into an angry expression and spoke loudly enough so that the whole restaurant could hear him.
‘For fuck’s sake, she’s ruined our dinner! Can’t you employ some decent staff?’
‘That’s quite enough.’ The man glared at the group. ‘There’s no need for that kind of language. This is a family establishment.’
‘There’s every need,’ Connor retorted. ‘She’s splashed my shirt, look!’ He pulled the bottom of the fabric up so that the manager could see. ‘The very least you can do is replace our dinner for free.’
‘It was an accident,’ the man replied coldly. ‘I will sort out some replacement food straight away and we’ll bring you some free desserts when you’re ready. Can you clear that up please, Beth?’