by T R Tells
"Man, why don't you mind your own business?" Brodi said with a sinister smirk that would make even Lucifer cringe. He ran his hand through his dirty blond Mohawk and nudged his friend beside him.
I ushered with my hand to let the small boy know to come to me so he could skip in line while they weren't looking.
"Nah, fam, she cool; that's Alessander’s girl. Yo, I heard he might be waking up," Jett said.
I hesitated and furrowed my brows.
"Wait, what did you say? Where did you hear that?" I asked. Someone groaned since I had stopped the line again.
Jett's large shoulder's shrugged, scratching his afro.
I narrowed my eyes at him. I’d find out one way or another.
Someone cleared their throat to get my attention, and I looked away to see the boy, a foot shorter than me, with long curly hair and a high fade that looked like it had been done in a hurry. He had pretty light brown eyes and long lashes, but they were downcast as he faced me, shifting his foot nervously.
"... Thanks, by the way." He was soft-spoken, and I’d almost missed what he’d said.
I smiled. "Of course and I would do it again. What's your name? Why were they bothering you?" As if bullies need a reason to bother anyone.
He hesitated. "... It's Noah. It's because I'm different from what they're used to, probably."
Before I could ask what he meant, the purple and blue cloud above his head grew bigger. My neck started to tingle.
I frowned. I’d never seen it do that before.
"Next in line!" the security guard shouted. Noah was next, and he went through the metal detectors. I couldn't help but stare at him as security passed him back his bag, and he walked down the hallway.
***
My thoughts lingered on what Noah said about being 'different' as I headed toward my locker on the third floor. I hoped that he’d be okay and wouldn't run into Brodie or Jett again.
Let me see if Mahogany made it to school already.
She hadn't messaged me this morning.
We didn't have many courses together since most of mine were on the third floor, but I always walked with her whenever I could.
My arms were crossed and leaned against the side of the wall by her Art class. Several students walked passed me, but none of them was Mahogany's bouncy brown hair.
I was getting worried. There was so much control Mahogany’s parents had over her life, and it made me sick to my stomach.
Ten minutes had gone by, and still no sign of Mahogany, it would be time for my own classes soon.
I pulled out my phone and dialed her number, pressing it to my ear. My heart pounded as the phone’s ringing echoed in my eardrum.
Someone answered the phone. It wasn't Mahogany's voice on the other end, but a gruff voice that sounded like they smoked ten too many packs.
I tried to maintain my composure, but I guess my face must have shown something different because a girl's eyes widened when she walked past me and ducked inside of the Art room.
"Yeah, hi Mr. King; I haven't seen Mahogany and—"
"She's sick," he interrupted me. "Now, stop calling."
The phone clicked off. I stared blankly into space with my lips parted. Not only had the bastard hung up on me, but I knew Mahogany couldn't have been sick. Her dad had probably hit her again and was covering it up.
The first late bell rang, alerting me that I needed to get to class. I angrily stuffed my phone into my side pocket and rushed up two flights of stairs until I reached my locker. I removed my blue peacoat hoodie and exchanged it for the books I needed for class.
I slammed the locker and headed toward my first period.
***
The first four periods slowly droned on. I could barely keep my eyes open during AP government, and I usually loved history. I jumped out of my desk when the fifth-period bell rang and ran out of the classroom. I headed to my locker to put away my books, but while turning the lock, I overheard two girls nearby.
They were both on their phones, laughing at something that happened to them last period. I wasn't interested until I heard them talk about 'The Senior Alessander, who could be waking up after three months in a coma.' I almost dropped my books when they said his name.
I was about to ask them where they heard that from when someone grabbed my shoulders from behind.
Yelping, I reeled my arm back to punch the person when I saw a wild mesh of blonde and realized it was Trey. He held his hands in the air as he started laughing at me.
"Damn it, Trey, I could’ve given you a bloody nose," I grumbled, dropping my arm and closing my locker. The girls had already left.
"Sorry, Hira. I didn't think you were so easily startled." His freckled smile beamed at me, and we walked side by side down the hall.
"Yeah, well, if you do that again I'm gonna kick you in the balls."
"Yikes, please don't. I need those."
I rolled my eyes. "TMI, Trey." We walked together in the direction of my next period gym class. I couldn't help but think about what those girls were saying and if Trey had any idea where people were getting their information about Alessander. "Hey, Trey, did you hear? Some people have been saying that Alessander might be waking up, but I have no idea where they got that from."
I knew that Trey wasn't telling me something because his gaze drifted away from me, and his lips tugged into a frown.
I grimaced as well. "Trey?"
He turned to look at me, then sighed, “Check your phone, the school’s news site.”
I removed my phone from my pocket and went to the school's newspaper. In big black letters the front-page headline said: “Senior Alessander Drake May Wake From Three-Month Long Coma; Unexpected Miracle.” I dragged my thumb along the screen, scanning the article. It briefed on accounts of Alessander's shooting that should’ve been fatal. The explosion of light was also referred, and if the two may have been connected.
I gripped the edges of my phone and scrolled to the top of the page where I saw that it was written by Amelia Bennett, the school's Journalist. In Pokémon terms, so to speak, she was my rival —We never got along in high school because she was a snobby bitch.
I should’ve figured.
I hadn't even realized that I’d said my thoughts out loud untilI saw Trey reaching to tap my arm. He looked concerned.
"Are you going to be okay? Not just about the article, you know. I expected this of Amelia, but wondering if Alessander will actually wake up and worrying about Mahogany left me feeling a bit bummed…” Trey paused and stared intently at the floor. My annoyance at Amelia Bennet faded, and I comforted my best friend by touching his shoulder. He turned to look at me as we stopped walking in the middle of an open hallway.
"I know. I've felt like that too, and I've never given up since. We just have to keep holding out hope, that's all."
Trey sighed and nodded. "Have you heard anything from Mahogany? I tried calling her last night, but I only got a text saying she would call me in the morning."
I pressed my lips together.
"Yeah, I tried calling her, and her dad answered. He said that she was 'sick.'" We both scoffed simultaneously.
Trey tightened his hands into fists and furrowed his brow. "This is bullshit. I can't do anything but sit around while my girlfriend is being abused. This isn't fair, Hira."
I nodded. It sucked that I had this much power, and yet was so powerless. It would’ve been much easier if he had a Fiend and I could get rid of his negative thoughts altogether.
The late bell rang, forcing Trey and I to part ways to our next class.
Chapter Four
The drop in temperature had significantly decreased, but thankfully the gym teacher had enough decency to hold activities indoors. The girls changed in the locker rooms and by the time they walked out to the gymnasium, the volleyball net was already hooked up in the middle of the floor.
I groaned loudly. I hated volleyball almost as much as basketball. When it came to sports, I had the accuracy
and coordination of a blind squirrel.
“Alright, girls, there will be groups one and two. Once your name is called, I will assign you to either group,” Coach Nora announced in a gruff tone. She had her clipboard in hand and began calling out names until all the girls were on either side of the net.
“Let’s go!”
I’d like to say that this was my lucky day, and I managed to hit every strike that came at me, but then I would be lying. Instead, every time I’d go for a spike, I’d end up hitting the net entirely, getting both a whistle and a point for the other team. Not to mention the times I fell flat on my face and skinned my knee. I earned more than my fair share of groans from my team.
“Alright, group one has twelve points, and group two has six points! The game ends at fifteen points or when the bell rings in twenty minutes. Go!”
I didn’t know what was going through Coach Nora’s mind when she tossed the volleyball to me, but I barely managed to catch it. My teammate groaned under her breath, mumbling that I would fumble again.
My face burned, and I swallowed the lump in my throat, squeezing the ball in my hands.
Coach Nora blew her whistle.
I stepped back on my right foot and tossed the ball in the air extending my arm to smack it. Just pretend the volleyball is a Fiend. The ball was coming closer to me. My form was perfect. I was confident I would strike it at the right moment.
—But the same tingling sensation at the back of my neck made me turn my head to see a girl with bright red hair walking through the gym’s double door. The tingling sensation traveled down my spine, just like it did the night before. She didn’t look anything out of the ordinary.
While I had been studying the girl, the ball ended up falling, and I missed its trajectory completely. I crashed forward into the floor and, once again, skinned my knee after it had healed the first time.
I hissed and sat up, holding my knee as the ball bounced off to the side. The other girls surrounded me and shook their heads.
The sound of Coach Nora’s velcro pants caught my attention as she stood in the circle with the other girls. Looking me over, a sigh escaped her lips,
“Why don’t you take a break, Miss Night?”
Crawling off the ground, I hobbled over to the bleachers, and sat down as the game began again. From the corner of my eye, at the other end of the bleachers, Coach Nora handed papers to the red-headed girl.
I furrowed my brows, wondering if this girl was a transfer student or something. Coach Nora walked away from her, blowing the whistle at the other girls, and yelling at them to keep up their form.
I continued to stare at the girl. The tingling feeling didn’t go away, and I wondered what could be the connection. She didn’t have a indigo cloud over her head, like the girl from last night.
“Do you want something?” the girl said without looking up from the papers in her hand.
I froze, and this gave her a chance to look up at me, green eyes narrow and expression dull. Her pinkish lips frowned, and she had unusually pale skin.
I raised my hand in defense, shaking my head.
“Nothing, nothing, I swear… I just wanted to… Get to know you, or something.”
She glared at me, and we stared at one another for the longest time.
“Are you able to feel it, as well?”
I raised my brow. I didn’t know what she was talking about at first until her green eyes suddenly turned violet before turning back.
My eyes widened, and I slid over to her side of the bleachers. The girl backed up and scooted away from me, but she didn’t run, thankfully.
I leaned closer and whispered, “Did you see a bright light too? And have you been experiencing odd things, like things you wouldn't normally?”
The girl brushed her hair out of her eyes and turned to face me.
“How do you know about that?”
I grinned. I couldn’t believe that I found someone else like me.
“Something happened to me three months ago,” I made sure to keep my voice low. “I’ve been given these powers and am able to fight these monsters. Honestly, I thought I was the only one.”
The girl twisted her lips to the side. She sighed and nodded to herself, “It is surprising. I don’t know anything about a bright light. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I don’t really want to be goodie-goodie friends.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled and slid back over to my side of the bleachers. Still, I couldn’t shake off the things she said, who she was, and how she was able to change her eye color at will.
***
Once gym class was over, all the girls went back into the locker rooms to change. The red-headed girl, of course, was already gone. The things she had said still troubled me, and I knew that if I wanted answers, I probably wouldn’t get any from her.
I headed to my sixth-period class, AP Literature. When I stepped into the classroom, the tingling sensation sprouted on my neck again, and I realized that the same red-headed girl that was in my gym class was now in my English class.
I had never seen this girl, and now it looked like she was popping up everywhere.
We locked eyes for a moment, but someone had come through the classroom, shouting my name. I turned around, and a guy with a low fade wearing a brightly colored shirt and Nike sneakers approached me.
“What’s up, girl. How’ve you been?” he asked, resting his arm around my neck.
I cringed, and wanted to move out of his reach to take my seat, but he followed and sat down across from me.
“Solomon, what are you doing in here? This isn’t even your class,” I said, shaking my head. Solomon was someone who knew Alessander when they were kids because his brother knew Benny. They weren’t exactly friends, only two guys who were always saddled up together to be playmates when they were around their brothers.
“Yeah, I know… but I came to see you, girl, so I can sweep you off your feet.”
Ultimate cringe meter.
“Yeah, no thanks. I’m pretty sure you can’t even sweep your mama’s floor.” It was kind of hard ignoring Solomon—sometimes he wouldn’t shut up. While his flirting was harmless at best, he had times he would have a ‘loose lip’, as my mother would say.
“No need to be cold, girl. I mean, I feel you waiting on Alessander and all,” he said, leaning on the side of his desk, “that’s real ride or die of you, but if he doesn’t wake up from his coma—”
And that was where he crossed the line.
I looked at him with a dead expression, and I hoped he knew I was serious.
“Go away, Solomon, before I slap the piss out of you.”
“Well, you heard the lady.”
I looked up, grateful to see Trey. He had walked over near my desk with his hands across his chest. Solomon stood up from his seat.
“If you hadn’t read today’s headline, there’s a very likely chance he’s going to wake up, and he wouldn’t take too kindly to you hitting on his girlfriend. Now, come on and give it a break, Solomon.”
Solomon raised his hands and started to leave, but not right before he winked at me as he went out of the doorway.
Trey sat down in his seat in front of me.
“Why the hell do you put up with that guy?”
I shrugged. “Because I don’t want to get suspended.”
“True, true… How has your day been so far, anyway? You know, with the headlines and people knowing that Alessander might be waking up.”
I almost had forgotten about that.
“I was too busy getting my ass whooped in volleyball, and then to make matters worse, I fell again when I saw some red-headed girl.”
Trey raised his brow and grinned. I punched him in the arm.
“Idiot, not like that.” I leaned in closer to him, maybe Trey would know something. “But behind me is the red-headed girl, why haven’t I seen her before?”
Trey looked up briefly and then back down at me as he leaned forward in his seat. “I don’t have many classes with her
either, but she started showing up three months ago, right around the time you were still in the hospital, but I heard she was home-schooled. She’s usually listening to music on her phone.”
I snorted and leaned away. “Yeah, well, she snapped at me earlier in gym class when I was trying to get to know her.”
Trey pouted and poked out his lips. “Aww, don’t sweat it, Hira, not everyone can love your over-eccentric talking.”
I rolled my eyes. “Haha, thanks.”
The bell rang, and several students, including the teacher, started shuffling into the classroom.
Mrs. Xiong marched in, the sound of her heels clicking behind her. She was wearing a gray pantsuit with a white ruffled shirt underneath. She rested her briefcase on the desk and started to write on the board. "Everyone take out your textbooks to Chapter 46, today we will read Dante's Inferno in the Divine Comedy and discuss the truth behind Dante Alighieri's character as he lost his ‘true path’, and how sin has obstructed his road to enlightenment. In other words, as he journeys through hell to explore the nature of sin."
Everyone flipped through their textbooks. Mrs. Xiong was about to close the door when a girl with copper red hair pushed it open and a guy with layered brown hair followed behind her. I had to admit, despite her attitude coming into the classroom, her attire was on point, as she modeled a Mark Jacobs ensemble.
Trey groaned in front of me. I too, felt the same way.
“Miss Bennett and Mr. Volkov, you’re late to my class again.”
Amelia Bennett had her hand on her hip, and her painted red lips smiled as she swooshed her hair behind her back (yes, she was that 90’s type of character).
“Mrs. Xiong, we’ve already gone over this. I’m the President of the Journalism Club and Alexei is my assistant. We’re bound to be late, and frankly, should be excused. Besides, I’m doing fairly well in this class and can miss out on a lesson or two.”
I rolled my eyes. Amelia Bennett was an ice-cold princess that was as beautiful as she was cocky, and she would never let anyone forget it.
Mrs. Xiong sighed. I was sure she didn’t want to hear any more out of Amelia’s mouth for the rest of the day.