After John walked me to class, the rest of the day seemed to pass a little differently.
I found myself in gym class waiting to see him and wasn’t disappointed when he ran alongside me on the track field. During our routine exercise, he was playing football with his classmates. He stopped to admire me. I could tell the way he was trying to look when the coach had us doing our stretches and bends. I motioned to him, but it was too late. A group of his classmates tackled him.
John pushed his way from underneath them without any trouble. He had to pretend he was a little sore, or else he would’ve raised to many suspicions. It was not the norm for a young guy like John to be so strong. Well, not as strong as John was capable of being. He made a silly face when he caught me still looking. He looked embarrassed as he made his way to the table where the water and cups were set.
John kept his eyes on me as he took a drink, I smiled as he blew me a kiss, and watched as his teammates pulled him back into the game, seeing he wasn’t injured or limping. I laughed as he shrugged and hurried alongside them. I knew he wanted to be by my side, but he had to pretend he was this guy he wasn’t for the sake of his job.
Moving in on my guy. God, I hate her! Who does she think she is? I heard someone’s thoughts.
When I spun my head searching for the person who had said them, I caught Rachel’s fiery stare as she stood a distance with her friends. They were all dressed in cheerleader uniforms. Her arms crossed. She gave me the stink eye.
The teacher called the class back inside into the locker room to change.
Rachel and her friends wouldn’t stop glaring in my direction or talking about what a horrible person I was. They believed I had stolen John away from her because I was some kind of witch who put spells on unsuspecting hot guys like John.
There was a lump in my throat, and I almost broke down, but she wasn’t going to get to me. John loves me. Doesn’t he?
Claudia, his voice echoed in my mind.
I’d almost forgotten how connected we were now. It was so strange to find him in my head and for him to feel my pain when he didn’t have his watch on full frequency.
What’s wrong? Claudia.
I’m fine, I answered, swallowing hard, burying back everything I felt.
You don’t feel fine, he continued. Meet me in the hall after class.
I tried to keep Rachel’s name out of my mind.
What’s she done? John suddenly asked. Unfortunately, I had failed.
Nothing. I’m fine. Trust me, I thought back as I put on my jeans and pulled my hair back.
Meet me outside. We’ll walk together.
He was concerned.
Of course, I am.
I walked out as the period ended. When John found me in the hall after class, he rushed over. He was happy to see me, but he could see the distress in my face. He lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.
“What happened?”
“Nothing,” I whispered.
John grinned beautifully at me, tilting his head sideways. “Miss Belle, you know I can feel everything you feel, your pain, your sadness. So, don’t lie to me, please.”
I exhaled deeply. John’s eyes were sparkling, the gold flecks had returned to them. Is that the magic that connects us, revealed in his eyes whenever we are close? Even at a distance, he could sense me as I sensed him. We could speak to each other in our minds. I loved it, but is it something I can control?
A group of guys walked out of the class moving past us.
“Come on, John, we’re headed to lunch,” one of them said.
Rachel was among them, as well as two other girls. She waved at him, even had the nerve to blow him a kiss. John rolled his eyes.
I walked away. John hurried after me.
“Come on, John, join us,” Rachel called over to him. “I’ll save you a seat.”
“Your fans are calling you. You sure you want to talk to me? Looks like they want you,” I angrily said. I was a little jealous and maybe being rude.
Rachel laughed aloud. She must’ve been happy she had gotten a rise out of me. She joined her cheerleading friends. They shot me dirty looks as they stopped to wait for John a fair distance down the hall.
“Aren’t you joining them?” I rudely asked, moving quickly away from him.
John grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me to him, studying the look of annoyance on my face. “Hey what’s wrong? Don’t do this. I love you,” he said.
There was a penetrating heat pouring from my body and the emotion was consuming him, too. It was making the gold in his eyes dance again. The sensation was so hot it looked like it was hurting him, but I couldn’t stop.
“Don’t be jealous.” He grabbed me gently. “Baby.” John cupped my cheek then took my hand and put my hand against his chest. The sensation raced from his body into mine right away.
I froze staring up at him as it hit me.
“Claudia?” John grabbed me as I caught Rachel looking over. He saw her as well. He quickly kissed me. A chill raced through my veins. This is how I feel about you, Miss Belle. You know I’m crazy about you. You can feel it.
As he pulled me back I caught Rachel hurrying away angrily with her friends. John held my cheek once more.
“I love you. I don’t care about any of them. You know that. Come on. Have lunch with me, Miss Belle.” He took my hand and led me into the stairwell.
“Where are we going?” I asked knowing the cafeteria was in the other direction.
“Just come with me, beautiful.”
John led me deeper into the stairwell and up to the second floor. Minutes later we were sitting on the same ledge and hall he had rescued me from the shadow, and a few steps from where he had chased me up the stairwell.
“You remember that end over there?” John asked. pointing at the end of the hall where the stairwell ducked down to the first floor. I nodded, now feeling a little more like myself. Not sure why I had lost control over something so foolish.
“How could I forget, Mr. Slat— Müller,” I corrected myself. “That’s where you chased me up the stairs.”
He laughed, chewing on the granola bar he had taken from his locker.
“Chased? I believe I was merely trying to introduce myself, Miss Belle.” John grinned. “You were just playing hard to get.”
I laughed.
“I hope this is suitable for a first date,” he said referring to the granola bars.
“Granola bars and a window view of the library… This is the best date ever,” I said through my laughter.
John chuckled. “I promise I’ll take you to a better place once we can—”
I came closer until his full attention was on me. The ugly feeling, I had felt only moments ago was gone. “This is perfect, John Slater,” I interrupted him.
“Claudia, you’re so amazing, in every way. You don’t know how much I love you.”
I did and it made me further question why I had suddenly reacted the way I had done so. “Yes, I do.” I boldly said while tapping the side of my head gently.
John laughed. “True, but can’t I just have one, Miss Belle?”
I smiled.
“Can you just pretend not to know?”
“Do you really want me to?”
“No, you’re right.”
I lean against him.
“I wish I could join you and Joseph on this dinner,” I said. His words had made me wish it could be more normal between us.
“It’s best you don’t,” he replied knowing immediately what I was referring to.
“I know. The man seriously scares me.”
“Yeah. He scares me, too, but only because he’s looking for you and I can’t bear the idea of something happening to you. Or of him being the one to inflict any harm on you.”
“What does he want with someone like me? He doesn’t plan to eliminate me like the others, does he?”
John wondered how I had known, but it didn’t take him that long to figure it out.
“No, not with you. I can’t begin to know what he wants, but it can’t be good. The man is a scientist. He’s worked on a lot of projects. I was once one of those.”
I gazed over at him, perplexed at the very idea of such a thing.
“In what way?” I asked.
I didn’t feel any sadness from him, just acceptance. “It took me a while to realize what I was. I was always a curiosity, but in truth, I was just an experiment like all of those other things in his lab.” John took a deep breath before continuing. “He used to watch me during my training, each simulation he gathered more information. I wasn’t sure if he was looking for the fighter in me or something else. He told me I was special, that I was an anomaly that would help him gather all the elements he required to complete his experiment. What that was, he never said. Then, I joined the Venator’s division. Ten cadets were chosen for their skills. None could do what I could do, but they were the best of the best. They could keep up with me. They were like my brothers.”
“Do you miss them?” I asked.
There was a glow in him, but again nothing but acceptance of what road he had taken. John smiled pushing back a lock of my hair. “I do, but if I had to choose between you and returning to them, you would always win. I had nothing until you came into my life. That’s the honest truth. I feel like I’ve been missing something and now, I know what that thing is, Miss Belle.” He held my cheek and brought his lips to touch mine.
John let a breath escape. “You’re the only thing that matters to me now, darling.”
I exhaled.
We kissed. A flash of his dream intoxicated his thoughts. Heavy breath stirred the tiny hairs on my arm, sending a chill up my neck.
“Soon,” he breathed in a whisper.
My fingers ran through his hair, pulling his face to my mouth. Something inside him exploded when I did that. I could hear the beating of his heart hitting the top of my head. I wondered what we looked like at that moment. In my head, I could see a yellow light surrounding us. It was making both of us glow brightly, like two stars expanding and spreading over the hall.
I exhaled deeply feeling the warmth and the sensations racing inside me, I was tingling and alive. A flash of the dream submerged me into his mind. John was over me. I could see the gathering of sweat beads on his forehead. There was a sheer pleasure on his beautiful face, along with an agonizing desire. He closed his eyes and welcomed it fully. It was overwhelming. There was no fight, no struggle, just delighted acceptance. We were at peace for a moment.
John pulled back. His breath was heavy, and his face was perspiring slightly. “What just happened?” he gasped.
There was a tiny grin on his lip.
I was unable to answer because I was in the same condition. A light sweat had gathered over my flushed cheeks.
John’s eyes were glowing madly.
We were both trying to catch our breaths after that strange loss of control.
Neither of us understood it, but our brief kiss had taken us beyond, into our deepest desires for one another. Our connection seemed to be getting stronger.
“I liked that,” John said through panted gasps.
I was breathing in the same manner and fell into his arms. John held me tightly until the bell rang.
Our moment was over much too quickly. John kissed me and walked me to my next class. The day was slowly coming to an end. I couldn’t wait to be with him again.
“Meet me in Joseph’s office after school, okay?” he said.
I gave him a nod. “I’ll have to stop by Michael’s room and let him know,” I said.
John reached over to kiss me before he left me by the classroom door. My classmates were glaring back at me. Did I miss something?
Whispers about why John was with me caught my ears.
I thought he was with Rachel, their thoughts said.
I took my seat and tried to avoid their accusing eyes or their harsh words, both spoken and unspoken.
While in class, I asked to be excused to go to the bathroom. As I went into the hallway, I saw a group of cheerleaders in the hall heading to practice. I thought nothing of it, even after I got a few ugly looks. Their eyes were accusing me of taking another girl’s guy. I had done no such thing. John was with me because he wanted to be with me.
After finishing up, I went to the sink and washed my hands.
I was ready to head back to class when Rachel entered. She wasn’t alone, two of her cheerleader friends were with her. I didn’t pay much attention to them until they blocked my path to the door.
I tried to move around them but each time I did, they blocked me again. A long sigh escaped my mouth, already fed up with their childish display.
“Move,” I boldly said.
I wasn’t in the mood for their insults. They could do it from afar where I couldn’t see them, even if I could hear them. They were lucky my anger didn’t get the best of me, or they would trip on their shoes or some freshman would spill their dessert on them.
“I just wanted to talk to you.” Rachel smirked.
Her two friends were standing beside her, trying their best to look scary. Occasionally, they switched their focus to peer into the mirror and check their makeup. Rachel was more focused, but even she couldn’t resist the call of the mirror.
I huffed, frustrated. I really had no time for them.
“Talk?” I glared at them.
“You know, have a chat regarding why you think you can hang around John? Or why you think it’s okay to take another girl’s guy?” Her girlfriends laughed as she continued, “You know he’s out of your league.”
“Way out,” Rachel’s friend added.
“Maybe he took an interest in you because he felt sorry for you. No friends, no parents, and no grandfather,” she said as she mocked a sad expression. “You know, like someone who adopts a sick little puppy?”
“Move,” I said as I beamed my angry eyes at her.
Claudia, what’s wrong? John’s voice came into my mind.
I tried to avoid thinking of Rachel’s name.
Nothing. This girl was interfering in my life far too much.
Miss Belle, talk to me.
His voice faded when I pushed him away. I had not intended to, but my anger was making me lose control again. There was a distorted tug fighting between us.
“You know, he asked me to prom first. What did you do to make him change his mind? Did you put one of your weird spells on him?”
Her friends laughed in support.
“You’re so weird and strange just like your freaky grandfather. What would any guy ever see in you? What did you do to John to get him so wrapped around your finger?” She sneered.
My mouth dropped slightly, shocked by her words.
“You’re not very much to look at.” Rachel said with a frown, taking a step closer. “Maybe he pities you.”
Her annoying friends began to giggle.
“You make me sick. Stay away from John Müller, he’s mine. Tell him you don’t want to go with him to prom. Make it easy on yourself before he comes to his senses and drops you or pulls a Carrie on you at Prom. You’re not good enough for him.”
Biting hard on my lip, tears began to pool in my eyes. I held strong, swallowing the lump that was stuck in my throat. The voices started fluttering. Not now, but I couldn’t silence them. I couldn’t concentrate on anything but Rachel’s cruel words. I didn’t want to lose control, not in front of her. It would’ve just confirmed everything she had just said.
Get a grip, I told myself. But the voice chattered and chattered. I heard Quentin from afar.
My pet, hear me. I know that you can, you must. Then, his voice became staticky and distorted. I’ve been in search of you. Please come to me, I need you.
“I said, move,” I yelled.
Above us a pipe began to raddle, Rachel and her friends startled, looking up before it exploded. Water poured all over them as I backed away. Rachel’s two companions started screaming as they became soaked.
Her two friends raced out of the bathroom leaving Rachel alone. Completely soaked, her mouth parted slowly. The rage I had seen in her eyes was no longer there. Now, there was fear and confusion in her gaze. She looked up at the pipe, then, over at me.
“You’re a freak,” she shouted backing away, then ran out.
The sound of her cruel words ‘freak’ echoed as the bathroom door slammed shut. The stalls shuddered, but it wasn’t from the slamming door. It was from my anger. There was a sudden vibration, as each toilet flushed simultaneously. The doors of the stalls slammed each one by one, then it was quiet.
Standing there, I glanced at the pipe above me. I knew what had frightened her. The water was cascading to the floor, but it had not touched me. The water was falling in an unnatural pattern completely avoiding me.
I should have been scared that she would tell others, but I wasn’t. I didn’t care. Why hide who I was, or what I could do any longer. I just wanted to be me. Normal was something I could never be, and quite honestly, I didn’t want to be. What was making me feel this way?
Claudia? John called. He was concern, but as soon as his voice reached out, he became distorted. His voice began to fade, something was coming between us, like changing the channel of a radio station.
In that moment I realized if I could concentrate long enough I could move the pipe. At first, it was the stalls that began to rattle, then stopped, before it was the pipe that slowly moved. I willed it to bend back into shape, to reconnect to the other end of the pipe. With that, the water suddenly stopped.
Again, just as before with the pipe, I concentrated on a small puddle on the floor. The water began to spin into a small whirlpool then into one of the toilets, where it flushed away.
With the water gone, it was as if nothing had happened. I was getting better at this. I wondered how I had grown so good at controlling my abilities. Was it my brief encounter with Quentin? Or was something in me changing? I didn’t know how to feel about that.
My pet, I heard Quentin’s voice say.
It was all that was getting through to me now. I felt him closing in on me, calling to.
Come. Don’t be afraid this is who you are meant to be.
Coming out of the bathroom, I walked down the hallway. The bell rang. Students suddenly scattered out of their classrooms and the hallways were busy again. I moved through the crowds with ease. My ability seemed to be taking control of me. I felt free and alive, in control for the first time. I could let it consume me.
Yes, allow it through, Quentin said. Let it flow from you, my love. This is who you are, this is who we are. Together, we will be stronger than anything anyone has ever encountered. No one will ever oppose us. Now, come to me.
I continued moving past other students. Anyone who was in my way, I simply shifted slightly and walked on.
Above, the bell rang again, and the busy halls emptied. It became quiet.
I continued down the hall toward the side doors, past the cafeteria. The doors leading to the parking lot opened for me without me so much as touching them. I stepped out as they slammed shut behind me.
There I stood; the voice grew louder.
My pet, I feel you. You’re growing stronger, his voice rejoiced.
I closed my eyes tightly and felt light-headed. I felt alive and light as a feather, rising and rising.
You’re growing stronger, he said again. I feel you—but, I fear, so can he. I heard a faded shrieking. He knows. He’ll come soon. Come to me before he nears.
My eyes opened, and I found myself sitting on the edge of the building, gazing down onto Broadway Street below. The sky above me was clear as a warm breeze blow my hair, tossing the strands back against my face. Below, the yellow buses were starting to arrive and line up at the side of the school. I felt the air blowing through my hair.
My pet, I heard his voice again. You are strong enough to open the portal and come to me. Concentrate, and come to me, he beckoned.
I nodded obediently.
Before me, a light began to slowly appear starting with a tiny spin, it grew and grew a little at a time.