The Mark of a Fallen Angel

36: School

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I answered the door and frowned at Gabriel. "I'd rather stay home."

He smiled softly and reached out to grab my hand. "You need to. If you want a normal life then school will be a big help. You haven't been out of the house since the other night anyway." 

"Can't I go tomorrow or Thursday? It won't make any difference will it?"

He smiled. "We have an exam soon."

My eyes narrowed. "When?"

"A month but we have to prep for it." He winked.

I sighed, picked up my bag and let him pull me out the door. Ever since the Council meeting Saturday night/Sunday morning I'd been craving a memory. I did exactly what Cameron told me to do: I thought about him before I went to sleep. There wasn't much to think about seeming that I didn't know him that well. All I could go on was the council meeting... The way his large hand curled into my hair... The way his luminous blue eyes would betray his every emotion... 
And then I snapped out of it and tried to make my mind go blank again. I'd even tried it during the day but it didn't make any difference. I'm memory-less.

Gabriel opened the passenger door to his Camaro and gestured me in. I rolled my eyes and slid into the leather seat. He was on his side in a second and started the car.

Maryanne hasn't mentioned anything to me about training. Hell, I'm not even expecting her to talk to me at all after the argument the other night.

"Are you nervous?" Gabriel asked.

I grunted.

"Take that as a yes," He chuckled. "Don't worry. Everything will flow--"

"Flow?" I laughed. "I'm going to be seeing people today that I'm supposed to know. How do you think they'll react to me?" I pointed to my hair, face and eyes. "I'm not the same person they knew before. The only people I can remember are Megan, Brian and Jayden. And I'm not exactly on that Stacey girl's good side."

Gabe shifted in his seat and his hand tightened on the wheel. "Her name is Tracey."

"Oh, right." I cleared my throat. "See ,that's one example! I can't go to school."

He laughed again as he turned the final corner.

Over six hundred voices filled my head and ears. I shut my eyes and took deep breaths. There were shouts and there were whispers but there was too much. 

The car stopped and I felt Gabriel's hand on my bandaged one. "A lot of voices huh?"

I nodded slowly.

"You've mastered how to block me out. So try and block them out."

This was true. It was like I'd blocked Gabriel out permanently. Same with him. Sometimes I could hear his voice but sometimes I couldn't.

I concentrated on trying to make the voice not disappear but turn into whispers.

After a moment, the voices eased and turned into a bundle of whispers. It wasn't as bad as before but it was going to have to do until I get the hang of everything.

"Ready?"

I looked in the mirror. From brown hair to black, green eyes to almost grey and from normal facial features to sharp strong facial features. Hell, I was not the same person from last month.

"Everything will be fine." Gabriel said without any confidence at all.

I scowled at him. 

He chuckled and stepped out of his open door. He walked over to my side and opened my door. I took a deep breath and stepped out. My eyes were glued to Gabriel as he took my hand in his and started walking to the main entrance. I ignored all of the voices around me and the eyes I could feel on me.

But I heard the thoughts.

Most of them were who is she and she looks familiar. From the girls I could feel pure jealousy from the natural colour of my hair and from the boys... Well... I'm sure anyone could guess what they were thinking.

I'd made sure to dress like I wasn't attracting any attention! Dark blue baggy jeans which are normal, a white t-shirt, a dark grey zip up sweater and a bomber jacket because it was getting colder.

How is that attracting attention?

Gabriel's hand tightened. "And it begins..."

"Gabriel?" A shrill voice yelled.

I turned my eyes away from Gabe to see an obviously dyed brown haired girl with giant brown eyes. At first she looked quite nice with her infectious smile but then she opened her mouth.

"Where've you been? You haven't been in school for over a week. Who's this?" Her eyes narrowed at me.

"You haven't been in all week?" I asked him.

"I was talking to Gabriel, do you mind?" She said to me with an edge to her voice.

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You're excused." She smiled politely.

How childish! Who does she think she is? Better yet, how old does she think she is?

Her eyes narrowed. "Why do I feel like I've seen you before?" She tilted her head toward me.

Gabriel's hand tightened around mine and we started walking around her. But we both stopped when we heard the angry squeal and upset grunt behind us.

"Alexis? Alexis Gardiner?" The fake brunette said. "Is that you?!"

"Gabriel, what's her name?" I mumbled so low that only he could hear.

He sighed out the name: "Kimberly."

And then my mind snapped.

The memory of her, unfortunately didn't fade, it was just hidden in the dark shadows of my mind.

"It is you! No freaking way!" She walked around me and Gabriel and stood in front of us. Her eyes scanned my body from my face, hair, eyes and body.