Vires Academy 2 (N/A)

Chapter Two- My Story

“Wait, Ranger," Sasha pulled me back. She held my shoulders, leveling my eyes with hers. "We need to be careful. You need to be more careful. You were lucky this time, but things could've turned out much worse. You need to think before you use your powers, especially in public. If anyone found out about what we can do," she took a step closer. "They'd take us away. Test us. Work out how we work. Nothing good would come of it. Got it?"

"Got it."

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“Are we nearly there?” Joel asked, his face pressed against the cold window glass. We’d pilled into a taxi, working out that it was cheaper for us to go all together.

“Soon,” Sasha answered for the fifth time. Joel gave an exasperated sigh before sinking back into his seat.

“Are you nervous?” I asked, turning from the front seat.

Joel looked up between his eyelashes, keeping his face half hidden. “No.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Then why are you shaking?”

Joel pierced his lips and glanced to his hands. His wrists were jingling on his lap, his fingers entwined tightly. He was about to reply when something caught his attention from outside.

“Oh my god! I see it!” He leapt to the window, leaning in as close as he could to get a better look at the school as it came into view.

Sasha let out a breath as her own gaze went to the school, her expression calm and relived. I wanted to melt into my own seat as I stared at the Academy. It took my breath away, even though I’d seen it countless times before. But with the calm feeling I also felt a knot of butterflies well in my stomach.

“Are you beginning school?” The taxi driver asked me. He’d remained quiet during most of the trip but at our reactions to the school he’d smiled. “My son went to Vires Academy ten years ago.”

“Really? What’s his name? He could be in some of the old school photo’s,” I was excited to talk to someone new. I was still getting used to people, learning the right things to say and counting the number of friends that continually grew. It fascinated me.

“His name is Leo, but I’d be surprised if he was in any of the displayed photo’s,” the driver said with a small laugh.

“Why?” I tried to match his smile and laugh. From the review mirror I saw Joel quirk up at our conversation, leaning in slightly to listen. His fingers had stopped intertwining and were gripping the seat on either side.

The taxi glanced across to me with a coy smile. “You could say he wasn’t much of a star pupil. He was called ‘The Bad Boy’. Girls loved him of coarse, you know how girls are-” I did not know ‘how girls are’ but I just nodded “-but he’d have none of it. One day he snapped, went crazy, and ran away. The school was glad to be rid of him and I’ve never seen him since.”

“Oh…” My eyes widened. Why was he smiling at this? It was a horribly depressing story.

“You don’t have to give me that look,” the taxi driver gave a bark of laughter. “He wasn’t really my son. A bastard of my wife. Sadly she legged it a few years after he was born and left him with me. I’ve regretted giving him up right then ever since.”

I stared at him for some time, frowning slightly as I came to terms with what he was saying. “How old was he when he left?”

“Hmm, I believe he was 16. Yes, it’d been his birthday the week before,” the taxi driver nodded. “He’d be 27 now I guess.”

“So,” I struggled to find a way to phrase my question without it sounding offensive. “Do you love him?”

“Love him!” the taxi driver laughed again. “Of course I did. I raised him. It comes unconditionally for a father to love his child, even if they aren’t of birth. Now though, I don’t know. He’s my past and I’m sure we’ve both changed since I last saw him. I think I’d need him standing right before me to make that decision.”

The Academy was before us now, a line of cars already backed up to the front door. Kids were everywhere; bags strewn across the lawn as kids kissed their families goodbye and parents tearfully hugged their child for the last time. I looked through the faces, trying to find one that I recognised and distract myself from the feelings that were puzzling my mind.

The words the taxi driver had said were playing inside me. Parents should love their child. They should care for them and raise them. They should wave goodbye on their first school days. Sloppily kiss their kids cheek even if they attempt to squirm away. They should love them unconditionally.

I tried not to cry; willing myself not to let the tears spill passed their barriers. But looking outside only made it worse, the reality of my life bombarding my mind. I shouldn’t be feeling this. I should be happy and joyful; I was coming back to the place I loved.

“Ranger? Are you coming?” Joel and Sasha were already out of the car, their luggage beside them. I’d spaced out, just staring at the families before me. Shaking my head I knocked back my tears and began to get out.

“Good luck this year, girl.”

I turned to the taxi driver. He was smiling at me, even after baring his soul to complete strangers. I took in his strength, mirroring his smile as I waved goodbye.

“I’ve got your bag,” Sasha passed me my suitcase. Her expression softened when she saw my flushed face. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” I forced my smile to widen. “I’m just excited to get to school.”

Joel stepped closer and though he was facing me I could see his gaze following the taxi that was peeling out.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing really. I’ve just heard the story about that Leo kid. They say he went completely nuts before he disappeared, even tried to convince a couple of other students to come away with him,” Joel scanned the yard, his eyes wandering up the huge building before us.

“…And did he? Did he get other students to come with him?” I asked, curious about the story.

“A girl supposedly disappeared the same night as him,” Joel shook his head, as if dismissing the whole ordeal. “I’m just surprised that the father of him is a taxi driver.”

“Well he wasn’t his real father. Just adoptive,” I corrected.

Joel glanced my way, a smile present that seemed to look all the way through me. “Right.” He began making his way ahead, his attention turned to the academy he would be staying in.

I ran to catch up with Sasha, who was already hurrying up the steps to the hall. When I got closer she turned, an encouraging smile present on her face as she offered her hand. I took it with a similar smile, slipping my fingers into hers.

The most important thing that I’d done in the summer was telling Sasha about my life. She knew everything, from my fathers beating to my mother’s words and even The Wire.

She’d somehow known I needed to tell her something. She said she’d known as soon as we’d met. But she hadn’t pressured me, had hardly asked me what was wrong. Eventually she’d come up with an idea where I could tell her about it but without having to speak the words.

I’d sent it in an email, something she’d taught me to do. It had taken me three day’s to write the letter. The details so painful I’d broken down numerous times, unable to leave the bathroom that I’d lock myself in. But not once did I go back over my words. Instead I’d just write, never looking back as I told Sasha my story.

The hardest thing to do was hit the send button, because I knew that after I did there was no turning back. I’d sat there for half an hour, staring at the button as my hand hovered above the mouse.

But even after I’d sent it Sasha had come to me, asking one last time if I wanted her to know. She’d taken my hands in her own, sitting down beside me, and promised me that she would not judge, tell, or show about anything that she read.

I’d nodded blankly and she’d left. I’d stayed outside the whole hour as she read through my letter. I took a long walk, preferring to forget about what Sasha would be experiencing at that moment. On my way back to the house Sasha had been at the front porch and when she’d spotted me she’d come running. She’d locked me in a hug, holding me tightly for longer then I could count. We’d cried together. Afterwards we’d walked back to the house, unable to speak until she’d uttered the words.

“I’ll always be here for you.”