Ignite - A Mutant Academy Novel

Chapter 15

 I kicked my bed in frustration, then sat down on it, my head in my hands. I could feel the anger burning, threatening to spark a fire, but I knew better than to let it rise. Motus had taught me how to calm my emotions, to keep whatever - or whoever - was invading my brain out.

But the anger felt different this time. It wasn't all consuming like usual, rendering me a hopeless mess of flames and emotion, it was more like a fuel, spurring me on, giving me an energy I never usually had. I paced the room, suddenly full of exhilarated movement. Some strange, new part of me wanted to get up and do something...but what?

I didn't go back to sociology that morning. It felt weird, skipping class. I felt like the old me again, and for a moment I realised how much I'd changed. I flung open my wardrobe and groped haphazardly through the rails, not caring as I knocked other clothes off their hangers. The bottom of the wardrobe became littered with items of uniform, some new clothes I'd bought with Amber last weekend, and the skirt I'd borrowed off of Kat for our trip into town. I found what I was looking for, and pulled it on so fast I was surprised I didn't rip through the holes I'd already made in years of use. My favourite hoodie.

I stretched out the sleeves and sunk my hands into them, before wrapping them around my legs as I huddled on my bed, drinking in the scent of old perfume and even older memories.

I was happy here, happier than I'd ever been. But I could never forget where I'd come from.

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I sidled sheepishly up to Amber in the lunch queue.

"Sorry." There was nothing else to say really. She turned around quickly, startled. Then she saw me.

"Oh. Oh, it's ok Rainbow, I should have woken you up this morning."

"I shouldn't have snapped at you, I really am sorry." And I was. My break from lessons this morning had given me time to think about what a cow I'd been.

"I really wasn't feeling myself." And this was true too. Ever since last night in the library I'd had a strange feeling that I wasn't completely here. When I found myself holding the book yesterday - but didn't remember picking it up. The words that had flown so easily from my mouth today - so fast I hadn't even formed them in my head. But how was I supposed to explain this to A? So, I didn't. She shrugged.

"We've been through worse." She smiled at my pained expression. "Too soon?" She teased.

"Always." I said, half smiling, half guilty. But she was right, we always made it through - that was what best friends did.

Holly, Kat and Joe were already sitting at our usual table when we arrived with our lunch.

"...just can't stop thinking about it. It's just so close now! Which reminds me that we, girls, need to go dress shopping." Holly looked at us pointedly as we sat down.

"Umm, what now?" Amber said, tucking in to her chicken pie.

"The Winter Ball?! It's like, a week away and we still haven't got dresses!" Holly used her arms a lot when she talked, especially when she was excited. Joe was sat next to her, and was copying her movements as she spoke to us. It was too hard to keep a straight face.

"What's so funny?" Holly snapped, when Kat sprayed her lemonade over her lunch after a particularly frivolous arm gesture from Joe. Now both Holly and Joe had their arms crossed, their faces pouting. We all pressed our lips together, trying to keep the laughter within from bursting out. Luckily, Kat aimed a kick at Joe which not only stopped him from mocking Holly, but also knocked him clean out of his chair. Now we all had something to really laugh at.