Power Within (slowly rewriting)

Chapter 1 - welcome to my world

"Come here," she insists. "I won't bite."

I couldn't help smiling. Mrs. Greene always seemed so nice. She has always treated me like a Queen. Well, she treated everyone like royalty. 

She pushes the tray forward on the counter. I choose a cookie and bite into it. It's warm and chewy. "This is really good!" I declare, reaching for a second one. I hear light footsteps.

"Mom? Is Olivia here?" a gentle voice floats from the living room.

"You should go," she says, shooing me out of the kitchen.

"Hi Liv," Sharon says with a childish grin. She pulls on her backpack and hands me mine.

"Thanks," I say grabbing her arm, pulling her towards the door. "We're going to be late if we don't run," I say.

"I have a better idea..." she says, a mischievous smile spreading across her face. Uhoh, I think. Dropping her bag, she sprints to the back of her house, to her shed. She returns with two bikes. One is her mom's. Without any explaining, she practically heaves her mom's bike into my hands, yanks her bag on, and easily pedals away. I can tell she's laughing. 

Just because I'm small doesn't mean I'm not fast.

Pedaling furiously, my coffee colored hair whips all around me. I catch up to her In about thirty seconds.

"Yoohoo...," I giggle. I turn back to see her expression. She's shocked, her bright cat-like eyes wide. I laugh harder, and continue speeding.

We reach school in four minutes. It is 8:30, which means we've made it just in time. The usual crowd of teenagers and a few younger kids is gathered by the front steps. A fire hazard but they don't really care. I move through the crowd along with Sharon after we park our bikes. No one gives way as usual. 

The day is a blur. Nothing really happens as usual. I just briefly remember wanting to strangle my math teacher from the amount of homework he decided to assign.

The sweet sound of the going home bell rings and I rush out of school. I cram my jacket into my bag and dodge eager students filing out of the school building, searching for Sharon. I spot a thin, slender girl with black hair. "There you are! What took you so long?" I ask.

She doesn't reply, and leads me to the bikes. I grab the handlebars and am about to wheel it, when I hear someone calling my name. I scan the growing group of excited students. I don't see anyone who might be calling me so I shrug and continue to zig zag my way out of the school's parking lot. I hear someone call my name, and then Sharon's. 

Who is that?

"Sharon? Do you hear that? Someone is calling our names," I say, scanning the crowd again.

Still no sign.

"I'm sure it's no one," she says quickly. She starts moving faster, shoving her way out. 

"Wait! Stop! What's the hurry?" I question. Once we're out of the swarm of kids, she turns around to face me.

"Nothing," she says innocently, but I can see something in her cold eyes... hatred. What did I do? I sigh "I have to go now," she says softly. 

"No! Wait!" I grab her wrist. "What's going on?"

A figure in my peripheral is hurtling towards us. I let go of Sharon's wrist and turn. Claire!

" Hey! What happened?" I question, smiling at her. 

"I was calling you from back there," she points, breathlessly, back near the school entrance.