I stared at the old leather-covered journal, its pages yellowed with age. The words, handwritten, seemed to stand out on the page, especially my name, written over and over on the pages. My mother was obviously the author of the journal. 'Calvin and I' was a common phrase in there.
However, there were a few pages scattered throughout the journal that were written in small neat handwriting that was different from my mother's loopy cursive. These pages had intricate notes and sketches, and when I looked closer, the title on one of these random pages read 'Notes from Mr. Frederick Saint'. I looked twice to make sure I was reading the name right. I knew the first time I met Mr. Dougal that he had said he'd known my parents, but I didn't know he knew them this well. Just as I was starting to delve into the journal, as if I hadn't started already, a pale hand waved in front of me. I jumped back out of surprise and looked up to see Crimson's familiar face.
"Morning sunshine," he said.
"God, Crimson, for about the fifth time this week, you've almost given me a heart attack."
The smirk on his delighted face turned into a smile. "I've been waiting for five minutes, just watching you, and you haven't looked up once. Figured I'd snap you out of it before we're late for class."
"Stalker creep," I muttered, and he plucked the journal out of my hands.
Crimson's facial expression changed when he started reading the first pages. "Why is the first sentence 'Is there nothing greater than the love you have for people?'"
I smiled to myself. "Because it's true. And it's a good way to start out a journal to your own daughter."
"Well come on," Crimson handed the book back and gestured to his truck, "andale, andale!"
Now that I had at least a few days of hardcore Sun Weilder training, I was starting to see things in a different way. For instance, when we pulled into our school's parking lot, I was mentally estimating the distance between the roof of the school and the pavement. I was also wondering if I could roast marshmallows with the fire from my hands, but that was probably because I hadn't eaten breakfast.
Getting out of Crimson's truck and walking up to the school building never made much of a scene. That day, though, the universe wasn't up for normal.
We were walking past our school's historical landmark (which, if you ask me, only means that a place is that much more haunted) when I felt a cold sensation touch my fingertips. I jumped back a little bit, seeing that Crimson was on my right side but my left hand had been touched. I swung my head in Crimson's direction to look at him, but he was looking past me, a puzzled expression on his face.
"Hope you don't mind if I join you, Emry," a familiar-but-not-really voice said to my left. I froze.
"Connor?" I asked, looking toward my left. Sure enough, Connor Freida was standing to my left. Connor Freida, a popular boy, who shouldn't have been talking to someone like me, stood in front of me. Connor Freida, with blond hair, blue eyes, dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.
"Well, yeah, that's my name. But I've been called worse, mind you."
I shook my head and looked down at his fingers next to mine. "Shouldn't you be with your, I don't know, posse of girls?"
He smiled down at me. Curse his freaking perfect smile. "Where's the fun in that? I wanted to try something different for a change. Is it alright if I hang with you for today?"
I looked over at Crimson, hoping for him to bail me out in this difficult situation, but he had disappeared. So much for best friends.
Okay, honestly, maybe it was that Crimson wasn't there at that moment, or maybe it was that this guy I'd liked (ONCE) was actually acknowledging my presence, or maybe it was just that I wanted to try something different.
I looked at Connor. "Change is ok. Even if it is the great and powerful Connor Freida."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Believe me, roaming down the hall to my first class next to Connor Freida was not what I had envisioned that morning looking like, and apparently, neither was the rest of the school. I got odd stares, bemused grins, and the occasional death glare from some girls who I didn't even know. I do, though, remember Adagio's astounded face upon seeing me with Connor. Overall, it was kind of like one of my dreams, except this time, I wasn't setting the world on fire, in the literal sense.
Connor, though, looked as if he'd won gold at the Olympics. I figured if I had the surfer-dude-in-Montana look he had, I'd probably hold myself like that too. I imagined what we looked like, the single most popular guy walking next to the least popular girl, but I didn't dwell on the negative thoughts.
Apparently, Connor and I had the same English period, something I hadn't picked up on. So when he plopped in the seat next to mine, I raised my eyebrows.
"I thought that back there was maybe a stab at one of your exes or something. Feel free to leave anytime," I said and rummaged through my backpack.
Connor's eyes searched the room. "Like I said, Emry. Change. Something different. You're something different. And you look like you need some change. Plus, you have to admit, it is cool walking next to me."
I rolled my eyes, but silently agreed with him. Sure, it felt pretty cool being with Connor, seeing the shocked and impressed faces in the hall.
One feeling I couldn't shake, though, was where Crimson had gone. I hoped he had just wanted to be early to his first class, but it didn't seem like him to do that without telling me first.
As the most-boring-of-all-boring English classes dragged on, I propped my head on my elbow, examining the September morning sun. That got me to thinking about Sun Weilders.
So, from what I had heard and seen, Sun Weilders were created so that the Sun might never get too close to Earth, causing the destruction of the world. The way Sun Weilders get picked is they start having these crazy erratic dreams, and these dreams somehow magically get registered in this holy book or something. Then the soon-to-be Sun Weilders get assigned a mentor, and the mentor helps them to learn their abilities and harness their power.
I remember Mr. Dougal saying something about a Sun City, and I started to wonder about that, when I felt a tug at my elbow. I looked over to see Connor, and he mouthed 'Lunch' to me, gesturing back and forth between the two of us. Without giving it a second thought, I nodded.
Once class was over, I walked out, hoping to find Crimson somewhere, when Connor appeared by my side. Not that I minded it, but I wanted to find my best friend.
"So," Connor started, "what do you normally do after school?"
Well, I thought, I go and train with a mentor to learn how to live a secret double-life. I learn how to control the fire that runs through my veins, Connor. Then I realized this was basically a complete stranger I was talking to, not my best friend.
Connor eventually went off to his next class, leaving me to find Crimson. I had a feeling he'd be by his locker, so I headed there. It wasn't that hard to spot a six-foot guy with inches of red hair sticking straight up, and as I weaved my way through the other people in the crowded high school hallway towards his locker, I saw him.
I walked forward and straight into JH. He and Zylan were looking down at me, and Slater was behind them, amused grins stretching across their faces.
"So I see you've moved on from Crimson, huh?" JH asked, making Zylan and Slater laugh.
I scowled at them and said, "Can't people just mind their own business? I mean, JH, I didn't ask about your tattoo or anything."
At that JH turned as red as Crimson's hair. I stepped past the three boys and followed Crimson's receding shape. He was actually going to my locker. Once I caught up with him, I leaned against my locker and faced him.
"It isn't Ditch Emry Day, is it? Remind me to mark my calendar, though."
I thought that would at least make Crimson crack a smile, but he just folded his arms across his chest and looked down at me with a hardened expression.
"Emry, about Connor. He's a nice guy and all but-"
At that I laughed. "You're jealous Chill. I see it in your face."
The corners of his mouth quirked, but his face still looked stern. "That's not it, no. I don't want to burst your bubble or anything but-"
"But you're jealous he spent almost two hours with yours truly. Well, I'll have you know, I'm actually having lunch with him."
Crimson huffed a breath and said, "Fine. But I'm not getting you to the Diner."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was really easy to open up to a stranger at times, especially when that stranger was the most popular guy in your school. At lunch I told Connor about everything, minus the Sun Weilders. About Crimson and my Grandmother, about how I had practically no idea who my parents were, and Connor listened, without asking questions or changing the subject. For some reason, I felt some sense of relief talking to someone about everything, no matter how small it may have seemed.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Crimson didn't lie about after school. After Connor had left, telling me he'd call me sometime, I stood outside the doors of the school, looking at the empty parking space that Crimson's truck had been in this morning. He had left without me.
I couldn't help but be angry at him for ditching me. Did I really deserve it? I wondered.
I noticed my shadow wasn't the only one on the pavement, and I turned around to see Slater, of all people, standing behind me.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to sneak up on you Emry," he said shyly, kicking at some loose pebbles on the ground.
"It's alright. Is there something you wanted to say to me?" I asked, feeling nervous. Why was one of JH's friends here, late after school?
"Yeah, actually," Slater began, "I was wondering how you knew about JH's tattoo."
I thought about what to say. "Uh, I was waiting for Crimson one day and I bumped into him after school. I saw his tattoo but he covered it really quickly."
Slater looked at me with dark eyes. He looked like he was trying to put puzzle pieces together in his head. "JH hasn't really been himself lately. I mean, he'll disappear for weekends at a time, for whole weeks in the summer, and show up acting like he never left. I've only seen his tattoo once, but he covered it and changed the topic when I brought it up."
He seemed to catch himself, and added quickly, "God, I'm sorry. You didn't need to hear that."
I walked a little closer to Slater and nodded. "It's ok. You know, sometimes strangers make the best listeners. Just, uh, do me a favor and tell me if he starts going nutso or something."
Slater nodded and lowered his head. I was thinking of something encouraging to say when I heard a rushing sound of an engine behind me.
I turned around to see a bright yellow sports car in the ironically well-worn parking lot. Behind the wheel sat none other than Mr. Dougal. Relief rushed over me, and gave a sort-of wave to Slater, and jogged over to the car.
I got in, sitting in the most likely genuine leather seats, and raised my eyebrows toward my mentor.
"Oh, whatever," Mr. Dougal laughed, "I have a sports car. So what? At least my best friend didn't ditch me."
I rolled my eyes at him and asked, "How'd you know?"
"Something we mentors are taught to know. When our pupils are in distress, we can sense it."
So I was left to go train with my mentor, to learn how to wield the Sun.
I wondered, though, why Connor Freida, someone who I thought didn't even know I existed, would suddenly spend time with me, of all people. It seemed a little weird, but at the moment it was something I thought was normal.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Thanks again for everything. Sorry for possible grammar mistakes; I'm posting this late at night. Sorry about the long waits between updates. I'm working on it.
~FAORA