Hello. I must tell you all who don't already know that this is a book series this one being the SECOND BOOK in it. If you don't know then you are probably very confused and wonder why I'm not explaining anything. In saying that, if you are liking this story I advise you to go over to my profile and read the first book VIRES ACADEMY.
Please enjoy this story. It took a while for me to decide to do a second book but I'm glad because I'm really enjoying it. Thanks everyone who convinced me to.
I also want to say that the cover on the side was made by the talented Helvetica who did an amazing job designing it. Thanks you so much, I really do appreciate it.
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Chapter Two
Sasha lay on the ground, palms flat down as she bent forward and kissed the runway.
"I love you," she called as she repeatedly kissed the turf.
With shaky limbs I descended the stairs, my hand gripping the railing in fear that my legs would give way. It had been the most terrifying experience of my life. While the power had soon come back on in the plane every passenger in the cabin had lived in fear that the plane would plummet. Only taking a sigh of relief once it'd finally touched ground.
I knew it had been my fault; the lighting I'd shot in the cubicle had somehow messed with the electricity and had caused the blackout. I had not felt guilty while it was happening, only after when I'd looked around and seem the expressions of terrified, scared, and crying people that the emotion had built within me. As soon as we'd touched ground people had fought to get out, Sasha one of the first to do so.
"Are you okay?" Joel spoke from beside me. I nodded my head, not daring to meet his eyes as I continued down the stairs. I knew that if I lost concentration I'd fall. I felt like I wanted to vomit in relief and fear. He hadn’t spoken at all about the incident in the bathroom, only given me sneaking glances that he thought I didn’t notice. But if he wasn’t going to bring up the topic I defiantly wasn’t.
Joel took that answer and moved ahead of me, going towards Sasha instead. He repeated his question to her, in which she'd looked up and gratefully took his hand to stand.
"Sasha,” I bit my lip as I came towards her. "I'm sorry."
"For...For what?" At first she was confused with my apology but then she became curiously cautious.
"I..." I looked to the sky. "...May've had something to do with the blackout."
Sasha glanced to Joel, who was listening in on the conversation. She gave him a look that told him to go away and politely he began to make his way to the terminal. Sasha grabbed my arm, pulling me out of anyone else’s hearing range.
"Did you use your powers?" She got straight to the point, something I’d always admired in her.
"I had to," I tried to explain.
"D...Did anyone see?" We were walking towards the terminal.
I hung my head. "Yes."
Sasha took an intake of breath but I jumped in before she could say anything else. "But it’s fine. Joel’s coming to Vires Academy too. He'll find out about the powers soon enough anyway. I had to do it," I lowered my voice even more. "There was something in the cubicle. A kid with the power of invisibility. He was trying to choke Joel."
Sasha's eyes widened. "There was another kid in there! Why?"
"I have no idea," I shrugged. Looking up I saw that Joel was watching us from one of the windows, following us with his eyes and a stony expression. "Come on, we better head off or we'll be late for school orientation."
“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.”