Picture of the Cassidy I imagined on the side.
Chapter 1
I was certain today would be full of bad luck. It was my first day of school. My parents had already gone to work when I woke up. My alarm did a horrid job at waking me up this morning. Instead of being quicker when getting ready, I was taking longer with anything I did.
I blamed it all on accidentally oversleeping two hours.
I was on my way to school thinking of how sleepy I felt, how crappy this new school would probably be, and how dumb I was for forgetting to eat breakfast.
I was usually hungry in the morning. If I didn’t eat, I would get cranky until I did.
It didn’t come as a surprise when I got lost a few times on the way. I checked my phone to see it was already nine in the morning by the time I slipped into the school’s parking lot.
‘The teachers would definitely love me for being an hour late the first day of school,’ I sarcastically thought to myself.
I was walking as fast as I could toward the main building. When my messenger bag started giving me trouble, I tried adjusting it to my side. Since I was too distracted with my bag, I only looked up in time to see a guy running past me trying to get inside the door.
As he passed me, his shoulder shoved me out of the way. I wasn’t expecting him to be so strong, or his push to carry so much force. I only felt as I fell on my butt, down to the ground.
It took me a while to zone in on what had happened. The guy stopped on his tracks and looked down at me, as I tried to sit up from the awkward position I was in.
“Hey, are you okay?” He asked, kneeling down in front of me. He was looking at me with a concerned expression, trying to check if I was hurt.
I hadn’t really paid attention to him, but when I noticed his appearance, I was slightly stunned. He had clean features, with blonde hair and light brown eyes. It was obvious he was built. His muscles stood out from his blue polo shirt. Overall, he was something nice to look at.
After a few moments of gawking at him, I felt stupid for checking him while he was looking at me worriedly.
“I’m fine,” I answered softly, dusting myself off.
“Here let me help you.” He offered his hand and I took it, trying to put most of the weight on myself.
“I’m Jared, by the way,” he told me, still holding my hand even though I was already on my feet.
“Cassidy,” I replied, trying to remove my hand from his. His grip was strong but it didn’t bother me as much as it should.
“I probably should’ve introduced myself before knocking you down,” he said.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at his words.
“It probably would’ve been better not getting knocked down at all. I was expecting an unlucky day anyways. Don’t worry, you just proved me right.”
I headed into the main building. Just before reaching the door, Jared opened it and gestured for me to go.
“Ladies first,” he said, while flashing me a smile and walking in after me.
“Thank you. I guess chivalry isn’t dead, if I forget the last minutes when you knocked me down.”
“I am really sorry about that,” he apologized, with a sheepish grin.
“So you’re expecting bad luck today?”
“So far, I’ve been proven right about that.”
“Maybe I can make your day better,” Jared said, smirking at me as we walked by classrooms full of students.
I honestly had no idea where we were going. I was walking aimlessly trying to find any sign of the office. My parents had called about me coming in today, but I hadn’t really been there before.
“I’m sure you can. If you keep it up, I might end up with a black eye and a few broken bones by the end of the day.”
“You have so little faith in me,” he said, holding a hand to his heart and giving me a playful sad look.
I laughed at him and shook my head. He was charming, I couldn’t argue with that.
“Are you new?” Jared asked. He was walking by my side, with his hands in his pockets, looking at me every so often.
“Is it obvious?” I questioned.
I took out my phone to see it was 9:30. I’d arrived at school half hour ago, but I couldn’t explain where that time had gone.
“I wouldn’t say it was obvious, but if you were a student here, I would know. There is no way I would have missed you,” Jared said, giving me a cocky grin.
I gave in to a smile, but couldn’t help rolling my eyes at his flirting.
After pointlessly walking around for five minutes, I finally reached the office.
“This is my stop,” I told him, stopping outside the glass windows that were next to the office.
“You’re getting your schedule?”
“I’m actually enrolling. So, I’ll probably be a while.”
“That’s cool. Maybe I’ll see you at lunch?”
I nodded and waved at him as I entered the office. He stayed outside the windows for a little while, before making his way to whatever class he was going to.
It took another half hour to register and finally get my schedule, with a handbook and a map of the school. I heard the bell go off while I was in the office with the principal. He didn’t scowl at me for being so late. Instead, he was praising me for my good grades, which apparently is what “all students should strive for”.
I left the office at 10:10. Everyone was already in third period. I had Art during that hour, which was a relief. While I didn’t doubt myself with core classes, such as Math or Science, it was nice to have an easy going course before taking on the main classes.
As I made my way to my classroom, I started feeling anxious. It was late September and I was starting my sophomore year in a new school, far away from what I used to consider home.
Last week during my birthday party, my parents announced that since I was turning sixteen, it was time to move to a place more suited for us. Dad’s idea for a suitable home was in the middle of nowhere, in a town surrounded by trees and greenery.
The Legen
It all started when I turned thirteen. I was getting ready to go to my grandma’s house from my dad’s side of the family, to celebrate my birthday. I was really close to my grandmother and it was she who planned my birthday party.
“Cassidy, hurry up! We’re already cutting it close as it is!” My dad yelled from downstairs.
I was trying to put on my earrings as quickly as possible.
“I’m coming!” I replied excitedly.
I was about to grab the door handle, when a sharp pain erupted throughout my back. I yelled as I felt ripples of pain go from my lower back up to my shoulder blades. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but my back felt like it was being stabbed by needles repeatedly.
My yelling was getting louder and I was panting and out of breath.
At that moment, my dad burst through the door with my mom following close behind.
“Dad… It hurts so much,” I cried.
My dad held me in his arms and carried me to the bed.
“Mark, it’s happening,” I heard my mom cry before everything went black.
The days that followed were a blur. I drifted in and out of sleep. I remained in bed for an entire week, barely able to move.
It was then when everything in my life changed.
The pain in my back was my body adjusting to the wings that had taken thirteen years to develop. When my birthday came around, they made an appearance. My body was forming the proper breakage to fit the wings in my back.
The white feathery wings were the first change.
If I regularly used my wings and practiced with my gifts, I would be very strong. It was strange how if I went a certain distance up in the air, no one could see me. I became invisible. My mother told me it was to protect what we were. Disappearing made it safer to fly without being noticed by the humans.
At first, I didn’t know where all the changes came from. It was later when my first gift showed up, that my mom explained I had received these gifts from her.
She told me her family came from a long line of Legens, which was what I was. No one had developed the gene in centuries and I happened to be the first lucky one to receive it. Legens were meant to be the guardians of kingdoms. Humans were considered weak back then and needed protection from any kind of harm.
When times started to change and the world modernized, Legens started disappearing. All that remained of them were tales of those days. Books from my mother’s ancestors were the only things guiding us with what I had become. According to my mother, our ancestors had anxiously awaited the apparition of a new Legen.
I had never seen my mom as happy as the day the wings sprouted from my back for the first time. With that first change, my five senses became significantly enhanced.
According to the books, I was supposed to get three gifts and an element between my thirteenth and my seventeenth birthday. When I completed the process, I would become a full-fledged Legen. I had a strong mind, which simplified being intelligent with anything academic.
Telekinesis came a year after I received my wings. I was dancing around with my iPod when I tripped with the coffee table. A vase was about to fall down and I put my hands out, trying to stop it. I did stop it, but not how I intended to. The vase was floating midair. When I moved my hands, the vase moved with them.
The day I turned fifteen, I wanted so badly to go to an under twenty-one club with my friends. My parents thought it was a bad idea so they wouldn’t let me go. I got really angry at them.
My anger somehow seemed to mesh with the sky turning dark outside. When I yelled at my parents, thunder erupted from the sky. That day, I learned I was able to control thunder, a gift that was as confusing to my parents as it was to me.
Last week, during my birthday celebration, my friend broke a glass in a restaurant we were dining in. While I was trying to move the glass away, I accidently slashed my hand with the sharp edges. Not five seconds later, the cut had healed.
I pretended to be in pain to cover up the non-existent injury. I went straight home and showed my mom. The last time I saw her that happy was when I showed her my wings.
I purposely injured myself to test how strong the healing was. All of the cuts that I made healed. The bruises were the only thing that seemed to heal in regular time. For some reason, my bruises remained even after everything else healed away.
The risk that came with my gifts what was drove my family to the middle of nowhere.
Standing outside of my new art class brought back the dread of being the newbie in town. I inhaled deeply and knocked on the door.
“Come in!” The teacher yelled from inside the classroom.
Right after stepping in, all eyes were on me. I stood awkwardly next to the door, not knowing which way to go. The room had five rectangular tables with three or four students in each.
I stared around the room, trying to find the teacher so that I could take a seat anywhere and leave the spotlight. The walls were covered in sketches, posters, and paintings- making the room seem less intimidating.
“Did you need anything?” A guy dressed in light blue jeans and a black shirt asked.
“I think I’m in this class,” I replied slowly, making it sound more like a question.
He smiled and I noticed that some of the students had gone back to their work.
“I’m Mr. Andrews. If you are in the right class, I’m your Art teacher,” he informed me.
“Well, your name’s in my schedule, so yeah…” I let the sentence carry on.
Some of the students chuckled at my words.
“Since it is your first class, and I’m going to assume your new here, you have to go through the embarrassing process of introducing yourself.”
I smiled at his words. Now that I had a few moments to give him a quick once over, his youth hit me in the face. He didn’t look past twenty-five, which was probably the reason I was starting to get comfortable with standing in front of the class.
I waved at everyone and noticed for the first time that Jared was in the class and had been looking at me, trying to get my attention.
“Hey everyone, I’m Cassidy.” I was surprised when some people actually waved or said ‘hey’ back.
I now had the attention of the whole class, yet I had no idea what to say.
“Well this is awkward,” I said after a few moments of standing there. My words got some people to laugh.
“Say something about yourself. What do you think of our little town?” The teacher asked encouragingly.
“It’s very green,” I replied and again some people chuckled.
“It’s nice. I used to live in the city and its way different than what I was used to. I like it though,” I replied.
“That’s good. Anyone have any questions for Cassidy?” The teacher asked, looking around the room.
One of Jared’s friends raised his hand, and I could see the teasing smile on his lips.
“Why were you late?” He asked with a snicker.
“It was a combination of waking up late, getting lost, and almost getting run over, literally,” I replied, giving Jared a playful glare.
“I’m guessing it was one of those guys in the table that ran you over?” Mr. Andrew’s asked with a smile, nodding toward Jared and his friends.
Jared was sitting down with two other guys. Thanks to my enhanced hearing, I knew they were talking about me. I had to laugh when Jared called ‘dibs’ on me, telling his the other two friends that I was still ‘allowed to have guy friends even when we began dating’.
Mr. Andrews gave me three sheets of white paper and two black pencils, which he repeatedly pointed out, were specifically for sketching. Sketching was the objective of the six weeks period.
Mr. Andrews seemed like an organized teacher, despite how messy his desk was.
After he gave me a list of items I needed to buy, one which was a sketch book, I started looking around the class for a seat.
“Cass! Over here!” Jared called out.
While I was talking to Mr. Andrews, the guy that was sitting down next to Jared, moved to the chair opposite of him. Jared seemed like a nice guy. I was only worried about the interest he was showing in me. Even though I admitted he was good looking, I wasn’t interested in a relationship.
Due to the secret of my nature, my parents had almost made it their job to keep me from dating.
I headed over to their table either way, and smiled as I pulled out the chair and sat down.
“How was registering?” Jared asked.
“Exactly as I thought it’d be. Boring,” I replied.
“Don’t worry, you’re here now. I told you I’d make your day better,” Jared said, smirking at me.
One of his friends coughed and cleared his throat.
“Right, Cass, this is Nick and that’s Tyler,” Jared introduced.
The guys waved at me and smiled.
“So, how’s it been so far?” Nick asked.
“Well, apart from waking up late, getting lost, getting knocked down by a guy, and receiving a boring orientation- it’s been fine.”
The guys laughed and Jared grinned like a maniac. I was aware my words weren’t too funny, but I at least appreciated their interest.
“Hey, I said I was sorry. What do I have to do for you to forgive me?”
“Hmm…” I pretended to be thoughtful, even grabbing my chin for added effect.
“How about I buy you lunch and we call it even?”
“Okay, if I can pick whatever I want and dessert is included,” I bargained, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
“What kind of person would I be if I didn’t get you any dessert?” Jared asked, pretending to be offended.
I playfully slapped his shoulder and just laughed at him.
Throughout the period, I got little work done and mainly talked to the guys.
Nick was really funny and made a lot of jokes, while Tyler was quiet most of the time, only laughing when something was just too funny. Both Tyler and Nick were as attractive as Jared. I was starting to wonder if the school had something with recruiting good looking guys.
The lunch bell rang and we headed to the cafeteria. On the way to lunch, Jared introduced me to some of his friends.
Overall, I was feeling welcomed in the school, at least to the one class I’d been to. When we entered the cafeteria, I noticed it was the typical setting. The people were different, but the cliques were the same.
On the way to the lunch line, Jared started making conversation. He told me a few things about my classes, and even shared that he was in the soccer team.
The soccer comment brought more conversations about teams, and practices, and coaches. I couldn’t help but notice that while my former high school was big on football, this one seemed to be big on soccer.
“So what are you getting?” Jared asked.
He was piling his tray with food. I looked at him in amusement, wondering if he could really eat all the food he was stacking on his plate.
“I want two slices of pizza and some of that cheese cake,” I said, pointing at the delicious looking cheese cake that was in the desserts section. I got a Dr. Pepper and we headed to pay.
The table that Jared dragged us to was full with guys. I was going to be the only girl at the table and that made me slightly nervous.
“It’ll be cool, trust me,” Jared said when he caught on to my hesitation.
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and sat me down on one of the chairs. I was glad when he took a seat next to me. Nick and Tyler were in the table too, but I didn’t know the other three guys.
“You already know Nick and Tyler and that’s Drew, Jackson, and David. Drew and Jackson are brothers. Guys, this is Cassidy. She’s new here.”
All the guys offered friendly smiles, and Jackson and David even shook my hand. After introducing themselves, the guys picked up with the conversation they had before Jared and me interrupted them.
The distraction allowed me to make a break for the bathroom. My hands were covered in gray from the Art pencils.
“I’ll be right back. I’m gonna wash my hands.”
Jared looked at me strangely and I showed him my hands, which were covered in shiny gray from the lead. Nick and Jared started laughing at me.
“Cass, you didn’t even draw anything. How the hell did you get lead on your hands?” Jared asked. I joined in their laugh, knowing I’d been fooling around the entire Art period.
“I kept messing with the pencils,” I replied with the shrug, before getting up and making my way out of the cafeteria.
There was another guy at the table when I got back. He was sitting next to Tyler, in the seat right in front of mine. As I got closer, he looked up at me and our eyes locked.