Chapter 2
The Unexplained
Criiing! Criiing!
The bell rang and we dashed down the hallway, and gone to our separate ways to go to our class.
I opened the door, and I saw Mr. Newton, our history teacher. Mr. Newton is a short wrinkly man who loves history. He has eyeglasses like harry potter, but his lenses were thick, way too thick. I flinched as I remembered that maybe I’ll be having eyeglasses soon because I am spending a lot of time on my computer or reading books. I sat down the nearest seat and settled myself in.
Mr. Newton began discussing to us the knowledge about the globe, teaching us different famous places in many countries. It seemed so fascinating. He explained it with wide a happy face, and he seems to be exited to share all the things that he knows. He mentioned something in India. That really caught my attention. He had mentioned about a goddess named “Durga”, the beautiful goddess of India, powerful and invincible. He also said that she had a tiger named “Damon”. There were myths about them and about the tiger’s amulet, the amulet that gives incredible power.
Our teacher gave a us a pop quiz and I prepared a paper to jot down my answers. After that pop quiz, Mr. Newton announced that we could have the remaining time as he check the papers.
I suddenly shift my gaze and stared at the globe resting at the teacher’s desk. I don’t know why but I feel different today, maybe because I am still sleepy that I moved my hands at the top of my desk to rest my head on top of it.
I was focused at the globe for a moment and then a silent ambiance overwhelmed my head. I heard a voice, a husky soft voice. It’s not a familiar voice I’d say. I couldn’t even tell where it was coming from.
It’s ordering me to move the globe.
I thought, how?
“foocuussss… foocuuss.” The husky voice said.
“Learn to control… the power exists…”
Uh – huh, power? What power? I decided to try it and I focused at the globe. It wouldn’t hurt right? In a blink of an eye, the globe moved. Nobody saw it because they were all talking and roaming inside the room. Or maybe someone did but didn’t care at all. I tried it again, focused and thinking of moving it a little further and with more juice. Something startled me.
I saw a reflection of my eye in the window. It glowed and turned like the color of a fire, flickering!
My eyes are flickering like fire!
I feel tingling power inside me. Like something bubbling inside your body. It’s creepy but it feels like you have loads of strength and loads of power. It was just like in my dream. I was afraid that my hand would produce lightning like what happened in my dream and I looked away from the window and the globe.
I lost focus because of what I saw and the globe moved like it was thrown by a mad man when I lost control.
I shut my eyes closed and inhaled deeply. I cracked them open and looked at the window again.
It was gone.
My eyes were normal again.
Everyone became silent – as if some bad news were announced that got all their attention – when the globe was thrown at the floor. Then the bell rang and broke the silence.
“Ah-hem, goodbye class. That was just a wind.” Mr. Newton said.
But even he knows that there weren’t any wind roaming around the room earlier.
Now that was totally freaky and most importantly, INSANE!
I gathered my things and went outside the room.
Am I really the one who made it move? Was that even real or it was another hallucination of mine? This made me feel jumpy. I went to my next class, still shocked of what had happened to me.
I didn’t even dare to do it again. I mean, why would I? I felt like my jittering. A warm hand touched my right shoulder. I looked up and saw Ms. Jane.
“Lara, you okay? You look so pale,”
“What do you mean Ms. Jane? I always look pale,” I said trying to hide what had happened.
“I know that. It’s not your usual paled color I mean. It’s much more different.”
“No, I’m fine really.” I lied.
“Okay, well if you say so. But if there is something bothering you, you can tell me about it,” She smiled.
“Okay.” I smiled back and she walked away. Ms. Jane must be the nicest teacher I had ever met. She has this angelic-like face and tone. She is always the first teacher to congratulate me whenever I had received awards from recognitions. I don’t know how I had managed to study that hard and doing my hobbies. It will take heaps of effort.
It’s very hard to be an honor student. You always have to be prepared for interschool competitions and such.
Our classes went in a blur.
After classes, I went straight to the canteen to eat lunch.
“Lara!” a cool icy voice coming from behind me, it was Carla.
“Hey! How’s it going?” I said and smiled dryly.
“Is there something wrong?”
“No, no. I’m just feeling a little sick, nausea maybe.”
She looked at me disapprovingly “Nightmares again huh?” she stared at me, trying to read my expression.
“Yeah... It keeps on bothering me lately. It’s getting worse but the start always goes the same every time.” I didn’t lie at that part. My nightmares still bothers me, plus, I don’t want to tell her what had happened earlier to me. I mean, how would you even explain it or start it? Would I say it like ‘hey Carla, I made the globe move by just staring at it.’ And what would she say? “That’s ridiculous.” Well, I can’t predict everything that’s on her mind but I know her in a way. She is somehow unpredictable.
“Don’t worry it’s just a dream, it’ll pass.” She said with an encouraging smile. I smiled back at her and we proceed to our table.
Anthony came and joined us with his friend Li. I was terse and my face was blank the whole time like I was staring at nothing.
Anthony is glancing at me every minute I guess. But I didn’t let him see that I noticed it.
Li was talking about the basketball game and he said that we should all go and watch at the championship this Friday. We all agreed and continued eating. But I said that if something had come up like important meetings, I can’t come. The game is still two days away anyway and there’s nothing much to do.
After finishing our lunch, we headed back to our class. This time, I had the same class with Carla. We sat beside each other often times and she was asking me if I had figured out what to do with the equation. It’s math, obviously. And then we scribbled some formulas and jot down notes.
The class was dismissed and we headed towards the door. Li and Anthony were waiting outside and we walked together to go home. Li is noticing that we are kind of silent.
“Hey, you all seemed downcast. Like you guys have encountered some jinx or something.” He raised one eyebrow and said “Aha! Come ‘on there’s an ice cream store there. My treat!” he is smiling, hopeful to get us cheered up somehow.
Li is a kind of guy who is always cheerful. He never let us sees if he have any problems and he often shifts sad stories or happenings to new happy ones. I like that about him. It’s like there’s no problem at all. And he is usually calm and he is the opposite of Anthony, but only in behavior. Li looks cute, and he is smart too. He ranks third at the overall rankings of our level on the boys department, I only ranked fourth of the girls department. But that is a big achievement. Getting to the top ten is truly an honour for me, a grand honour.
“I need to go home early. My mom and I will go to the mall.” Carla said.
“Uh-huh, to the mall, for what?” Anthony muttered.
“Yes. My mom and I are going to have our weekly spa.” Carla shot him a look and Anthony rolled his eyes.
Carla is rich and luxurious. She always have poise and really nice. She has a black hair, blue eyes, a fair tan skin and about an inch taller than me.
“Oh pretty please! We’ll make it very quick.” Li said, already had a grip of each of our arm, dragging us halfway to the ice cream shop. He is really determined so we gave up. And besides, ice cream is a great idea. It’ll help to cheer me up and its Li’s treat so why not?
He ordered us our favorite.
For Anthony, he ordered peanut butter with chocolate filling, for Carla he ordered vanilla ice cream with caramel filling, and lastly, he ordered two rocky roads with an extra chocolate dip for the two of us.
We have the same favorite ice cream and same interests too. Carla once said that Li likes me but I didn’t really entertained it. I don’t know why I don’t like anyone else. I mean I know he’s great but I only see Anthony.
I do like him in a way because he makes moves that will show his affection to me. He sends letters which always have poetry, chocolates and a rose. He’d even talk to me and saying sweet lines “pick-up lines”. But I think I’ll give him a chance someday but not now or soon. I don’t have any plans for any boyfriends yet. I am too busy to even think about it. I shook my thoughts away and laughed with my friends. Why were they laughing? I didn’t know but I laughed too.
I treat Li as my brother and a lover I guess. I hope I feel the same brother-like feeling about Anthony because I know Anthony likes Carla. I really don’t know if he likes her but the way I see it, he acts like it. So be it! I won’t interfere as long as he is happy.
I don’t want to be involved in something… something we both might get hurt. Besides, I know he doesn’t know what I am feeling about him and he thinks it’s just because I am treating him as my real brother and that’s about it. I like it that way, I won’t be irritated or nervous whenever I am with him.
We ate our ice creams as we walk home. Our house is the nearest and Li and Carla lives two blocks away from ours.
Anthony and Li made their secret handshake with each other and I waved as a sign of goodbye to them as we walked inside the house. Mr. and Mrs. McKinley were not home yet.
Anthony hung up his jacket and closed the door.
“So tell me, what was that about, earlier this morning? Would you care to share it to me?”
“Yeah about that, well… I kind of saw a man there disappeared like dust.”
He chuckled “What? Are you even listening to what you are saying, a man disappearing like dust? You have got to be kidding me. If I can do what you say, I won’t be surprised,” he said mordantly.
“No, I’m saying the truth. Well it doesn’t matter if I continue saying this, you won’t believe me anyway. I’ll go upstairs and do my homework now.” I mumbled turning around and moving towards the stairs.
He sighed. “Lara, you know I don’t want us fighting, I want to believe but it sounds crazy. It’s like, do you even believe in magic?”
“Yes I do believe there are such things, so if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be inside my room.” I answered him bitterly and climbed upstairs and got inside my room.
I knew it, he wouldn’t believe me. I don’t like talking to him like that, with those harsh rude words and being bitter. Why can’t euphuism find me whenever I need it? I sighed.
I did try to ignore it and finished my homework.
Am I crazy? Am I INSANE or RIDICULOUS perhaps?
Anthony called me for dinner. I went downstairs and saw them at the dining table. We ate and Mrs. McKinley was asking on how was our day, the usual stuff parents would ask. Mr. McKinley and Anthony were discussing something about their favorite sport – basketball.
After finishing, I help clean the table and washed the dishes. We finally finished, I said that I would go back to my room. Anthony followed behind, silent like a ghost, as I go upstairs and he went to his room.
I grabbed my quilt and crawled lazily on my bed. I rested my back and relaxed. I closed my eyes for a moment. I couldn’t help thinking about what had happened to me this morning.
If this is true, what happens next? How will I use it? I don’t even know how to control it. And what if someone discovered it and thinks that I’m a freak? No it can’t be. It’s not possible.