The next day I started off in the gym. After a twenty-minutes warming up, the instructor found it amusing to have us run five more laps around the field that was quite large. Obviously, I only managed to do three. My fitness condition was lamer than ever. Whoever thought of the idea of putting two gym classes from 8 in the morning had a bad idea.
Lucky for me, the instructor, a very tough man and much too fat for his job, was most of the time busy reading some papers. So I managed to skip some of the activities without him seeing me.
After the super warm-up, Maggie went for volleyball and I for basketball. I was not too good at it, but I managed. Now however, I did not feel like doing anything, not to mention that my energy level was down to non-existent. After ten minutes, during which I basically did nothing except for walking on the field and passing the ball when it came my way, I dropped it altogether. I found my way out among the others and, before the instructor finished his reading, I left the gym. He had called the attendance list at the beginning of the class and, given how many we were, the chances of him figuring out that I had left were very slim.
Two classes of Self deduction followed afterwards. I thought I was going to go mad. Christine felt the same.
I was not myself. The fact that I felt so drowsy made me feel very peevish. And it was not because of the gym class. Truth be told, I had not been very active either. Moreover, I could not concentrate on anything; nothing important. I could only think of Eric. I had not seen him since the day before and I planned on avoiding him for as long as I could. He had called me several times, but of course I did not answer. Mystic had also called me to check how my first day in school had been. It was an odd conversation. She seemed nervous and she is never nervous. We did not talk that much. She was going to come see me the following day. She told me that I could always count on her for anything I needed. No matter the time of day. That was nice of her, but it's not like I was going to open up to a stranger.
I was sleepy and the only thing I wanted was to put my head on the desk and sleep. But Maggie always showed her intention to give answers in class so the professor had her eyes on us. She loved maths as much as I hated it. When the professor began explaining to us how to calculate the angle we want to choose for a spell, I instantly felt how I got a headache. Of all the theorems she explained to us, the only thing I understood was that any spell is done on a certain perimeter. So, depending on how large you want the area you're making the spell on to be – that's for more complex spells – you have to first calculate the theorems of life.
Christine and I skipped the following Self deduction class. I could not have stand listening to another theorem. I had heard enough for one day.
Finally, the well-deserved lunch break. When Maggie and I entered the cafeteria, Camille waved at us. She was glowing and the boy next to her was the only reason why she was in such a good mood. Christine was already there together with Beatrice, her roommate. We also met Arriana Gomez, a blonde with straight hair down to her shoulders, and Mayte Sanchez, a red-headed who had her hair very long and very straight. They were both much taller than I was. They were Christine's colleagues and they had been best friends since the fifth grade; two goofs who had come all the way from Mexico.
When Nate Pattinson, Ethan's friend, the one that Camille liked, came to our table, the two Mexican girls also began flirting with him, having eyes only for him. It was all about guapo this, guapo that. In Spanish it means beautiful. Truth be told, he was not at all bad looking. He had green eyes, dimples and a smile that widened every time he looked over at Maggie. She however, paid more attention to the tuna salad she was eating instead of to him. Unlike Christine who was eating chicken thighs with French fries, Maggie was always careful with what she ate. I had to make myself eat the Bulgarian salad I had taken. It was good but I had not had much of an appetite those days.
This was only my second day here and I already needed a long vacation.
Ahhh. And I cannot stand this pesky back pain anymore.
And no, it was not from the morh's poison - I was lying to myself. I was probably being the biggest irresponsible. But, since there was no information about any cure against morh poison, I preferred to just pretend that nothing had happened. Perhaps there was a slight chance that I was not even infected.
'Are you alright?' Christine asked me.
'Better than ever', I replied ironically. 'And don't you dare read my feelings', I warned her. 'This is not my best day.'
'She pushed herself too hard in gym class today, that's why she is so moody', Maggie interfered. Then she laughed and showed off her dimpled cheeks.
'You have a beautiful smile', Nate said to her.
'Thank you.'
She tried to put on a serious face but her smile just became even wider.
'In fact, my sister wanted to say thank you and to tell you that she thinks you also have a very nice smile.'
We all started to laugh, except for Maggie who looked angrily at her sister.
'Look who's there', Beatrice said changing the topic and thus saving Maggie from an embarrassing situation.
When I turned, Barbie was in Damien's arms. They were kissing.
'I still cannot understand how he can be with her', I said to them.
'Aaa...maybe he does not care that the girl has no brain?
'Haha, Maggie. You are right', Beatrice said. 'Maybe Sarah has other talents though.'
'Yes, maybe she is a real tiger in bed', Arriana said amused.
'I really did not want to get that image into my head. Kate, did you hear what we have to do during detention?'
'Don't remind me, please. But you are a bookworm anyway. You should enjoy it.'
'Yeah...I would rather read the books than to wipe the dust off them!'
The Mexican girls started to laugh.
'Detention already from day one? ', Mayte said.
'Maggie, what did you do? Was the professor upset with you because you knew more than he did?
-Haha Arriana, not funny. Ah, I almost forgot. Kate, Christine, I am really sorry that you two could not stay for the second Self-deduction class.'
'We're not at all sorry', Christine and I said.
'You'll get the next course via email. Since you left earlier, the professor assumed that you knew everything already so you two will be the ones who will present the lesson next time.'
'You're joking, aren't you?' Christine asked.
'This is going to be really interesting. When is your next Self deduction class? I think I am going to pay you a visit.'
'Haha, very nice of you Camille', I said sulky.
'Kate, what happened yesterday? When I met Eric he seemed to be pretty concerned about you', Christine asked me.
'I'm sure he was', I babbled.
Arriana shifted from me to Christine waiting for me to answer.
'Who is Eric? Is he cute?'
'It doesn't matter', I replied.
But obviously that Christine could not help herself.
'Very cute in fact.'
'Is he your boyfriend?' Ethan interfered.
'Oh God, no, no way!'
'It's obvious that she's crazy about him', Mayte teased me.
'That's not true. No! No way!'
'Than why do you get so worked up when we talk about him?' Nate asked.
'You can all believe whatever you want.'
'And yet, who is Eric?' Mayte asked again. 'We also want to meet him.'
Christine laughed.
'Everybody in the campus knows him. Eric Balfour.'
'Thanks, Maggie. You're a sweetheart' I said ironically to her.
'Nooo', the Mexican girls said.
Beatrice was the only one who did not sigh at the thought of Eric's good looks.
'All the girls are crazy about him. But he doesn't care about anyone in the campus. I mean, not seriously. I don't even think that it is allowed for him to be involved with any student, although I am sure that he has been involved with many, but unofficially.'
I was getting pissed.
'I don't care who Eric sleeps with. As far as I am concerned he might as well get involved with all of them.'
'Bien sûr', Camille said. 'Now, leaving dear Eric aside, tell me something. Are we all going to the swimming pool after the classes?
We decided we would all meet up at 5 p.m. at the entrance to the indoor pool in the sports area; this was in the northern part of the campus.
I don't know how that happened but just as I was getting up, Barbie passed by me. Not being able to help herself being a snake, she gave me a gentle push.
'Watch where you're going, Barbie', Maggie said to her.
'Your friend is so dull that I thought she was only a poor illusion. Should I be apologizing for that?' She asked her cohort of bimbos who were always following her.
Arriana got up from the table. She was twice as tall as Sarah was.
'In fact you should apologize.'
'You are malade à la tête', Camille said angrily and being aware that Sarah did not understand a word of French.
'I really cannot stand this one', Beatrice interfered.
'Who are you calling "this one"? She snapped, but Nate interfered just in time and came between them.
'Come one, Sarah, cut it out. Must you really pull a scene every single day?'
'Whose side are you on?' She asked angrily.
He took her by the arm and told her something to her ear.
Maggie changed the expression on her face; it was obvious that she had been disturbed with the fact that Nate seemed to be close to Sarah.
She was normally a calm person and had good control over her emotions, but now she looked as if she would snap at the slightest push. And then it came.
'I heard you were supposed to be in detention and that you got into this school because of your connections – magic is not your strong suit. How did you manage to do that? Did you pay Eric in kind?'
I truly could not believe what I was hearing.
'Look here, porcelain dollie', Maggie snapped. 'I've only known you one day and I have already had enough of you and your outbursts.'
'So it is my outbursts that had you in detention yesterday? Please don't tell me that. You got so mad because Eric has a weakness for blondes and chose your friend?'
'Enough', Nate yelled at her; he was visibly disturbed by her comment to Maggie whose face was not a very pleasant one.
'I don't know what you're claiming but you are nothing but a spoiled blonde who craves to be in the spotlight and who won't stop from anything to be in the centre of attention. Channel your energy on something else. If you use it like this, you will only manage to embarrass yourself even more. So next time you decide to pick on someone, think twice before you do it!' Maggie shouted at her.
Sarah only laughed – just like her friends. Anyway, what could I have expected from them.
'I don't understand why you're laughing when you are so damn pissed. 'And no matter how much you want to deny it, I know this because I can simply feel your emotions. Hey, your blonde friend is about to cry – and I think the same goes for you too.'
Sarah did not say a thing. She moved her lips and before I realised what was happening, I heard Chris yelling.
'What did you do to her?' Maggie shouted; this time she forgot all about her good manners and jumped at her. If Nate had not come between them she would have probably pulled her hard by the hair.
'Nothing – just a little illusion...'Sarah replied while Maggie was struggling in Nate's arms.
'Let go of me!' She yelled. '
Christine became still and was staring at a fixed spot. The Mexican girls kept trying to talk to her but to no avail. She just wasn't there with us. Camille and Nate were begging Sarah to tell them what spell she had used so that they might use the appropriate cancelling spell. If they'd use a wrong one, the consequences could have been deadly. Beatrice who was a very fiery person, kept trying to put a spell on Sarah, but Ethan did not let her and interrupted her every time she attempted.
'Just tell us already what damn spell you used', I yelled at her.
Nothing. I looked over at Christine who was crying and I could instantly feel this powerful need to shut Sarah's mouth once and for all. A dominant thought that made all other thoughts become paralysed in fear.
I was losing my control.
I heard my name being called several times but I could no longer realise what was happening around me, and so I did not reply.
The windows of the cafeteria opened up abruptly and smashed into the wall and an unexpected wind blast entered the room. It became cold and that's when it happened; a flash. With the cold feeling, the thought of making Sarah suffer came to life. The wind picked Barbie up into the air; she yelled so loud that she could probably be heard from all over the campus. She was left suspended into the air for several good seconds, and then she was thrown far away from me and from my friends, smashing into the wall.
Seeing her hurt, my anger diminished and I came to my senses; only then did I realise what had happened, what I had just done. I looked around me and everybody was looking at me terrified as if I were some kind of monster.
"Kate, are you alright?'
I did not reply. There was only one thought in my mind. I had injured a person and it did not matter how much she deserved it – she was still a human being. Could this be the work of someone inside me, and who was just now beginning to surface? What about the feelings? They were so deep. And especially that anger that was so difficult to control. I was simply terrified by the thought that there was a moment when I wished Sarah to become breathless.
'She seems to be in shock', Mayte said. 'Or hypnotised or something...Something was going on', I could hear the despair in the tone of her voice.
'One of you did this', I heard someone say.
And he was right. I had done that. I don't know how bad Sarah had been injured but she had taken a serious fall. People gathered around her. Damien took her into his arms and probably went with her to the medical office.
Wait a minute...they do not know that it was me? This means that I have been feeling so guilty that I thought that all the looks and the offending were addressed to me.
'You will pay for this', several people said.
These were Sarah's best people. Should they not be with her now? Some friends they were – it was more important for them to first spill their venom.
'If you were not so dumb, you would have known that only someone who's specialized in air can make this incantation without using any spell words. Did you hear any of us speak out any words of that sort?
The fight was blowing out of proportion while I was struggling with the feeling of guilt that was becoming more and more difficult to bear.
I am a monster. I was turning into a monster.
I ran out of the cafeteria without looking back.
I wanted to be alone. Just me and my thoughts; no matter how dark they were; they were my thoughts and I had to confront them. I had to take full responsibility for my deeds.
What if that inner force would take control over me every time I got angry?
I could feel the wind better than the others did. I felt how the wind became alive under my command. I had created it and I was the one who was involuntarily telling it what to do.
I was crying and running despite the pain in my back.
I stopped when I found myself surrounded by trees. I was in the middle of the forest and I think that...well...I was rather lost. I did not know where I had come from and nothing seemed familiar to me.
Then someone screamed. It became quiet for a few moments until it could be heard again, this time even louder. If someone needed help then that was my chance to make up for what I had done to Sarah.
And so I ran in the direction of the noise. It did not take long before I found the source of the screaming. A girl was kneeling before him...I could not believe my eyes when I saw who it was. I hid just in time behind an oak and managed to keep away from their sight.
Please tell me this is not real. Around that girl there was Mystic and another man that I did not know.
NO! I almost felt like screaming. Eric did freak me out sometimes and he did have his bad side, but he was not a bad person. I just knew that he was not. I could feel something from him and I am sure that he could feel me. He and I had a connection. And Mystic? I knew her good side. It cannot be that she is so cold and uncaring to the pain of that girl.
They were torturing her. Couldn't they see what they were doing to her? Couldn't they tell how much pain they were causing her? Every scream of hers hurt me deep inside. It was so difficult to watch her pass away.
Slowly...and painfully...
And I was helpless in front of these people who were finally showing off their true selves by taking off their masks.
'Who is that?' Eric shouted thus covering the screaming of that young girl.
When she lifted her head up I froze. It was Annie.
'In your dreams', she said calmly.
Nooo!!! Not Annie! She is such a good girl. How had she gotten herself in such a situation? Why would anyone have any problem with her? She was so innocent.
Eric looked as if he was about to explode. He clenched his fists and a green light began to surround them. From his hating look I could tell that he was focusing all that feeling into the light that grew bigger and bigger.
I turned – realising what was coming next. Annie screamed for a short while and then it became silent. I looked at her and I saw her surrounded by a green light. It seemed to slowly suffocate her.
I hated them; I hated all three of them. They were rubbish.
And that is when I felt the force that was trying to take control over me. This time I did not fight it. After all, it was a part of me and now we both wanted the same thing; to save Annie.