"You can't avoid me forever, Ashley!" Amber called as I skipped out the front door and down the wide porch.
"Sorry, Sis! I'm gonna be late!"
I ran to the corner and met Holly and her mother. Holly has anxiety issues so her mom drives her to school. That doesn't really help her once she GETS to school, but by the time second period comes around, she's usually fine.
"Amber looks pissed," Holly whispered to me. Her mom shot a disapproving glance at her, and she mouthed, "Sorry."
"Report card," I replied and buckled my seat belt in the backseat.
"You got all A's, right?"
"And a B."
Holly blinked at me. Sweet and understanding as Holly was, she just didn't get it sometimes. The only child to divorced parents with blond curls she could do nothing about, and pink rimmed glasses that she was still getting used to, Holly and I got along great. I loved her, but she... Well, you'll see.
We arrived at school with plenty of time to secure our favorite bench by the side entrance and wait in the freezing cold for the bell ring. "Guess who called me last night," she said, pulling off her glasses. "Here, hold these."
She dug through her backpack for a make-up case and applied a heavy layer of eyeliner.
"Who?"
"Baker Collins."
"What'd he want?"
Holly peered at me over the tiny mirror. "He wanted to know about you and Josh kissing."
I growled, "I didn't kiss him."
"Whatever."
I stared at her. Talk about betrayal. She sighed. "Listen, I know you didn't kiss him. You know you didn't kiss him. JOSH knows you didn't --"
"That didn't stop him from telling everybody," I interrupted.
She finished her make-over, and removed her jacket, shivering in the chill. Yanking a fleece hoodie over her head, she smiled at the skimpy top underneath. "You like?"
"It's thirty degrees out here. Why are you wearing that?"
She shrugged and thrust her arms through her jacket again. "Just to piss off Mom."
I pointed out that her mother wasn't with us. She shrugged her shoulders again. "I know, but I'll get the satisfaction anyway. Back to Josh."
"I'd rather not."
Holly eyed me worriedly. "What?" I asked.
"You've been moody lately. Something going on?"
"Besides people spreading rumors about me?"
Repacking her backpack, she said, "I don't get you sometimes. Josh is really cute. So there's some rumors? Why not go with it?"
"Because it's a lie!"
"And? Jeesh, Ash! I'd give anything for some guy to claim he kissed me behind the stage curtains."
I looked at her black-lined eyes and purple eye shadow. "You keep looking like that, and you might get more than you bargain for."
She ignored that. "We're in ninth grade now. In high school. The guys here are soooo different from the ones in junior high..."
"They're the same boys we've seen since kindergarten," I said. "I don't think much has changed. Jerks, jerks, and more jerks."
"I don't think Josh is a jerk. I think he's kinda sweet. AND I think he likes you."
I rolled my eyes. "Holly, we're not in third grade anymore. Back then, if a boy liked you, he'd push you off the monkey bars. Now, that kind of thing is just cruel. He shouldn't be telling lies about anyone."
"Since when did you become Mother Theresa?"
"All I'm saying is that if a guy likes me, at least he could have the decency to be honest about it."
"Then ask him about it. You'll see him in drama this afternoon, right?"
I nodded. Drama club was starting a new play, a contemporary remake of the Aladdin tale, and I landed the role of the heroine. Quite an accomplishment for a freshman. Josh, a junior, was the Aladdin understudy. The lead was given to Joel Stephens, a senior. That could be why Emma and Olivia hated me. I get to kiss a senior! On stage...in front of the whole school...and my sister...and the whole town...
Oh, god, I'm gonna be sick.
Breathe, Ashley, breathe.
Holly kept right on talking. "So, ask him why he said those things about you. Maybe, he doesn't like you. Maybe, he actually said he WISHED he could kiss you... Maybe..."
"Maybe, we outta get to class. The bell rung." I hopped off the bench. Holly followed, adjusting her clothes and patting her wild hair.
We joined the flood of freshmen and sophomores filling the hallways. Kingstown High School. Ninth through twelfth grades. Not that we see many juniors and seniors. The campus was divided. Eastside and Westside. Lower-classmen, like me and Holly, went to classes on the east. The higher-uppers, the west. Occasionally, the grades mingled in one of the outer buildings, like the gym and auditorium, but for the most part, we never saw any of them. And I think they preferred it that way.
Except the first day of school. Freshman initiation. Seniors thrived on tormenting the fresh faces. But we will get our revenge. The day before graduation, Senior Stomping Day. A good-naturely -- yet sometimes, bitter -- farewell to the senior class, involving pranks of every kind.
"You smell that?" Holly asked.
"Yeah. Dusty books, disinfectant, and...Eww!" The junior varsity basketball team ran by us. Apparently, they've already been through an early morning workout.
"Not that! It smells like Fun."
"I smell nothing."
Holly smiled at me. "Do you even realize what today is?"
"Uh, Wednesday?"
"Nope. It's Sub Day."
I brightened. Sub Day. Most of the teachers were out for some kind of teacher conference. Substitute teachers would abound and were easy prey. Let the games begin.
**********
By fourth period, I was walking on a high. Substitute #1 (English class). We were supposed to watch a video on Shakespeare. Riley Davis switched the movies and hid the remote. We were awarded with five minutes of soft-core porn while the sub dashed around frantically trying to turn off the projector.
Substitute #2 (Algebra II class). Brittany Cloud brought in a fart machine. 'Nuff said.
Substitute #3 (Civics). Someone got creative and duct taped the roll book and daily planner to the ceiling. That poor woman spent half of the class looking for them and finally gave up. She let us partner up with a friend and chat the rest of the period, as long as we kept it to a whisper. She was sweet.
Substitute #4 (Home Ec class). This was the only class I shared with Holly. She told me that Bobby Johnson was planning on microwaving a bag of dog crap. The stench would drive us out of the room, but hey, it's Sub Day.
I met Holly outside the door and we entered the classroom, giggling about the last three classes. I told her about mine. She told me about hers. God, I loved Sub Day. I'll bet anything Mae was have the time of her life over at Westside.
The class was unusually subdued as we made our way to our table in the back. A woman with a dark gray bun on top of her head was writing her name on the board with her back to us. Not a good idea.
Bobby sniggered and eased over to the kitchen area. Then the substitute turned...
A grin flew to my lips. Belle.
I LOVED Belle. Not hard to imagine, considering she is the Essence of Love. Her eyes met mine, and she winked.
"Mr. Johnson," she called in her melodious voice. "Please take that to the dumpster outside."
Bobby froze, a papersack in his hands. He grunted and left the room.
"I am Belle Smith," she said to the class. "But you can call me Ms. Belle. I'm sure your regular teacher had a quiz ready for you today. We'll get that out of the way, and then you may spend the rest of the period in quiet discussion with your table-mates."
No one moved. How could they? When an Essence talked, it was like the sun shining through a burst of rain clouds. A warm, spring day after months of chilly winter weather. Music, so beautiful and breath-taking, you could only stare dumbfounded as you listened and your heart bloomed with calm.
Belle moved around the room, passing out the quiz. Her fluid movements catching everyone's notice. I giggled. Today, Belle disguised herself as a fifty-ish, old timey school marm. But there was no mistaking the unnatural voice and walk.
Usually, Belle didn't look like an aging, spinster with a severe gray bun and a frumpy dress. Her normal appearance could make an Asian princess green with envy. Her milky white skin, stick-straight black hair that fell to her waist, and almond-shaped eyes stopped hearts and short-circuited brains around the world. If that weren't enough, her eyes always gave away her true nature.
Gold orbs, like masses of glitter, shimmering, faceted, reflecting points of light with every movement. The eyes of an Essence.
Oh, and another great thing about Essences (if you haven't figured it out already), is that they can change their shape. Not shape-shifters, like in those paranormal books and stuff. Essences could look like anyone they wished. Because their bodies are not fixed in the mortal realm. They have no physical attachment to our world. They are the embodiments of soul parts.
Which means, when I become an Essence, I can look like Rachel McAdams one day if I want to. I can't wait!
"Good morning, Ashley," Belle said when she got to our table.
"Good morning, Ms. Belle," I said with a suppressed smile.
"You know her?" Holly asked when Belle walked away.
"She's friends with Min," I said and left it at that.
Belle said nothing to me the rest of the class. I wondered why she was there, substituting of all things. When the bell rung, I waited until the room emptied and walked up to her. "What are you doing here?"
She grinned. "I'm slumming," she said in a conspiratorial whisper.
"Really?"
"No, not really," she said with another perfect smile. "Min's worried about you."
My heart felt that hardening affect. "Oh."
She cocked her head to the side. For a second, her body shimmered, and I caught a glimpse of her normal state...young, mid-twenties, and so very, very perfect. But concentration entered her face, and she solidified back to Ms. Belle, substitute.
"Sorry, this body is a stretch for me," she apologized. In the eyes of an Essence, Belle was still a child. Create over two hundred years ago, about the same time Min was banished to humanity, she was still learning about herself and the world around her. Now don't get me wrong. The Essence of Love had always been around. In the hierarchy of Essences, she was up there as like second in command, but something happened to the previous Love...something that Min was responsible for (which landed her stripped of powers and such) and a new Love had to be formed from the Collective.
"Well..." I said, shuffling towards the door.
"Don't worry," she said. "Min didn't send me. I overheard her talking to Silas last night about you."
"You really shouldn't be spying on them. Min doesn't like it, and if Mr. Blake ever found out..." I shuddered.
"Don't worry," she repeated. "I left before anything good happened." She grinned and winked at me again. "It's just that I know this has been hard on you lately, and I wanted to see how you were doing."
"You could do that anytime," I pointed out. In fact, Belle had a habit of popping in at home at the oddest moments. She could materialize anywhere and at anytime. It was a little intimidating to be sitting down at dinner, and suddenly the seat next to me was filled with Belle's body.
"I know, but I like to keep you on your toes." She frowned. Even that looked beautiful. "It's just that..."
"What?"
She sighed, debating on what to tell me. "There's been some activity among the Watchers. I was concerned."
"Watchers?" My pulse quickened. Last summer, a Watcher moved in next door to us, and a lot of crazy things happened. Mainly me almost drowning in the river at a fireworks show.
She stood up and hugged me. "It's okay. We're keeping an eye on them. I won't let them get to you. Now get to class. You're going to be late."
"Okay," I said and left for P.E. But my heartbeat didn't quite slow down the rest of the day. My eyes darted everywhere, wondering if one of the kids around me might be a Watcher.
God! A Watcher! As if learning about Essences weren't enough to drive someone crazy. Now I have to worry about a human cult set out to manipulate me and my foster family. Again.
*****
January 6th, 2010
Dear Diary,
Josh wasn't at school today. So I didn't get a chance to confront him about yesterday's lies. But I got back at Emma and Olivia. Oh, did I ever! I switched their scripts with copies of Oklahoma! Mr. Mills got so mad, he sent them both to the principal's office. Apparently, he'd not escaped Sub Day, and was pissed by the time last period came around.
And Belle told me something today. Watchers are back. At least, I think they are. I don't know. My head hurts just thinking about it. My head's been hurting for a while now. Off and on. Maybe I should ask Min to take me to the doctor. Maybe I have brain cancer or something. If that were true, I could be an Essence before my next menstrual period. That'll be a relief. To not have to endure cramps and bloating for the rest of eternity.
(Sigh. If only.)
*******