I dropped Natalie off at a bus stop after school that day and since then we've bonded over time. Falling into a routine of school, home, cheer leading and a few outings in between. She is just so much fun to hang out with and we've gotten into a few troubles also, I mean she is Natalie after all.
Today we agreed we were gonna have a baking session with Aunt Maia and then take dance classes with Devin. All my mom's or should I say my complete family were pretty obsessed with Nat. Adam loved her cos "she's got spunk", his words not mine. My mom says "she's a crazy but cool kid" and Aunt Maia says "she's got a great heart and a beautiful soul". I didn't ask further because sometimes my Aunt speaks like a witch or psychic so we agreed to leave it at that.
Xander and I sorta mentally agreed never to step into each other's personal spaces again. Although he still disturbs my heart like crazy and I'm still drawn to him like gravity, I've got Nat to always distract me when my mind starts to wander.
My dreams have also stopped and even the visions don't come anymore. Since the time I'd been having this mental illness as we like to call it, I think this is the longest I've gone without experiencing at least one of the symptoms.
My mom believes it's because I'm finally living like a teenager should, supported and surrounded by family and a real friend. I don't give a damn about the reasons, I'm just happy I'm at peace in my head.
"Girl, come down or we are so gonna be late to school and then I'll have to kill you for real this time", Nat yelled from downstairs. She practically lives here now. Always coming to get me so we'll go to school together switching between my car and hers as the mood and day decides but she has totally been bitten by the mom bug cos she does the exact same things my mom would do now. It's almost as if I was destined to be surrounded by moms. My life, just my life.
"Bat-alie I'll be down in a sec", I screamed right back knowing that will just get her worked up while I rush to finish dressing up so I don't get a beat down in this house today.
After dashing through my room and deciding on an outfit, I got dressed having already had my bath earlier on. I applied my makeup, packed my books in my bag and ran down the stairs just as Nat was running up the stairs which resulted in a beautiful collision that had my bag flying out of my hands and the both of us rolling down the stairs.
"Ouch", I screamed which solicited a crappy reply from Nat, I guess or was it my mom, I wasn't sure. I stood to my feet gently, trying to ensure nothing was broken while Nat grumbled to her feet. No kidding, grumbled.
We turned to look at each other and burst out laughing. My mom couldn't even say anything as she was used to our random bouts of laughter. She just turned her head, and called for Adam so they could leave for work.
"You look ridiculously beautiful", Aunt Maia said with humor from the direction of the kitchen. "Thanks Aunt Maia", we both replied before smiling again and packing up our stuff so we wouldn't be late to school.
*** We were walking out the lobby when Aunt Maia called Natalie back for reasons I have no clue about. Instead of waiting by the door I walked straight to Nat's car, a red dodge charger. I dropped my bag at the back and was about to enter the car when Nat stepped out of the house looking serious. Serious was not Natalie at all.
I waited until we were both strapped in before asking her what happened to make her so serious all of a sudden and she gave me a sorry excuse of her dad calling her about stuff she forgot to do, an excuse I didn't buy at all. Knowing Nat I knew she would only spill when she was ready so I let her be.
We played hard rock songs until we got to school, after which she parked the car and just like that Nat the unserious, playful, crack head was back.
We packed our things out of the car and walked into the school discussing the after school practice we had today against the games this weekend. We were almost at our locker when someone bumped into me, full force I nearly fell, if not for Natalie righting me fast enough.
"First off are you blind, or does your brain lack the capacity to function fast enough for your eyes", Natalie began already aiming to put the person in their well-deserved place, but it was too early on a Monday morning for that.
"Nat it's not worth it, let's go, or else we'll be late", I said pulling her with me. I had only taken three steps when a voice as cold as winter said, "oh I'm guessing you're the stupid chica who think she's loco enough to try and run things around here, just cos her mama's a star".
I had faced enough criticism in my entire life because of my mom's popularity but something about the way she spoke kept grating on my nerves and I just couldn't keep quiet about this.
I hadn't seen her face since I'm guessing she was the same person who bumped into me, but at this point I turned to look at her squarely in the eye so she could see I wasn't afraid of her and wouldn't bother with the repercussions if only I wiped the smug look off her face with dirt.
She disturbed me in so many ways more than one, there was the fact that she looked like an insane person with her haggard gold locks and the red lipstick she was wearing coupled with the fact that she looked like a measly broken stick with enough power to cut a wave. There were too many things off about her, but that only registered in my mind for a split second because next thing I knew I was reaching for her face with my hands.
I didn't get close enough or something was terribly off with my calculations cos I missed her face terribly. It took me a few seconds to realize Nat had pulled me back from effectively feeding her face to the dirt.
"Asha, calm down it's not worth it". I could only hear Nat at the back of my mind because I was still intent on feeding that gal a piece of the earth. Nat kept shaking me until my eyes finally focused on her and I realized she was actually beginning to panic. Then I turned back to face the girl only to see her smile wickedly as she said, "well looks like you've got a rabid dog on your hands Mills, mind if I help you put the bitch down".
It all happened in a flash, I was standing with my back turned to Nat and facing the weird girl and the next thing I know, I'm holding her head under my hands, her face sprawled flat on the ground. But that wasn't all, it was the fact that she was struggling under my grip and it wasn't even affecting me one bit, I was truly not myself.
I just wanted an answer from the girl, an answer to the question that had been bugging my mind since I heard her voice.
I asked her in a voice that had me chilled to my core. That can't be my voice was all I thought as I heard myself say, "Who the hell are you?" she was about to answer when I realized that wasn't the right question. "Don't even answer that, this is more important. What in hells blazes are you and who sent you? That you better answer and answer fast".
She was shaking badly but it wasn't doing anything to change my mood at all, and since she wasn't answering fast enough I kept pressing her face harder into the ground until she was weeping and begging me to stop. That didn't do anything to stop me, I wanted answers and I was ready to wait all day to get them.
Apparently the day wasn't ready to wait for me. I felt someone's hand on my shoulder and instantly I reacted almost like magic happening right before my eyes and in my body dare I say. The hand was twisted without stress and when the owner of the hand groaned in pain I was ready to go back to my earlier mission of getting answers when all of a sudden hands bounded around my waist from behind and I was pulled off my feet.
I kicked, shouted, punched and yet the person that carried me didn't let me down. After a few seconds of struggling to no avail, I started screaming, because now the adrenaline was fading fast and fear was doing the exact opposite. A few more distance covered and I was let down abruptly.
"Who are you and what did you bring me here for", I shouted angrily, while trying to hold onto the last drop of adrenaline and anger I had.
"Can someone get the lights please", a voice I recognized said. All of a sudden light flooded the room so bright, I had to close and open my eyes a few times to adjust and boy did I wish I hadn't.
Xander was standing right before me looking pissed and clutching his right wrist in his left hand. Behind him were Justin and Canaan and Nat shaking like she had just seen death. I was a little confused at this point but for clarity sake and for a release from the headache that had started to build up in my head, I asked to no one in particular.
"Why was I brought here and what exactly am I doing here?" Almost as if no one had spoken, every one of them kept mute. I was going to ask again when Jesse and Keith walked in and locked the door to what I'm guessing now is an abandoned or unused classroom.
Keith walked up to Xander and nodded his head as if speaking in code after which Xander turned to me and said, "I will be asking the questions here, and I do hope you will give me answers".
"I don't get you one bit, I was brought here without my consent and you suddenly expect that I would answer your questions just like that after you blatantly refused to answer mine. Please in what alternate universe has that worked for you because I can guarantee you, you won't get swat from me for an answer".
"I can see trying to reason with you is a waste of my time", Xander replied coolly which had me worried but my anger was starting to build up again and it was sincerely limiting the use of my cognitive skills right now.
"I am only going to ask these questions once and like I said earlier I do hope you give me answers willingly or I will be forced to get them from you unwillingly".
I only glared at him in response because if he thought he was getting anything from me any of those ways he had another thing in store. He looked at me for a few seconds gauging my response before he moved on to start asking.
"First I'd like to know who and what you are exactly, and since you don't look like you're ready to answer that yet I'll ask the rest and you decide where to start answering from. Second what is your purpose in this school, third where did you come from? That should be enough for now".
"Any day now you may want to start answering". I was beyond pissed at this point, I felt betrayed. These were all people I had grown to like and thought I could call acquaintances if not friends but just like that this is what comes next. That wasn't even the worst part, it was the fact that Natalie stood there looking as if she was also expecting answers after being so close to me and knowing everything there was to know and share.
I was so pissed, I'm sure the demons in my head had finally taken over. I stood up from the ground, dusted my jeans, thank skies for trousers or I would have flashed a lot of people today. When I was satisfied with my appearance I turned to look at all of them, fury flushed within my veins yet I opened my mouth to speak and it was ice that flowed out of me.
"You want answers, hmm hmm...." I shook my head with a smile, "you will get answers. First I'm Asha Delaine D. Carter and as for what, I have no idea what that means to you but I'm a human being so that's your biz-wigs. Second my purpose, wow I feel like I'm being interviewed for a life mag, it's been a while. I only hope to graduate from this twisted school and third where I come from that's pretty easy to answer. From all over the world. Now dear sir, does that meet your mag requirements or do I need to fabricate some lies to soothe your curiosity?" I replied coldly.
"Oh well that truly doesn't matter to me, if you'll excuse me, I will be taking my leave since this Q&A class is done".
Immediately I turned and walked towards the door Xander pulled me back by my hand only to instantly remove his hands from mine as if he felt the same sizzling effect I felt in my body the minute he held my hands. I only had a few seconds to catch my breath before Xander whispered lowly "MATE".
At that word, I turned to look straight into his eyes and the grey in them were bleeding to obsidian pretty fast, I was shouting for someone to come help him or at least see the craziness I was looking at, when all of a sudden I felt an electric tingling all over my body starting from my hands and spreading out to every other part of my body. ***
"Asha, come on sweetheart, wake up. Asha Asha Asha Asha...… wake up!!!!!!!!"
I was jarred to reality, by screams and shouts and panicked voices. I was so disoriented. I kept looking around me, trying to understand what part of it all was a dream and which part reality.
"Asha, what is it?" My mom asked panicking. There were tears in her eyes and she was trembling all over. She was holding me at arm's length at the foot of the stairs, checking for any injuries and just to be sure that I was okay.
"Mom, I'm fine", I whispered quietly. I felt so drained and the day had only just began. "Should I stay home with you?" she asked quietly while trying to decide within herself but I knew I would only deprive her by making her stay home with me, knowing that today was a very important day for her.
"No mom, I'll be fine. I have Nat with me and Aunt Maia, I will be fine trust me". I knew I had to reassure her before she would ever be able to leave me at this point.
"I love you baby", she said as she kissed my forehead and hugged me really tight. "I hate leaving you like this sweetie, are you sure you're gonna be okay?" she asked again worriedly.
"She's in good hands Mia, go" Aunt Maia said. "This is a meeting you've waited for, for so long. Trust me Asha will be fine and she'll call you later just to let you know she's doing great, won't you?"
"Of course I will", I replied immediately, tired but pretending the energy so my mom would be able to leave without worries.
"Alright sweetie", she said in resignation. "But call me okay". "Yes I will".
"I love you, be safe", she said as Adam walked her to the door not without throwing a wink my way first.
"I love you too mom".
The door closing was the last thing I heard as the weariness finally swallowed me whole and the darkness took over.