Airiana spent the night alone in her room. She struggled trying to read a fantasy novel to get her mind off what she had done earlier, but she could not concentrate at all. She listened to music and danced around but that did not work either. She looked at her hands willing light to appear in them, but they did nothing. She tried again and again and was interrupted by the phone ringing.
The phone continued ringing and her parents were not answering it. Hmm, they must be outside. She ran down the stairs and picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hello Air."
Airiana's heart stopped and her eyes widened. It was Drake. "How did you get my number?"
"Public school records Airiana. That means I also know where you live."
Airiana slammed down the receiver and ran upstairs, hiding under her blanket. The phone rang again several times, each time making Airiana's heart race and breathing ragged. Finally, it stopped ringing for the night, and she sobbed until she fell asleep.
She woke up the next morning to a text that said urgent from Zoe and Mark. She threw on a blue shirt, jeans and a light blue jean jacket, skipped breakfast, avoided her parents probing questions if everything was okay, and walked to Zoe's house.
The air was crisp with the scent of autumn and slightly chilly, but the cold was what Airiana needed. The slight breeze blew dead leaves around on the sidewalk and the dying grass between the sidewalk and the road. Little did she know she was walking into a nightmare as she walked up Zoe's porch steps and stepped foot into her house.
"You're WHAT?!" Zoe yelled.
Airiana held Zoe close, her face as shocked and mad as Zoe's. "Yeah, what?!"
"I'm moving." Mark whispered.
"To the suburbs, right?" Zoe asked, hope and disbelief in her voice.
"No, away from here."
Zoe started to hyperventilate, Airiana rubbing her back. "When?!"
"In a week..."
"Why can't you move in with me?!"
"I can't ditch my parents like that! And they wouldn't let me move in because they got in a fight with YOUR parents!" Mark started yelling not because he was angry at her but because he could not believe it either. He was leaving everything behind and everyone he had ever known.
"How could you ditch us like that?" Airiana said, anger evident in her voice. "We were so close to defeating Drake!"
Mark smirked. "Is that all you care about?! Besides, were not even CLOSE to defeating Drake!"
Airiana gave him a mean look. She wanted to slap him, not because of his words to her but because of the pain he was causing her best friend.
"And what the fuck Airiana?! Want to tell me what that little stunt was you pulled yesterday in school? You wanna tell us who or what you are?"
"How could you?!" Zoe shrieked, tears rolling down her cheeks, not acknowledging what had happened to Airiana the day before, only in shock that her best friend and boyfriend was leaving her forever.
"It's not my fault that I have to move!" Mark yelled.
"I wanted a future with you!" and with that, Zoe stomped away with a furious Airiana behind her. Airiana was glad that she didn't have to address what had happened to her but torn up inside that she was losing a dear friend.
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The week started to pass by, slowly and dreadfully. Airiana sighed as she glanced at the calendar. Mark is going to leave, probably forever, in 20 minutes. They were not hanging out like they used to the past week. They did not sit together during classes or at lunch, they purposely avoided each other. After their argument, they had not said one word to each other, a wall had gone up. Zoe was mad and full of disbelief. She could not believe her life was falling apart. It felt like Mark had died.
Airiana was mad because Mark had put her down about Drake. Is that all I care about? What kind of question is that? Who does he think he is? He KNOWS that I care about Zoe and his relationship! He knows I care about him like he is my own brother. Airiana glanced at the calendar again and picked up the phone, dialing Zoe's number.
"Hmm, hello?"
"Zo?"
"Mark?!" Zoe shrieked.
"No, no, no, Air."
"Oh, wow."
"Man Zoe! Don't' you know my voice when you hear it?" Airiana chuckled sadly.
"Yeah, but you used Mark's nickname for me," she replied softly.
"Oh, sorry."
"That's okay."
Airiana paused. "Did Mark call?"
Zoe smirked. "No, why would he?"
"What fight did his parents have with yours that they have to move away?"
Zoe sighed. "His mom got drunk one night and snaked out on my dad and tried to get with him afterwards."
"Oh wow, her drinking has gotten that bad." Airiana sighed. "Zoe let's go see him one last time. We need to at least TRY to be happy for Mark even though we 'hate' him for moving."
Zoe started to sniffle. "Okay, oh! It's so hard!"
"I know but let's see Mark before he's gone forever."
"Okay, bye,"
"…Bye." Airiana slowly hung up the phone.
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Mark was about to climb into the van to move away when he saw his two beautiful girls in the van window's reflection. He spun around. "Zoe!"
Zoe wiped her tears away with a kleenex and approached him with Airiana.
"Zoe, I-"
"Mark, forget it. I just can't let you go until I tell you how much I love you!" Zoe took a deep breath. "I love you so much! I love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love you!"
Mark tried to blink back his tears. "Oh Zo."
Zoe grabbed his face and stared into his brown eyes, then moved in to kiss him.
Mark embraced her, kissing her back. He finally noticed Airiana when he leaned back from Zoe's kiss. "Hi Air."
Airiana just glared at him.
Mark broke away from Zoe and hugged her too. "I'm going to miss you too, you know."
Airiana's anger melted into tears. "I'm so sorry you had to deal with my anger. Please forgive me!"
"I do."
"Oh!" she stared into his eyes and held his hand tightly. "I don't know what happened to me that day honest, I don't." Airiana let go of his hand, referring to the day she had supernatural powers.
Mark pursed his lips and nodded gravely. He walked back to Zoe and put his hands on her hips for probably the last time. "Goodbye my beautiful Zo."
Zoe smiled. "Bye punk, I'm still mad at you."
Mark kissed her on the forehead.
"You WILL visit us, right?"
Mark nodded and climbed into the van. Then, they drove away and were gone, just like that.
Zoe hugged herself. Her body shook and shivered from the loneliness as she slowly fell to the ground and started sobbing. She was hyperventilating, struggling to breathe. Airiana's arms wrapped tightly around her but she barely noticed as she hoped to find a cure from the pain.
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A week had passed and Airiana could not help but notice that Greg, the chunky goth boy, was hanging out with Zoe more. Greg was smart to stay away from Airiana because Airiana felt like punching him he annoyed her so badly. She turned around to see him telling Zoe another one of his stupid stories and Zoe was laughing for the first time that week. And it was a genuine laugh, not a forced fake one Airiana had caught Zoe doing before.
"You should've seen the look on her face!" Greg exclaimed, "It's like seeing a chicken's face after you stick a stick up its butt!"
Zoe started laughing harder.
Greg smiled, like he won a victory. "Isn't that funny, Air?"
"Shut-up and leave me alone." Airiana snapped. "Besides, how would you know what a chicken's face would look like after sticking a stick up its butt? Pervert." she muttered.
Zoe smiled and gave Greg a sympathetic look.
"Um, Airiana." the teacher said approaching their table. "The principal is here to talk to you."
"What's going on?" Airiana asked cautiously.
"Good luck." Zoe whispered in her ear.
"He wouldn't say." the teacher replied.
Airiana gave Zoe a pained look and got up from her seat, exiting the classroom into the hallway where Drake was waiting.
When she left, Greg instantly grabbed Zoe's hand. "Want to hear what I did last night with a hot chick?"
Zoe wrinkled up her nose. "Do I WANT to know?"
Greg laughed. "Funny Zoe, all I did was throw a pie in her face because she wanted to do a belly dance and I didn't want to see it because she had a fat roll hanging out."
Zoe started laughing her head off and Greg joined her. Zoe sighed and wiped away a tear. He's not even funny. All his jokes are horrible but laughing hysterically like this helps me forget about Mark. Zoe leaned forward flirtatiously towards Greg.
She gave Greg the wrong message. He placed his hand over hers, winking.
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"What do you want?" Airiana muttered, exhausted.
"Kiss me." Drake replied, wrapping his hand in her hair.
Airiana snorted. "You know I don't like you. And if I did, I wouldn't kiss you in the hallway. Are you retarded or something?" She leaned back and stepped over, so Drake's hand wasn't on her head.
Drake waved his hand over them and the hallway disappeared. They were in the gym storage and a red glow filled the room. "How about now?"
Airiana's eyes widened in shock. "Honestly, I shouldn't be so surprised anymore." She said, more to herself than to Drake.
Drake grabbed her face.
"Let go! Get me out of here!" Airiana slapped and punched his chest, but Drake was too powerful. He forced her mouth open and kissed her, running his hands down her body. Airiana grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled.
Drake hollered in pain, letting her go.
Airiana vomited on the floor in front of his shoes. She felt dizzy and sick, and her stomach growled.
Drake grabbed her by the hair and his fangs grazed her neck. "What did you do that day Air? What were you claiming I did to you?" He leaned over to kiss her breast, pulling down her shirt with his finger, revealing soft white flesh.
Airiana's anger flared, and she kicked him with her knee in his groin.
"AH!" Drake doubled over in pain.
Airiana laughed hysterically. "Don't worry about it Drake, maybe you should be watching me harder." she started laughing harder, sounding insane.
"You bitch!"
Airiana ran out of the room luckily it opened to the hallway and she ran to the girl's bathroom to hide. She looked in the mirror and the only thing out of place was her hair. She ran her fingers through it hastily and washed her hands hoping it would wash off the violation she felt from Drake's touch. She splashed water on her neck and lips too. After her sink ran water, the other sink farthest from her ran water too by itself. This haunted school is getting annoying.
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"Air…" Zoe slowly sat down next to her at lunch,
"What?" Airiana asked.
"I'm dating Greg."
Airiana coughed, choking on her burrito. She took a sip of milk. "Okay… what?" She gave Zoe an accusatory look.
"I'm dating Greg!" Zoe repeated exasperatedly.
Airiana wrinkled up her nose with disgust. "You can do better,"
"Air, please, just listen. Greg makes me happy. He makes me laugh-"
"Always got to love a guy who makes you laugh."
Zoe smiled sheepishly. "I hate your sarcasm. Anyways, well, he takes my mind off Mark."
Airiana shook her head. "If there's one thing you should know about love, it's this, after you break up with a guy, don't instantly go for another one if you still miss him, otherwise you can't truly love your new boyfriend. Instead, he'll be like a drug to help you get over your pain. Who asked who out first?"
"Greg asked me out."
"I knew that little bastard was going for you and now he has you wrapped around his effing finger."
"So, what do you say?"
Airiana sighed, rolling her eyes. "I guess you should go out with him if it makes you feel better."
"Oh good, you approve!"
"Um… not really,"
Zoe started to drink her milk.
"Drake kissed me."
Zoe spat her milk out all over the table. "WHAT?!"
"He kissed me. You know how much I hate this school right now?"
Zoe stared at her, mouth agape.
"Zoe... I think whatever happened to me that day at school that I... well, you know... I thought it was something Drake did, but he was asking me questions about it when he was trying to molest me."
Zoe frowned. "I have a weird thought. What if you can take down Drake with this new power or whatever it is you have? Think about it. Maybe this is why he wants you so badly."
"I don't even know what it is I have Zoe or how to use it again much less use it as a weapon."
Zoe rubbed Airiana's back sympathetically. "It was just a thought."
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After school, Airiana entered the house through the back door and ran upstairs just to be by herself. She started to cry because she was so pissed. Why is life suddenly turning around on me? I wanted a better school and instead, some BASTARD had to come in and take over. Who does he think he is, kissing me like that? She suddenly realized that her stuff was missing. Her bed, her clothes her books and bookshelves. She dropped her backpack on the floor in shock. What the hell? Airiana ran down the stairs. "Mom? Dad? What's-" Airiana stopped in her tracks. "What's going on here?"
A very cute boy who was Airiana's age stood before her. He had straight brown floppy hair and was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans.
He smiled boldly when he saw her.
"Honey," Alyson said, "This is your new foster brother, Bach Washington."
"What the fuck?" Airiana asked. "Are you European or something?"
Alyson's eyes almost popped out of her head. "Air-"
"As a matter of fact, I am," Bach replied, with a british accent to match.
"Airiana, that is not how you talk to someone." Brian scolded.
"Please, it's okay," Bach grabbed her hand and kissed it formally.
Airiana just stared at him with disbelief. What the heck is happening? First, Mark leaves Zoe, then our new principal turns out to be a vampire and kisses me and apparently, I have superpowers! Now look, I have a foster brother and just look at the way he's staring at me!
Bach was staring at Airiana with approval.
"Why is my stuff missing?"
"Your bedroom's down here now." Alyson replied.
"WHAT?!"
"Bach's moving into your old bedroom." Alyson shot Brian a nervous look. "Was this such a good idea?" she mouthed.
"Just give it time." he mouthed back.
"Why, what the hell?!" Airiana yelled.
"Airiana!" The timer for the hot dish went off. "Oo! Dinner time!" Alyson shrieked, running into the kitchen to grab oven mitts.
"Go wash your hands kids." Brian sighed with exhaustion and followed his wife.
Airiana looked at Bach's bags. Posters of cars and sports stuck out of his halfway zipped up bags with plain shirts and pants folded snugly inside.
"So, what's your favorite color?" Bach asked awkwardly trying to make conversation.
"The color blue." Airiana shot him a mean look.
Bach frowned. "Do you always act like that?"
"UH!" Airiana threw up her hands in exasperation and stomped out of the room.