Prologue
I stepped in to the parking lot with a satisfying crunch from the gravel. I was almost home, about half way, just reaching the soccer fields. I wasn't even supposed to be walking home today but my mother had forgotten to pick me up from school. She said last night that if it was going to be cloudy out that I shouldn't walk home but wait for her on car line. After 25 or so minutes on car line I went to the office to have them call my house. No one answered. But when Mrs. Galley (the secretary) called Mom's cell she said that I should just walk. I guess wherever she was it wasn't thundering like it was here.
And just for emphasis a huge crack of thunder rolled through the fields. I could almost feel the vibrations. The thinner, younger trees swayed with a strong breeze that pushed my dark hair from my face. The wind was getting stronger with every step I took; it was making the dark storm clouds tumble into our little town with astonishing speed. The storm itself didn't bother me (I actually quite like storms) it was the fact that every one was scrambling to get "safe". If its commin, it wont just stop because you have an extra loaf of bread. I though annoyed.
People erk me, with all there stupid antics that only make things worse. But no one thought of it that way. "Well you don't understand these things." They always said in the same, boring voice. Well, I guess I shouldn't think like that cause Shane, my best friend, always went along with my all my insane ideas.
Shane and I have been friends since like forever. Our parents had grown up together, and we just ended up together by default. He was a few inches shorter then me, but I was a little tall for my age (13). He was a loser like me for most of our tyke years but he was now earning numerous sighs and longing gazes from the girls in school. He didn't let it go to his head though. Actually, I don't think he even noticed, he just hung with me and ignored it all. He probably would be even more popular then he already was if he wasn't friends with me, but that's just the price to pay. He fit all the requirements: athletic, blond, blue eyes, tan, rich parents and a good sense of humor.
I, on the other hand, fit none of the requirements: extra tall, dark brown hair, smart, and I actually care. I am athletic but in the way that no one cares. I free run on the parks and shop rooftops; I sail in the summer, and surf in any free time I get. Nothing that would get me any of the good kind of attention. Well, no, free running gets me some attention, but it's not the kind of sport that gets you popular at a small private school of four hundred, consisting of 100% preps (accept me of course). It's not like I want to BE popular, I just don't like that people have to be classified by the age of 6 if we're worthy of attention or not. But that's not my battle to fight, yet.
Just as a dark green van that belonged to the Kens up the street passed I stepped out of the way of the mud stray that followed after the car. With a little help from my 'gift' I stayed completely clean. Speaking of which, my gift helped me with every thing. In free running it kept me from getting seriously hurt, and in sailing to predict where the wind will be the strongest. It only really helped me when I surfed to avoid any unsuspecting swimmers.
Only one other person knew about my 'gift' and that would be you ask? You guessed, Shane. He's known for a while, well, ever since it started to happen. So, since about my 7 birthday. He's never told any one, not even my parents. We talk about it sometimes, usually about why it started. I don't know how it happed or how it happens, it just does. And over the years I've gotten more control over it. Woooooo. Go control.