Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H; I just own the characters and subplots. Except Nerissa.
My author notes are on my profile, as is a reader's guide to the new generation.
Chapter One-Twisted World
Language Arts. Fourth period and death to the easily bored. That was the class that the eight graders at Saint Katherine's School in Clearwater were currently in. Some were paying attention. Hayleigh was not. She was doodling on her notebook page with a few brightly colored markers. Although she was right in the front of the room, the teacher didn't seem to notice her oblivious state. That was good.
Hayleigh looked up, brushing a strand of blonde hair back into her still-damp ponytail. She watched her friends carefully. Lacey was staring dully at Ms. Carson with glassy hazel eyes, her freckled cheek propped on her hand. Mandy watched the teacher attentively, occasionally bending her head the jot something down, brown curls spilling onto her desk. On the opposite side of the tiny classroom, Kelsey sat with her legs crossed, examining her hair, which she constantly insisted was dirty blonde, although light brown was a closer estimate. Behind her, Julia was absently scribbling something in her notebook; knowing her it was notes.
Eventually tiring of this activity, Hayleigh's blue-green eyes traveled back to her notebook page and she gasped inwardly. The things she drew were usually strange, but not as precise as these! It almost seemed as if she had been copying those weird hieroglyphics from somewhere. But of course she hadn't been. Actually, she thought as she studied her drawing, these were just like the symbols she had drawn all over her graph paper in Algebra this morning. But this time they were in five bubbles, arranged in a square with on in the middle.
There was the turquoise swirl shaped like a small 'c' with a long tail thing. And next to it, the unfinished triangle that she had sketched in orange. Forming one bottom corner of the square was a green circle with a dot in the middle. Finishing the box was another swirl, but more tightly coiled and in light blue. But her favorite was the one in the middle. It was hot pink, shaped like parentheses, except flipped so that one was on top of the other, the open sides facing each other.
Then she frowned. Something was missing from this picture, but what? Hayleigh began to draw again. First came a circle. Then a rim that encased half of the orb. Another piece of this rim descended into the circle about halfway down. A loop for a chain finished it. As the bell rang, questions invaded her mind. It looked like a necklace of some kind, but why had she drawn it? Why had she drawn any of these shapes for that matter?
Friday nights were definitely the best nights to cheer. Especially when Café Java was involved! Kelsey smiled at her reflection in the mirror that hung on the lavender wall of her bedroom, and then sank back onto her daybed. She was all ready for cheerleading in her blue, white, and silver uniform consisting of a cute little skirt, body liner, and shell. Of course, her chestnut boots were not part of the outfit, but they weren't allowed to wear their pure white dance sneakers outside, so she wore these until she got to the school.
Walking to her dresser, Kelsey brushed some sparkles on her pale cheeks. Oh, she hoped Matt would be there tonight! Every time she thought of her boyfriend her heart leapt.
"Kelsey, it's time to leave!" Her mother's voice jolted Kelsey's thoughts away from Matt, sadly. She grabbed her royal blue bag and dashed downstairs and out the door. Being the klutz that she was, of course she slipped on the icy pavement and fell.
"Oof!" One hand hit her driveway, and the other her snow-covered grass. She inspected herself carefully before pushing herself up and starting towards the car.
Then Kelsey stopped. She could hear rustling trees behind her. But the sound was too close to be coming from the woods beside her house. Turning slowly, the girl gasped. Where her hand had touched the grass, the snow was completely melted away. A tall flowering shrub had appeared on the lawn! It sparkled with celery green light. Kelsey slowly turned her hazel eyes on her hands. They too sparkled with emerald light.
"Did I do that?" she whispered. Then she shook her head vigorously and got in the car. No, she couldn't have. But the thought stayed in her mind, no matter how much she assured herself that she was going crazy or something. What was wrong with her?
Wow, the gym was crowded. Mandy made her way through all the people to the school kitchen. That was where the cheerleaders stayed before the game. Dumping her bag on the ground, she went to join Kelsey and Hayleigh over by the sink. Lacey wasn't here yet, but that was normal. And Julia didn't cheer. She usually came, but tonight she was at her grandparents' house.
Mandy leaned against the metal countertop. "I can't wait for Café Java later!" she squealed.
Hayleigh nodded, her ponytail bouncing against her back. "I hope we get comfy chairs…"
"I call one!" Kelsey interrupted.
"But you got one last time!" Hayleigh protested. Mandy rolled her eyes. Hayleigh and Kelsey fought all the time. Not really, of course. Just little squabbles that usually ended in a smack on the head for Kelsey.
Tuning out her friends' bickering, Mandy turned the faucet on and off idly. She swirled her fingers through the water. Immediately, a strange feeling filled her. Almost like an electric shock, except it didn't hurt. Curious, Mandy took her hand away from the water to inspect it.
Or she would have, if the water hadn't followed her hand right out of the sink! Mandy squeezed her eyes shut, and opened them again. But the thin stream of water was still there, apparently frozen in midair.
"What the…?" she whispered.
Suddenly a shout broke her trance. "Lacey!" Kelsey yelled. The water sloshed back into the sink.
"Come on! I'm going out," Kelsey said, tugging Hayleigh's arm. "Are you coming Mandy?"
"Uh, yeah… I'll be right there." Mandy said, shaking the fog out of her head. Hayleigh skipped out of the kitchen, grabbing her blue and silver pom-poms on the way out. Kelsey followed.
Mandy turned her mind back to the pressing problem. Why did the water follow her hand? What was happening to her?
"It's freezing!" Lacey shivered, clutching Hayleigh's arm. "And it's so foggy."
Hayleigh nodded. "Come on, let's get inside." She sprinted towards the coffee shop, slipping in the door just as someone walked out.
Lacey followed, happily anticipating her Double Chocolate Frapuchino. Yummy! It made her mouth water just to think about it.
Lacey loved everything about this place. She loved the coffee smell, and the warm décor. She loved the comfy green armchairs set up on either side of the big fireplace. But most of all, she loved the fireplace itself. It warmed her inside and out with its cheerfully crackling flames and soft glow.
"Yes! Comfy chairs!" Lacey took off her fluffy pink coat and threw it on the chair. "That one's mine!" Kelsey plopped down in the other one. She already had her favorite drink, Mocha Chip.
"I called one before," she explained, even though no one was challenging her possession of the best seat. Lacey joined her a few minutes later; Hayleigh and Mandy were still on line.
"I have to go to the bathroom," Kelsey announced suddenly. She walked towards the back of the store. Lacey shrugged and watched the dancing flames.
Fire was very beautiful, she noticed, even though it had a bad reputation for being dangerous. But it was warm, and just to see the red and orange leap around the blue heart of the fire comforted her.
The door opened again, letting in a whistling wind. The fire sizzled out. Only smoke remained. Lacey frowned. Now she was cold. She glared at the door and then turned back to the empty grate.
"I wish the fire was still there! I'm freezing again," she thought. With a whoosh of fiery orange light a flame appeared on the very bottom log. It grew and grew, higher and higher until it had reached its old size.
Usually fire reassured her. But not now. What had just happened?
Seeing Kelsey, followed by Mandy and Hayleigh, she pushed the thought away. But it nagged her all throughout her friend's gossip. What had made the fire jump back to life? It couldn't have been her… could it?
Alright. I have almost eleven chapters of this story written. If I get 3 reviews, I'll update. So please review. Praise and constructive criticism welcomed. Meanness is not. (Is that flaming? I'm new to this. If so, no flaming.)