I knew him as a good friend named Ben. We used to hand out together, Ben my Self and Cai, (short for Caitlyn). They took me under their wing when I started school. I wasn't in their lessons, but it was nice to see them at lunch and break, Ben go on the school bus with me and then we got off Halfway to school and met Cai, then it was a short walk to school.
Ben and Cai were going out although they kept it dead secret. No one was allowed to know. I knew, I mean it was harmless for me not to know. I didn't trust anyone or have any one to tell. Ben and Cai had had a secret, but then again so did I.
We sat in the library and talked, but most of all we were either reading or drawing, telling each other stories. I knew Ben and Cai had secrets and knew things that I shouldn't know. I could read Cai like a book, but Ben he was harder. I knew he was up to something but I couldn't tell what it was.
Ben and Cai would never leave me alone on my own, during school any way. I mean my lesson were ok, but as soon as they finished Ben and Cai were there in a flash, waiting for me to cross the fresh hold of each class room. It was like each door to the class rooms was like a door to a new world, some evil some nice. So they would escort me to my next lesson. Make sure that I was safe, that I made it there on time.
One day Cai was trying to help me with my class work. I was terrible at it. Cai said it was called Dyslexia. Ben just called me stupid. I'd given up on the class work and went back to my art work, I loved it I was working on a huge piece of work it was a portrait of what we thought we looked like. Cai new she was not going to get anywhere with me now, so she got up and went over to talk to Ben.
"We need to get her back to HQ!" Cai hissed at Ben. Ben, who was reading a book, looked up at me, shock his head and looked back at his book. "She looks perfectly fine where she is now, you of all people know were can't mover her until something happens..."
"But what is SHE does something stupid like uses magic, or transforms?!"
"She's not going to do that. She's harmless. Look at her concentrating on her drawing. She wouldn't hurt a fly..." Ben was adamant that he didn't want me moved to HQ.
"But it will only take a few people to bully her. Or test her. She could explode, and 1) we won't be in her lessons to do anything and 2) we have no clue what she can do!" Cai was getting really angry with Ben, who would only do something about any situation if there was immediate danger to being exposed. Cai walked off knowing that she wasn't getting anywhere with this situation. As Cai walked back over to me I closed my hand and carried on drawing.
"What are you holding in your hand?" she asked inquisitively.
"Nothing." I didn't even look at her.
"Yes you are, I know you are hiding something so just tell me." Cai was getting angry I could hear it in her voice, but I was going to stand my ground.
"You are hiding something from me and I know it!" Cai slammed her hand down on the table and gritted her teeth in frustration. Ben walked calmly and collectively over to the table. The look on his face as if he was pondering, thinking rather hard.
"Ok what's happened now? And don't lie because you BOTH know that I can't see through you." Ben was being harsh but with us both and we couldn't lie because he would find out. Like me he could read people like books, my skill was just developing, where as Ben his was amazing.
"Ok…" Cai started "After I had FINISHED talking to you…" this meant that Ben and Cai's convocation wasn't over. "I saw her playing with something in her hand. What it was I don't know. She won't tell me. I've asked her. So I started to get angry." Cai was kind of calming down now but not much.
"Right Jem, show me…"
"US!" Cai cut in.
"Yes. Show us what you have in your hand Jem."
I opened my hand and there was nothing there apart from a tiny burn mark in the palm of my hand.
Cai went as pale as a ghost.
"How…w…w … How long have you been able to do that?" Ben stuttered that first word, which for him was pretty impressive. Ben who was brought up of proper speech and language, and lived in a posh house with posh speaking parents and this and that he was never late for anything. He never stuttered, never got told off, never did anything wrong. He was what everyone called perfect.
"Umm ages. I can do all sorts of things ." I said it like there was nothing to it and that everyone could do it. "The kids at home love it when I do magic in front of them. Make things disappear or make things appear." I went to show them that I could control certain things, including people. Ben and Cai were getting paler and paler by the second.
They had my whole life planned out and yet I had just ruined it, as per usual! I closed my book packed into my bag, stood up put my bag on my shoulders and walked out of the library. Cai stood there rooted to the ground, but Ben, he was fast. He came after me. I was a fast walker though and moved like a ghost. I walked through people and through things. I had crossed the field by the time Cai had caught up with me and Ben. I picked up my pace and broke into a run so I could get away from them. They broke into a run to. I jumped the fences finally I had one thing that over Ben and Cai. Par Core also known as Free Running, was a thing that I was good at. Par Core also meant that I could cover ground, and quick. I was away before they where even over the park gates. I had no idea how much trouble I was putting myself into but I didn't care.
I didn't stop running until I was down by the river. I started slowing down until I found a huge big tree, where I could hide within the blossom. I climbed the tree and sat there for a while just watching the water flowing by. It was quite peaceful.
Chapter 2"Hi" a voice came out of know where. I jumped. "Don't be frightened I'm not going to hurt you." He started to move towards me. I started to move away but he was too quick for me and by the time I had tried to move, he was sitting next to me. He stopped when he was near enough the same height as me. Then he moved onto the same branch as me.
"You go to the same school as me don't you? You hang out with Ben and Cai? He asked.
"That depends." I said and then went to get down. He grabbed my arm.
"Hey please don't leave me. There is so much I want to know about you. Your mysterious, your new, and no one knows you, well apart from Ben and Cai. I've heard so much about you and to be honest I really want to know if it is all true." He pleaded sympathetically.
He looked really cute with his big eyes looking right into mine.
"Ok, go ahead and ask away I'm not bothered, because I bet you it's all a bunch of rubbish!" I laughed. I was used to people asking question being nosey it happened all the time.
"OK" he started. "Have you got any family?"
"Nope." Short quick answer. I was an Orphan and I didn't care.
"Is your hair short or just tied up in your beanie?" I didn't answer that question; I just took off my beanie and showed him my hair. Short blond hair boy's style. Shaved more around at the sides with stars cut in. He nodded. I just put my beanie back on and left a bit up at the top showing. He saw the tattoo on my neck.
"Wait what's that? Is it a tattoo?" I turned away from him while pulling my beanie down further to cover it.
"It's nothing. Don't worry you don't need to know about it" And with that I jumped down.
"Wait, no don't go!" He shouted down towards me.
But I had already reached the ground, and started running.
Smack!
I ran straight into Ben. Gheeesss. He's like a rock. I mean he looks really frail, but wow! I'm never running into him again. Ever.
"You're neither as quick nor as clever enough as you thought you were!?" I had fallen to the floor with an almighty thud.
Ben picked me up by the scruff of my neck and the hood from my hoody that I was wearing.
Cai, like always arrived looking very out of place, came along in an a huge boat, a 1990s Fairline Squadron, it was full of satellite dishes and intelligent equipment. Ben dragged me into the boat. Cai didn't look at me she just carried on. Once we were on the boat she pulled away from the shore. I found a corner and sat there tucked up in a ball. Cai left Ben in charge of piloting the boat, she came over and sat down across from me.
"Where did you go?" Cai was trying to be nice to me. She must have seen what Ben had done. I didn't answer her, just looked at her. My eyes reading hers, but I was stumbling and tripping wondering if she was going to help me. Ha. No chance. Neither of us was looking where Ben was taking us in the boat. But it suddenly got darker and darker... We were headed into a tunnel. Nothing was said throughout this 30 minuet boat ride.
Ben suddenly stopped the boat and jumped off. He then very gentlemanly helped Cai off the boat, but mew he left. I was shunned by him. He didn't want anything to do with me.
"Where are we Cai?" I wasn't supposed to ask such questions like that but this time I was going to rebel and break the rules. Bens head snapped round to shoot a look of horror.