"You have to do something for the project," said Tristan. He moved his head out my face. I'd roll my eyes, but I think he'd have a totally freak out on my again. Not to mention the bursting of that giant vain in his forehead. Now that wouldn't be that bad to see.
Peer leadership. What a joke. My group is a bunch of idoits and he still tries to get me to work with them. It's just a way for our teachers to get out of teaching and seniors to get out of class. I sit there with my arms crossed; there is no way I'm working with them.
… Lunch…
I sat at my usual table with Marie and Jill. Marie pushed the glasses up and pulled back her tangled blond hair. "I don't see why you have to test everyone," she said. "Open up and let them see how fun you are." She takes a sip of her soup, but most of it falls out through her braces; the newest color of blue and green. "And you want to get a good grade right? So just work with them. You might even get grades like mine." She's a straight A student. She's never gotten lower than a B- before. But she doesn't have much of a social life. So she's been downgraded to Jill and me.
Jill takes a bite of her tofu burger, "Just work with them it isn't going to kill you. Stephanie might even give you some great fashion tips." Her eyes trail down my dark grey wool sweater. I think it repulses Jill. She's always into new fashions. This week she's a veggie and went all scene on us. Her blond hair is dyed pink, black, and green and she has pink colored contacts. I don't mind it; it's just hard to tell if it's her sometimes. Last year she shaved her head because someone did it in a sum 41 music video. And I had to explain it to her parents.
"Look I get what you're saying but I have my reasons," I'm a warrior. I don't have to listen to imprudent peer mediators when the closest thing they ever came to battle is a paper cut. I grab my necklace- a nervous habit I have. Its heart shape and cold metal feels good against my fingers. Usual; safe; me.
My grandmother gave me it when I was younger. It's the last thing I have from her after she was captured. My family never saw her again after that. I've always felt the necklace was a locket. I've always tried to open it, but it doesn't.
"So do you guys want to come on this new diet I'm trying?" asks Jill, "it will really trim you down fast."
"Sure," says Marie. "I could do that, but only after midterms. We need to study."
"No, I'm good," I say. If she knew what I really looked like under this sweater she wouldn't say anything.
"Why not? I'm sure we can all shed a couple of pounds. I mean there has to be a reason you wear those sweaters. We can barely see any of you."
And that's the way I like it. If they knew the real reason I do it, it would blow their minds. Or they would run away screaming.
"Come on," continues Jill. "I bet under all that you're really pretty. And you already have black hair and blue eyes. If you would move your hair out of your face and wear normal clothes, the boys would be all over you."
And that's why I do it. I look like a goddess, but hey, angel blood does that to you.
I know she sounds kind of mean, but Jill just always wants to help make us feel better about ourselves. Or at least her and Marie anyway; I mean she probably thinks it helps me too. That's why she's my best friend.
"So do you guys want to hang out today?" asks Marie. "I have a movie we could watch."
"Can't," I say. "I have to go somewhere later."
"Oh, yeah," says Jill. "It's to where she goes every Tuesday. And Thursdays. And let's not forget about the most social day of the week, Saturdays. Do you have something your hiding from us? Or someone? Oh, maybe you have a secret boyfriend."
"No definitely not. It's just… family time. I spend time with my parents." Well technically I am. The bell rings and I head of for English.
…Later that day…
The monsters are all around me.
Not now! I think. Why will happen if someone sees me? I'm not even a block away from school. What will the mist show them?
I dodge an attack from the red beast. Its face is grotesque and I can't even tell what's an eye or a mouth. Its twin lunges at me from behind me, but I see it there and swing around with my sword. It turns into a pile of dust.
"Come at me!" I scream at them.
I guess the red revolting beast finally realized I killed its brother and runs straight at me. I jump in the air and land on its back. I draw my sword deep into it.
Just as it turns to dust pain fills my body staring at me stomach. I look up to see a blue beast with a scorpion like stinger at the end of its tail. It gives me some kind of ghastly smirk and trails around me triumphantly. It knows it has me. It's probably thinking of the most fun way to kill me. I dropped my sword already; I see it halfway across the street. This thing will kill me by the time I tried to get it. I reach into my backpack's side pocket to pull out my dagger. Right as he rears up to bit I stand up and plunge my dagger into its throat. It crumbles into dust.
That was my last move. It used all my energy and now I can feel the wound it gave me. Luckily, it isn't poisonous.
I grab my backpack and start looking for my stele. The pain is getting stronger. I can't find it.
I can't lose it, I think. It's my families' only stele. Dad's going to kill me; if I don't die of this wound first.
Then I realize I left it on my dresser this morning.
I lay on the ground barley able to move. Normally I would have used my stele to draw the healing rune on myself; but guess that isn't happening any time soon.
I hear screeching of car breaks. "Oh my god! What happen?!" He runs over to me and helps me up.
"Nothing," I say. What can I say? Obviously I look injured. Mundanes, (it's what my family and other demon hunters, shadowhunters, call normal humans) can't they just leave me alone? I guess when I live with them, they can't. He takes my backpack and carries me to his car.
"We have to get you to a hospital." He puts me in the passenger seat and runs to the driver's side. He obviously forgets my sword. I wonder what the Mist lets him see. Is it just a stick?
"How did this happen?"
"It's nothing." I say again. I finally have to strength to look up and see a brown haired boy. I know those brown eyes anywhere. They were screaming at me this morning. Joy, its Tristan. "I'm fine, just let me out." It took the wind out of me to say that many words.
"No, this doesn't just happen! You need a doctor." He looks at me and then the road. Probably driving the fastest he's ever driven. That's usually what happens when you're in a panic. If he would take a few seconds to calm down this wouldn't be as bad. If he would relax, like me, it would be a whole lot more enjoyable ride- less jerks and turns. As much fun as a hospital trip can be anyway.
We arrive at the hospital and I start to black out. The next thing I know I'm lying on a table. White paper is under me and it's so cold.
I've never actually been to the doctors before. If I was ever sick I could draw a rune or my parents could hire a warlock to make a potion.
It's so white in here, it practically gleaming. I look around waiting for my eyes to adjust to the brightness. White table, floor, walls, except for one glass wall. I guess it's for the curious who just have to know that is wrong with all of us.
The doctor comes in and starts talking to me about me wound, but I don't really listen. He takes off my shirt so I can see full-fledged what that demon did to me.
The doctor patched it up and a white bandage is wrapped around my waist. Not as bad as it could have been, although I need to be more careful next time. I'll just have to remember my stele more often. Somehow he still has things to talk about.
Then I notice he's not directing toward me.
Tristan is in the corner of the room. However long I was out, he was here the whole time and he's still here now.
He's staring at me. Firsts he's probably noticing by body. Not like that, but my muscles ripple as I grab on to the table. It's lean from all the training and fighting. Then he's probably noticing my scars. There everywhere. Some in intricate designs- runes never fully go away, they just fade to look like scars- others just slashes, like this will be. I doubt any of the tattoos the stele gives me are left after this fight.
It wasn't the worst gash I've ever had its just the one I didn't bring my stele for. The doctor stops talking and gives me my shirt back. He says I can go.
I walk, but Tristan follows me.
"Can I give you a ride home?" he asks.
"No." I answer. My house it three miles away, but I think I can walk it. I might be limping the whole way, but it's better than the alternative.
"Look," he says. "You obviously have some serious problems and you won't tell me what happened. But I'm giving you a ride."
"No," I keep walking.
He grabs my shoulder. "You nearly died. I'm giving you a ride home." If I refuse I think his grip might sever my shoulder. No use fighting it.
"Fine," I say; no point in arguing with this Mundane. I'm already tired.
…The Next Day…
"Seriously, you have to try this," says Jill as she holds out her veggie burger to me. "You can't even tell it's not meat."
As much as I'd love to eat already putrefied plants, Tristan walks over to the table. Great, more rotten things, I think.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he asks me.
"Eating food, or at least whatever the cafeteria is trying to sell as food," on average I wouldn't have answered him- I'm usually too shy to be sarcastic to anyone, but he knows too much about me. Plus it's not like he's going to leave me alone.
"You could hardly walk to my car yesterday and now your fine. You even ran the mile in gym!"
"Can you please go away? I really don't want to talk about it," I say and look back down at my food.
"I helped you! You could have died and all I get is 'go away'?"
I even said please. I look back up at him. "I didn't ask for your help," I say as coldly as possibly. Maybe now he'll go away.
Anger wells up in his eyes, but instead of perusing it any more, he walks away.
I knew she would never let that happen without saying something. "What was that!?" asks Jill. "A senor football player saved your life yesterday?! And you don't bother to tell us about it?!"
"It was nothing," I say. How am I going to explain this one? "He was over exaggerating giving me a ride home. I just hurt my leg a little. As you can see it's not that bad since I'm here today."
"Or maybe he's just finding some weird excuse to talk to you," says Jill with that annoying smile.
"I doubt that," I answer. Why can't she just drop it?
"You know you can tell us anything, right?" says Jill with a worried look on her face.
"Yes, I know." But it's not like they would understand. I grab my necklace, as if trying to pull it open. As if it holds all the answers to my problem.
…After School…
"Finally!" says Mary. "We can all hang out."
Yes, and it going to be so…" says Jill
She keeps talking, but I'm not listening. I look down at her and smile; it's just go great to be here with them. After all the madness that has been happening and all the things I can't tell them, I owe it to them to actually be with them. To be normal. As normal as we are anyway.
All the sudden I hear a hissing noise behind me. It's not like a light cat hiss; it's deeper. Not again! I think. Not today. Not now.
"Go in the bushes," I cut off Jill.
"What? I'm in the middle my story!"
"Go," I say as sternly as possible. "Now."
They go into the bushes and I pull out a sword from my backpack. I stand there, on my toes, ready for the beast any second.
"What?!" screams Jill. "Why do you have a sword?!"
The hissing comes louder this time. Anyone within a block away would be able to hear it.
"What- what was that?" says Mary quietly.
I put my finger to my lips and move forward quietly, without a sound. Luckily I put the silence rune on my ankle this morning so no sound comes from me. The Mist trying to hide the demon as a school bus, but after years of practice I can see threw it. The beast is a scaly dark green with four long limbs. Each leg had four huge claws the size of kitchen knives. Luckily it's really only half the size as a school bus. I draw my sword ready to strike.
"What are you doing?" says Jill. "Are you seriously fighting a school bus?!"
"Look closer!" I finally said. "Really concentrate. If you stare hard enough the Mist will lift and you'll see what it really is."
Jill see skeptical, but tries it.
"Oh my god," says Mary. "What is that thing?"
"I'll tell you when it's dead." I leap on it and drive my sword into its back. I guess it wasn't expecting that. It twists and turns, trying to fling me off. I held on as hard as I can. Eventually it hurls me off and I land next to my backpack. My sword is still lodged in its back. Luckily, I have some more surprises in my backpack. I take out my bow and arrow and aim for its face. I let go of the arrow and it lands right in its huge dark eye.
"Yes!" I hear Jill scream from the bushes.
The beast lets out a blood curdling scream and lunges at me. Moving out of the way just in time, I grab my sword from its back and plunge it into its neck, cutting of its head. Before it even reaches the ground, it crumbles into dust.
I turn around to see the girls wide eyed and mouths dropped to their knees.
I'm sorry," I say and turn around. "I never meant to put you or danger. I didn't even want to show you-"'
They run up and hug me. "Thank you!" screams Jill.
"That was amazing!" says Marie.
I let go of them. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys. I felt like- like I couldn't tell anyone. It was my family's secret to keep."
"You don't have to apologize to us," says Marie. "You saved our lives."
"Is this what you're always off doing?" asks Jill.
"Well, usually I'm training with my parents."
"You know, you don't have to hide yourself." Says Jill, "Those big sweatshirts, your hair in your face, you don't have to hide. I bet your really pretty under all that and just because you do this doesn't mean you can't also be normal; or as normal as we are. Come on; let's take you shopping for some real clothes.
…Next. Day…
So this is what it feels like to be myself. Just to come to school in just a tee-shirt and jeans and not have my hair in my face. Some people stare at me, but it's a nice stare. A "wow she's pretty" stare, unlike the "why is she dressed like a hobo?!" stare that I usually get. And it's nice; to be somewhere and be who I really am. Sure I'm not parading around with a banner that says "look at the crazy monster hunter!" But I know I can be myself.
I might not be telling anyone my secret, but they are seeing who I really am.
All of the sudden I heart a light clicking sound. Like something unlocking. I look down to see it's my necklace.
It is a locket! I think. I take the heart and open it fully. A picture is inside with my grandmother when she was my age. She looks so much like me. Black hair, blue eyes, and ready for battle. A small crumpled piece of paper is inside.
I unfold it, trying to not tear the old yellow paper to find it's a note.
Dear granddaughter,
I had this locket charmed to only open when you are ready to be yourself. I know with all of our secrets it might be hard for you. But I have faith that one day this locket will open. I'm going to miss you so much when they find me.
Love, Grandma Eleanor Ignis