Melissa sat with her hands so tight on the strap of her book bag her knuckles turned white. She could feel the first day of school apprehension. The entire school was filled with nervous minds, buzzing in her head. The annoying sixth graders, feeling on top for being in middle school, yet their minds raced with fear. Where's my first class? What if the teachers are mean? What's my locker combination? Can I get stuffed in my locker?
She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the feeling of the dominant eighth graders, like they were so special. They screamed on the bus and in their minds, reuniting with old friends.
She was going to lose it.
As they reached the last bus stop, Timmy Hudson jumped on the bus, laughing with all of his obnoxious friends. They ran to the back of the bus, scaring the nervous sixth graders to the front of the bus. While one refused to leave. Melissa watched curiously as the sixth grader, about eleven, crossed her arms stubbornly. "I was here already, I have about ten pounds in books, and I'm not moving." Melissa closed her eyes and centered her mind around the girl's. Her name was Desdemona, preferred to be called Dess, and she was smart. Really smart. Her mind practically flew with numbers and calculations. Right now she was figuring the odds of saving her seat.
"Little girl needs to learn a lesson!" Timmy grabbed the girl's book bag and began throwing it around the bus. Dess only sat there, her mind figuring the best way to get it back. Suddenly one of Timmy's friends missed the book bag, landing it right in Melissa's lap. "Hey Goth girl, over here!" Melissa gritted her teeth together and took the book bag, rather plain, and stood up. She'd show them Goth girl.
"Hey sixth grader!" She tossed the book bag over to Dess, who looked up surprised. Her smile said 'thank you' and she took a firm hold of it as Timmy and his friends got yelled at to sit down by the elderly bus driver. Melissa was about to smile back when her taste came to her for the first time. She'd tasted it before. At Midnight. She halfheartedly smiled back and turned around. She needed to talk to Rex.
Ten minutes later they arrived at school and the voices inside Melissa's head exploded. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Here we go." She stepped off the bus and towards the school, waiting for the end of the day.
* * *
Melissa walked over to Rex's locker, she already knew where it was. "Hey." She said, absentmindedly.
"What's wrong?" Rex always knew if something was on her mind. It was as if he were the Mindcaster. She shook her head.
"Nothing's wrong exactly, but there's this sixth grader-"
"Gonna give you trouble?" She shook her head. She kept her mind open for people who would give her trouble, meaning they would have annoying minds that would give her hopeless migraines.
"No, she smells…familiar. Remember how I said I've been tasting something for a while? At Midnight? Well she's the smell. Or exactly like it anyway." Rex frowned and closed his locker.
"I wonder if she has the Focus." Before Melissa could reply Timmy came over and shoved Rex into the locker.
"Another new year, huh Rexie?" He laughed and smacked Rex's head so hard his glasses came off. Melissa stepped forward and slapped Timmy.
"You bitch!" She exclaimed. Timmy only studied her for a minute. Then he smiled evilly.
"Hey Goth." He grabbed her collar and pushed her into the locker. Her back came in contact with the lock, making her cry out. "You ruined our fun." He said, "So don't think you'll get away with nothing." He pushed her to the floor, and she stayed there, balling her hands into fists.
"Stay away from Rex and I." She stood up, her eyes blazing. The bully scoffed.
"Or what?" Melissa reached for one of the gloves she was wearing, beginning to take it off. Before she could finish, Rex grabbed her arm.
"Come on Melissa." He said, an urgency in his voice. Melissa glared at Timmy for a second more, then started to her next class with Rex. None of them noticed Dess around the corner.