I always thought there were two sides to life.

One side was where you can walk without falling, and that the pathway before you was visible. But as much as I want to deny it, my life has always been on the other side. The side where you can't even see your hands in front of you, and every few steps you fall. At times, you get up, and trip over your own feet right after. At others, you don't even want to try standing.

I am Destiny Anna Will, and my side of life is blind.

People have said that I am the luckiest person in the world. When I was thirteen years old, I was walking down Main St. in New York City, singing to myself. A woman in a nearby Starbucks got off her expensive phone and called me over. Out of her bra, she pulled out a card and said to me, "Give me a call. You have the skills to be a star."

That's it.

They've also said that I was lucky that I had movie star looks. I see it as a downfall in my life. Looks can only take you so far.

So many strangers complimented my brownish, golden colored hair so constantly that it was harassing. But, the scariest part of me was my eyes. People have even jumped back when they saw my eyes. There is silver around the pupil, and around that ring was another of dark purple. That's what I was well known as at times, in New York City.

Two weeks later my mother and father met that woman, and they thought it was a great idea for me to be a star.

I am now seventeen years old, with almost everything on my mind at such a young age. My manager—which was the woman at the Starbucks—is talking on her cell phone to the person in control of the Emmy Awards. I was in a private jet, listening to the song that was playing on my black iPOD.

Sometimes I can get so sick of my own songs.

My manager looked over at me as she closed her phone. She smiled, "Well, thanks to me, you are in the first row at the Emmys. We will get to Las Angeles in a day, and stay at the Grand Hotel."

I nodded as I turned off my iPOD.

I sighed, "Donna…are you sure I can win an Emmy award?" I asked.

Donna rolled her eyes as she laughed at my statement. She answered my question when she calmed down. "At least you were nominated. Even being nominated would get you in People Magazine."

I looked out my window. Everything, ever since that dreaded walk down Main St., had been business. Donna said, 'practice makes perfect', but what I think she's really saying is, 'if you don't get in front of that microphone, I am going to wave your burning hit CD albums in your face.'

She would do that, if she had too.

I looked behind my seat, over at my best friend Kyle Owens. He's eighteen, and also my bodyguard. He's tall and muscular for his age, but that's what made him so different than the usual "weaklings"—as he calls them—because he was more masculine.

I used to have feelings for him, but ever since I realized that he wasn't the right "material", I couldn't ask him out. Another reason is that I don't want a huge stampede of paparazzi to attack him and me. Even if he could get through a group of twenty in less than a minute.

He smiled at me, and then looked down at his cell phone. His fingers put in texts, and then he pressed send.

I looked down at my iPhone as it rang. I saw the text message, where it said, "I'm so bored! =^J".

I laughed quietly, making sure that Donna didn't hear. Recently she's been really at ends with me and Kyle being friends. She thought that if I got a boyfriend, he should be a fellow star.

I text back, 'me 2! I cWtwGt!" that was our little sign that meant "can't wait 'til we get there!"

I heard him chuckle quietly.

Donna turned towards us and gave us a warning to knock it off, or she's knocking Kyle off the private jet. It was a joke, but at times….

I stood up and walked to the back of the jet—where my parents, Ron and Sarah Will were sitting—and sat in a row next to them.

I sighed, "Do you guys know when we're landing?"

My father looked up from his laptop, "I think we're landing tomorrow morning. But I'm not totally sure."

My little brother, Ian—who is thirteen—looked up from his Nintendo DS. He groaned, "Why the heck are we going to California anyway? For a stupid Emmy Award, doohickey?"

My mother glance over at him with that look, "Ian, you know mighty well that your sister is now a singer and that you are coming along."

Despite my mom's small confirmation, I looked over at Ian and shrugged, "Who knows, you might be able to meet that girl Dakota, or something. I think she's fourteen or something around there."

Ian cocked an eyebrow at me, "Like she would be at the Emmys! Besides, I don't like blondes."

Ian had dark brown hair, with hazel green eyes that always made him look serious, even when he was trying to be carefree. It was scary at times.

…

We finally landed in Sacramento, California in a private airport. I sighed as I walked out of the jet. Just as I expected, paparazzi were climbing out of vans with large cameras. Women and men with microphones ran up to the front of the stairs that reached from the door to the ground.

Kyle stood in front of me, spreading his arms out to push the people out of the way. Bright lights came from cameras, and the first woman called out, "Destiny Will is being nominated for an Emmy. Destiny, is this one of the greatest moments of your life?"

I shrugged with a smile, "Well, it's an honor but not the greatest moment. The greatest moment in my life will probably be when I finally see my bodyguard settle down."

A man called out, "If you win the Emmy, which direction do you think your singing career will go?"

I went up the steps of a tour bus, calling behind my shoulder, "It's going in the direction of home!"

All the paparazzi laughed as the RV closed its doors. I went to the back of the RV and flopped on the couch. We were driving the whole way there, because I cannot handle being on a plane for too long.

"I just don't get it, Kyle," I said while munching on chips, "Why would someone want a chunk of my hair?"

Kyle and I were looking at our laptops, wondering what was going on in the outside world.

Kyle shrugged as he answered, "I think they just think that if they had a piece of your hair they could be like you."

I rolled my eyes. Who'd want to be like me?

I looked down at a little Youtube video and clicked it.

It was the title,

"Destiny's Destiny!!!"

A young boy, about Ian's age, came up in front of the camera. He narrowed his eyes at me and held up the last CD album I've recently made.

I kept watching as the boy shook the CD, "Whom was this made by? You're right! The most idiotic singer in the world!"

I widened my eyes, staring down at the boy who had a serious face. He continued, "So far, her songs are great, but look at her personal life! She still a virgin, and hasn't even kissed a guy yet! She's way too innocent to be singing these kinds of songs. Why doesn't she just go out and get Zac Effron or someone, and give her songs some truth!"

I looked over at Kyle, who was also wide-eyed.

Kyle finally calmed down and said to me, "Well, it is true, y'know. You've barely even dated."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Well, duh! I mean, I don't like bringing personal things into my celebrity life! I don't want to get caught up in that shit!"

He shrugged as he chuckled, "Some guys would want that."

I nodded. It was true.

I looked over at Kyle, who was typing a documentary-looking thing. I cocked an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Kyle kept his eyes on his laptop, typing away quickly.

He soon answered me. "I am writing a college recommendation to get into UCLA."

I widened my eyes. I knew Kyle was an amazing artist, but I never thought he wanted that to be his occupation. I always thought that he wanted to be my bodyguard until my fame died out. But I guess he had something else ahead of his future, also.

I frowned, "You're leaving, huh?"

He nodded as he looked over at me, "Yeah. But I've been around for quite awhile don't you think?"

I shrugged and agreed with him, "Yeah, I guess. I am going to miss you though."

And I was.

Kyle and I knew each other since I was thirteen and he was fifteen. He and I met when his father was hired to be my bodyguard because people were starting to gang up on me. We clicked so quickly I thought we would be best friends forever. He was always so funny and outgoing, until just a year ago.

His father—who was my ex-bodyguard—Howard Owens, was protecting me when a man with a gun came up. He tried to shoot me because he thought that I was a demon because of my "wicked" eyes.

So, Howard jumped in front of me and was shot right in the heart.

Kyle was there at the time, walking beside me. And when he saw his father fall to the ground, he just froze. I would think that he would run to his father. But he didn't.

My manager was inside the recording building's lobby, and when she heard the gunshot she automatically ran outside.

But it was too late. Howard was gasping for air, and by the time the ambulance was there, he said these last words to Kyle,

"Protect Destiny, my son…"

I felt sorry for Kyle when both father and son started to cry. His father didn't say, "I love you" or "I'll be in your heart".

But all he said was to protect me. And I hated that.

I was crying because Howard and I were like two peas in a pod. But Kyle, as much as he was bawling, he looked serious the whole time. Angry, sort of. It seemed as if his father's death was nothing to him but a burden. And to this day, I always had this slight grudge against Kyle—that he didn't take his father's life and death, to heart.

I frowned and kept playing that scene in front of the recording studio in my mind over and over and over again. Soon I realized that it was time to come clean about everything. Maybe Kyle had forgotten the promise that his father wanted him to keep. Or maybe…

He was tryingto forget…

I looked over at Kyle now with tears wanting to fill my eyes. But I'm strong, so I kept them from coming. I spoke solidly to him, "Don't you remember?"

Kyle glanced over at me with an innocent look on. He furrowed his eyebrows together, "Remember what?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, hoping that he would know what I was saying. But he was clueless.

"The promise between you and your dad…"

Kyle took off the innocent face and replaced it with a mournful/angry one. He looked back down at the laptop.

"I didn't promise anything."

I widened my eyes at him, even though he couldn't see.

How dare he say that!

How dare he!

"Don't you even care about what your father said?!" I asked, getting louder now.

He narrowed his eyes at the screen and just held that grimace across his mouth. I lowered my eyelids as I stood up from the couch.

"Do you even care about your father?"

Kyle loosened his face and made it turn blank. No expression. No feeling came to it. He closed his eyes and lowered his head.

I took a glance at him, feeling the anger bubbling up inside both my head and my heart. He couldn't even deny it. He didn't care. He didn't feel a thing about it.

I felt tears weld up in my eyes now as I walked away.

I've never cried in front of people. The only time was when Howard died, and that was it. Whenever I felt like there were tears coming, I would simply walk away from the scene and be alone.

Crying to me has always seemed like a weakness or an imperfection. I was raised to feel, but born to hide from the world. Those things to me are nothing but a mistake. A mistake God has made.

I sat on my bed with the whole world coming in, and my feelings going out. Everything I had forgotten—and tried to forget—are now coming back to me. A rush came so fast, I couldn't steer my way through. Storms are coming through the bright sky, and the sea has turned to ice and rock.

No more smooth sailing for me.

I looked over to the side of me. I saw a picture of all those I had once loved. All who were now dead….

Each picture held a story behind them, and ones that shouldn't be heard again. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, thinking about my dead best friend, Tiffany…

Her death wasn't sudden at all. She was born with a tumor and even though she got it removed, her cancer kept bringing back new ones. Everyone knew she was going to die soon. But no one knew it would be that soon.

It was only two years ago, when I was walking into her hospital room, visiting. She looked so fragile and weak, there in that hospital bed. Not like the girl I watch run in front of others in PE, and stand for her beliefs and rights in front of everyone. She was afraid of nothing, when her cancer was still in the beginning stages.

But at that time, when I saw her with pale skin and bald, she looked like the world has suddenly turned its back on her. She looked small now. I came over and sat next to her, and I put my hand on her arm.

And then, at that moment, her heart beat suddenly turned faster.

I stepped back, and took my hand off. But it just sped up. That's all I remember. Everything else seemed blank.

Maybe I passed out at that moment.

I felt like it was my fault, but Donna and my parents said that it was just the natural way of things. Kyle said nothing.

Kyle feels nothing from a person's death…

There was a sudden knock at the door. I quickly wiped my eyes with my arm. I coughed slightly, quickly swallowing all the sniffles.

I looked up at the door.

"Yes?" I asked.

The door creaked open, revealing half of Kyle's body. I looked out the window, seeing the moving scenery.

"What do you want?" I hissed.

Kyle tilted his head and started walking in the room. He folded his arms, "C'mon, Destiny…you know how I feel about my father's death."

I looked over at him, trying not to cry again. Sometimes I can't even hide it. "I don't, Kyle. You seem like you had forgotten about it."

He shook his head and sat next to me on the bed, "Destiny, you don't know that."

I scoffed and held my hands on either side of my on the bed spread.

"That's the reason exactly. I don't know how you feel about it because you act as if you don't care about it—as if it didn't affect anybody."

Kyle smiled and sort of scoffed at himself. He put an arm around my shoulder and held me close to him, "It might seem like that, but Destiny…His death took a huge toll on me. I just couldn't take it then and I can't take it now."

I sighed, "Yeah. I guess you're right. But, was being my bodyguard and taking your father's place such a burden?" I asked.

Kyle chuckled as he took his arm off my shoulder, "The burden was much more than just being your body guard, Destiny."

The bus came to a screeching halt. Kyle and I looked at each other, until we heard Donna and my mother scream at the top of their lungs. I was the first to head out the door. Kyle followed behind with his alert eyes.

A teenage boy, with blonde hair and lemon yellow eyes stared coldly at the people in the RV. He was almost as tall as Kyle. The boy was about 6'3", while Kyle is 6'5". I stood the smallest of the three at 5'3". My parents were in deep shock, and my brother was just jaw-dropped. Donna was about to call 911 when I held up a hand.

"Wait!"

The boy looked over at me with a slight surprise in his eyes. He narrowed his eyes at me, and then looked over to Kyle.

The boy seemed like someone I knew from somewhere. There was this sort of glow around him, and he seemed extremely stern and serious. My eyes suddenly went into the direction of a scar that ran right at the top eyelid, and ran midway down his cheek. It went in a zigzag shape, and looked like a slight lightning bolt.

The boy turned towards Kyle. He smiled a smile that showed his glistening white teeth, "Pre-Protector, did Howard's soul come yet?"

Kyle stood there, while everyone turned their gazes towards him.

I was just full of questions.

How did he know Kyle?

What does he mean by 'Howard's soul'?

….

But….

Most importantly, what's a Pre-Protector?

Kyle suddenly stopped faking being scared, and toughened up. He lowered his head, and closed his eyes. The next words he said were just unbelievable…

"Ganaya mutura lia nakahr seeawm belleed…"

I almost jumped when a great fire of gold came from Kyle's hands, and streamed out into curls in the sky. I watched, in fear—and slight awe—as it formed a body of a person. This was the most amazing things I've ever seen. I stepped backwards, as the ball of golden fire turned towards me.

I widened my eyes, as it held its hand out and touched my forehead. It burned like hell. All I did was wince at it.

My parents stood up, afraid of what was happening to their daughter. The "spirit"-looking thing spoke words as its crystal eyes bore into mine…

"Suma nehaska puremino…"

Then he boomed the last word, causing a whole light go throughout the bus—

"Warrior!"

I looked around myself, feeling a blurry fuzz in my mind. I closed my eyes tightly, as the golden fire stepped back and put his arm to his side.

He/she walked over to the boy with the freaky eyes and fracture into dust. Then, strangely enough, the dust was sucked into a small crystal ball that hung around the boy's neck. The boy looked over at Kyle and suddenly spoke loudly, but in a teenage, human-like voice—

"You, Pre-Protector. It's your time to end your sacrifices made by the very blood you came from."

And with that, Kyle's legs gave out, and he fell to the carpeted floor…

The teenage boy disappeared, and so did my anger towards Kyle.

I ran towards him with tears welding up in my eyes. I bent down next to his limp body and shook his shoulders.

I yelled, "Kyle! Kyle! This can't be happening to you! Kyle!!"

My father ran up and pulled me away from the dead body. I cuddled into my dad and sobbed, "Dad…I don't understand what's happening. Everyone around me is dying…"

13