"Jinni! There you are!" I turned my head to see Karli waving at me down the hall. I waved back with a smile as she caught up with me.
"I've been looking for you all morning! Where have you been?" She asked pausing for a breath every other word.
"I was here, unfortunately. All my same classes, no schedule change. You want to know what I think it is…" I lowered my voice and continued, "I think you're losing your touch."
"Nonsense! I can sniff out any person I set my sights on, no sweat!" Karli held her head high with pride taking long strides.
"I'd say you're lacking in that department, then."
"Who crapped in your wheaties today?! Geez, I spend all morning looking for you and having found you this is the thanks I get?" Tone changing instantly from prideful to scrutinizing.
"Why look for me? What is just so urgent? Well…I'm waiting." I stopped in my tracks arms crossed.
"Fine! Be that way. I'll just talk to someone more interested in preserving their friend's lives and well being!"
I sighed cringing. "I'm sorry, I'm a little out of it right now, you know I hate mornings. Please, forgive me." I forgot that her parents were in the middle of a divorce and times were rough. The custody battle was due to take place in less than a week.
She pulled me close, away form the swarm of kids traveling to their next class. The pain in her eyes was immense but no one would ever know, she kept it all together so well.
"Mother has multiple bruises on her arms and the sides of her face. I saw her trying to cover them up with make-up this morning before I left school. I really need someone to talk to." The bell, shrill and defiant, rang the one minute warning.
"Meet me in the Computer Lab at 12:15," And with that she disappeared into the sea of teenagers, the very sight of her lost instantly. I glanced at my watch, 'Just an hour to go.'
I trudged into calculus with a heavy heart and conscious. Not looking, I bumped into someone apologizing quickly and then walked into class. My thoughts were more scrambled than the eggs I had for breakfast.
"Miss Cristini! Please answer the question!" My head snapped up unaware of what was happening around me. I simply stared at the tiny grains of wood on my desktop drifting off into my own land filled with thoughts too heavy to bare while doing 11th grade calculus.
"I'm sorry please repeat the question." I replied lifting my head in attention. Just as the teacher's mouth opened the bell rang and the class sprang from their seats to the door.
Another sigh escaped my lips as I slowly gathered my things and headed towards the Computer Lab. The Lunch Rush was over for the day so the halls were fairly vacant, almost like a ghost town, by the time I got to the Lab's wing.
My entire being seemed to be zapped of all it's energy. The wave of emotion that struck had such an impact, its effects were still felt the next day. It took almost everything I had just to push the large door to the courtyard open.
I inhaled sharply my hand flying to my chest clutching my heart in pain. It only lasted for a split second but that's all it needed
'There it is again, the same feeling. It's like the wave of prickles that flows through my body the instant before goose bumps appear on my skin. Only, it flowed through my arms to my hands.' Such a shock took my breath away.
The door swung closed tightly behind me, locking me in, the click sealing it from ever opening again. That's when it hit me that something terrible was about to happen. I literally gasped for air.
I recovered from my hunched over position and stood tall, books in hand. A footstep fell ever so quietly behind me, heard only by the keenest ear.
Dropping my books I sprang to the left, spinning around to face the intruder whilst his attack scream wasn't even fully out of his mouth. I blocked his right fist with my left and slapped the bat away with my right. His eyes widened with disbelief, then narrowed with anger.
"I will kill you!" He lunged at me with such a force it knocked me down. The back of my head hit the ground first. His hands were around my neck and mine trying to pry them off.
'He's choking me…But why? I don't even know him…' Wordlessly I cast him to the side like an unwanted rag doll. I heard his body thud against the concrete as I stood ready for his next attack.
"Think you're so smooth catching me off guard like that, do you? Well, it wont happen again, trust ME!" He lunged once more. His moves were well choreographed but somehow predictable. I caught his punch and returned one of my own sending him flying into the door of the computer lab, shaking the single window pane. He attacked again and again but I kept him at an arms length after every attempt, my strength amazing the both of us. He regained possession of the bat and held it with a menacing stance.
" You've destroyed my family, my life! Die you wench!" He swung with all his might at my head. I stopped the bat about a foot away.
"Wrong move," Twisting it upwards and thrusting it into his rib cage I knocked him to the ground once more. This time he didn't get up.
I gathered my books from where I dropped them and opened the door to the computer lab. The cool air and hmm of hard drives welcomed me. The realization of what I'd done had yet to hit me until later.
"You're late."
