Chapter One: Bad Day

I instinctively knew when I woke up the next morning that it was going to be a bad day.

I was cramping, I was cold, and the two of them put together made me irritable: never a good combination.

Even so, I kept my stoic demeanor up when Miss Figgins ushered me and a few other kids outside after eating a hearty breakfast of cereal and toast.

"Lordy, kids, here comes the bus!" the black woman laughed, pointing towards the door. "Get your bags and let's go! Mimi, don't forget your glasses!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" the little girl chirped, grabbing them. "Thank you!"

"Timmy, your shoe laces!" the woman called, hustling over and bending down. "Here we go..."

"Thank you, Mama Figgins!" he exclaimed, giving her a hug. "I love you!"

"Love you, too, peanut!" the woman chuckled, patting his back to get him going. "Have a wonderful day, all of you! And remember!"

"Smile big and be happy!" all nine kids, myself included, chanted.

"That's my babies!" the woman laughed, waving at them. "Now git! You're gonna miss the bus!"

I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes.

I had to admit, Mrs. Figgins was a wonderful woman. She really did feel like a mother figure sometimes, since she genuinely worried about every child under the Foster House's care. I didn't mind her presence as much as other people's, but that was probably because I actually spent the most time with her during the day.

She pretty much lived in the kitchen since she was always cooking or cleaning.

I hefted my backpack as the large yellow vehicle lumbered up the road, and when the school bus pulled up and the doors opened, I made my way up the stairs behind the other kids. The moment I was sitting, I closed my eyes and set my head against the leather of the chair in front of me. I was exhausted from lack of sleep. I hoped the bus ride would last a long time because I was tired, but I had to face reality.

We were third from the last stop.

No real naptime for me.

I opened my eyes when we got to the middle-schoolers' and elementary-schoolers' stop, watching them run for the doors like the energetic little dynamos they were. I waited until they were all inside, then placed my head against the leather seat in front of me once more, letting out yet another sigh as the bus started moving again.

The school disappeared behind the tall skyscrapers of Downtown Jump City.

I closed my eyes and thought about my upcoming World History exam. I'd spent all week poring over my textbook and had taken a lot of detailed notes since I was trying to do well in school. I had aspirations to get into a performing arts college on a full scholarship, but to achieve that, I needed grades.

And it was difficult.

Very difficult.

I wasn't as smart as other people and constantly found myself asking for extra credit work.

High level math and science were really hard on me, but thankfully, it was only those two subjects that caused me problems. History, language arts, and social studies were my favorite subjects, since I loved the strangeness of other cultures and learning about the events that had shaped the course of the world.

When Murakami Academy finally came into view, I glanced back at the other students still on the bus.

A familiar redhead who lived at the House was sitting in the very back with one of my classmates, a beautiful girl with ivory skin and platinum blonde hair. The redhead was already putting her I-Pod away and hefting her bag, but after a few seconds she caught my stare and flashed me an adorable smile, giving me a tiny wave.

I nodded once in her direction to acknowledge the gesture.

The bus pulled in, with everyone grabbing their things and getting up.

I waited patiently until everyone got off to try standing up since I wasn't in the mood to deal with any jostling. Feeling disgruntled, shivering from the cold, and sore from the cramps, I followed my schoolmates down the stairs of the bus, blowing a strand of my curly hair out of my eyes as the chilly air brushed against my face.

Then I realized something and paused.

Everyone was standing in place and staring up at the sky.

Nobody was moving.

Nobody was talking.

It was so quiet that the only thing I could hear was the wind in the grass.

Looking around at all the students staring up at the sky, I followed suit and glanced up.

A strange prickle ran down my spine when I realized that the sky was completely overcast.

The ride to school took only ten minutes, and the sky had been clear when I'd walked out the door.

But as I stood there I slowly began to feel strange... like something deep within me was going numb. A ringing sensation filled my ears and an odd blue haze filled my vision as I stood there, staring at the sky. My hair stood up and I went into a daze, lips parting as my vision ghosted along the clouds, dumbly staring off at nothing even as my mind went into an odd detached funk. Then the bell rang, startling everyone who'd stopped to stare, me probably most of all since my stupor vanished like a popped soap bubble.

I shook my head, frowning.

It was like water had just drained out of my ears, allowing me to hear properly.

Chatter about the sky erupted everywhere, but I simply turned and looked after the bus with wistful eyes as it drove away. I was exhausted, in a bad mood, and all I really wanted to do was sleep. I slumped for a moment, allowing myself a little time to be upset. Then, after straightening my shoulders and hefting my bag even further onto my back, I strode up the walkway and made my way to my first period.

The classroom was buzzing with typical chatter as I walked in, took my seat, and unpacked my things. Planting my chin on my palm, I cracked my notebook open and began to study my notes to rehash what I'd memorized, but it was in that moment that my usual morning routine began.

"Crackhead! Psst! Crackhead! Can I get a fix?" Jareth Malham, the class clown, asked in an overly loud whisper. "I want to be a twitch-case like you! Come onnnnn... just one little fix, yeah? Yeah?"

A few boys sniggered, but most of the students rolled their eyes.

I didn't even acknowledge him with a glance, merely turned the page of my notebook and kept reading.

I'd often wondered if he'd cut back on the teasing if I actually stood up for myself, but that would have involved wasting breath and energy that I was normally using for other things, such as trying to keep my grades where I wanted them. Jareth had been teasing me ever since the beginning of our freshman year. It wasn't anything over the top and it wasn't really bad enough to be called bullying, so I typically ignored it, and plus, I couldn't really blame him since I'd wounded his ego back then.

Still, I didn't regret it.

He'd hung around me for about a month and a half after school had begun, trying to get me to sit with him and his friends, going out of his way to invite me to stuff. Sure, he'd seemed like the perfect guy... acting all puppy-like around me, trying to show interest, but I'd overheard him and his friends talking about me on the first day of school.

I'd heard him.

He'd made a bet with his pals that I was easy just because I'm blonde, tan, and look like a 'beach thot.' Sure enough, he'd eventually asked me out to the movies during one of our lunch breaks, but I shut that shit down immediately by dumping my carton of milk on his head, right in front of all his pals.

He'd been teasing me and acting salty ever since.

Don't get me wrong. He is a really funny guy, and it's true that he has a talent for making people laugh, but I'm not one of them. And after three months of the silent treatment, I'm pretty damn sure I've made it clear to him that I'm the furthest thing from easy. Yeah, I know, I'm a bitch.

But frankly, being a little bitchy to show you're not interested actually works.

I like results, not theatrics.

"Pssst... crackhead."

I continued reading through my notes, refusing to so much as let my eyes twitch.

"Hey... hey... craaaaaackheaaaad..."

My eye twitched involuntarily. I tried to fight down the wash of annoyance that flared up inside me, but I was extremely irritable from the cold and I was also cramping like bitch. Dealing with him today was proving to be difficult already.

"Hey! Crackhead! I'm talking to you!"

I let out a disgruntled sigh and turned the page of my notebook, struggling to focus.

"Crackhead! Gimme a fix!"

I snapped my notebook shut and turned in my seat, finally turning a cold glare on him.

"Keep bugging me and I'll fix you," I told him in the calmest voice I could muster. "Shut up and take the hint, asshat."

The boys sitting around him lit up the room with a chorus of 'oooohs' and laughter, but I deliberately made a show of opening my notebook and going back to reading. That is, until a large hand smashed into my notes and wrinkled the paper of my worksheet. The laughter died and the room instantly became silent.

I lifted my eyes to see him leaning over my desk and glaring down at me.

"What's your deal?" he demanded, scowling fiercely. "I was nothing but nice to you after you transferred to our school, and I evenasked you out on a date, but you dumped a milk carton on my head! I don't get why you hate me so much! There are girls who'd kill to date me!"

"Then they're dumb," I said smoothly, watching with satisfaction as his jaw dropped. "You're arrogant, and you're annoying. You walk around this school acting like you're all that and a bag of chips, but what you're really looking for is approval from your peers, and I'm not going to give it to you."

"See? This is what I mean?" he snapped, waving a hand at me. "Why are you like this?"

I gave him a long, expressionless stare.

He was handsome, all right... short dark hair, olive skin, puppy brown eyes, chiseled jaw, proud nose, thin lips with a roguish smile. He was definitely physically appealing, but I didn't find him appealing at all. I was not attracted to him, and I personally did not find him cute. Hell, if anything, I found him... repulsive.

Not because of his looks, but because I knew what sort of person he was, inside.

"Simply put, I don't like you," I informed him. "In fact, I don't want to have anything to do with you."

Even though he was nearly two feet taller, I met his gaze evenly when his face turned red.

The classroom was still dead quiet.

"Why?" he asked lowly, almost sullenly. "Why do you hate me?"

I gave him a small smile and put my chin on my hands, looking up at him through my long blonde lashes.

"Don't flatter yourself," I said in a somewhat kinder tone. "You're not relevant enough for a feeling that strong."

Jareth's face turned crimson and his neck bulged in anger.

The boys sitting around me looked stunned, and the girls were staring at me with open mouths and raised eyebrows.

"Are you trying to pick a fight?" he hissed. "If so, it won't work. I don't hit girls."

I shrugged, not breaking eye contact.

"I'm not trying to pick a fight," I said, smirking up at him. "If I was, you'd already be on the floor. No, I'm just trying to make it clear that I'm not your typical easy beach thot, so you should move along."

His face darkened further and he opened his mouth as if he were going to say something mean, but then he stopped. Backtracked. Really thought about what I'd just said. And the light bulb finally lit up; his face went from red to pale in about ten seconds and he swallowed nervously, giving me a weak grin.

"So you heard that, huh?" he said, trying to save face. "It was just... you know, guy talk."

I raised an indifferent eyebrow.

"By all means, fantasize about me all you want to, but do us both a favor and stop talking to me," I told him, then looked at his hands. "Now, get off my notebook. You're wrinkling my worksheet."

Instead of doing as I'd said, he squeezed his hand into a fist and crumpled my notes into a ball; I stared at him in disbelief when he picked it up and balled it. Then, turning, he shot it into the wastebasket.

"That's for being a bitch," he said, smirking at me. "I can't believe I thought you were cute."

"Is that supposed to make me feel bad?" I deadpanned, stoically rising to my feet. "As I said earlier, you're irrelevant to me, and that also includes what you think and how you feel."

I made to walk around him so I could grab my notes from the wastebasket, but he stepped in front of me.

"I'm irrelevant?" he asked, walking forward with his head swaying from side to side. "Really?"

I didn't back away when he leaned down, merely stared at him with a raised eyebrow, wondering if this was supposed to be the chest-puffing ego thing that douchebag guys pulled when they were insulted by a girl. He glared at me, brown eyes glinting with anger and something else I didn't care enough about to figure out.

"You are," I said simply, then looked down at legs. "Now, move it. I need to grab the notes you just balled up and threw away."

"What'cha gonna do if I don't?" he asked, planting his hands on the desks on either side of him. "You gonna get mad?"

I heard a few girls murmuring worriedly nearby, and the students around us looked extremely uncomfortable.

I kept my cool.

"No," I murmured, turning and walking around the desks to the next row. "I'll go around and..."

I trailed off when he stepped in the next row to cut me off.

Okay.

Now I was getting pissed.

I looked him dead in the eyes.

"Move," I said coldly.

"Awww, is the crackhead getting mad?" he crooned, sneering at me. "Need another fix? Yeah?"

I took a deep breath and let it out, then tried to skirt around him again, but he grabbed my shoulder.

And that was where I drew the line. I could handle the teasing, I could handle the slander, I could even handle the childish antics and the weird behavior and the crumpling of my carefully constructed class notes, but the one thing I absolutely hated was people touching me without permission.

I. Hate. Being. Touched.

In the blink of an eye, I gripped his wrist at the joints and exerted pressure between his knuckles.

Within ten seconds, the same arm that had been touching me was pinned against the back of a flailing boy who was being kept facedown on the floor with his ass in the air. And me? Well, I was standing over him in all my shivering glory, keeping him there with my teeth clenched and my eyes wild with anger.

"I know you're ignorant and that's exactly why I've tolerated your stupidity for this long," I seethed, glaring down at him with my most frigid expression, "but in the nicest way possible, if you EVER touch me again, I'll put you in the fucking hospital. Am I making myself clear?"

"Ow, ow, ow!" Jareth yelped, then gave me a terrified face. "Sally! You're breaking my arm! Ease up!"

My eye twitched.

It was the first time he'd ever called me by my first name.

You see, everyone at school actually called me Curly because of my hair.

We were already several months in, and still, nobody aside from two of my teachers ever called me Sally.

I hadn't thought anyone even knew what my real name was anymore.

Regardless, I decided to be mean and looked at him with wide, expectant eyes.

"But I want to break it! Can I break it? I can break it, right, Jareth? Yeah? Yeah?" I mocked, imitating the tone he always used to try and annoy me; the moment his eyes widened in true fear, I released his arm and tossed my hair out of my face, sneering down at him. "I believe I've made myself clear. Leave me alone from now on, asshole."

When he shakily crawled to his feet and backed off a step, cradling his hand, I rubbed my shivering arms and stalked over to the waste basket to grab my notes; then I returned to my desk in the back of the room and sat down. I'd probably shocked the hell out of everyone present since I'd never really gone out of my way to talk to anyone, even the teachers. Whenever I was called on, I usually only gave them a curt, one or two-worded response.

I'd ignored any and all attempts at friendship, too.

I guess you could say that I was fitting in at school about as well as I fit in everywhere else... which wasn't very well at all if you take into consideration that I was transferred into a private school that has a large number of freshmen who've been classmates since they were pretty much in diapers.

But fitting in wasn't my goal. I didn't get angsty about it because I didn't care about it.

Learning was my real goal.

Everyone was silent and the teacher still hadn't arrived which made the air feel awkward, so I turned my attention to the window to avoid having to look at anyone else. He had irritated me so much, and the rain outside wasn't really doing much to help my mood. It always made me feel...

Wait.

Wait, what?

Rain? I wondered, sitting up straighter. But it never rains in this part of California!

"What the hell?" I asked, standing up so abruptly that everyone jumped; they still weren't over the shock I'd given them seconds earlier, even if I already was. "It's raining! It's actually raining outside!"

My classmates instantly looked out the window, but eyes widened all around when they saw that it was true.

Everyone instantly hurried over to the window and pressed their noses against the glass, including me. The overcast sky had darkened quite a bit since we'd first headed into the building, and although the rain was light, it didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon.

The door suddenly flew open and our teacher, Mr. Crawford, walked in, shaking his bag free of water.

His thick mustache, slicked brown hair, and round glasses kind of reminded me of Ned Flanders from the Simpsons, and it reallydidn't help that he liked to wear cardigans with button-up t-shirts and neckties.

"Hello everyone!" he cheerfully greeted as he hurried inside the classroom. "Sorry I'm late! Wonderful weather, right? It just started coming down out of nowhere!"

"Morning, teach!" someone called. "Take a look outside! The weather channel said it was gonna be sunny!"

"Okay, okay, yes, it's raining," the man chuckled, giving us all a big smile, "but you should all take your seats and open your world history books to page seventy-five. We're going over the report on African culture day after tomorrow and I want to be sure that you're well prepared. Plus, you have the test next period!"

Everyone instantly sat down, but I lingered by the window a bit longer than I should have.

That weird daze I'd experienced earlier was back.

It was like my head had been submerged underwater... everything was muddled, and I felt confused, unfocused, and yet my eyes were pinpointed on something my brain couldn't really figure out. It was strange. I didn't like it. My shoulders felt weaker and weaker the longer I stared at the clouds.

My body tingled, and I suddenly felt a little less cold... my shivers even subsided a bit.

The daze popped again when Mr. Crawford expectantly cleared his throat.

I shook myself free of my stupor and sat down, trying to blink myself out of the funk I'd been lost in.

Then, class began.

The weather only worsened as time went on, though.

The pitter-pattering of drops against the glass filled the whole room amidst the sound of Mr. Crawford's voice and the scratching of pencils on paper, dotted with the occasional question. It rained harder, and harder, and then... finally... a flash.

Then...

BOOOOOOOM!

Every girl in the room aside from myself jumped with a startled scream, and even a few of the boys yelped; I, on the other hand, stared out the window with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. I mean, seriously, it was unbelievable: lightning in Jump City, California? Get real! Anyone would have laughed!

But there it was: thunder and lightning.

The last time a thunderstorm had hit this city had been around a year and a half ago, according to what I'd heard.

"Wow," I whispered, leaning away from the window and squinting when another bolt ripped through the sky and thunder roared across the metropolis like a mighty lion. "It's storming pretty good out there. Weird. Isn't California supposed to have, like, no severe thunderstorms?"

The girl sitting next to me opened her mouth to say something, but a blinding blue flash lit up the windows and a tree standing on the school grounds literally exploded. Several girls shrieked and ducked when the windows of Murakami Academy's history classroom rattled in their frames.

I, on the other hand, froze in awe, watching as pieces of flaming debris hit the side of the school.

I'd never seen anything get hit by lightning before.

"Whoa! Dude! That tree exploded!" a boy whooped, bursting into excited laughter. "Holy shit!"

"Language, Mr. Thompson!" our teacher called. "That was indeed rather jarring, but class is still in session!"

Just as he was saying it, the principle's voice came through the school speakers.

"All teachers are to report to the conference room right away," the old woman stated. "Students, please remain seated and continue working on your respective tasks until your teacher returns. That is all."

"Oh, dear," Mr. Crawford muttered, worriedly looking at all of us. "All right, kids, behave yourselves while I'm gone. I'll be back soon."

So saying, he hurried out of the room and swept down the hall at a brisk pace.

"Speak of the devil," a girl sniggered. "The timing of that announcement was perfect!"

"But look at the tree though! That shit fuckin' blew up! Its in pieces!"

"Is it on fire?!"

"I dunno! Can't see through the rain on the windows!"

"I wonder what's going on?" a girl sitting not too far away from me whispered. "It's kinda unusual to have all the teachers leave their classes at once. Do you think something happened?"

"Maybe we're about to have a drill, or maybe someone broke into the school again," another girl replied. "Remember that one guy who showed up a few months ago? The one with the green skin?"

"You mean the one who threw mud at Sarah?" a dark skinned boy sitting not too far away inquired. "The ugly Goblin-looking guy who's with the Teen Titans?"

His name is Beast Boy, Jerome."

"I don't care. He may be a hero, but he's still a jerk."

"It's not him," a familiar blonde girl sitting not even two rows away sighed, staring at her desk. "Beast Boy really just had the wrong girl, and I'm sure he knows that now, so it's probably just a faculty meeting or something. Who knows?"

"Still kind of weird, though," a dark-skinned girl sitting beside her chuckled. "But hey, at least I can take a break without the teacher crabbing at me."

I tuned them out after a moment, wishing I could go to sleep.

Even now, I was cold, but the sight of the unexpected storm was doing wonders with helping me forget how badly I was shivering. After nearly ten minutes of waiting, students began to get worried... but then, half an hour later, our teacher walked back into the room with spooked brown eyes.

He regarded us from behind his round glasses.

"Okay guys, settle down," Mr. Crawford called, moving to stand in front of his desk. "Listen up, kids! I know it's unusual, but today we're going to be ending classes earlier than normal due to some rather strange weather patterns moving our way from the east of the county. School is closing for the day!"

"What?!" a girl cried. "Whoa! That's awesome!"

"Indeed, indeed," the man chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Those of you who walk will be riding the bus, so go get your things. As for the rest of you, we've already started calling your parents, so there's no need to worry."

Curious conversation immediately started among the students since we hadn't even hit lunch yet.

I, on the other hand, felt my heart skip a beat and for a moment, I actually felt a little scared.

If they were closing the school because of a storm... it likely meant they weren't prepared to handle it.

Which probably also meant that it was extreme weather.

"What kind of weather patterns?" I carefully inquired, staring at him with emotionless eyes when he froze. "You said unexpected... but how so? And why is the school closing if its just a thunderstorm? That doesn't make sense, does it?"

He blinked and gave me a frown, as though I was in the wrong for asking.

"It's nothing you should worry about, Miss Rossetti," he said calmly, making me scowl; I hated it when people used my last name. "Go get your things."

"I already have them, since I'm a rule breaker," I drawled, lifting my bag up before turning to look out the window. While everyone was scrambling to get their things from their lockers, however, my eyes became fixated on the clouds. They were dark and they seemed to be frothing a lot.

The weirdest part?

Even though I'd never once seen clouds like that, they looked familiar.

It was like looking at a memory from a dream.

My eyelids sank lower, and my head slipped into that weird underwater feeling again.

I heard myself breathing, calm, peaceful, even as my eyes skimmed and danced across the clouds in a circular manner: slowly, they flicked around... and around... and around... and before I knew what was happening, my mind started glazing over. My vision was slowly obscured with a rippling blue haze, but before I could figure out what was happening to my eyesight, someone touched my shoulder and I blinked.

The odd sheen coating my vision vanished the moment my focus was torn from the sky.

"Hey," Sarah, the girl with pale blonde hair, murmured; she was staring at me with nervous blue eyes. "Um, my parents are out of town right now, and since... well, you know, all this weather stuff is going on... do you want to come over to my place?"

I stared at her for a full ten seconds, not comprehending her offer.

"I can't," I drawled, looking around to find that everyone aside from the teacher had already left for the gym. "I don't know you for one thing, and for another, Miss Figgins will worry if I don't."

"See, that's the thing," the blonde girl sighed, awkwardly rubbing her arm before she gestured for someone standing near the door to come in; a small girl with frizzy red hair, mountains of freckles, and brilliant green eyes instantly shuffled over with hesitant movements. "My best friend is from the same orphanage you live in, and since... well, since nobody's coming to get you guys, she figured it'd be smarter to invite you to come, too."

I stared at her even harder, not really processing what she was saying.

"What do you mean nobody's coming?" I deadpanned, gazing into her pale blue eyes without blinking. "Miss Figgins has her own car, and the orphanage itself has six vans for emergencies. They're completely capable of driving."

"Miss Figgins and Miss Bunker had to take Little Aggie to the hospital," the redhead nervously chirped, huddling down when I glanced at her. "And since Miss Rosemary is legally blind, she can't drive the vans. We'll be stuck here until after the gates close if we wait, and walking outside isn't a good idea."

As if a higher power were underlining that last statement, a bolt of lightning lanced another tree not too far away from the school. Screams filled the air and the flash blinded my peripherals when I slowly turned my head: my hair was standing up all over my body, and I could feel the charge.

Which was basically a big sign that the bolt had been dangerously close to the building.

"Yeah, probably not a good idea to walk out in that," I sighed, looking at the clouds once again. "I'm not that stupid."

"I've already told Mister Crawford," the blonde girl murmured, giving a little shrug before she straightened her thigh-length skirt. "You're more than welcome to come wait at my place. There's plenty of room."

"Do you have a heater?" I asked, making her blink in startled confusion; she instantly cocked her head and frowned. "I mean, a portable one?"

"Uh, yeah," she murmured, looking seriously perplexed. "We also have a fireplace, but we never use it because it's always warm in Jump City."

"Can I use them?" I asked, lifting my arms and rubbing myself. "I won't go unless you say yes. I'll be miserable without some form of heat."

"Um, sure, I guess," the blonde girl sighed, accepting my weirdness despite her baffled demeanor; then she held out her hand. "I'm Sarah Collins. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Sally," I murmured, shaking her hand; she blinked when she noticed my shivering, but to her credit, she said nothing. "No last name."

"Well, we've met, but never really talked. I'm Amber McKlaren," the redhead timidly piped up, lifting a small hand and looking at the two of us with shy eyes. "Just in case you wanted to know... I mean, we have lived together for almost a year now. About time we finally introduced ourselves to each other."

I looked at her with no expression.

I had been given the opportunity to introduce myself to the other kids at the orphanage, but I'd turned it down. I had no intention of befriending kids who were going to leave and never come back or keep in contact. Another flash from the windows made the two girls flinch, but I didn't even bat an eyelash.

"I think we should get going now," Sarah muttered, glancing out the window with nervous eyes. "Those clouds don't look good."

When the two girls made for the hall, I was a bit slower to follow, especially when we went outside and made our way towards the buses. And then it happened. No warning. No premonition. Nothing special like that.

One second, I was just walking normally, feeling normally, seeing normally... the next, it was like I'd stepped through a membrane of some sort. I suddenly felt weightless, slow, and my hair started rising. I glanced up almost instinctively, and then, as if I were accepting a gift from the clouds, I slowly raised my left hand.

Lightning flashed down out of the sky, sending me falling once again through the portal of fire and straight into...

A flowery pink garden?

"Huh?" I wondered, staring at everything in confusion; that feeling turned into bliss and I gasped, breathing irregularly as the heat hit me. Bliss coated my mind in cotton candy and I collapsed in the soft grass, lying limp among the flowers that sported from the ground all around me. I was warm again... blessedly warm. "If this place is heaven, it's perfect."

A fit of cheerful giggling immediately broke out, catching my attention.

I tilted my head back to find myself staring into the face of the most pale girl I'd ever seen. She had large, beautiful violet eyes and a dark bob-cut with an odd blue sheen to it: her smile was vivid, and she was wearing a pink cloak. My eyes flitted to her forehead, where a small diamond-like bead had been embedded into her skin.

"Hello!" she cheerfully greeted, making me blink at her. "How'd you get here?"

Despite her strange pallor, eye color, and overall appearance, she seemed friendly enough.

"Got hit by a bolt of lightning on my way out of the schoolyard and fell through a portal made of fire," I explained, giving her a shrug when she gasped and stared at me in awe. "I really don't know, but this place is warm so I really don't even care. Plus, it's smells good here."

The smile was instantly back in place and a fit of gleeful giggles overtook the pink-wearing beauty.

"Beast Boy once said that this is the land where air fresheners are from," she giggled, wriggling around in delight. "I'm glad you like my domain!"

Domain? I wondered, scratching my head as two more hooded figures came to mind. Eh? That's weird... weren't they yellow and red?

"Oh, that was Rage and Knowledge," the girl giggled, making me stare at her. "They're nice, so don't worry!"

I still had yet to figure out how these hooded girls could read my thoughts.

"Whoa! Happy, who is that?!" another voice exclaimed, making me look around; I blinked and stared with somewhat larger eyes as another girl wearing a green cloak rippled out of nothingness and started walking towards us. Then I gasped, because she levitated off the ground and flew towards us like a wraith: when she leaned in close to my face, I stared at her floating feet with enormous eyes. "Huuuh! Curly blonde hair, big greenie-blue eyes, great complexion! Yep! Uh-huh! I know exactly who this is!"

"You do?" Happy cheerfully giggled. "Who is she?"

"A stranger!" the green-clad arrival bellowed, thrusting her finger out in triumph. "She is a stranger!"

When I gave her a half-lidded look of disbelief, the pink-clad girl started laughing hysterically and the green-clad girl took her hood off, which led to yet another double-take since the two of them looked completely identical.

"Whoa," I muttered, staring at them in confusion. "Are you two twins or something?!"

Before they could respond, more figures rippled out of nothing, led by the familiar yellow figure wearing glasses.

I jumped, startled by the odd spectacle.

"So, you've returned," the spectacle-wearing figure murmured, making me blink. "And this time, there's nothing to mask your identity. What are you planning?"

"Y-y-yeah!" a figure in a grey cloak stammered. "We've already alerted R-Raven to the fact that something is wrong, s-s-so the... the j-j-j-jig is up!"

"Just you wait," the red-clad figure hissed, smiling in a devilish manner. "When she gets here, you'll be destroyed."

"Um, could I ask you something?" I asked, shaking my head in dazed bewilderment. "What is going on? If this isn't a dream, then where the heck am I? And who is Raven?"

"I am Raven," a monotonous voice stated in a dangerous tone, making me freeze; when my legs were unexpectedly engulfed in a black shadow that looked like a giant hand, a ringing sensation filled the air and I let out a shriek. Then I was literally dragged into the air and held upside down. "Who are you?"

"Um..." I stammered, not able to see anything but pitch black something. "Well, uh, my name... is Sa...ll..."

I stopped talking as a wave of dizziness came over me and groaned, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach.

"Who are you?! Answer me! Now!"

"I... ca... n't." I tried to mumble, vision spotting over. "I'm... I'm... hel... p...me..."

Even as I tried to force the words out of my deadening tongue, a ringing noise filled my ears, muffling everything, even the sound of my own ragged breathing. Before I could actually pass out, however, a jolt of shadow sent me flying through another wormhole made of fire. When I twitched, I suddenly found myself staring at the sky I had been looking at before the lightning had come down.

My hand was still raised and I was still staring at the frothing clouds.

Only now, I felt warmer.

I felt a lot warmer.

It wasn't much, but I could tell that the cold wasn't as intense, which was odd.

"Sally, what are you doing? Come on! Hurry!" Sarah called, waving at me from the bus door: everyone had already gotten on, and I was soaked. My pleated blue skirt and white dress shirt were literally dripping with water, and my hair was hanging in heavy curls down to my waist. "You're getting wet! Come ON!"

"Sorry!" I croaked, shivering violently as the cold returned with a flash; I practically died on the spot, since it seeped through me like ice through water. "I'm c-c-c-c-coming!"

When I got on that bus, I hadn't known that the storm forming overhead would soon alter my future forever.

Believe me.

If I had, I never would have set foot on it.