(Ashley Katherine)

I sighed taking a step back. It's been a while now, a few weeks maybe and now, I have yet another school to face. I shook my head and frowned. Ugh, I can't keep doing this. I just can't. I had just made friends at the academy!

I felt mom's' hand on my shoulders and she gave me a tight squeeze. I gave her a small smile. I looked in front of me. Such a grand school. It was Italy's best academies. Roberto-Giovanni's Academy for the Gifted. I shaded my eyes as the sun's glare bounced off the clear clean windows and into my eyes. Mom had gotten a good job pretty far away from my old school and since she didn't want me going on the bus to school and having to wake up early she got me into this school. They were impressed by my musical skills and my athletics so much they accepted mom's request to enroll me, but there was a catch. If I was to be sent to the office even once I was out quicker than I could pump blood(their exact word).

I took a deep breath. I was nervous and I didn't know why. I was never this nervous before. I felt my legs getting ready to buckle at the sight of the school. The grand towers...towers. It was like a castle, a castle up on a hill. The castle that burned down.

"The knights rose up and killed the king and burned the building down."

Mom gave me a funny look. "Now where'd you learn that Katie Blue?" Mom asked using my nickname. She called me Katie Blue since I just loved the color. I don't know why. I shrugged. "I..don't know. It's kinda just stuck in my head." She nodded then patted my wild locks down. My hair didn't obey of course. It could never be tamed, it had a mind of its own. It was always a disheveled mess no matter what. I've been trying to convince mom to let me cut it for weeks but since winter is coming she said it might help keep me warm, like a sheeps' wool.

She spun me around to face her and I crouched so we could be at eye level. I was always taller than her but I suddenly had a growth spurt and grew to be around 181.2 centimeters tall. So yeah, I'm pretty damn tall for my age.

"Now remember what I told you this morning?"

"Katie, get out of bed or I'll go up there and do it myself?"

"After that."

"Tutti a tavola a mangiare?"

"After."

"Katie what the-, don't' play with fire?!"

"No, in the car Kate, in the car. What did I say on the car ride here?"

"Do they just give any teenager a license these days?"

She sighed with annoyance. "I told you to have a wonderful day at school il mio bellissimo bambino." She spoke gently and kissed my forehead and hugged me. Kids nearby stared but I didn't care what they thought. This was the woman who cared for me while no one else did, she is my mother and I love her. I melted into the embrace and she let go and gave me a stern look.

"Now remember, if any of the kids here pick on you. I'm only a phone call away." I smiled and nodded and then as she was walking away and ran to her and hugged her once more. "One last hug." I said into her soft cotton sweater." She chuckled and hugged me back. "Now go kiddo, another school another day."

I nodded and walked to my new school. The cold wind blew and I saw others shiver. I shrugged. I was, for some odd reason, immune to the cold(ish). I could stand the 'freezing' cold winters of Italy unlike the others around me. I would have been cold too if I had taken my scooter here but mom said I might intimidate other kids with my smooth black ride and my mysterious dark attire I wore with it and that she didn't want me getting into any accidents so I just went in the car without protest as Mom said I could take the scooter if I wanted to.

I walked amongst the other students like I belonged and sighed. I could never belong. I'm just the odd one out in everything. Sure I was good at a lot of things. I knew a bunch of languages(I was very fluent actually), I was great in athletics, I had a 'great' voice and my hands were just 'magical' on the piano. I mainly just played for Mom, she liked to hear me play, said it took her back to the good old days.

Mom's life has been rough. She lost her twin to some fancy school in another country. Her mother and father were so heartbroken after they didn't even notice she had already grown up and gone off to college. She married to a man she loved with all her being but apparently, that wasn't enough for him since he left her for someone else. Heartbroken she ran to Italy where she was offered a good job as an officer. She took it without a second thought just to get rid of the pain. She found yet another man she loved dearly but didn't say anything since she was scared of being heartbroken twice. She just watched from the shadows as he fell in love with someone else and she pretended to be happy for them as they were married. Feeling empty she moved again to a different part of Italy and lived in the quiet countryside where no one wanted to live since it was so far from town. She lived there alone for a long time till suddenly on a nature walk near a river she noticed the water turning red and ran to find the source. Me.

I reminded her of herself Alone, broken, lost. She didn't want that for me. Seeing that no guardian stepped forward to take me in she did it herself. She knew I was a troubled kid but also knew that I was a good kid. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time a lot. She forgave me for the trouble I caused and scolded me when it was the time. She treated me like I was her own although that was impossible since she couldn't have kids.

I took a deep breath and walked forward to the giant doors. They look familiar to me in an odd way. I shook it off and walked in. Classes were like all the others. Everyone looked at me like I had horns, three eyes, a snake tongue, and lasers coming out of my eyes The teachers were extra hard on me asking me questions I somehow knew the answer to. Physical Ed was no trouble but then came my music class. Sure I wasn't the worst at music but I wasn't used to a whole class watching my every move and breath. I sighed and my teacher frowned.

"Do you know how to play or not Ms. Jone?" She asked impatiently. I jumped at the sound of her voice and hurried over to the piano. Kids whispered about how I looked from my wild hair to my golden eyes. They called me names but I ignored it all, not like it's the first time. I took a deep breath before stretching my arms before me knocking over my sheet music but I just scooped it up and placed it next to me on the bench. I heard a pen scribbling on paper but I ignored that. I looked at my hands and closed my eyes.

I imagined that someone put their hands over mine. I could feel their warmth as they squeezed gently. I sighed and closed my hands making fists. "Ready kiddo?" They would ask and I nodded and opened my hands and I would bring them down gently so I wouldn't startle the poor piano. I opened my eyes a crack The room was dead silent and I hummed as I played. I opened my eyes slowly only to see no hands but I could still feel. I could hear them guide me and I did not realize I was singing till I was done. I froze and felt something wet trickle down my hand. I looked to see a single stray tear as it ran down my hand. I wiped it off and rubbed my tears away. Suddenly I was being applauded by someone. I looked towards the class and saw a single boy standing. He smiled at me and I covered my face with my bangs. He's cute.

I sat down with the rest of the class and I didn't see the boy again for weeks. Nearly a month had passed and I didn't see another glimpse of the boy with violet eyes and night black hair. Today I rode my scooter since Mom was running late and I told her I could go on my own and that I'd be careful. I sighed and focused on the road. I felt awful on the scooter. I'm not saying I'm a bad driver, I'm just saying that what I do on this scooter makes a pot full of guilt burn within me. I drag race if you're wondering what I do. I sneak out at night saying I'm with some friends I had made when really I'm just out there lying to my mother. Look it's not like we need the money, someone else I knew does. I just want to help them, besides. I'm the fastest driver they know. Which is great for cocky newcomers.

I zipped down to the place, a secret road abandoned due to all the accidents that happened there. People died. I hopped off my ride but kept my helmet on. I didn't want anyone recognizing me. I saw a newcomer. I sighed and they turned to me. they had silky light brown hair that was chopped short but he was growing it out. He has scars on his face, like me, he has one n his check and two on his forehead. His grey eyes were stormy and he looked at me up and down. I shook my head. Sure he had a good build but this road would crush him like a bug.

I sighed once more and looked out to the road I've learned to master. Strange things have happened while I'm going down that road. I see things. They're like flashbacks but they only last a second, it's as if you blink and you miss it. I call them blinkers. The blinkers are strange. they show me things from what I guess is my perspective but I don't remember any of these things. Most blinkers include faces. I never see the faces clearly but I knew the people who owned the faces...well not really. I just knew deep down I once met this person before. Some blinkers show me things. Like a girl standing in front of me and getting hurt, I had gotten mad and punched some boy who had hurt the girl. A small blonde girl was bleeding and it was the same boy as before and I was beating the s#!t out of him. I had blood on my hands and I looked up to see some boy at the edge of a canyon and I slipped.

The blinkers we never kind. They never showed me anything nice or happy. All the scenes were gory. I was always up at night. the moon was my friend. I had a map and wrote stuff down in a place up high. I had thoughts about killing, about dying. But something always held me back. I was curious about something but I never knew what. I looked around. People were getting ready to place bets. The boy looked at me confused.

"You don't really seem like the type to do this." He said, his voice smooth and polished like he practiced this one line in the mirror over and over again. I shrugged not saying a word. He raised a brow at me.

"Not really a talker huh?" I nodded. He chuckled and let out a slow whistle. "Man, you would not last a second with this one girl I know, she'd grill you till you talked." He stated and I didn't know how to respond. He looked at the road. "I am done for aren't I?" I nodded and made my fingers inches apart before putting them together. He laughed again, his laughter was like bells ringing or something like that. He had a nice laugh. Reminded me of something.

Moms windchimes? An instrument? I couldn't put my finger on it. The race was starting soon and I got in place. I hopped on my ride and got it ready, it let out a purr. I took a deep breath and rolled my shoulders. Come on girl, all you need is a bit more money and you're good to go, no more. Just a few more races. I saw more racers suddenly enter. The guys who ran this crazy show told them to leave but they showed some serious cash and placed it on the betting table. I made a mental count of the dough. OH MY GODS! That's enough! Oh man, I felt the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I smirked. I've gotta win this race. With that money, I can quit today and never have to come back ever again!

The boy from before rolled next to me, he wore no helmet. He is so done for. The racers here play dirty and will use anything and everything to win the money I, on the other hand, didn't like to cheat, it just didn't feel right. I didn't like to lie either. I looked at the new competitors. They all had pretty sick looking rides but to be honest none of them looked fit for this road. I could see the drivers and their faces. Most kids, like me, hide our faces. We prefer to keep things very hush hush around here so they must be visitors from another country. Their accents were American and they wore such bright clothing too. Sure Italians wear bright clothing too but there's just such a big difference between American and Italians.

They all looked pretty familiar to me. A girl with mocha tan skin and dark brown hair that she held back in a bun. Her eyes were covered by her shades but I could tell they were either a very dark color or light. European. Her clothes said so much about her from her natural torn jeans to her dirty worn vest. She went to a school that required uniform but no one really cares. I saw a bit of sauce on her shirt, the stain still new meaning she's eaten recently.

Next to her were two people talking to a racer. The racer seemed over her twenties, early forties at most. Tan and lean, a quick runner. Her body language just screamed 'FIGHT ME I DARE YOU'. Some of the older males in the crowd tried to flirt with her but she totally blew them off. Not much could be said about her. Dark clothes. Dark hair, she at least wore a helmet. Her golden eyes were what really stole my attention. They weren't all gold, there were specks of brown in there, it was like a honey color. Her long night black hair was let loose and blew in gentle waves in the wind.

The two girls next to her were both teenagers about my age maybe younger. A small blonde girl with freckles and wide round glasses on her face. Next to her was a taller brownish blonde. She was pretty. She suddenly looked my way and I waved. She waved back. Her green eyes will forever be drilled into my head. Everything about that night will stick with me forever. The cold Italy night, the rough river screaming as it rapidly went by. Not a single drop the same. I took a deep breath and looked at the road ahead.

The guy in charge walked to the front and got a single white napkin ready in the air. He held it by the tips of his thumb and index finger. He held it up taunting the other racers as they honked at roared for him to start. I saw his hand twitch ready to drop till suddenly a rough voice screamed piercing the cold air like a knife would to butter.

"Hold up!" We all turned our heads to see a stranger in a long dark cloak, it was as dark as night. The hood on top of their head covering their face was sliced down the middle with a single white line and one half was pure white with specks of red and the other was black like the rest of the coat but with white specks. They strolled over and walked to the betting table and dropped a single brown sack down. All you could hear was the metal scraping together as some coins jiggled around in there. The guys sighed and walked over. We all watched in silence as this stranger sighed when he told them to leave.

They reached into the bag and took out something far more valuable than cash. They took out a coin, it glistened in the moonlight almost blinding me. We all gasped, I wonder how many they've got in there! The guy in charge chuckled.

"Now you've got some good bets but," He leaned in to see their face better and threw off their hood revealing a single black mask with one-half white and the other half black but the colors were on the opposite sides than what was on the hood. Short locks of brown hair were shoved to the side and the mask had a single half-smile on the face. "How are ya gonna drive?" He teased and they sighed and then took out a remote and suddenly there was a loud rumble and a motorcycle popped up by their side. It would have driven past her till they grabbed it by the handles and hopped on and spun in a circle. A dark and low chuckle erupted from behind the mask.

"This is how."

I gawked at their ride, it was so slick and smooth and they sat there like they have done so millions of times before. They rolled along and their eyes swept the crowd as if they were checking the competition till they landed on me. I blinked. I saw their hands coil into fists and they rolled right next to me, our rides mere inches apart. They looked at me for a long time till suddenly taking off with all the others. I hissed and hurried to catch up and I flew close to the top ten. The stranger was fist and I closed my eyes for a second knowing that at this point the tricks were played, I was too far behind, too many people in front of me, I was going to get caught in the aftermath of the crash, I heard the sound of metal scraping against each other and the sounds of screams. I sighed as if this was the last breath I'll ever take.

Suddenly I was thrown off my ride and shoved on to another. I forced my eyes open and I saw the dark white and black cloak of the stranger. They looked back at me and I saw them relax a bit. I saw only a few people left, some I didn't know. The three visitors were still okay but everyone was behind us, we were separated by many many yards. I wrapped my arms tightly around them and I closed my eyes letting my head rest on their back. The scent of flowers, cinnamon, and…...nature come to me. Their hair was wildly flopping in the wind and I shivered. We made it to the end where their prize was and they counted the money making sure it was all there. They turned to me and hopped on their ride and drove off and back from where we started. The boy from before come over to me looking into the night where the stranger went then looked me up and down. "You okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah, thanks to them-" I never finished my sentence due to a horn honking, I recognized that horn. It was from my-

"My scooter!" I cried and ran over to the stranger and hugged them. They have no idea how many feet underground I'd be if this thing was busted. They stiffened and I instantly let got feeling my face get hot.

"S-sorry," I pepped taking off my helmet and raked my hand through my hair. They chuckled and ruffled my hair. "Don't sweat it kid." They said and I could have sworn I could hear a smile in their voice. Then they rode off into the night. I smiled just a bit and patted my hair down and drove off myself. Once I got home I checked my scooter for any missing parts. I opened the back and suddenly I froze. S#!t. The stranger forgot their prize money-oh look a note. I picked it up and it read:

'The answer is written on your hand'

Quickly I looked over and saw a hand turkey. I frowned. This answers nothing and-oh look writing below. 'Look a turkey! Also look in ur pocket sorry about ur hand.'. I chuckled and rolled my eyes and looked at my hand smiling at the silly childish drawing they made.