VI
The Pain of the Past
~Emily~
School was fairly uneventful, even with Luca attending.
Well, I say uneventful, but rumors about the rich new kid in an black suit who could speak several different languages spread like wildfire by lunch time.
I mean, I even heard the faculty speaking about it when I was getting my heart medication from the nurse.
Some people were wanting to jump his bones because evidently he as "hotter than Dylan Fisher", who is the Captain of the Varsity Football team, and could lift an entire semi-truck.
Obviously, these were just rumors, but I did have to agree with one thing...
Luca was definitely hotter than Dylan Fisher.
"Em? Em?! Come on! Are you even listening to me?!" Madison asked me. She and I were currently sitting with Maria, Ella, Clementine and Megan at the lunch table inside the cafeteria we always frequented.
"Hmm?" I asked, finally getting my thoughts off of Luca. "Sorry, I was thinking of something."
"You mean, someone?" Clementine asked, causing my face to flush.
"I-I...I mean..." I tried to say something, but my words got caught in my throat.
"Come on, Em. At least tell us you guys kissed already!" Megan asked.
"What?! You guys went on a date?!" Maddy asked. She didn't know about us going to get clothes with my brother. "You better not have kissed him, Emily! You know I claimed his first kiss!"
"I honestly don't care if he kisses one of you first." Maria said. "After all, once he and I start dating, he'll only have eyes for me."
Maria flipped her hair back with her free hand as if going for some kind of dramatic effect.
"Have you guys still not decided who's going to go on a date with Lu?" Clementine asked, causing everyone to stop.
"N-No..." I replied.
"Have you guys even asked Luki who he wants to be with?" Ella asked.
Maria, Maddy and I shook our heads.
"See, that's your guys' problem. You guys are fighting among yourselves, yet you haven't actually done anything productive." Megan said.
Was I the only one thinking how weird it was that Luca's sisters were giving us advice on how to date him?
Maybe I'm just being weird...
"Ladies." A melodic voice said from behind me.
That's when I took notice of the silence in the cafeteria. Or, barely audible whispers.
"Hey, brother." Maria said.
"Sup, sis." Luca replied. "Ella, Clem, Meg. It's nice to see you girls again. Hope you're not giving Mrs. Walker any trouble?"
Luca's sisters shook their heads.
"Nope." Megan said. "No trouble in paradise." She then proceeded to wink at me as if there was something that only the two of us knew.
What's she trying to tell me? I thought.
"Hey, Emily." Luca said as he sat beside me.
I could feel my cheeks heat up as his hand brushed mine.
"H-Hi, Luke." I replied, remembering how he was supposed to be called 'Luke' when at school.
Evidently, Maria and Maddy's mom said Luca's name was Luke because the principal had almost recognized him when they were getting Maria and him registered for classes.
"Want to walk home together?" Luca asked me.
I just quickly nodded my head.
"So, what are you having for lunch, Luke?" Maria asked with a hint of venom in her voice.
I think she's a little peeved that he and I are sitting next to one another.
"Oh, just a chicken sandwich. I hear these things are delicious." Luca replied a little louder than necessary.
I then watched as a few of the people getting lunch switched lines and got the chicken sandwich from an older woman.
Did he just get people to purchase the chicken sandwich just by saying that it was good? I thought to myself. Is there a reason as to why he did that?
Then, Luca began eating his lunch in silence, occasionally looking at me, Maria then Maddy.
Not long after Luca had finished his sandwich, the lunch bell rang, signally it was time for us to get to 5th period.
Sadly, Luca wasn't in my class, or even next to my class so I was stuck listening to my French teacher drone on about the importance of learning a second language at our age.
The rest of the day pretty much went off without anything happening. Well, I was hit on by a few guys and a few girls wanted to know if I was dating Luca, but other than that nothing really happened.
Luca and I ended up walking home together, dropping Ella, Clem, Megan, Maria and Maddy off at their houses before stopping off at a little coffee shop.
He ended up buying both of us iced teas since they were really the only things we could drink from these places.
Both Luca and I didn't enjoy coffee like everyone else seemed to and it was probably another reason why I enjoyed being around him. Just having something in common with some one else.
"Night, Em." He said as we stopped at my house. Luca continued standing there for a moment, staring directly into my eyes.
"N-Night, Luca..." I whispered a little softer than normal. In all honesty, my eyes were transfixed on his green, gold, silver and blue eyes. The mixture of the four colors gave his eyes a more engrossing look compared to if they were just a singular color.
Then, my eyes drifted downwards to his lips...
His light pink lips, the sharp canines he called teeth... everything about him was intriguing to me.
"I'm going to kiss you." Luca said suddenly.
Just as I was trying to comprehend the words that came out of his mouth, Luca leaned forward and planted his lips on my own.
As his lips collided with my own, a spark seemed to jump from the points our lips connected and shoot throughout my body.
The fuzzy feeling that was left was definitely one that I'd remember for the rest of my life.
Almost as abrupt as his words were, Luca pulled back from me and smiled.
The genuine smile that was being presented to me made my heart flutter and for a second, I almost believed I was going to have a heart attack once again.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Em." He told me before walking away, leaving me standing there staring off into space like an idiot.
Numbly, I walked into my house with the heat in my cheeks gradually growing.
"Emily? Are you okay?" Mom asked as she noticed me in the hallway. I just nodded and walked upstairs towards me room.
After jumping into bed, the events of what had just happened finally took root in my mind as I felt myself smile then squeal.
"H-HE KISSED ME!" I exclaimed.
"Emily? Are you okay in there?" Mom asked once again.
"HE KISSED ME!" I screamed as I surged towards the door, opening it and wrapping my arms around her. "LUCA KISSED ME!"
This time it was her turn to stand there in shock before she to understood what happened.
"Well, then I guess we should celebrate!" Mom said, wrapping her arms around me and spinning around.
For the rest of the night, Mom and I stayed up talking about the types of things Luca and I should do when we start getting serious.
She told me that, even though I may want to, I shouldn't give into my hormones and jump his bones.
I told her that she didn't need to worry about that since Luca was a gentleman. He wouldn't allow us to go that far.
We even talked about what would happen with Maria and Maddy since they both obviously liked him.
"Y-Yeah, but if Luca chose me then... they'd have to accept that, right?" I asked. Mom shook her head.
"Just because Luca chooses you doesn't mean there isn't a chance he won't want to be with anyone else." She said.
I could feel my heart sink as she said this.
Though, she was right.
Luca, despite how loyal he was to those he cared for, still cared for all of us.
How could I force him to choose? I thought. Especially after everything he does for everyone? For...me?
"Mom...I-I think I should go to bed..." I said. "I have an early day tomorrow."
Mom's eyes looked sad, but she nodded nonetheless.
"Night, sweetie." Mom said, kissing my forehead before leaving.
After I had crawled into bed, forgoing my usual pajamas and instead just sleeping in my shirt, I looked up to the stars Luca had created on my ceiling.
It was a spell he used that allowed the ceiling to show me where the stars were just outside of my room, so I was allowed to watch as each constellation gradually drifted away.
I looked over to my favorite constellation, the Crab, and let a stray tear streak my cheek.
"I hope he chooses me..."
~Luca~
Okay, I am seriously going to hell, if it exists.
Not only am I constantly thinking of getting it on with some random chick I see out in public (thanks hormones!), but I also broke someone's jaw...and legs... Maybe I should also say his arms?
Regardless, the piece of shit deserved it.
He was sexually harassing a little girl in the fast food restaurant I drove to after I had dropped Emily off.
Not only was I the only one to notice it, but when I tried to teleport away before the police arrived, I found that I couldn't.
Odd, but not too bad.
That's also when I took notice of Ryan, the guy I had met earlier that day at school.
Ryan was with his football buddies eating hamburgers and laughing about the girls they thought were hot, however Ryan was staring directly at me as I walked out of the restroom with the little girl.
That's when all of my instincts started to go haywire, as if warning me of some impending doom or tragedy.
I decided to ignore it as I took the girl to see her mother, told the girl's mother about the man who tried to harm her, then left just as the police got to the fast food joint.
When I got home, I decided that it may have been best to just go to sleep, despite my better judgment.
The next morning, I followed the same routine I had done the day prior, except this time I just waited for Emily to go downstairs so I wouldn't catch her getting dressed again.
Time at school pretty much went as followed:
Went to my Advanced Literature Class
Was hit on by Violet and the girls in class
Went to each of my other classes
Had lunch in the Library were I found Violet reading a romance novel.
Spent lunch speaking with Violet instead of eating
Finished School and walked Emily home
Nothing completely out of the ordinary, though I did just go straight to bed when I went home.
Sadly, I can't say my dreams were completely normal as I had woken up in cold sweats after a nightmare following my losing everyone I cared for.
I decided to ignore this and instead focused on meditating, hoping that it was probably just a side affect of losing a portion of my power when I regressed in age.
For the next few weeks, this was my routine.
Gradually, I spent less and less time with Emily, Maria, Madison and even my own sisters.
Instead, I focused on trying to get my powers back.
Then... there was an incident involving Emily, Maria, Madison and myself at my mother's house.
~2 Weeks Later~
~The Party~
I had been invited to go watch a movie with my friends and family at my Mom's house.
Mom had rented a couple of movies, one for her and my sisters to watch while Maria, Madison, Emily and I watched another in my old room.
The movie was one that followed a man hunting down the people who were responsible for his wife and child's murder.
Each new piece of information led him closer and closer to the company his wife worked for, which was creating serums to make the perfect Super Soldier, however the side effects of the serum caused the subject's body to heat up to unstable temperatures while making them hallucinate different things.
Long story short, the man finds out that his wife had gotten to close to unraveling the truth about the company and was killed.
The man proceeds to kill everyone involved with this scheme then is sent to jail for murder.
His last words were : I wish I was stronger. If I was stronger, then I could have protected them.
When the movie was over, everyone sat in silence as we listened to the end credit's theme.
"Well... that was actually a lot better than I expected." Madison said.
"I appreciated the music." Maria brought up.
"You sure you're okay with this, Maria?" I asked. "I mean, you're blind. Doesn't this seem kind of cruel?"
"No, it's not 'cruel'. I enjoy spending time with all of you, even if it's watching something that I can't see." Maria told me. "Plus, it's nice to just feel the general vibe of how the movie makes you guys feel."
"Alright, well just be sure to let me know if I'm doing anything that's too mean." I told her.
"Come on, Luca! You've been nothing, but nice since I met you. I'm pretty sure all of us can say that about you. You're just a nice guy." Maria began. "Well... unless someone tries to mess with you or someone you care about."
"Y-Yeah!" Emily whispered. "You're one of the best guys I know!"
"You are really strong." Madison said. "Good looking, strong-willed, rich, powerful..." I could feel my heart stop as Madison said this.
Powerful?! HOW THE HELL AM I POWERFUL! My mind screamed. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LEFT! MY ABILITIES ARE GONE!
"Y-You're w-wrong..." I whispered, feeling tears start to form and threaten to fall.
"How am I wrong, Luca? We all know you're one of the strongest guys around, not including all the power you hav..." Madison began.
"YOU'RE WRONG!" I screamed as tears began to stream down my face.
I didn't want to yell at her, but at that moment, it felt as though there wasn't any other option.
"H-How are we wrong, Luca?" Emily asked as she was the only one moving towards me.
Slowly, and with much timidness, she reached her hand to my face and stroked my cheek.
"Y-You're all wrong." I said, tearing my eyes away from them. "My ability is gone. Ever since I returned to being 15, my abilities slowly diminished until I had nothing left."
As I spoke, I could see different versions of myself, some being my 19 year old self, others being 15, 12, 8 and finally one who was 6...
All of these phantoms of my body stared at me before they began screaming at once again.
'HOW COULD YOU LOSE OUR POWER!' The 19 Year Old phantoms exclaimed.
'HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THEM NOW!' A 15 Year Old phantom screamed.
'That boy is the cause of this.' The 6 Year Old whispered among all the screaming. 'He was jealous of our power, so he took it away. Now, he will bring about the End without knowing it. However, the Gods will give us another chance.'
WHAT CHANCE?! I screamed inside my head. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!
'Soon, Luca, you will know what I speak of.' The 6 Year Old said before snapping his fingers, causing all of the other phantoms to suddenly vanish. Just as some mysterious breeze began to make the child fade from view, he said one last thing... 'Soon, Mr. Walker, the Sky will be filled with the light of a thousand worlds.'
"Luca...we had no idea." Maria said as she stepped closer. The tone in which she spoke made it clear she felt sorry for me.
"How am I supposed to protect any of you if I'm this weak...?" I asked, my voice croaking near the end as I gestured to my body.
"L-Luca..." Emily whispered, moving my face so it would meet hers. I just moved it away.
"No!" I screamed, pushing her away as I made my way towards the door. "If I don't have my ability, then I can't keep anyone I love safe... I can't keep any of you safe..."
Before anything else could be said, I slammed my door open then ran out of the house.
The calls from my mother, sisters, and the three young women I loved erupted from within the house as I ran from my old home.
If I was going to be weak, then I could no longer be here... in a place were my weaknesses will always plague me.
So, it seemed like it was best that I left and never came back.
This is what I thought as I ran home.
By the time I arrived, the emotions that were consuming my every thought finally caused me to collapse right outside of my house, on the street, were my truck was parked.
As I sat there on my knees, I looked up to the sky and let out an anguished scream, causing more and more tears to fall.
"WHY?!" I screamed at the heavens. "WHY DID YOU MAKE ME THIS WEAK?! WHY DID MY ABILTIES HAVE TO BE TAKEN AWAY?! Was..." I then choked on my words. "...WAS I NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO WIELD THAT POWER?!"
From all around me, people stared at me before there was a loud BANG somewhere.
I ignored this as I slammed my fist onto the ground, failing to notice the sky light up with different colors.
"I wish I was Stronger." I prayed as I kept my head on the ground. "If God, or the Gods can't keep the ones I love safe, then I deserve to be God! No one could protect them with that kind of power like I could."
To this day, I have no idea what possessed my to say these things as I've always been an Atheist up until that point.
I didn't believe in God, or any kind of divine being.
However, all I do know is that after I said this, the ground began to shake as the explosion from before returned, this time causing everyone standing up to fall down as the lights in the sky grew even brighter, splitting off from one another before hitting the Earth like meteors.
One even landing just before me...