Hey this is me again. Who else? Well this chapter has some more of Lynne Ewing's Characters; ones I had no credit for inventing. They are all Lynne's. What do you think of my writing so far? Have they been better? Let me know I'm gonna keep writing.

New Age Goddess

Chapter 5

Strange Odds

Kevin held the door open for Wanisha as they walked in. All the kids outside had been staring at them and whispering different things to one another. Wanisha had thought about being mean, but that's not how she was; she flashed her white teeth and gave a brisk wave. She didn't have to make a bad impression the first day. Besides if they don't bother her then she's fine with them.

Inside the school it was cool. She guessed when Kevin hugged her closer was because she had been shivering. A thought popped into Wanisha's head, what if someone from her old school knew Russell and told him? The crest was cold on her belly button. It looked good she thought when they walked by a display case that she could see her reflection in. Wanisha looked up at Kevin with a smile, he smiled at her in return. His smile comforted her.

They walked into the main office. If not for Kevin, she would have been lost. She hadn't see Michael in the parking lot with his avalanche. The lady at the desk was very friendly to Wanisha and Kevin. Wanisha was given her schedule and a map to get around with. Michael came running into the office out of breath.

"I've been looking all over for you!"

"Sorry, I was just kind of getting a schedule."

"At least you made it" Michael had said as he set down in a chair. "Do you still want me to show you around?"

"Do you have time to take me around?"

"Yeah."

"Well I was hoping to just hang around with Kevin."

"Oh, I'm so rude!" He said as he reached his hand out to Kevin. "I'm Wanisha's cousin, Michael."

"Hey man." He said shaking his hand with a grip.

"Well I have to be off then. I'll see you at lunch, if you're going to stay around. Then we could talk about Tuesday night."

"It's a...umm...deal Mike."

"Ha. Okay bye." He rushed out the door to the left.

Kevin walked her out to the outside halls. The sun was nice and warmed her cold arms. Kevin pulled her over to sit at a table to sit. Some guys walked by looking at Wanisha sitting on the table. She liked showing what she had, off. A guy with a letterman's jacket on, and few other guys came up to her. She sat up from laying on Kevin.

"Hi, I'm Evan the senior that rules this school, these guys behind me are Randy, Matt, Trevor, Austin, Callan, Chris, and Dane." He winked at Wanisha as his eyes were searching her body. "We're the football team. Not the whole team, but we're the ones who carry everyone else. What's you name?"

"Wanisha Saratoga."

"She's with me guys so you can move on." Kevin was getting a little mad at the guys looking at Wanisha.

"Mr. New guy we're the football team we can talk to whoever we want." The biggest one of them said.

"Saratoga?" The guy Wanisha thought might be Trevor said. "You know there is another Saratoga that goes to this school. He's a total pretty-boy though. He's like not your type anyway. Hey, umm....are you related to him?"

"Yeah I'm related to him. He's my cousin. I live with him and my Uncle Jeff."

"Oh, We're good friends with Michael." This time Randy was trying to redeem what Trevor had said about Michael. "In fact the whole football team is going to your house on Wednesday."

"Oh is that so? That's cool."

Wanisha was not interested in these football players. Just players was more like it. The other half of the team was probably the smart ones. They were off studying and doing other things more productive. She liked the attention though. Kevin was, she could swear, turning read. Kevin could handle it. Then for some reason the football players left after Kevin looked at them for a while. She liked being with someone that could warn off people with their look.

Kevin helped Wanisha up from laying in his lap. "Time for school."

Wanisha didn't want to go to her first class, Geometry. Kevin showed her where her class, kissed her on the cheek and was off to his class. Oh, how she wished she wasn't at school. Walking into class the some girls looked at her with disgust and turned away from her. They were the ugly ones, ones that probably had a job on some street corner. Not that was bad Wanisha didn't judge until she knew. She looked at one and caught her eye.

"I wish I was as pretty as her."

"Thank you, you're pretty, don't put yourself down."

"What?" The girl looked confused.

"You just said you wished you looked like me; that I was pretty...didn't you?"

"No!" she said with a protective tone.

"What's this girl saying? What's her name? Where did she come from?"

"Okay, my names Wanisha Saratoga. I came from the far other side of town and live with my cousin and uncle Jeff."

"Why are you telling us this stuff?" The girl with green hair said.

"Well she asked," Wanisha said pointing at the girl that had said she was pretty.

"Are you going to stand there all day or are you going away?"

Wanisha avoided saying anything more. They had asked her questions and then denied that they asked the questions. She sat in the open desk by five girls that looked like friends. They looked at her with a staring eye and watched her every move carefully. It made her uneasy to have girls watching her too closely. The girl that Wanisha thought was very naturally pretty looked at Wanisha strange and then got an odd, shocked look on her face. She pointed to something Wanisha was wearing. The girls all whispered to each other until one finally decided to talk to me.

"Chica what's your name?" Said the one wearing baggy pants and black tank top.

"Wanisha, and yours would be?"

"I'm Jimena, this is Serena, Vanessa, Catty, and Tianna." They waved as Jimena said their names. "Where did you get that necklace."

This time when Wanisha heard the voice it was a soft girl like voice.

"That's a Phoenix Crest, I've only seen one but that means...no she's a harmless girl. I doubt she knows who we are. I mean the daughters of the moon." This was an a very confusing thing, but she better not tell them what she heard, or where she go it. It could mean they are just trying to give the new guy a hard time. Kevin is a good guy and she likes him.

"I 'm gonna read her mind to get real answers."

Wanisha wasn't sure what would happen, but she went with her instincts and thought about when she was a little girl playing in the yard with Russell after school. How they use to play about planes and their first kiss.

Wanisha looked at Serena and smiled and Serena had a strange look on her face. When the late teacher finally came into the room he asked for silence and She didn't have to answer any more questions. She didn't even have to answer the first one. Wanisha took out her mirror to check her make-up, just as the teacher begun to talk about homework. Sweat was glistening all over her face, she'd been very nervous she noticed. Why had this happened to her?

~---*---~

At lunch Wanisha had seen the same five girls looking at her again. They avoided eye contact with her though. She hadn't seen Kevin yet, but she found Michael coming out of the office. She latched onto his arm and begun talking to him about he first few classes.

"They were such a bore. I've done all this work before."

"Well do you want me to get you into a higher class?"

"Mike I'd love you more if you could!" Wanisha was trying to hide the excitement in her voice.

"I love you too Wanisha. You know I'm not sure I can do that, but you know I'll try my best."

"Oh thank you Mike." She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek as a family member would.

"I wish we weren't related I'd drop her as soon as I could"

Wanisha got dazed hearing what her own cousin had said.

"Are you serious?"

"About what?"

"You just said you wanted to drop me!"

"I didn't say that?" Michael was quick to say no, but still there was something in his eyes.

"Oh ok, maybe I'm hearing things. I need to sit down and think."

"Okay after you think we have to talk about going to Planet Bang."

"Sure, can we go in your ride and get something to eat?"

"My rides your ride. That is until you can drive." That smile of his returned to his face.

They arrived at this small restaurant that was crowded, too crowded for Wanisha's taste. She didn't like eating in front of people too much. She thought too many people judged and besides they wouldn't make it back for school. Instead they went to the house and grabbed a sandwich.

Once again they were on their way back to school, the ride was nice. The wind was blowing Wanisha's hair.

"Hey can you get your head inside? I need to talk to you about Tuesday. You're going and you still have yet to meet my girlfriend."

"What's her name again?"

"Vanessa."

"She doesn't hang out with four other girls for any chance does she?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, I just had first period with her was all."

"Oh good so you are acquainted and getting along?"

"Well not exactly."

Michael's eyes were looking at her and then rolled his eyes. They came right back to her bare stomach though.

"Where did you get that?"

"I...I got it...from my mother when she was cleaning out the attic one time and I've had it ever since I was a 6 year-old."

"Oh, that's one thing you want to keep."

"Yeah"

They pulled back into the school parking lot. Kevin's hummer was booming with lots of bass. Wanisha jumped out while he was stopped, waved Michael on and ran over to Kevin's hummer. He was laying in it with the door open. and Wanisha was temped to climb in with him if the bell wasn't going to ring.

"Come on Kevin the bell is going to ring."

"Oh, alright." Sounding disappointed to have to go back to class.

Back in the open court area Michael with the foot ball players. They were joking around, but stopped when Wanisha walked up.

"Hi guys, I need to talk to Mike for a few."

"Oh Mike's in trouble." They all said together.

"Yeah, are you having trouble with that guy, Kevin?"

"No, I was wondering if I could have you tell your dad that I'm not going home right away?"

"Yeah, tell me where you're going though."

"Just to see my boyfriend, Russell. He knows him."

"If you didn't just tell me Russell or whatever his name is, was your boyfriend I would have been way convinced that you were with Kevin."

"Nope,..."

"Hey! That's my boyfriend you're all over you know." I assumed it was Vanessa that was behind me. "You know you need to kind of back off of him."

"I'm not with him." Wanisha rolled her eyes and turned around.

"What you mean is that you're not with just him. You're with every guy you can be with!"

"Don't get mad at me, No one messes with me." Wanisha felt she had to get defensive.

"No I'll teach you little girl like you sound be taught" Jimena jumped in acting like some hero to Vanessa.

"Everyone Stop!" Michael was surprised everyone listened to him when he said this.

"I never did explain."

"First of all Vanessa do you know who this is?"

"I know she's on you and with you a lot." Vanessa was still filled with dislike.

"Well, this is Wanisha...Saratoga. She's my cousin."

Vanessa blushed at the looks of everyone around them. A large crowd had formed to watch them. They were eagerly waiting for Vanessa to say something. Nothing was said from Vanessa's mouth. She looked a little stunned. Jimena stepped up though.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Her hand was out to shake. "I should have see the resemblance."

"It's alright, ha ha we don't look that much alike anyway."

Michael stepped aside with Vanessa to talk about Wanisha. Wanisha looked in the crowd for Kevin she didn't see him. When she found him he was in the back or behind football players sitting at a table. He looked up at her.

"Ready to go with me?"

"Yeah, lets get out!" Wanisha was ready to get out and could feel relief to be going away.

Wanisha picked up her bag and walked with Kevin. Once in the hummer she felt charged and uneasy all at the same time. They drove slow until they got out the parking lot. Kevin hit the gas and they were off to the other side of town. Wind calmed her and helped her think clearly. She'd never skipped before, but she was beginning to like it.

~---*---~

Just as they arrived the bell rang. Kids poured out the school in groups. Wanisha had to stand on the step-up to see Russell. He was with Tashina, Lance, Nicky, and Sean

they were walking the other way until they seen Wanisha waving at them. They didn't bother to look both ways when they cost the street; they just ran right over.

"Hey my pretty girl, what are you doing?" Russell help Wanisha off the step-up into his arms.

"Who's that guy? Is this his hummer?" Sean asked.

"Oh, this is Kevin. He lives next door to me. Yeah this is his hummer, isn't it the rage?"

"Hey man whats up!" taking his are from around Tashina, Nicky reached out to shake Kevin's hand. "I'm Nicky, this is Tashina."

Kevin unlocked all the doors of his hummer. "All of you want a ride home?"

They all looked at each other and said all at the time, "Sure."

"Get in then, there are people that keep looking at me and talking to me and I don't like them.

Truth was Wanisha too could tell there were people that would keep coming up to the hummer on the other side talking to Kevin. They were mainly punkers. She knew one of them from seeing them before when she was on the streets. Her name was, Yvonne, and she'd try to scare her when they were in the alley that night.

Wanisha had looked at the crest, because it was cold. The crest had only one was black. Had that been there before? She thought it was all silver. She wasn't sure though she was a little frightened. Something always happened when that girl was around.

They all climb into the black hummer and started waving their arms in the air to the music that came on when Kevin started the ignition.

"Hey are you all going to Planet Bang tomorrow?" Wanisha asked mainly asking Russell.

"Oh well I don't have a ride." Russell said with a sad face on.

"Yeah we're going." Tashina said holding onto Nicky.

"Good I'll have people to hang out with. Wait how did you know about this place?"

"This guy new at the school told us about it. His name was something like Stanton. He hung out with a bunch of the out cast group. Yvonne, Murray, Tymmie, and some others. You know the ones that freak you out when you look at them. In fact they all enrolled a few days after you left this side of town."

"Yeah they were looking for you. They seemed to know who you were and who to ask where you were." Russell said looking odd.

"They were...looking for me?" Wanisha was a little chocked up she noticed when she said this. "Why?"

"Yeah and we all felt really strange after talking to them. We don't know why though." Tashina was sounding worried for Wanisha.

"Hey it was just like being right before you pass out." Nicky said laughing.

"Is that all you think about Wanisha said while lightly, play hitting Nicky on the shoulder.

"I think about Tashina too, you know that." Nicky kissed Tashina on the neck after that.

They drove off without saying anything more. Kevin turned back on the music and turned it up so they all could feel the bass. Wanisha, in the back seat, looked in the rearview mirror to see Kevin looking at her.

"Oh good my darling, the crest and you are turning evil already."

The thought scared Wanisha this time. What was she hearing? This was odd and like her day at school; everyone denied saying things to her. Was it just a game? This game was going to far now. She curled closer to Russell, no matter how old she was the sound of a heartbeat calmed her. She listened to that until she fell into a sleepy mood in Russell's soft warm arms.

Hey this is another one of my author's notes. I just wanted to say that I had fun writing this chapter. I don't really like it though. My next chapter should be good. I am using a part of Chris Whitman's story he wrote in class. I have to give him credit, it's good. Just thought I'd let you know. Thanks Chris!