Summoner

I began as any other. I had a mother and a father. They loved me and gave me a life full of dreams that I could strive to achieve. My dreams were very simple at the beginning: date a hot high school football player, get good grades and someday become a top model for a magazine.

However, destiny had another role for me to play.

"Tai! Wake up, it's time for school!" Mom called from the kitchen. Gingerly, I opened sensitive blue eyes to the new morning and looked at my bedside clock.

8:30!!

"Mom!!!" I screamed leaping from my bed and racing to my closet from across the room. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner!"

"I did sweetie." Mom replied as I slung on a pair of low rider jeans and a wrinkled T-shirt I found on the floor. "You told me to give you until 8:30."

"Haven't I told you to ignore me?" I exclaimed foregoing socks and hopped into the kitchen slipping on my favorite Doc Martins.

My mother gave me a bland look as I wolfed down a bowl of cereal and grabbed my backpack on the way out the door.

At the gate to the apartment complex, my best friends Melanie and Thorne met me.

Melanie Kyle and I had known one another since the first day kindergarten and never separated since. Her hair was bleach blond, her eyes were hazel green that stood out from her bronze color skin. Her personality fit her blond locks. Melanie was bubbly, sweet and … blond. Forgetting her homework, her train of thought and skipping subject to subject was a normal thing with Melanie.

Thorne Cyningesleah was the opposite of his stepsister. He was pale. His hair was black and his eyes were dark as midnight. His body was that of a model, all rippling muscles and an aura of mystery to go with the package. Girls at Southeastern Cove Middle School practically flung themselves at Thorne. Even some high school girls did too.

"Over sleep?" Thorne purred as I raced up to him and his sister.

"My mom didn't get me up until just a few minutes ago." I replied and rolled my eyes, "Can you believe it?"

Thorne reached over a pulled a piece of cereal from my short light brown hair and smiled as he said, "Yes, I can."

I felt like sinking into the concrete. Then Melanie laughed, threw her arm around me and began walking toward school with me.

Southeastern Cove Middle School, home of the Cut-Throat Bass football team, Souring Pelicans volleyball team and the Striking Flounder baseball team. None of which are important, despite all the state championships they received. Athletics were a drain on more important groups. Like choir and debate.

At the white brick school, Thorne met up with his fellow members of Black Rose, a band Thorne was getting together to make some money. For a few moments Mel and I stayed listening to the guys talk about various Goth clubs they could play at before we split.

There was something strange about Thorne's friends. Maybe it was the matching black rose rings they all wore. Or the predatory looks Mel and I got.

"What are ya planning for the big one three b-day?" Mel inquired as we walked down the empty halls, "Is your mom gonna bake you a chocolate cake and take you to the zoo like she did when we were five?"

"God no." I exclaimed with a wince. "Actually, my uncle's going to be in town so it's gonna be good."

Mel stopped and looked at me, "I didn't know you had an uncle, I thought your parents were only children."

"They are." I replied and drug her to the library. "Uncle Bounday is really my god father but I just call him my uncle."

"So what's so cool about your uncle?" Melanie asked as we walked through the library doors a few silent moments later. "Other than his name that is and why did his parents name him that?!"

I chuckled as we sat down at a table near the back.

How does one begin to explain Bounday? His real name was Jack but his nickname among the ladies was "Bound away" since he bounded away after strange and unusual stuff. Then when he learned of the name, he shortened it and had his name changed to it. Should I reveal also that some of his ex's made remarks about his sanity bounded away, so weird the stuff my uncle collected?

"Uhh, it's a shorten version of a nick name of his." I told her with a nervous laugh. "Anyway, you don't want to miss out when Bounday's around. Last time he showed up, he left my dad a bunch of shrunken heads."

"Ewww!" Melanie squealed loudly and then got a vicious grin, "Sounds like a blast!"

I nodded vigorously and then the bell rang for school to begin. I sighed as Mel and I went our separate ways. Another day of school to complete.

First period was History. Today's lesson: The Salem Witch Trials, a trial for some of the popular girls that hung around Thorne to put up with. Every five minutes, the class could hear at least one of them mutter "Vermin."

Second period was Math with Thorne, a very good thing. First the teacher would make us take two pages of notes that looked like some unintelligible ancient language and then assign homework. Ug!

I was thankful Thorne was there with me. Somehow God gifted him with great looks and an ability to decipher the forbidding language named algebra homework.

"Why are you adding?" Thorne murmured in my ear. He pointed to the equation I just wrote down.

2X+3= 7

+3= 7+3

2X= 10 ??

"You're supposed to subtract." He told me, leaned over next to me and began correcting my work.

2X+3-3=7

"What's the simplified version?" he murmured and turned my face were our eyes locked and our lips were inches apart.

"Uhh, 2X= 7-3?" I whispered. He smiled and went back to his own homework.

Wow, who knew algebra could be so enticing?

Third period was choir and I let my soul out through the music set before me. Vocal exercises became arias. Warm ups transformed into operas. No one could not hear me sing. Unlike most members of the choir, my voice had changed into an adult first soprano, the highest women's range in choir. So I could hit any high note, anytime. Unfortunately, my low range stunk.

After choir I had lunch, which consisted of a large greasy slice of pepperoni pizza and a side of fries which I covered with salt. To drink, I had two small cartons of chocolate milk that I sat on the thick plastic tray next to my fries. As I sat my tray down at the lunch table, Thorne stood up to greet me.

"So Miss Tai McKenna has come to sit with us mortals." He said pulling my chair out for me. "How do we owe for this honor?"

I rolled my eyes as I sat down next to him and Melanie.

"You're weird, Thorne." Mel said in between bites of a roll. "You know Tai always sits with us. Why are you always making such a big deal?"

She is such a blond.

Thorne gave his sister an amused smile and inquired "So what are the plans for your birthday, Tai?"

"Oh um, I was planning on having you guys over and see what my uncle has for me."

"Her uncle's name is Bounday, can you believe it?" Melanie put in.

"You won't believe all I've seen in this world." Thorne muttered and I continued.

"You'll love Bounday, he's real cool. But brings the weirdest junk. Wonder what he'll bring for my birthday from his travels?"

I was thinking tribal masks or shrunken heads. I never expected what Bounday really brought me the next day… or the dangerous adventure it would begin.

Here is where you tell me you opinion and suggest whether I should continue Tai's story…