When I got to my room, it was empty. That disappointed me, because A.
That means that the love of my life wasn't here, and B. I really wanted
to ask Jesse if he knew what the hell Akashic meant. Apparently that
wasn't an option at the moment, so I just curled up on my bed and
attempted to recreate that feeling of flying I had gotten when we were
taking that 'short cut'. I couldn't quite do it. I stopped attempting
and got up so I could do something productive, like paint my nails. I
was searching through my box of nail polish bottles trying to find the
right one when I stumbled on it at the very bottom. It was black. I had
gotten it to be a wicked witch for Halloween. I got my nail polish
remover and got rid of my current candy apple red. I then began
layering on the black. When I had done both hands, I lay on my bed and
took a nap so the nail polish could dry properly. I woke up to Adam
yelling up the stairs.
"SUZE! Come eat!"
I launched myself from bed and ran downstairs, having not eaten much at lunch...Shut up! I was distracted! Leave me alone! Yeah, so back to Andy's dinner. It was hamburgers and fries that night. I was about to take my first bite when I was rudely interrupted.
"Susie, why are your nails black?"
I looked at my black fingernails set against the pale hamburger bun and then up at mom. "They...just are."
Brad chose to collaborate.
"Are you trying to copy that one girl? Her nails were black too."
I wondered for a moment who he was talking about, and then it hit me. Wraith.
"When were you close enough to her to see her nails Brad?"
He looked at me as if I'd sprouted a wing from my face.
"Hmmmm...let me see, when she dropped you off at our house today?"
Oh yeah...smart one Suze. Mom chose to take an interest.
"What girl are you talking about?"
Brad chose to answer instead of me...her friend.
"New girl at school. She bit Kelly."
Mom gaped at him.
"She BIT someone?"
I started to laugh a little, remembering the look on Kelly's face, and I burst out laughing entirely when I remembered the look on Debbie's. Mom averted her gaze to me.
"Are you friends with this girl, Susie? Why on earth did she bite that girl?"
I calmed my self down enough to answer.
"Well, Kelly was making fun of her and she wouldn't leave us alone."
Mom just shook her head.
"What's her name?"
I swallowed before answering. (Yes, I had actually begun to eat now.)
"Wraith."
Mom let her fry drop from her mouth.
"Wraith? Her parents named her Wraith! No wonder she's so violent."
I swallowed again.
"Wraith is just a nickname mom, she hasn't told anyone her real name yet."
Mom raised an eyebrow, but she didn't push the subject. Thankfully, it wasn't my turn to do dishes, so I just headed up to my room after the meal. Mom came up not too much later. "Honey, that girl you mentioned...Wraith was it..."
I heaved a sigh. Mom and her worries.
'She's not evil mom. Kelly was being downright mean and rude to her, so she said to leave her alone, they wouldn't, so she bit her. Not very hard though."
Mom sat down on my bed with me.
"Honey, it's just that this girl seems to be very violent..."
I cut her off quickly before she could deny me the right to see her.
"Mom, if you met her, would you chill out?"
Mom bit her lip and looked as if she was considering for a moment.
"Well...it would help."
I smiled in relief and then ushered her out.
"I'll see if she can come over tomorrow night, okay?"
Mom nodded just as I closed my door.
"Who was she talking about, Querida?"
I turned around and beamed at Jesse.
"Just a girl at school. Say Jesse, I was wondering..."
I sat down on my bed while Jesse took his customary seat by my window.
"Yes Querida?"
I quickly arranged myself in a comfortable position facing Jesse.
"Do you know what Akashic means?"
Jesse pondered for a moment.
"No, I believe that is Latin...Why do you ask Susannah?"
I kicked off my shoes and stretched.
"You know that girl I told you about yesterday, the one who looked like me? Well, I saw her today...I asked her how she could dissolve into smoke like she did and she said she was Akashic. I was just wondering if you knew what that meant."
He shook his head.
"I am sorry. When you find out, do tell me. It intrigues me."
I closed my eyes and I was half asleep when I answered.
"Okay Jesse..."
When I went th mission the next day, I had a mission.(A/N...Mission in the mission...sorry, it tickles me.) Visit Father Dom. When morning assembly ended, I muscled my way to the principal's office. When I walked in, father Dom was reading a rather large book. He looked up when I knocked on the door open beside me.
"Oh! Hello Susannah, please have a seat."
I sat in the uncomfortable chair that was always directly in front of Father Dom's desk.
"Now, what is your purpose for coming, Susannah? I sincerely hope you're not just trying to get out of class..."
"Father, what does Akashic mean?"
Father Dom trailed off and looked me hard in the eye.
"Where did you hear that word Susannah?"
Wow, Father Dom looked weird.
"That doesn't matter, now what does it mean?"
Father Dom sighed and then closed his huge book.
"Akashic is the Latin word meaning 'The Spirit', or 'The Divine'. There is a group of people who, much like mediators, can see the dead, but they also have amazing mental capabilities. They can also...well, transport themselves from one place to another."
I stopped playing with the pen I had stolen from his desk.
"Like what kind of 'amazing mental capabilities'?"
Father Dom sighed again.
"Say...the abilities to read minds, summon vast amounts of energy, telekinesis...that sort of thing. Now, Susannah, I really must insist that you tell me where you learned of this."
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Should I tell him? Would Wraith kill me if I did? Naw, she seemed easygoing...most of the time.
"Wraith told me that she was Akashic."
Father Dom cocked his head in a very Paul-ish way.
"Wraith? Who is Wraith?"
I should have known.
"Wraith is a new girl in my class. I saw her two days ago, she was able to like...disappear in a flash of smoke and I'm pretty sure she can read minds and..."
Father Dom cut me off.
"She's in your class? I will be talking to her...now, you may go Susannah, unless there's anything else you need?"
Man, I hate how he does that! With a quick shake of the head from me, he shooed me out. When I got back to homeroom, Wraith, CeeCee and Adam were waiting at the usual table. Ten minutes into the class, a note arrived for the teacher. When he had finished reading it, he motioned at Wraith.
"Miss Costel, Father Dominic would like to see you."
He quickly wrote out a pass for her and she gave me a confused look before she went up to get it and walked out the door. Another ten minutes passed before there was another delivered. This time though...
"Miss Simon, father Dominic would like to see you as well."
CeeCee gave me an odd look as I went to get my pass. When I once again walked into Father Doms office, I saw Wraith standing behind the door with something glowing brightly in her hand. I took a closer look and saw that it was purple fire. Yeah...PURPLE FIRE! Father Dom was sitting in his normal chair with an odd look on his face.
"Susannah, please convince Miss Costel that I am not dangerous."
I looked back at Wraith, who was staring at me expectantly.
"It's okay Wraith, he's good."
She closed her hand and the purple fire simply extinguished itself. Now that was cool. I took the same pen I had been playing with earlier and began to chew on it. Father Dom looked at me irately, but it was as though he was still scared of Wraith, because he didn't keep his eyes off of her for very long. She came to stand next to me in the chair. She was playing with her hair. Father Dom cleared his throat.
"So, um...Miss Costel, now will you tell me how to pronounce your first name?"
I heard Wraith chuckle.
"Sorry, I have trust issues...Um, my name is pronounced Mel-lie-ranth."
I looked up at her. She has that amazing name and she tells people to call her Wraith? Wow, issues.
"I do not have issues Suze."
Oh...yeah, she can read minds, probably shouldn't do that. Father Dom was giving us a weird look, but he continued.
"So, Melyranth, I am convinced that you were not being untruthful when you said you were Akashic, now... I would simply like to know how you found out that you were in fact Akashic, it is not a very common subject."
Wraith shifted uncomfortably,
"My adoptive parents, they could tell about me at the orphanage. They taught me everything...and yes Father, they are Akashic too."
Father Dom jerked back startled, but I was a bit busy computing the information she had just given. She was adopted? What happened with her real parents? Father Dom questioned Wraith for a while longer and I was busy looking at the reflections in the black of the pen when Wraith startled me by placing a hand on my shoulder. "Father, I realize that I fascinate you, and I'll be happy to talk with you later, but lunch is in ten minutes, may we get back to class please?" I looked at father Dom, who was checking his watch. "Of course Meliranth, you may go. Goodbye Susannah." I stood up quickly and almost fell right back down again because my leg had fallen asleep, but Wraith put a strong arm around my waist and hoisted me up.
"Hurts don't it, you're gonna be sore all day, I bet."
Sadly enough, I think she was right. We didn't even bother going back to class, we simply went out to the courtyard. When everyone began filing out, we simply waited until Adam and CeeCee walked out and waved them over. Apparently, someone took that as an invitation. I was just about to open my mouth when Wraith got to it first.
"SUZE! Come eat!"
I launched myself from bed and ran downstairs, having not eaten much at lunch...Shut up! I was distracted! Leave me alone! Yeah, so back to Andy's dinner. It was hamburgers and fries that night. I was about to take my first bite when I was rudely interrupted.
"Susie, why are your nails black?"
I looked at my black fingernails set against the pale hamburger bun and then up at mom. "They...just are."
Brad chose to collaborate.
"Are you trying to copy that one girl? Her nails were black too."
I wondered for a moment who he was talking about, and then it hit me. Wraith.
"When were you close enough to her to see her nails Brad?"
He looked at me as if I'd sprouted a wing from my face.
"Hmmmm...let me see, when she dropped you off at our house today?"
Oh yeah...smart one Suze. Mom chose to take an interest.
"What girl are you talking about?"
Brad chose to answer instead of me...her friend.
"New girl at school. She bit Kelly."
Mom gaped at him.
"She BIT someone?"
I started to laugh a little, remembering the look on Kelly's face, and I burst out laughing entirely when I remembered the look on Debbie's. Mom averted her gaze to me.
"Are you friends with this girl, Susie? Why on earth did she bite that girl?"
I calmed my self down enough to answer.
"Well, Kelly was making fun of her and she wouldn't leave us alone."
Mom just shook her head.
"What's her name?"
I swallowed before answering. (Yes, I had actually begun to eat now.)
"Wraith."
Mom let her fry drop from her mouth.
"Wraith? Her parents named her Wraith! No wonder she's so violent."
I swallowed again.
"Wraith is just a nickname mom, she hasn't told anyone her real name yet."
Mom raised an eyebrow, but she didn't push the subject. Thankfully, it wasn't my turn to do dishes, so I just headed up to my room after the meal. Mom came up not too much later. "Honey, that girl you mentioned...Wraith was it..."
I heaved a sigh. Mom and her worries.
'She's not evil mom. Kelly was being downright mean and rude to her, so she said to leave her alone, they wouldn't, so she bit her. Not very hard though."
Mom sat down on my bed with me.
"Honey, it's just that this girl seems to be very violent..."
I cut her off quickly before she could deny me the right to see her.
"Mom, if you met her, would you chill out?"
Mom bit her lip and looked as if she was considering for a moment.
"Well...it would help."
I smiled in relief and then ushered her out.
"I'll see if she can come over tomorrow night, okay?"
Mom nodded just as I closed my door.
"Who was she talking about, Querida?"
I turned around and beamed at Jesse.
"Just a girl at school. Say Jesse, I was wondering..."
I sat down on my bed while Jesse took his customary seat by my window.
"Yes Querida?"
I quickly arranged myself in a comfortable position facing Jesse.
"Do you know what Akashic means?"
Jesse pondered for a moment.
"No, I believe that is Latin...Why do you ask Susannah?"
I kicked off my shoes and stretched.
"You know that girl I told you about yesterday, the one who looked like me? Well, I saw her today...I asked her how she could dissolve into smoke like she did and she said she was Akashic. I was just wondering if you knew what that meant."
He shook his head.
"I am sorry. When you find out, do tell me. It intrigues me."
I closed my eyes and I was half asleep when I answered.
"Okay Jesse..."
When I went th mission the next day, I had a mission.(A/N...Mission in the mission...sorry, it tickles me.) Visit Father Dom. When morning assembly ended, I muscled my way to the principal's office. When I walked in, father Dom was reading a rather large book. He looked up when I knocked on the door open beside me.
"Oh! Hello Susannah, please have a seat."
I sat in the uncomfortable chair that was always directly in front of Father Dom's desk.
"Now, what is your purpose for coming, Susannah? I sincerely hope you're not just trying to get out of class..."
"Father, what does Akashic mean?"
Father Dom trailed off and looked me hard in the eye.
"Where did you hear that word Susannah?"
Wow, Father Dom looked weird.
"That doesn't matter, now what does it mean?"
Father Dom sighed and then closed his huge book.
"Akashic is the Latin word meaning 'The Spirit', or 'The Divine'. There is a group of people who, much like mediators, can see the dead, but they also have amazing mental capabilities. They can also...well, transport themselves from one place to another."
I stopped playing with the pen I had stolen from his desk.
"Like what kind of 'amazing mental capabilities'?"
Father Dom sighed again.
"Say...the abilities to read minds, summon vast amounts of energy, telekinesis...that sort of thing. Now, Susannah, I really must insist that you tell me where you learned of this."
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Should I tell him? Would Wraith kill me if I did? Naw, she seemed easygoing...most of the time.
"Wraith told me that she was Akashic."
Father Dom cocked his head in a very Paul-ish way.
"Wraith? Who is Wraith?"
I should have known.
"Wraith is a new girl in my class. I saw her two days ago, she was able to like...disappear in a flash of smoke and I'm pretty sure she can read minds and..."
Father Dom cut me off.
"She's in your class? I will be talking to her...now, you may go Susannah, unless there's anything else you need?"
Man, I hate how he does that! With a quick shake of the head from me, he shooed me out. When I got back to homeroom, Wraith, CeeCee and Adam were waiting at the usual table. Ten minutes into the class, a note arrived for the teacher. When he had finished reading it, he motioned at Wraith.
"Miss Costel, Father Dominic would like to see you."
He quickly wrote out a pass for her and she gave me a confused look before she went up to get it and walked out the door. Another ten minutes passed before there was another delivered. This time though...
"Miss Simon, father Dominic would like to see you as well."
CeeCee gave me an odd look as I went to get my pass. When I once again walked into Father Doms office, I saw Wraith standing behind the door with something glowing brightly in her hand. I took a closer look and saw that it was purple fire. Yeah...PURPLE FIRE! Father Dom was sitting in his normal chair with an odd look on his face.
"Susannah, please convince Miss Costel that I am not dangerous."
I looked back at Wraith, who was staring at me expectantly.
"It's okay Wraith, he's good."
She closed her hand and the purple fire simply extinguished itself. Now that was cool. I took the same pen I had been playing with earlier and began to chew on it. Father Dom looked at me irately, but it was as though he was still scared of Wraith, because he didn't keep his eyes off of her for very long. She came to stand next to me in the chair. She was playing with her hair. Father Dom cleared his throat.
"So, um...Miss Costel, now will you tell me how to pronounce your first name?"
I heard Wraith chuckle.
"Sorry, I have trust issues...Um, my name is pronounced Mel-lie-ranth."
I looked up at her. She has that amazing name and she tells people to call her Wraith? Wow, issues.
"I do not have issues Suze."
Oh...yeah, she can read minds, probably shouldn't do that. Father Dom was giving us a weird look, but he continued.
"So, Melyranth, I am convinced that you were not being untruthful when you said you were Akashic, now... I would simply like to know how you found out that you were in fact Akashic, it is not a very common subject."
Wraith shifted uncomfortably,
"My adoptive parents, they could tell about me at the orphanage. They taught me everything...and yes Father, they are Akashic too."
Father Dom jerked back startled, but I was a bit busy computing the information she had just given. She was adopted? What happened with her real parents? Father Dom questioned Wraith for a while longer and I was busy looking at the reflections in the black of the pen when Wraith startled me by placing a hand on my shoulder. "Father, I realize that I fascinate you, and I'll be happy to talk with you later, but lunch is in ten minutes, may we get back to class please?" I looked at father Dom, who was checking his watch. "Of course Meliranth, you may go. Goodbye Susannah." I stood up quickly and almost fell right back down again because my leg had fallen asleep, but Wraith put a strong arm around my waist and hoisted me up.
"Hurts don't it, you're gonna be sore all day, I bet."
Sadly enough, I think she was right. We didn't even bother going back to class, we simply went out to the courtyard. When everyone began filing out, we simply waited until Adam and CeeCee walked out and waved them over. Apparently, someone took that as an invitation. I was just about to open my mouth when Wraith got to it first.