THE HIDDEN SPIRITS
Chapter 1
" Zoey, wake up! Did you hear me, I said WAKE UP!"
I bang on Zoey's door as hard as I can. If she doesn't wake up she'll be late for school. And I'll be in big trouble. I bang one last bang on Zoey's bedroom door then stomp downstairs to make breakfast. After all, I have to go to school to. But let me introduce myself and the lazy little brat snoring upstairs. My name's Nabeela Tonishie. I'm 16 and I go to Angel High. My sister, Zoey Tonishie, is 13 and she goes to Sprite Junior High. We live in Neaven city with our Aunt Fanora. She's barely home because of the hard work she does so I do most of the house work (including the homework and personal time). Zoey and I never knew our parents.
We all get along, sometimes. Zoey is as wild as a...ahem monkey and barely gets any household chores done. Sure, she's good at school (sometimes late), has a lot of friends, and gets good grades but, we don't really talk face-to-face or eye-to-eye or even sister-to-sister. Sometimes I feel like she hates me and sometimes I feel like she's all I've got. But we have nothing in common and we know it. Maybe we aren't really sisters at all. Not of blood and I doubt of heart.
OUCH!
Guess I shouldn't talk when I'm busy making breakfast.
"ZOEYYYYY! WAKE UP OR I'LL SPIT IN YOUR JUICE!"
After I said that I hear thumping down the stairs and my little sister pop into the kitchen, messy black highlighted hair(red highlights and very long) and all.
"Don't you dare!"
"Well hurry up than, you'll be late. Go back upstairs, wash up and get dressed then come back downstairs. AND I promise I won't spit in your juice."
"Fine."
Zoey stomped up the stairs to do the things I just told her to do.
After all that mess in the morning, our walk to school was worse. Zoey brought her mp3 player and was singing along. And boy does she sing bad. Our neighbor saw us walking to school and started to lecture us about walking alone and all that safety crap. But after that incident, Zoey had met up with a certain someone(and it's not THAT kind of someone but a bad someone...well you know what I mean). The girl had blonde-and I mean really blonde- hair up to her elbows. She had this squeaky high voice that gets really annoying sometimes. To be honest I don't really mind the high pitched voice, I have a friend whose voice is similar but I think Zoey totally hated it and its owner. I can tell because the minute she heard Sophia's voice call out to her, she gave out a big sigh.
"ZOEYEEEEEEE!"
Sophia came running up to us. I got to be honest again but she really is Miss. Popularity. She's quite pretty for her age. Too pretty. And that makes me wonder if she...failed a grade or something.
"Hi Sophia.Monotone"
"Zoey, why didn't you tell me that you were walking to school this early. OH! Hi Nabeela. How are you this morning?"
I knew she was trying to be good girl but really, she sounded like a suck up.
"Mild smile I'm fine, thank you."
I knew better than to ask her how she was or we'd be here on the sidewalk for hours. We started walking with Sophia along, babbling whatever she usually babbled about. I wasn't paying any attention, and I know Zoey wasn't either. I soon forgot the fact that Sophia was walking with us until we passed by Sprite Junior High.
"Bye Zoey! I'll see at home after school, ok?"
" 'K Nabeela! BYE!"
Since Zoey's school is closer to home than mine, I walked the rest of the way to my school alone. While I was walking, I was daydreaming. I always daydream. Probably because of all the books and mangas I read. Angel High is the farthest highschool from my house. It's the only highschool I can go to. Angel High is an all girls school. Beside it is an all boys school.
I passed Youkai High and saw Nikku talking to a bunch of guys. Nikku is one of my friends. She's the one I said before with the high voice. She's about my height but has the body of a model. Nikku is skinny AND smart. Sometimes I think she's too perfect to be alive but she makes me laugh til I choke. In the middle of her conversation, Nikku notices me walking by.
"Hey Nabeela, why don't you join us?"
"No thanks. I'm-no, WE'RE going to be late for school."
"School can wait, Nabeela. These guyspoints to the boys she was talking to can't. There school starts earlier than ours."
"Than they'll be the ones who're late."
The Youkai High bell rang and all the boys that attended the school ran towards the school entrance. Nikku said good-bye to the boys she was talking to and while she was doing that, someone bumped into me.
"Move it! I'll be late!"
I turned around and saw Ryu scowling at me. He always scowls and I hate him for that. I will admit-not to him though- that he is really cute. But he's rude as hell and would turn down any girl that asked him out. I couldn't say anything rude back to him so I said sorry and moved aside. He rushed towards the school.
"Cute, huh?"
Nikku was beside me. She probably finished say bye-bye to her boys and thought of watching me get yelled at was fun.
"Yeah, I guess. If you like them rude."
"I don't really find him that rude. He's just...spicy."
I push my glasses up and look at Nikku. She is soo boy crazy. I wonder when she discovered boys or has she always been boy crazy since she was born? And exactly how many boyfriends did Nikku have! Sometimes I think she's lucky to be pretty and all, but than again...isn't it a lot of work in the morning to put on a lot of make up? I'm busy enough, thank-you-very-much. Nikku and I walk our way to Angel High. By the time we got there the bell had already rung. We went straight to our lockers then to class. But I tell you, this is just the beginning of our adventure.
Chapter 2
RRRRIIIINNNNGGGG!
The school bell rings and all the students rush out. Today I have a lot of homework. I wonder who invented homework in the first place. It's not really a smart invention. I hate it but sometimes it keeps me occupied when I'm upset, depressed, or whatever. While I was wondering about this a friend of mine jumped me from behind.
"HEY!"
I turn around and see Feena behind me. Feena and I have been friends since elementary school. We argue a lot but we're still friends, which is amazing.
"Hi Feena.sleepily"
"I have no homework.taunting"
"So?"
Out of nowhere Nikku pops up, making the event more exciting and saving me from going mad. Yup, at times, Feena can drive me mad.
"Hey! Can we go to town? I have something to pick up from the Roster Restaurant."
"Um... sure. Okay, I'll come."
Feena thought for a minute then said no, because she had to go to her mom's work place. She really didn't explain why and left before I got the chance to ask.
Nikku and I walked to town. It wasn't a long walk because Angel High was close to town. Neaven city is mainly land. There's not a lot of houses or malls or buildings. The town Nikku and I were walking to was called Nouie town. It's the biggest town in Neaven and I'm lucky to live so close to it.
" Hey, look."
I turned to where Nikku was pointing and saw Ryu walking with 3 other guys. The 3 other guys were Ruto(somehow connected to Feena), Mike(one of the guys Nikku was crushing on), and someone a lot younger-maybe in grade 5-and he seemed to be attached to Ryu. I moaned in despair. All boys hated me. It's either that or I'm invisible. I've never been on a date or to a dance in my entire life. Although Feena swears that I've been to a dance before but I think she's just saying that to make me feel better. Just when the event was bad, it got a whole lot badder(or is it worse).
"HEY MIKE!"
The boys turned to see us, Nikku and I, standing in front of the Roster Restaurant. We haven't entered yet. It looks like Nikku was expecting them-or him. Mike, I mean. As they turned around, I saw Feena walking beside Ruto. Real close. When she saw us, her eyes went wide. But not as wide as mine. I turned my head to look at Nikku but she was paying no attention to Feena and Ruto, but to her beloved future boyfriend, Mike. Sigh Life as a high school student isn't easy. Especially for me. They all walked towards us. Feena's face looked like she was going to scream in terror. I mean, I didn't even know she was dating or even hanging out with Ruto. I knew she liked him and I to had an itty-bitty crush on him, but Feena didn't really seem to be the kind of girl who would go out or have a boyfriend. The least she could have done was tell me. Honestly, I'm hurt.
"Did you know about Feena and Ruto?whisper"
"Yeah. Everybody knows about that."
When I heard Nikku say those words, my jaw just dropped. She knew! She knew and she never told me! WHY! Why am I always the last person to know these things! It's bad enough that I'm always left out of important events. Nikku saw the look in my eyes.
"Hey. Don't worry about it. She probably forgot. She wanted to tell you personally."
"Yeah right."
When they reached us, I didn't say or do anything. Just walked in the back of the group looking down to the floor. I really felt like crying. I know I will once I get home. While I was moping, I didn't notice the extra pair of feet walking beside.
"Are you okay?"
I looked up and saw Ryu not quite looking at me but talking to me. To my surprise, he wasn't scowling. I turn my gaze back to the ground.
"Yup!tempting to be cheerful"
"Then what the hell are you moping about?"
"I'm not moping."
"Then stop looking to the ground or..."
BAM!
He didn't get to finish his sentence because the next thing I knew I had a big bump on my head and was sitting on the floor. It seems I've just bumped into a poll. Ooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh! What pain!
"I tried to tell you.laughing"
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Why is everyone against me? What did I do to deserve this? Okay, maybe I'm going a bit overboard but now I really felt the tears. And since I don't want them to see me cry, I got up off my butt, brushed myself off, and walk straight home-quickly.
"Where are you going, Nabeela!"
"Home."
"What?"
I turned around to face Nikku and the others.
"I'm going HOME!"
The tears definitely reach its hold-back limit. I turned on my heel and ran home. I ran home as fast as I could and I never looked back. The tears came spilling down my cheeks. I couldn't stop them and hid my face as I ran. How COULD they! Feena and Nikku! It's like they hate me. They ganged up on me. WHY! WHY DIDN'T THEY TELL ME! WHY AM I ALWAYS THE LAST ONE TO KNOW!
I ran to far and was at the park. It was the park that I always went to when I was little. Somehow, my feet know where to go when I'm sad. I stopped running and sat on a bench under a blossom tree. A couple of feet in front of it was a playground. Not a lot of kids were playing there. Just a few. I took off my glasses and buried my head in my hands and started to sob silently. I don't have a mother to comfort me. I don't have a father to cheer me up.
While I was crying, I felt a light tap on my knee. I wanted to shout "GO AWAY!" but I didn't. At first I thought it was Nikku or Feena but I had run too far. I wiped my tears put my glasses back on and looked up. To my surprise it was the little boy that was clinging to Ryu back when I saw him in Nouie town. He handed me a freshly picked rose. I took it and was about to say thank you when he dashed off to a red car that seemed to be waiting for him. On his way to the car, the little boy took his school bag from beside the slide. Then he jumped into the back seat of the car. I couldn't make out the shape of the shadow in the car, but for some reason I began to smile, bringing the rose up to my nose and sniffing it. What a kind boy. It was this single rose that gave me instant comfort. I don't know how, but I liked it. I wonder who that little boy was? As I ask more questions to myself I walk home slowly. When I reached home, Zoey was already in bed. There was a message on the answering machine. I listened to it. It was from Aunt Fanora. She said she wasn't going to be home until tomorrow 8 o'clock. I was glad she left the message. At least she tells me certain important things. I put the rose in a vase with water then go upstairs to bed. I was getting ready to go to bed but I fell asleep before I could change into my pj's. All that crying and running and thinking and screaming inside had tired me out. I had slept a dreamless-but-very-good night.
She's lonely. She needs guidance. She has not found out yet. And when she does, THEY will come. They will come to take her away. We must not let her be taken. She is an important element to all of us. She must be taunt. Taut how to fight. Taut how to be confident. She has to learn. Learn most of the things that must be learned by herself. But with guidance, yes. Hold on, Nabeela dear. You will soon find out. Stay positive. Have strength. You are not alone. You are...FIRE!
