Chapter 1

"Cloe! If you don't get down here for your breakfast right now, your going to get in a lot of trouble!" came her mother's voice from the kitchen. There were weird echoes all over the house due to the lack of furniture. There were boxes everywhere, and they made it hard for Cloe to get what she needed and when she needed it.

"Cloe! I mean it young lady!"

"Coming, mum!" shouted Cloe, as she grabbed her backpack of the floor and ran down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Well, finally, I was starting to get worried." said her mum as she made the coffee. "Where's your sister?"

"Oh, I don't know, probably trying to figure out why none of the guys here haven't already fallen for her pretty and so very gorgeous looks yet."

"Now, now Cloe. Don't forget those registration slips I gave you last night, you'll need them when you get to school." said her mum, as she drank her coffee rather slowly.

Cloe noticed her mum was unusually slow this morning. She would always be in a hurry, always late for something, but this morning she was acting like she was in a hotel on vacation with room service to do all her work.

"What's wrong, mum? Aren't you supposed to be caught up in your usual 'I'm late for something' routine?" said Cloe as she observed her mother for a moment.

"Oh no, I got a day off." She said.

"Wow, that's a first."

"Yes well, today you see, is my manager's birthday, so being all happy about the praise he was getting from us, he decided to be a considerate human being for once and gave us the day off." said her mum, as she sat down at the table and started talking to Cloe like they were best friends. Her mum often did this. I guess having two daughters to her was like having two best friends.

Annoyed by this closeness, Cloe got up from the table and headed to the stairs, just as Claire came down, flinging her smooth, blonde hair over her shoulder.

"I've got to go get those slips from my desk before I completely forget about them and we end up having to call you to come drop them off." said Cloe as she went up to her room.

Cloe tried to avoid her mother and sister as much as she could during the week. Other people found this weird and tried not to talk about it when around her.

It had been a tough time for them during the summer, and now they had moved to San Francisco. San Francisco was a great place to live, but Cloe missed her old Manhattan, with all its people and tourists, but most of all, she missed her friends. All her life Cloe had lived in New York, and knew nothing else but the feel of living in the city. She missed it a lot and wished they didn't have to leave, but she knew that her mother's job was much more important; if her mum didn't have that job, they'd probably be living in 'The Projects' and surviving entirely of charity food and clothing.

Cloe never really knew her dad. He had died in a plane crash a few months after she was born. To Cloe it seemed normal; she had gotten too used to living without a dad. Infact, she didn't even know what it was like to have a dad. But she did feel left out at times. Claire knew a little about their dad, she was only 4 years old when the crash happened, but she too had gotten used to it.

So far, the people of 9O21O had been nice, but definitely not as nice as the people back in Manhattan. They had been quite helpful when they had lost their way looking for their new neighborhood. You see, their mum had the car shipped there because she didn't want to go through the hassle of selling it, then buying a new one.

So far, the only friends Cloe had made were with Kyle, the boy who lived down the street. He was from Boston, New York and his family had moved to California when he was 7 years old because his dad got transferred there. His life was much like Cloe's, so it was easy for them to become good friends.

Kyle went to the same school as Cloe and Claire and said he'd give them a little tour, so that they don't loose their way around during their first week. To Cloe, he struck her as a nice guy, and great friend. They were quite alike in many ways, but Cloe tried never to get too close to a person. Even with her friends back in Manhattan, she was quite distant, and they never really got to know the real her. In fact, nobody outside her family ever really knew her. She wished they did, and she wished it would be alright to tell them about her abilities, but she knew she would probably get killed if any human ever found out.

To Cloe, her abilities were just a talent she had picked up when she was little. They meant nothing, and she never really tried to use them. She always said she didn't really care if she was special and that she didn't care if humans hated people like her, but deep down inside, she just wished people like her had never existed and that everyone could just get along with each other and appreciate the way they had been born. She was sure all of the others like her felt the same way. She was sure they all just wished they had never been given the abilities, and could live their lives like other normal human beings.

"Cloe! Common we're going to be late, just hurry up and get the stupid slips!" came Claire's screeching voice from the foot of the stairs.

"Alright already! Geez, have some patience. You never know those boys at school may hate you." said Cloe in a sarcastic tone.

"Yeah, well, no matter how much they hate me, they'll ALWAYS hate you more you stupid, mutant freak!" screamed the blonde as she flung her hair and opened the front door.

"Better stop flinging your hair like that while you can or they might just get stuck in an upright position." said Cloe scornfully, as she went through the door.

"You know what you are, little mutant girl, your just jealous is what you are!" she screeched back at Cloe. Cloe didn't know whether Claire was right or not. She had felt jealousy towards people many times, and yes it was true that Cloe wished she was still a blonde. She had been born a blonde, but by the time she turned 12 her hair had gone a brownish colour, and now she had walnut coloured hair, which made her look quite odd when around her sister.

Cloe had turned 13 not too long ago, and she didn't quite find being a teenager any different from being a child. She still had to be home by 8:30 every evening for dinner and still only got $15 every week for her allowance.

Cloe got in the back seat of her mother's Trail Blazer and took her notebook out of her bag and made her first entry of the day, and also her first entry since they left Manhattan.

Monday, October 31, 2005 ; 7:15 am ; In the car on the way to my new school:

Wow, I cant believe I'm actually in a different state! Well, I can…god I am starting to act like Claire. What a sad existence. Well, on my way to school, Robert Jay lee high, I so can wait. Wow, I don't even know anyone there! Well, except Kyle. Kyle's weird. Not exactly the kind of friend I was hoping for. But he is cute, I have to admit. This is so weird. I wish we never had to move. I miss all my friends. Not so sure they miss me. How could they? They barely even know me that well! I miss Manhattan. Anyway, I'm not really in the mood to write too much at the moment, I'll write in later, like during first break or something.

They reached the school around twenty minutes later.

"Alright girls, will you be okay with the registration or should I come along? It is my day off, I really don't mind." said their mum, as she pulled the car into the lot.

"Yeah, sure okay." said Cloe, getting her backpack of the seat next to her.

"Yeah, you never know when Cloe here might get us in trouble by giving the principle the wrong slip." came Claire's bimbo voice from the front seat.

"Claire, the reason I gave your LITTLE sister the slips was because I can't trust you with things like this, now common before you really get late." said her mum, getting out.

The school was quite different from their old one; in fact, it was quite different from ANY school in America! It was very big and had a separate hall for each grade. The administration was small compared to the other buildings, but it looked quite nice from the inside, not like any school Cloe had ever seen. She just hoped the kids here were as nice as the ones back in J.E.S.S., her old school.

They followed the receptionist as she showed them the way to the principle's office. The principle's office was quite nice, even better than the admin. It had a large dark wooden desk that looked quite expensive and lavish, with a small Apple laptop sitting in the corner. It had a relatively large window that opened up to the front gate, where you could see all the flowers and trees in the yard. There were two sofa chairs in front of the table facing each other, like they would in most other offices. And in the corner there was an evergreen tree, sitting on the floor beside a black leather couch with a glass coffee table in front of it. It was the neatest and nicest looking principle's office Cloe had ever seen.

But what about the principle? What would he be like? Her mother sat down on one of the sofa couches in front of the desk and Cloe and her sister had to sit on the couch. A few minutes later a tall man wearing a light blue shirt and beige trousers walked in and sat down in the principle's chair, he was on his cell phone. Was he the principle? Wow, that was the first principle Cloe had ever seen who dressed casually at work!

"I understand Mrs. Shellswuk, he must have missed the first bus, don't worry he'll be on the next one," he kept saying into the phone. A minute or two later he hung up, and apologized to them for keeping them waiting.

"How can I help you, then?" he said.

"I spoke to you on the phone two days ago, I'm Ms. Sanders, and these are my daughters, Claire and Cloe." said their mum, mouthing them to say hello.

"Hello sir," they both said at the same time.

"Hello, girls. Are you ready for your first day then?" he said. This guy really didn't seem to be a principle, and it was a shock to Cloe that he was. She was expecting a fat, expensively clothed, bald guy with huge glasses and a gruff voice. But this guy actually seemed to be pretty nice. She was glad.

"Yes sir," said Claire in her little 'bimbo' voice.

"That's good. You must be the quiet little one, Cloe." he said smiling at Cloe.

Cloe smiled back embarrassed.

They finished with the registration with the principle in just a few minutes and were shown to their classes by the receptionist. The classes were quite big, but with all those tables and chairs, they looked a lot smaller.

When Cloe arrived at her class, they had already begun.

"Hello, you must be our new student Cloe," said a skinny little woman with glasses. She must be the teacher.

"Class say hello to our new transfer student from Manhattan, Cloe Sanders." she said.

"Hi, Cloe." they all said together, sounding like they didn't care and just wanted the class to finish so they could go hang out with their friends. Cloe would feel the same way, if she had friends, but she didn't, so she just wanted to go home as soon as the class was over.

Miss Coffey, her English teacher, told her to take a seat at the back. It was the only empty seat in the entire class and it was at the same table as Kyle. Cloe went to back quickly, so that she didn't disturb anyone, and sat down.

"Hey," said Kyle with a grin.

"Hi, I didn't know I'd sit beside you," she said.

"Yeah, neither did I, I was wondering why Miss Coffey moved Fred. I'm glad though. I was trying to figure out how I would find you, but I guess now that you sit beside me its not going to be a problem," he said with a grin that made Cloe smile.

The classes went by quick and weren't very hard. During the first break, Kyle showed Cloe around the senior section. He didn't have to show Claire anything as she had already found somebody to do just that.

The cafeteria was packed even though it was one of the largest buildings in the entire school block.

"So," said Kyle, as he sat down across the table from Cloe. "How strong have you gotten so far?"

"What do you mean?" said Cloe, looking a bit puzzled.

"You know, how much have you learned to do with your powers?" he said quietly, so nobody would hear.

"How do you know about that!" she exclaimed.

"I can tell, I'm like you too," he said smiling.

"Wow, really? Does anyone else know about this?"

"No, only the ones like us. How come you couldn't tell?" he said.

"I don't know, there are others?" she said in mild surprise.

"Yeah, well just two others." he said.

"I don't really care, I'm not interested on this whole 'special' thing. I hate my powers." she said taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"Well, if you just took a while to get to know how they work, maybe you'll change your mind,"

"Yeah, maybe,"

"Wait till you meet Emily tomorrow. She's a lot like you, she doesn't like her powers either, she's more into martial arts. She's actually pretty strong."

"Who's Emily?"

"Oh she's the girl from across the street, she didn't come to school today because she had to go visit her dad, her parents got a divorce not too long ago," Kyle said as he got up. "Be right back, just gonna go get a coke, want one?"

"No thanks,"

Cloe was surprised there were others here like her. What were they like?Did all the other kids really know? All these questions started flooding Cloe's mind.

"Hey, what you thinkin' bout?" Kyle said sitting down again. He must have noticed.

"Oh nothing, I just didn't think anyone else here would be like me, or even YOU." she said.

"Yeah, I'm pretty good at hiding it," he said with a big smile on his face that made Cloe smile back.

A few minutes later, the bell rang and everyone started filing out of the cafeteria.

The classes went by just fine; all of Cloe's teachers were rather nice. She figured it was only because she was the new kid, and they'd probably treat her like a pain the next day.

Kyle had been quite sweet to her all through the day, and it had in fact come to her as a surprise that he was like her. She couldn't believe there were other kids here that were like her.

Kyle had to wait for his little brother after school so he hung out with Cloe outside the school gate till her mum arrived to pick her and her sister up.

Her mum was a few minutes late, as usual, but Cloe didn't complain, she was happy today.

Cloe said bye to Kyle and got in the car.

"Well, how was your day girls?" her mum asked as they got in the car.

"Fine," Cloe said distantly.

"I see you made a new friend then, Cloe?"

"Yeah, that's Kyle, he lives down the street from our house," said Cloe.

"He seems sweet," said her mum, smiling as she looked out the window.

"Yeah, I guess he is," she said taking out her notebook.

"Oooo! Cloe's got a boyfriend! Her first true love!" teased Claire turning around and looking at Cloe, flipping her hair.

"Yeah, just shows the people of 9O21O like me better than you," Cloe snapped back.

"Whatever," she said turning around in her seat. "And for your information, I met a really cute guy today too."

"That's nice. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm a bit busy."

"Well, he seems like a sweet boy, Cloe, may even be your first boyfriend," said her mum, glancing back at her with a smile.

"Maybe," said Cloe, smiling to herself.

Cloe opened her notebook.

Monday, October 31, 2005 ; 3:15 ; In the car on the way home from school:

Well, Claire's going on about all the stupid retards she met at school today, cant bother straining my ears to actually listen to her, so I'm just gonna listen to my Ipod. Kyle was sooo sweet today. I agree with mum, he is pretty sweet. And cute. But I don't think he's ever gonna even like me…and besides, I think he likes that Emily girl, he was talking about her a lot at school. He said she'd be at school tomorrow, so I can meet her then. I still can't believe Kyle is like me! And I also can't believe there are other kids at our school like me! Uh-oh, we're home, gotta go, I'll try and write more after dinner.