Chapter 8

Creative Alias'

When I was seven, one of the boys at the institute pushed me into the swimming pool. I couldn't swim and would have drowned if Kitty hadn't pulled me out. After that I developed aqua phobia. I can't even take a bath now.

Everyone had agreed to go swimming except for me. And they were all watching me waiting for my answer. I bite my lip and refused to look at them. I was never good about admitting my fears.

"I'll see you all later."

With that I got up and left before any one could say anything. Kitty would probably explain why I left and convince them to leave me alone.

I hurried home and was glad that my parents work weekends. I went up to my room and used my telekinesis to open the curtains and flip on the light bathing the room in a bright glow.

I smiled as I looked at my domain. My room was large, and the wall opposite the door had double doors leading out to the balcony I shared with Kitty. The whole wall was nothing but windows.

My bed was pushed with the headboard up against the middle of the only wall that didn't have any doors. It was a king sized canopy top four poster that had black and pink silk drapes.

My sheets were black and the comforter was a thick pink one with white swirls. There was a pile of black, pink, and white pillows of varying shapes and sizes some were knocked on the floor because it was unmade.

The walls were a light shade of baby pink and the floors were thick black carpet. One corner of the room close to the windows on the other side of my bed the floor was covered in white plastic that was splattered with paint. An easel was set up so that the light would hit it perfectly.

A white desk with my laptop and school stuff on it was in the corner pushed up against the wall with the entrance door in it.

The final wall had two doors in it. One lead to my walk in closet and the other was to the bathroom that I share with Kitty. My large white dresser was pushed up against the wall between the two doors.

I love my room it's my domain. And Kitty refuses to come in because she hates the color pink. My favorite color is baby pink so she can deal with it.

I walked over to my dresser quickly changing into my painting clothes. A stained white t-shirt that was two small for me and had the sleeves and color ripped off, and a pair of black overalls that were a little to big for me and also had paint stains.

I walked into the bathroom as I did the straps. Looking in the mirror I frowned at my appearance. I have long auburn hair. It goes to my elbows when it's wet been when it dries it curls into an annoying thick mass of uncontrollable wavy curls and frizz. I hate my hair. Every morning while its still wet I put it in a French braid so I don't have to deal with it.

My skin is fair, kind of pale but not enough to look like un healthy or like I've never been out in the sun. The light dusting of freckles over the bridge of my nose and cheekbones is proof of that. I hated them when I was a kid but they've faded a lot sense then.

I have pouty pale pink lips that Kitty is constantly saying she's jealous of but I really don't care. My favorite feature about my self is my eyes. I have hazel eyes that change color depending on what I'm wearing. There is a light ring of yellow around my pupils that fades into green then blue before a dark gray ring surrounds my irises.

I growled at the fact that I distracted my self. I hate it when I do that. Squatting down I reached under my sink and pulled out my pants taking them with me into my room.

I paused long enough to turn on my laptop for music. Soon Everything Burns by Anastasia started blaring in the room.

I threw open my balcony doors to let in fresh air then threw myself into my painting.

I paint by hand and using my powers it made me finish a lot faster. I was almost done when I heard the door slam. I rolled my eyes knowing that Kitty had brought them here to go swimming in the pool we have in the back yard. I hate that thing.

Kitty jumps off of my end of the balcony into the deep end of the pool all the time. I usually sit out on the balcony and draw while she's swimming.

I went over to my laptop turning the volume up as my favorite song came on The Walking Dead by DJ Z-Trip. With that done I went back to my painting, locking my door with my telekinesis as I went.

I heard yells from out back then someone running up the stairs and into Kitty's room. I glanced outside to see Zack jump off Kitty's end of the balcony.

My eyes went wide and I acted on instinct. Within seconds I was out on the balcony leaning over the rail one hand held out towards Zack who was hanging in mid air.

Everyone's eyes were on us. I flicked my wrist and flung Zack to the deep end of the pool. He fell in with a big splash and came back up looking straight at me.

I shrugged and smiled giving Kitty a pointed look before going back inside. I heard Kitty explaining that you had to jump off my end of the balcony to go into the deep end of the pool.

I quickly finished my painting after that. Standing back I looked at the whole thing to see if there were any little details that I could add.

The painting was of all of us at breakfast this morning. Kitty was staring down at her food and biting her lip. Ethan was blushing lightly and looking at Kitty out of the corner of his eye.

Will and Layla were holding hands on the table and both were smiling. Layla was talking to Maj and Zack who had his arm around Maj's shoulders while Maj was blushing. Will was talking to Warren who was laughing with a grin.

Kaida was crawling out from under the table and her friend Evelyn was standing off to the side grinning at her. You could see Mama Wu off to the other side watching everyone with a soft smile on her aging face.

I grinned at the finished project and put everything up. I pushed the straps of my coveralls down and pulled my arms out so that the top half was hanging down and they hung low on my hips like baggy pants. I washed my hands of paint before heading back into my room.

I was getting my sketchpad and a pencil from my desk when someone spoke behind me.

"This is good."

I turned around with wide eyes to see Warren looking at my just finished painting. I bit my bottom lip chewing on it in uncertainty for a second until he glanced up to look at me.

"Um…Thanks."

I headed over to the balcony ready to go outside and draw while everyone swims. Warren seemed to get the hint that I didn't want him in my room and followed.

He was wearing black swim trunks with flames on them. Not surprising. I did however notice that he still had the leather cuff on one of his wrists. I ignored it though along with the thoughts of how good looking he was, especial with beads of water running down his chest.

I sat down on the balcony rail leaning against one of the support beams that held up the roof over the balcony.

Warren leaned against the rail a couple feet away from me. He was looking down at the others who were laughing and playing around.

"So were you the one who did all the paintings downstairs?"

I nodded and we fell into a comfortable silence. I took that time to open my sketchbook to an empty page. I started sketching what I saw below me. Layla was trying to grow a water lily in the shallow end.

Maj was sitting by the deep end with her feet in the water putting her wet hair up in a bun. Zack was floating on his back watching her.

Will, Ethan, and Kitty were playing Marco Polo. Will was it and Ethan and Kitty were cheating by having Kitty teleport them any time Will got to close.

I smiled at their antics then realized the Warren had been watching me the whole time. I looked at him and out eyes met. He smiled, didn't smirk and didn't grin in laughter, but he actually smiled something I've never seen him do.

"May I see?"

I was kind of hesitant but handed him the sketch. He tucked a piece of hair behind his ear as he studied it. He held it out for me to take.

"You really are good. Are you going to use it for your alias?"

I frowned, shrugging I took my sketch back.

"No I don't think so. In truth I'm thinking of being a cook for my alias. I might sell a few painting on the side. I really don't know. How about you what are you going to do for an alias?"

Warren shrugged and refused to meet my eyes. Once again I was tempted to read his mind but refrained from doing so.

"Actually I want to be a writer. I know that Mama Wu is going to leave me and Kaida the Paper Lantern but I want to be a writer."

I nodded in understanding. I never expected him to want to be a writer. But in truth I don't really know what to expect out of him. He turned and smiled at me.

"So why don't you want to go swimming? Cat wouldn't tell us."

I bit my lip and frowned again getting up and going back inside with out answering. Warren followed standing just in the doors and curiously looking around.

Growling I tossed my sketchbook onto the bed and turned to face Warren.

"I can't swim."

Warren looked surprised before grinning at me.

"I'll teach you how."

He walked over to me and grabbed my wrist dragging me out to the balcony. I pulled away.

"No you don't understand. I'm afraid of water. I have been ever sense I almost drowned when I was seven. I would have if Kitty hadn't saved me."

He surprised me when he grabbed my wrist again and pulled me to him wrapping his arms around me to give me a hug.

I surprised him when I wrapped my arms around his waist and rest my forehead against his chest. I felt him rest his chin on top of my head.

We stood like that in silence for a minute before Warren broke it.

"I can understand you being afraid, but none of us will let anything happen to you. I want to teach you to swim. Just in case you ever need to. Will you let me teach you how to swim?"

I pulled back enough to look up into his eyes but not so much that either of us had to let go. I started chewing on my lip again. I know it's a bad habit but I can't help it, I've been doing it sense I was a little.

"I… I don't want to."

Warren sighed.

"You don't have to if you don't want but I, we, would all love for you to be down there with us. I promise we, I, won't let anything happen to you."

I stopped chewing my lip and sighed.

"I'll meet you down there."

He grinned and pulled me back in giving me a short squeezing hug before letting me go.

"Don't take forever."

With that he turned and went out on the balcony. He climbed on the rail and yelled for everyone to get out of the way before diving off the balcony.