The New Kid
Chapter 12
Yuja: I actually made it to chapter 12! (whips out party hats and confetti) Note to self…don't work on fanfics or check e-mail for new reviews when already suffering from ULTIMATE writer's block.
Isaac: Ultimate?You already knowwhat's gonna happen for the rest of the story.
Yuja: Yeah, and that's the bad part. I'm so busy daydreaming about what to add next, I can't focus on my senior paper! I've got Senioritis Writer's Block! (proceeds to panic)
Jenna: -.-;; She really does need to hurry up and just graduate.
Yuja: (glares at computer) Darn. Stupid smilies won't load right on this site. But I think I finally got the section breaks figured out, using &-&-&-&-&-& instead of the usual dashes.
Isaac lifted his school bag and opened the front door to his house. "Bye Mom," he called over his shoulder.
"Bye, dear. Have a good day," was the reply from the computer room where his mom was working from home for the day. Isaac stepped outside, closing and locking the door behind him. The sound of a honking horn and the words "HEY ISAAC!" being yelled didn't help his nerves much, but the sight of Garet's truck, with Felix and Jenna hanging out of the windows, managed to lighten his mood.
"Jenna's been dancing around nonstop all night," said Felix as Isaac took his place next to Jenna in the back seat.
"What for?" questioned Isaac.
Jenna was almost squealing with excitement. "Guess what I found out yesterday after you left."
Isaac stared at her for a moment before shrugging, not sure quite what to say when she was grinning so much. "I give up. What happened?"
"I - have - Psynergy!" she squeaked.
Poor Isaac wasn't much of a morning person. In fact, he was far from being one. At first, he was still too tired to even understand Jenna's extra energy, but then one word - Psynergy - slipped into his mind and stuck. And, for some odd reason, it hurt.
He stared at her in disbelief. "What?"
"Yep! Yesterday afternoon, actually. Garet and Felix tried to bug me again, and before I knew it - POOF! - no more math homework for Garet."
Garet could be heard grumbling in the front. Something about staying up half the night to redo the assignment. Felix just smirked amusedly at his friend.
"So? What do ya think?" Now Jenna was staring at Isaac, waiting for him to say something, preferably a "congratulations" or something of the sort.
But Isaac was completely dumbstruck. Finally, he was able to form a few words. "That's…cool." He paused before forcing his voice to work again, though it cracked a little. "W-What element?"
"Hot tempered fire," said Felix quickly, earning a swat to the head from his little sister.
&-&-&-&-&-&
Isaac was quick to gather his books after school that day. The group was headed for Felix's house again that afternoon, but Isaac didn't plan on joining.
"You guys go on ahead. I've got some things to take care of at home."
"Isaac, your house is on the way to ours. At least let us drop you off," offered Jenna.
"Thanks, but I need to make a few stops and run some errands for Mom. I'll just see you tomorrow." The group watched as Isaac left them, perhaps a little more hurried than he intended.
"Something's not right with him," said Mia sadly. "He's starting to look so tired again. He barely even managed to stay awake in class today." Sheba and Ivan exchanged looks, but neither spoke.
Garet thought for a moment. As soon as Isaac was out of sight, he turned to Felix. "You can carry four passengers in your car, right?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"You all can go ahead. I just get the feeling that he's not really headed for the store. I'll catch up later."
"Are you sure you should be following him, Garet? I doubt he would like the idea," Felix pointed out.
"I know, but I don't think leaving him alone right now is a much better move." Garet climbed into his truck and started the engine. "I'll let you know what happens."
&-&-&-&-&-&
This was starting to become a habit. Whenever he needed to think, all he had to do was come to the park. The only drawback was the whispering that would start and stop at random times. Once again, though, Isaac soon found himself in the area of the park where he and the others usually hung out, only this time he was alone…again. Some of the voices grew and faded as he walked to the set of benches and silently sat down, and that was where Garet found him.
"You're not planning to make this a habit are you?" Isaac looked up at Garet's grinning face. It was odd how Garet and the others could sometimes say exactly what Isaac had been thinking.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, going off on your own. You're starting to worry us again." Garet sat down beside the Adept. "Anything we can do?"
"Only if you want to dig a hole and throw me in it."
"I'm being serious, Isaac."
"Who says I'm not?" There was a moment's silence before Isaac stood. "I should get going."
"You're doing it again."
Isaac looked down at his red-haired friend. "Doing what?"
"Pushing us away." Isaac looked at the ground. "What's going on, Isaac? If you're still worried about us getting involved, you know you can just forget it. We aren't going to abandon you like that."
"That's not the whole problem anymore."
"Then what is?"
Isaac hesitated. "It's just that…well…none of you had Psynergy before I came along, and all I'm doing as long as I'm in the group is putting the rest of you in danger."
"You think the reason for Mia and Jenna suddenly getting Psynergy is your fault?"
"What else could it be?"
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe they just happened to be Adepts already?" Isaac didn't respond. "You've got to quit blaming yourself for every little thing that happens-"
"What else am I supposed to do?" Isaac shot back. "You have no idea what it was like for me. Everyday, I was picked on because I was different. The only people that would even get close to me were just doing it so they could shove me back down. I hated it, Garet, and I don't want to see anyone else go through what I did."
"We just want to help-"
"Well, maybe I don't want anybody's help. Maybe, maybe I just want to be left alone! Maybe…maybe…" It hit Isaac completely unexpected. The leafy voices raised to a shrill pitch and greater quantity, and everything seemed to be spinning around him. Isaac held his head as he stumbled and a pressure began to build up in him that made him feel even sicker.
"Isaac?" Garet jumped up and made the Adept sit back down on the benches before he could fall over. "Are you okay? Isaac?"
After a few seconds that seemed longer, Isaac's vision was starting to clear. His head still throbbed, he was shivering all over, he was short of breath, and he still felt like he was going to be sick, but at least the voices had stopped and the pressure was almost entirely gone. "Yeah," he muttered, not looking at his friend. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"No you're not. You're as pale as my history homework today."
Isaac couldn't help but laugh weakly at this. History wasn't Garet's strong point in school, and he was known sometimes to not even bother with the assignments. "Sorry I yelled at you."
"Don't sweat it. You've got enough to worry about already. What just happened, anyway?"
"Just my Psynergy again. Don't worry about it. It usually acts up whenever I'm stressed or upset. That's all." He didn't mention that the last time he had felt that pressure had been when his dad…he didn't want to think about that.
Garet waited a few minutes for Isaac to catch his breath. "Well, you're looking a little more human now," he joked. "Think you can walk in a straight line?"
"You lay out the tape and I'll see what I can do."
"Then let's just get you home. You still look a little sick."
"I'll be fine now." He stood up and moved his arms around. "See? I'm okay."
Garet eyed Isaac suspiciously, but knew it was pointless to argue. "If you say so."
&-&-&-&-&-&
"So? How was he?"
Garet didn't look Jenna in the eye when he simply answered, "He's okay."
Felix stood from his seat on the floor and stretched. "No problems then, I assume?"
"Uh, no. No problems."
"Liar." Garet threw a quick glare at Felix, who simply smiled. "You're face says it all."
"Whatever you say, Felix, but I made sure he got home safe and sound."
Ivan looked up from his work at the table. "Spill it, Garet. It's pointless to lie when you have two psychics present."
Garet just groaned and sat on the couch. "Would you all quit bugging me? Isaac's fine and nothing happened."
&-&-&-&-&-&
It couldn't have been more than an hour later before the phone rang and Felix's mother answered. "Felix! Telephone!"
Felix picked up the phone beside the couch. "Got it!" Felix heard the click of his mom hanging up before speaking into the receiver. "Hello? Oh, hi Mrs. Wood. No, I haven't seen him." Everyone else stopped working to watch Felix. It was amazing how well he managed to keep his voice normal when his face looked like all he wanted to do was yell, "He did WHAT?"
"I wouldn't worry, ma'am. Actually, I'm pretty sure he just left to meet my sister. They have a project they were assigned to work on as a group, and Jenna's already gone herself. Right. I'll let them know. No problem. Bye." Felix carefully put the receiver back in the phone cradle and sat down on the couch.
"What was that about?" asked Mia slowly.
"And since when did I have another Literature project?" added Jenna.
Felix hesitated in his answer, and Garet was too impatient to wait for one before he stood and took his jacket from the back of a chair. Jenna stood as well. "Where are you going?"
"That was Isaac's mom, wasn't it?" The question was aimed at Felix who could only nod, still not looking up. He seemed to be thinking. "How long has he been gone?"
"Not long. His mom says someone that sounded like Garet called, and then Isaac left."
"Then the sooner we start looking, the better."
"Garet." Garet stopped and turned back to Felix. "You didn't call him that last time you went to the kitchen, did you?" Garet shook his head.
Sheba now took her own jacket as well and headed for the door. "Then what are we standing around here for? We've got a missing Adept to find."
&-&-&-&-&-&
Isaac leaned against the brick wall at the back of the school. What did Garet and Felix want to meet him back here for? None of them ever even came back here for any reason. Garet had really outdone himself this time when it came to picking the worst meeting place.
"Hello, Isaac." Isaac jumped away from the wall and spun to see a familiar blue-haired senior come around the corner of the building to his right. "Or should I say 'New Kid'? You aren't exactly a regular just yet."
"Alex?" Something flashed across Alex's eyes. He seemed to be debating something with himself, but Isaac didn't have time to think on it as Agatio appeared from the left and Karst filled his last remaining escape route in front. "What's going on?"
Alex's usual smirk returned. "I see you got my call."
"Your call? But…that was Garet on the other end."
"Sorry to disappoint, Isaac, but Garet doesn't even know that you're not at home right now. It's amazing, though, how well a single computer program can alter one voice to sound like another."
Isaac couldn't help feeling nervous. Three tough seniors against one worn out, still slightly dizzy junior with a headache weren't good odds. Something was about to happen, and he had a feeling he knew what it was. "Alex, what's going on?"
Yuja: And I'll just end it there for now. I'm still fixing up the next part. Oh, and I'm kinda REALLY busy with school and getting ready for graduation, so I might not get another chance to update until June or July…or possibly even August for that matter.
Isaac + Jenna: OO WHAT!
Jenna:evil glare: Just what is the meaning of this?
Yuja: -.-;; Sorry, but like I said, there's a lot of crap going on right now. Actually, the whole part with Alex wasn't supposed to start until next chapter at the earliest, but the part I originally had for finishing this chapter seemed to send the story in a loop instead of developing it. Plus I was in a sour mood when I wrote it, so it was probably a bit…over dramatic…and kinda repeated things done earlier in the story and things I've already written for later on.
Isaac: -.- You really do like to torment me, don't you?
Yuja: ;-) You make it sound like you didn't notice already. Now for some responses. I have to say, these ones really made my day.
Spirit Seer -- O.O Loooong review you wrote, but well appreciated none the less. Piers with political power, huh?
(looks at sunruner's muse Piers waving his rubber chicken in the air) (it's an RP thing; don't ask) -.-;; That's a scary thought.
Actually, Piers/Picard's formal introduction was typed on my laptop a while back (I know I shouldn't, but I tend to skip around in a story), but at this rate it won't appear until chapter 14. I've got most of the next few chapters already typed, but since I changed this chapter so much I have to go back and edit a lot of it.
libby -- (inserts a dynamite stick into a hole on her writer's block) Yay! I'm forgiven! You actually made me feel bad with that last chapter, but now I know better than to say I'll update quicker. Still, here's another chappy. Hope it didn't take too long.:-P Maybe this'll work. Fire in the hole! (sets off dynamite)
kodoku -- Thanks, but I'm sure your writing isn't that bad. You should sign in next time or leave a review with your penname so people can read your stuff too.
Ninjoc -- -.-;; Yep, that advice you gave me had that exact effect. Problem was, I already had several ideas, and then I started getting even more. Then I started getting ideas for other fanfics! But I'm not posting those until I'm done writing this thing or get very close to the end. I've tried that once already, and my poor little Star of Venus fic hasn't been updated in forever because of it.
Isaac: And that's bad? You did nothing but try to kill me in that story.
Yuja: -.-;; It was my 1st fic, so sue me.
Meneil -- Thanks for another review! Favorites list, huh:-D Mee-sa is très happy! I must be doing something right!
Dragonlady -- Here's the update! -.-;; Yeah, I really do need to get better at updating. And just who the hey spells it "Issac"? The game booklet says it's Isaac, the game says Isaac, even my computer's stupid 10-year-old spell-check-that-thinks-every-other-word-I-type-is-wrong says it's Isaac! Oh well. I still see people spelling Garet's name wrong from time to time.
Kd7sov -- "Mastery"? I have to say I'm flattered. I thought this story was gonna be a disaster when I started it. (Good grief! Has it really been almost 2 years?) Très merci for the review!
Sorceress Sakura -- Thankies for another review! Yeah, what's more confusing than one of the lead bad guys suddenly turning into the sister of one of the good guys? -.-;; It's like Sheik turning out to be Zelda just in time to be captured by Gannon.
Zaurak -- Alex has mostly been a minor character until now, but he's kinda been facing his own problems since his last appearance in this story, and he'll start playing a bigger role pretty soon. OOC means "out of character" right?
Jenna: (anime fallover) You've got to be joking!
Yuja: I'm not really sure on how to make Alex act. He seemed to me to have a couple different personalities throughout the games. Overall, he doesn't seem like such a bad guy to me. One moment he doesn't seem to care about anyone else, the next he's either helping Felix or worrying about Mia. The guy's a real puzzle, so I guess that's kinda what I'm doing with him here, though I wouldn't mind hearing how you or anyone else thinks he should act/appear. Another Favorites List! Whoohoo!
Thanks again for all the reviews. Feel free to continue reviewing, since itwill be greatly appreciated as I face the rest of my insane AP exams. :-P