CHAPTER ELEVEN

NORTH

Being Essence's friend feels better than anything in the world. I know she can trust me, and she knows she can trust me. Myrah has started hanging out with us on a regular basis, and we both haven't stayed in contact with Derek and Alyssa. Since befriending Essence, she's pretty much opened up to the two of us about everything. She's told us about the death of her family, her abusive grandmother, and her battle with depression. Damn. Essence has been through so much. Makes my life look good.

I loved taking the time to get to know Essence. Did you know she likes Panic! At The Disco? She owns all their albums. Did you know she enjoys riding the train only to see the cocky people who don't hold the railings fall on their asses? That one made my day. Bet you didn't know Essence used to do makeovers with her mother when she was still around. Now ya do!

Essence is absolutely amazing. I wish I could make her mine. Right here, right now. Set her on the lunch table, pull her panties aside, slip my fingers inside her, listen to her moaning my name as I work on her… Goddamn it North, calm the fuck down. Jesus. Above all, I want to be able to tell her about being a Manipulator. I'm hoping she would be accepting and care about me as much as I care about her. I want her to be able to trust me, to confide in me, to open up to me…

So you can imagine the surprise and relief on my face when one day Essence said, "North? Myrah? You guys are my friends, right? 'Cause I've kinda got a secret that nobody can, like, ever know. But I want you to know it because I don't like hiding stuff." She started habitually finger-brushing her hair. Myrah, Essence, and I were sitting at a secluded table in the cafeteria, and no one was anywhere near us. Essence drew a potato chip from her bag and popped it in her mouth, waiting for a response. Myrah and I both nod, waiting for her to tell us what was going on. Essence looked scared, like she was about to cry something wicked and I wanted to crawl over to hug her but she regained her composure before I could do anything. Myrah sipped her Coca-Cola thoughtfully.

"I'm a… I'm.. I'm a Ma… Ma… Mmm.. I'm a…" Essence stuttered and tripped over her words. The suspense was starting to kill me. Tears brimmed in her eyes and they fell onto her cheeks delicately. She fidgeted with the collar of her shirt nervously and I felt inclined to reach out and lightly brush her hand but I didn't. Instead I patted her shoulder from across the table and suggested something else.

"How about we all say a secret that we have all together? That way it won't be so awkward." Myrah chuckles nervously and my heart thunders in my rib cage. Once the words leave my mouth, there's going to be no taking them back. I'm about to reveal my biggest secret to my crush and friend. Here goes nothing.

"On the count of three, we all say it, okay?" Myrah says, voice shaking. What has she got to hide? That her shoes aren't really Prada, they're Gucci? She's hiding nothing compared to what I am. I inhale deeply.

"Okay." I murmur.

"One, two, three…" Myrah counts. Essence blurted it out first, then me, then Myrah. After the words had left all our mouths, relief and worry hung in the air like thick fog. We had all said the same thing.

Essence burst into tears, but this time, they were tears of joy. I got up from my spot and sat down next to her, wrapping my arms around her slender frame. She sobs into my shoulder and I sigh. Her chest presses into me and the temperature of her skin matches mine. Essence's arms wrap around my torso and she stays there, sniveling and softly chuckling. Myrah joins us in a group hug. Skin cold as ice meeting in a friendly, welcoming hug. Myrah started cracking up and you could tell it felt good for her to get that sort of thing off her chest. The bell rang and Myrah broke away from our group hug, disposing of her lunch tray as she skipped away. But Essence climbed onto me, nuzzling my neck with her nose. She then looked up at me and sighed.

"I'm so sorry… I'm just a little screwed up, you know?" Essence brushed some tears off her cheeks.

"It's okay… These kinds of things are hard to talk about. Trust me, I know." I say assuringly.

"Yeah." She says, mustering a smile.

"And, can I just say you look really good, even though you've been crying?" I say shyly.

Essence then smiles and reaches up, hugging me tighter against her torso. Her chest presses into mine and I start getting all excited. The bell rings and kids start filing out of the cafeteria, heading towards their classes. Essence smiles at me one more time and grabs onto my hands, cold radiating off of them.

"Thanks." She chirps. She then scurries off, heading to class. Relief hangs in the air, and I feel free inside. I have to stop myself from skipping like a little girl when I go to class. 5th period and 6th period were pretty normal, but 7th period was just weird.

The room felt different and the atmosphere was funny-feeling. Essence sat on the other side of the room, furiously hammering away to complete the assignment our Social Studies teacher had given us. Myrah sat two away tapped her pink fingernails against her desk, most likely nervous about something. Derek and Alyssa sat in the back, scowling at Essence. What're they even doing? I noticed something odd about the way Alyssa looked. Her eyes were sorta glowing this dark grey color. Her head twitched. She tapped her fingers wildly. What's going on?!

Alyssa then rose from her seat and made her way over to Essence's desk, shoes clicking against the floor tiles. Her eyes glowed even more. She grabbed Essence by the hair and slammed her face into her desk. Essence cried out for help and I sprung out of my seat. Alyssa didn't show any signs of stopping. Essence wailed in agony, trying to get Alyssa away from her. The continuous bang, bang, bang sound resonated through my head. Essence screamed and begged for help. The teacher returned from one of his errands and students screamed, backing away into a corner. I leapt over to Alyssa and tackled her, pulling Essence out of her grasp. Alyssa tries turning on me and I almost used my powers on her. Instead I pinned her hands behind her back and the teacher practically dragged her out of my grasps as he lead her, kicking and thrashing, to the principal's office. Derek looked horrified. Tears filled my eyes as I rushed over to check on Essence. She had her head down on her desk, breathing heavily and sobbing softly.

"Essence?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

"Go away. Just go away." Essence says a little stronger. Myrah runs over and stands behind me, worried.

"Essence, are you hurt?" I say, feeling helpless. Essence growls and starts crying all over again. Myrah looks like she wants to do something, but she holds back. Derek joins us and his hands shake. He looks so pained.

"Leave me alone! It hurts!" Essence whimpers. Her voice is muffled, but it sounds different, like there's something in her mouth.

"Essence, show me where it hurts, rather what hurts, please!" I beg, starting to get desperate. I notice that her desk starts getting red stuff on it. It takes me a moment to realize that it's her own blood.

"Essence!" I cry out. She finally lifts her head. Her nose and her mouth are bleeding. The blood is spilling off her desk onto her clothes. Essence cries and covers her face. I start screaming at people to get her water, get some napkins, get tissues, hurry it up, guys! Derek went to the cafeteria to one, get some water bottles and some salt, and two, get Essence a new outfit that would fit her from the guidance counselor. Myrah grabbed extra tissue boxes from under the sink and some random kid who idolized me handed me a full roll of paper towels then scampered off, freaking out that he had helped me. Essence sobbed and I soaked a stack of paper towels under the faucet in the sink. I rushed back over and Essence took them from me, placing the soggy paper towels over her face. She sighed and hung her head, lightly sniffling. I rubbed her back and Derek came running back into the room with three water bottles, a pair of jeans and a My Chemical Romance t shirt, and a salt shaker. That's when some students started filing out to get help from another teacher.

A few minutes later, Essence was bent over the sink, gargling salt water, holding her nose with a wad of tissues, and wearing a new outfit. The teacher had come back and cleaned up her desk and comforted her. He thanked Myrah, Derek, and I for helping her while he "dealt with" Alyssa. Alyssa had been suspended. Essence looked miserable. Derek had walked over just minutes before and apologized about a million times and asked to be friends with her. Once Essence had stopped spitting out blood and her nose bleed was semi-controlled, I waltzed over to her and wrapped her in a hug. But it wasn't like the hug we shared earlier. She wasn't into this one. She didn't wrap her arms around me. She tried squirming out of my arms. Fear returned to my eyes.

"Essence?" I whimper. Essence looks pissed off beyond belief.

"She's your goddamn friend, North." Essence mutters, grabbing her binder and leaving just as the bell rang. I felt like someone just punched me in the stomach. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried not to think about it.

I just saw my friend beat up the love of my life.

My world spins. I shouldn't have let that happen. I could have used my powers on her. She would've stopped right then and there. But that would've meant I'd have to kill everyone who was a witness. I grit my teeth and rush out the door, Essence's words ringing through my ears.

She's your goddamn friend, North.

Not anymore, I think to myself. That wasn't Alyssa in there. I think I know who it is, but I'll need to confirm my suspicions. When I get home that night, I write a note before doing any of my homework. It's addressed to Essence. I'll give it to her tomorrow.

This could literally change everything that we think we know about ourselves