Taken In Again
Disclaimer: It's a fanfiction, what do you expect? I own whatever wasn't invented already.
And so, to my annoyance, school once again took action. During the months I've been through the league, only up until now did they know of my existing 'teenage' life. I know it's hard for them to take in so quickly, but I'm sure they'll get over any existing confusions that may linger in their minds. So it's been through the end of July and August, spending my summer vacation. Today is September 5th, 2008. And I'm standing in the middle of the crowded hallway as a fifteen year old girl; surrounded by maniacs I call friends.
I like the league better. And yet, I have to go through this.
I explained to the league of my school year still in progress. Some found it amusing, like Tom and Rodney. Henry seemed to think fun of it as well. Things like that make my heart grieve.
"I just lost the game!"
"Damnit, Jessica!" Harold shouted, in my ear almost.
I had the blood-clot type of friends, taking up the entire hallway and killing me with their stupidity.
See, this is the thing. I like the league a whole lot better, considering that they're…oh…I don't know…a whole lot older and more mature? But no, I have to continue suffering through my own childhood when I could just transform to my 27 year old self and live the life I've been living for the past 2 months. Even in front of them, I could transform. But I can't risk letting out a secret like that. It's too risky for exposure. And yet I crave to so much…
"So anyone up for a movie tonight?" Rose asked, looking to me, Jessica, Harold, Kim, Sam, Ruth, Kate, James, and Laurence. Rose was tall, very pale, and had strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, and glasses; wearing her rocker look, as always. Jessica and Kim automatically responded with a yes, considering the three of them are like a best friend triple threat. Rose looked to Sam, and he said he didn't know yet, as he always says. That kid seriously needs to get some free time in his schedule. Either that or he just doesn't want to go…I mean, I wouldn't blame him. Harold, Kate, Ruth, James and Laurence just ignored the question and continued fooling around. Rose looked to me.
"You want to go, Dover?"
Ugh. why do people always call me by my last name? Its a long time annoyance.
I sighed. "What movie?"
"I don't know…maybe The Dark Knight?"
"I—uh...sure. Why not." I was half asleep. Last night I was up with Tom and Rodney, talking about nonsense. At least it was better than the nonsense we're all talking about now.
"Yeah, so Sam…did you do the homework for Spanish?" asked Kate.
"Yeah I just did it last night." Sam said, rummaging through his bag.
"That's what she said!" Rose shouted. Everyone started cracking up…but me.
I hate the transformation mornings. When I transform from my witch self to my teenage self, my witch mind still lingers around, all gloomy and dark. My bright, cheerful brain won't evolve completely until at least 4th period. And it's the same the other way around.
The two sides of me are very much like Henry and Ed, so we have a lot in common.
Ugh! With all this craziness I'm just dying to show them all who I really am! Who I really can be! I'm sure they would never treat me the same. I would at least like them to meet the witch; they just don't have to know it was me.
Well, maybe one day.
The first bell just rang, signaling us to go to our homerooms. Mine was upstairs, in the photo room. I grabbed my books, my bag, and set off without hesitation.
---
It was lunch time in the Nautilus, and the league sat around the table, seeming slightly bored. Tom lay his face on his palm, elbow rested on the table. His other fingers tapped the surface in complete ennui and curiosity.
"Hey I wonder what Alisha's doing right now…" Henry said.
"Probably eating lunch?" responded Tom, lifting his eyes to the doctor.
"Mm." Henry seemed a little embarrassed to have opened his mouth.
"Yeah. She's probably sitting in her cafeteria, eating cafeteria food, with her little friends." Rodney chuckled, forcing down a shot of scotch.
Tom pondered for a second, then lifted his head to meet Rodney's eyes.
"What?" he asked.
Tom just smiled, and Rodney seemed to get the idea. He turned his head to the rest of the league, who simply looked in confusion, hoping Tom's idea wouldn't be any crazier than they expected.
---
I plopped down at the round table during 6th period, with a tray in my hands. I had bought a can of Peach Snapple, a roll with mustard, Cajun turkey, and mozzarella cheese, and a bag of baked original Lays. I was about to grab my sandwich when I felt a pair of hands cover my hands, and suddenly I was blind.
"Guess who!" A cheerful voice spoke. Sounded like a guy. Very familiar, too.
Ugh. I hate these games.
"Uh…well I hope whoever's hands these are, they are clean. I don't want any bacteria going on my face. Only god knows where they have been." Ah, yes. Here comes Alisha the teen, a complete and utter neat freak.
I grabbed my mystery person's hands, and felt the leather texture.
Uh-oh.
I felt their arms, leather texture.
"I don't know. Who is suspiciously covering my eyes…?" I wasn't really a question. More like a lazy attempt for one.
The person released their hands, and with an uninterested expression, I turned my head to greet my mystery person. Or should I say persons. Because my excitement just raised to an extremely high level at that moment. My eyes widened, and my hand swiftly made its way to my mouth, trying to cover the screech.
"Oh my god!"
Standing there, all smiling was the league. But not the league I knew. A new version…a younger, teenage version. They didn't look like sophomores, like me, but like seniors. I was so surprised at how different they looked. The entire league wore their normal clothes, however big they might have been.
Tom seemed the same, with his shaggy blonde hair, blonde eyes, and young face. However his jaw was less bony…his face was plump and youthful, having the lines in his face disappear. His five o'clock shadow as also gone.
Henry was younger too…his face was completely young, no wrinkles or worry lines. His sideburns were gone, and his hair was lighter. He seemed much happier, and a lot less shaken.
Mina's hair was long and light brown. Plus her face was less bony as well; her makeup was soft too. Actually, her entire self was softer. I could see there was something different about her.
Allan, standing in the back of the group, seemed childish too. His moustache was gone, and his jaw also looked softer…his hair lighter as well. I still kept looking back to Mina though; she just seemed so much lighter than usual. It surprised me.
Now, I couldn't even begin to describe Nemo and Rodney. Nemo's entire beard and moustache was gone, and his turban was gone, showing his natural black curly hair. His face was so young, it was completely stunning. His beautiful Indian skin glistened, and perfectly free of wrinkles and lines. It was, in one word, youthful.
My jaw dropped when I saw Rodney. Because to even my surprise, I could actually see him. His skin, hair, eyes, mouth, everything. He had a thin, long pale face with light blue eyes. His hair was loosely curled, and a bright orange color. I was embarrassed for two reasons.
One, I stood there, staring at him for who knows how long, and he began to laugh.
Two, I stared at him with the word 'beautiful' popping into my mind about a thousand times.
"You're…oh wow!" I laughed, and they laughed back.
As I suddenly regained consciousness, I looked back to my lunch table. Rose, Suzie, Sarah, Laurence, Casey, Jason, and Kyle all sat there, looking at either me or the league with curiosity. Especially Sarah, who was looking at Tom with a soft, attentive eye. Tom seemed to notice.
I got up and looked over to the rectangular table next to them, and I motioned for the league to sit down. Everyone did so except for my two buds Tom and Roddy. I smiled at them, and they smiled back. Tom eyed me down, motioning his sight to Sarah, who was still looking at her new crush. I glanced over, but she didn't notice my eye contact. I brought Tom's ear to my mouth, and I lightly whispered.
"That's Sarah. I think she likes you." I slightly giggled.
Tom gave a small smirk. He motioned to whisper back into my ear.
"What's she like?"
I looked at the table full of immature, perverted children, and walked the two a bit away from them.
"I don't really like any of them. I'd much rather hang with you guys." I shrugged. "Sarah likes rock music, video games, texting, listening to music, all that jazz."
Tom winced. "Eh…I can see why you don't like them…" he watched as food was thrown across the table by Jason and Kyle.
"Don't even get me started…"
Nemo, Allan, Mina and Henry watched them as well, speaking to each other.
"See that kid in the middle? The one with the green T-shirt, messy hair?" I said, trying my hardest not to point.
"Yeah," Tom and Rodney said in unison.
"That's Jason." I looked to them. "I hate him with a passion." I said it like it was something simple and easy. I looked back. "I crave to murder him." I raised my eyebrows, and once more turned to my buds. "Can I?" I think there was too much excitement in my voice.
"Um, wouldn't that attract us a little too much attention?" Tom said. I sighed with disappointment.
"Don't worry," Rodney said, looking at Tom. "Go sit down. We'll take care of him, old school style." He grinned mischievously, pounding his fist. I raised my eyebrow at him, and then shook it off, making my way over to the rest of the league. I sat down next to Mina, with Allan, Henry, and Nemo on the other side. The kids at the other table continued to watch me and my mysterious friends. I watched Rodney and Tom mumble to each other, and then nod their heads. We all watched as they slowly walked up to the table, Rodney in the lead. Amber continued to watch Tom with awe. I noticed him gaze at her, then give a somewhat displeasured look, which I found to be slightly amusing as she found it considerably hurtful. They stopped in front of the round table with their gaze set directly on Jason, hard and cold. Jason looked up to them, and Rodney raised an eyebrow.
"What?" he said, in his disgustingly messed up voice.
"Alisha told us you were quite a bother to her…" Rodney said, tilting his head, and speaking in a slightly teasing way. Playing with his meat before pounding it…if that makes any sense.
"Um…"
"And we don't like it when people mess her up…" Tom interrupted.
"Cause if anybody does, then we mess them up." As Tom said this, Rodney stared Jason down, and cracked his knuckles…very loudly...I mean, I could hear them crack over the loud noise of the cafeteria. He must be quite good at doing that. I could hear Henry give a chuckle.
"Listen I didn't do anything…she just hates me." Jason sounded a little frantic.
"Alright, you guys…" I got up, and broke them out of the trance. Before I sat down with the league, I said "I'd watch your back if I were you, Jason." lifting my head in pride. Rodney and Tom never left their gaze off him until we sat down at the table, trying to scare the kid. Gosh I love these two.
"So…um…thanks for coming to visit. But, I just have one question." I turned to Rodney.
"How come I can see you?" I sounded a little hysterical.
He laughed, and raised a finger. "Ask Henry." My head jolted to his direction.
"My guess…is that by your device…the portaleiver…by making us younger, it brought our bodies to the past rather than just making us look younger. So, by doing that, you erased the dates where we became," he motioned to Rodney, Mina and himself. "Invisible, a vampire, and a monster."
I was extravagant. "Oh my god! Will you be able to turn back?" No wonder Mina seemed brighter, I thought. She wasn't a vampire anymore.
"Yes. We tried going back already, out of surprised panic, I suppose. However I'm eternally grateful for finding a safe way to avoid Edward." He said.
"I'm glad I'm able to help." My joy really shined through.
So, I spent the whole period avoiding my peers, talking with the youthful league, eating a very delicious sandwich, and enjoying the bright side of my day. That is, until, my fantasy died when the bell rang.
"Ahh…" I cried in annoyance.
"Eh, don't worry. See you after school?" Rodney asked.
"I'll see. I might have a lot of homework, and plus you have to remember I have unaware parents. I still need to find a way how to disappear into 1899 without having them think I was kidnapped."
"I'd like to meet these parents of yours, one day." He said.
"Uh…"
Rodney? Meeting the 'rents? Um…I don't think so.
Suzie signaled to me. "Yo, Dover! You comin'?" I turned to her. "Yeah. Be right there." I looked back at the rogue, bowing his head at me with a muffled grin. "I'll see you later, kay?"
"Kay." He said, and I walked off, leaving him and the league behind.