13. The Tedious Day at Hell High

Walking into school on Monday felt, well for the lack of a better word stupid. I just had a tussle with a guy who I'm pretty sure controls destiny and now I have to go and learn algebra? What has the world come to?

Sam wasn't on the bus and I find all of my friends standing in front of the school fountain except for Dylan who isn't anywhere to be seen. Everyone still backs away in fear. Not much, such a small amount that it probably was done subconsciously. A growl threatens to erupt and I feel the molten silver lava change my eyes once again. The red and black swirls appear when they gasp, "Can you all just act as if I wasn't some monster."

Their eyes all turn foggy and stare at me, frozen to the point where it's impossible to even blink. That's when Dylan walks up and looks at me funny, "What the hell did you do now?"

"Um," I say sheepishly. "I think I may have used that strange mind control thing again."

"Matt or whoever the hell you are make them normal again! My girlfriend isn't even kissing me good morning."
"Fine," I groan.

"While you're at it can you like make them look at me as king or something and get the girls to love me."

I don't even say anything to him about that and just snort. With a snap of my fingers they all start to move again and I feel my eyes turn green once again. Anna comes over to me and hugs me. A smile works its way to my lips, this was much better than them being afraid of me. Maybe this day won't be as bad as I originally thought.

Of course I shouldn't have thought that because as soon as I walk into bio everything turns to crap. Ms. Tall looks at me and her eyes widen when she notices me staring at Madame Octa deep in conversation. I guess she knows more about what's currently going on than I do. I should ask her about that destiny guy.

I'm partners with Madison again during today's lab. This time we're staring under microscopes and are labeling cells. Seriously what do we actually need to know about cell organelles? And now I'm pretty sure that those aren't going to help me save the world.

Thankfully Madison is fairly decent at science so she does the majority of the work. Well the class did start off well but apparently the universe has a sense of humor because the second set of cells was making my stomach turn in knots. Madison told me what it was but I was too out of it to even take notice of what the hell she said. Ms. Tall gave me a drink and told me I was dehydrated and to keep it with me at all times. I did as she told and to my relief it did make me feel better.

The prospect of gym is terrifying though. What happens if I hurt more people? Today it was raining so instead of football we went inside to play basketball. And Dylan did seem to be right that I was now decent at it. Hell I was beast at it. Or I was doing great until Lindsay's brother tripped me. My reflexes were amazing though so I didn't fall. Instead I was just angry and my temper even scared me right now.

As the game restarted I dribble around him and feign right so he falls down and then "lose my balance" and fall so the ball rolls onto his face. To my relief it was realistic and everyone believes my story except for Brian. During his foul shots, which he makes, he gives me the birdie. I hiss and punch him in the face.

That little stunt lands me in the principal office. She gives me a lecture about behaving myself and how this act should get me suspended. But since she likes me and my record is more than perfect she just gives me a warning and an afterschool detention.

A big part of me was tempted to use my newfound ability and make her just forget it and make it so I don't even get in trouble. But the bigger part of me realizes how horrible that sounds. The ever clichéd line with great power comes great responsibility crosses my mind and I figure that applies to me now. Using it for dumb stuff like getting out of a detention that I deserve would fall under the category of abuse and I have a panic attack from the thought alone.

I still make it to history on time, much to my dismay. For some reason even though I love history and it actually seems as if it may be useful it seems unimportant. Part of me feels that this is the wrong type of history, maybe I should be more focused on my history. To make matters worse we're working on review today and Dylan is my partner.

Dylan is a bad partner to begin with and now all he's doing is being an ass with his questions. "So what was it really like during the civil war?"

"Why would I know?"

"Duh, you've lived before."

"I barely remember anything and from the impression I'm getting I didn't live during the civil war."

"Which war was it then? You mentioned the war of the scars before is that it?"

I shoot him a look and hear him shudder, my eyes must have changed. With a shake of my head they return to normal, "Um I don't know but that sounds to be really familiar."

"I know history isn't my best subject but that doesn't sound like a nickname for one we've learned."

"Seriously I have no clue! All I know is that it was about these Halfling things and that Mr. Tiny guy played a big role in it," I turn back to our work. "I think the answers A."

"You're the boss Adam," he chuckles.

"Adam?"

"Well you look like an Adam and your name wasn't always Matt."

He's really pissing me off now and he knows it too. I make sure the teacher isn't looking before hitting him on the head. Now he's mad and hits me back. Only the teacher notices him doing it and gives him detention. I laugh at him and start my work again. Dylan just scowls at me and I smirk at him.

We walk to lunch and sit down. I sit down next to Anna and put my arm around her, she doesn't move away and I'm glad that I did abuse my powers a little this morning and make them treat me normal again, much better than beforehand when I could barely be in the same building as them.

"So Bob tell them what you did to me today in class," Dylan grunts.

"Bob?" Sam snorts. "Why the hell are you calling him that?"

"Yeah I preferred Adam to that."

"Adam?"

"Yeah his name doesn't really fit him so I'm guessing what his name should be."

Maybe trusting him wasn't a good idea. I glare at him again and even with my normal eyes I know I'm scaring him. "What he was getting at was that we both earned detentions today."

"You're lucky you didn't get expelled with that act you pulled in gym. Brian's face looks terrible."

Lindsay looks at me in panic, "What did you do to my brother."
"I may or may have not punched him in the face."

She reaches over to me and smacks my arm, "Nobody beats up my brother but me."

That doesn't surprise me and I just roll my eyes and mumble an apology. Lindsay looks pleased by this and smiles. I suppress the urge to come up with a witty retort. Instead I just take a bite of my onions and watch Sam wrinkle his nose at me. From across the way I see Bill pick up an orange and squish it as if it was my face.

I gulp, I forgot about him. My friends see where my line of sight is and Sam chuckles, "You still say you're going to fight him."

"I don't really have a choice if he starts it."

"Just try to get out of it," Anna pleads.

"How? Anna trust me I can handle this."

"I don't know, he did put you in a coma a few weeks ago."

"Only after I beat him," I remind them. "Multiple times."

"Still you're being stupid about it," Lindsay tells me.

"Trust me babe he can handle it," Dylan snorts.

"I agree, sort of," Sam says. "I have full faith in you man but not as much as Dyl here has."

Of course you don't Sam; you don't have the same knowledge about me that Dylan does. I'm still pretty positive that he isn't human and is working with Mr. Tiny but I'm not positive. Wait why are they positive that we're going to fight, "Why are you guys convinced that he's going to attack me?"

"Um remember the other morning."

I remember him coming up to me but I don't remember him promising a fight. Again that was the morning where I don't remember the majority of it so who knows, "Oh right," I frown. "So when's the first match of the season?"

I am glad that the two start discussing the upcoming season and get off the subject of well me. Lindsay and Anna don't seem too interested in the turn the conversation took and start their own about some gossip from their cheer gym. So even though I feel a bit left out I'm also kind of glad that I have the chance to be quiet. Usually my friends make school worthwhile, but recently they've been annoying me.

It's not them, I mean it is, but more than that it's just that my temper's been insane lately. Any jackass or annoying thing they do is pushing me over the edge. And listening tp them right now talk about some random everyday stuff makes me depressed. Right now more than before I feel out of it… I don't belong here anymore. My life has taken a turn that sets me apart from everyone else and I kind of hate it.

Lunch ends quickly and the rest of the day is still left to drag on and on. A few times during the afternoon I get this weird tingling on the back of my neck, the type of feeling I get when someone's watching me. But I don't know who would be watching me. Well that's not exactly true. There are a lot of people who could be watching me. I just don't know which one of those it is.

Or maybe I'm just being paranoid. That's always a possibility.

As school ends Dyl and me walk over to the office and are directed to the detention room. For detention our school has one teacher a day hold all of the students. Just my luck today is with Ms. Tall with whom I still have not had a conversation with since our Q&A session the other day. And to add to my exasperation at the situation the one time I may be forced to talk to her Dylan has to be with me.

He seems more excited than he should for detention though, probably due to the concept of talking to her about all of this. I personally hope he doesn't mention anything, but I'm positive that my friend will not be able to keep his mouth shut.

Then on top of that there are only two people in detention today…us.

"Matt, Dylan," Ms. Tall nods and has us sit before looking straight at me. "What's the chance that the onetime you get detention you get me and it's not crowded at all?"

Against my better judgment I crack a smile, "I don't know seems to be destiny to me."

She frowns at my wording, "Please tell me that doesn't mean what I think it does?"
Of course by now Dylan is bursting with the urge to speak, "Of course it does, he came and threatened us and had this insane watch thing and everything."

I growl, "I told you to not say anything. And Ms. Tall why the hell didn't you warn me more than you did. Right after you talked to me I was almost killed. Have anything else you want to keep from me?" My eyes blaze and swirl, I can tell because I hear her scream a bit, a sound that is very alarming.

"Maybe you should fill me in on what's happened recently."

"Only if you promise to tell me who this Desmond Tiny guy is."

"That's a little complicated," she laughs dryly. I fight the urge to scream and I feel my eyes darken as my anger causes a glass beaker to explode. After that she nods and I go into the story of what has happened, starting with the attack in the woods and ending with the feeling of being watched.

"He forgot the part where he's been remembering stuff from before," Dylan adds.

"She already knew that," I mumble.

"This is bad," she shakes her head. "I had no idea he was back as well."

"Who?" Dylan and I ask together.

She grimaces, "The other leader of what you describe as purple skinned and red eyed."

"I know him," I state.

"Yes," Ms. Tall nods. "Saying that you two had history in your past life would be an understatement. I'm surprised my Father even allowed him to be on the same side as him."

"Father?"

"Desmond Tiny is my father, but don't let that cloud your judgment of anything. We despise each other. He allowed my twin brother, his own son, to die. He controls everything, thus the name. And more than anything he hates humans and wants to create chaos."

"Is he a Halfling too?" Dylan asks.

"No, he is everything and he is nothing. There is no name for what he or I are. Just know to stay away from him. From what you've told me he knows the extent of your current abilities. If the leader of the other side isn't anywhere near you he will try to get you. And if what my brother has said he is allowed to interfere this time."

"I thought he was dead?"

"He is, you dreamt about him Matt and told me about it."

Ah when I lost my memory of the morning. "So from the way you worded this I'm going to develop more powers?"

She nods, "Many from the part of the future I can see."

"Can you tell me if I'm going to win the tournament this weekend?" Dylan asks.

"No," she smiles. "If I do there are monsters that will come out and destroy the world. There are rules that the universe makes us follow. I'd get more into it, but it isn't safe to."

"And if the other things have this leader does that mean Matt will have an army?"

"Yes, but you're not ready yet. And that's all I can answer more than last time. Don't bother asking what you are because I can't tell you."

I figure this and just nod, at this point I don't know if I could take any more information without my head exploding. "Wait can you tell us what Matt's name was?" Dylan asks. "Right now I'm convinced it was Melvin."

"Bob was better," I snort.

"No I cannot," she says apologetically. "But Matt it may be a good idea for you to see me after class everyday so we can train a bit. I'm sure Dylan did a fine job but there's a lot he will not be able to help with."

"You've done something similar to this before haven't you? Taught me about dreams I believe."

"Yes I did. And Dylan watch your back as well. Now that he has your scent nothing will be easier, it will just get harder."

We nod and she dismisses us. Dylan texts his sister who's on a break from college and thankfully she comes and gets us. After all the stuff going on neither of us feel comfortable walking through the woods or even on the street.

Halfway to my house there's this horrid light. If you get stuck at it you have to wait a good five minutes for it to change. And just our luck, we get stuck at it.

A blur of movement runs around the car and I hold my breath too afraid to see what it is. Neither of the Williams can see it so I figure it has to be one of the things following me. I gulp, this isn't going to end well.

The figure stops right in front of our car and Dyl and his sister scream. I'm silent, no point in screaming and showing this guy he was actually scary. Upon a closer look I notice that he has V's shaved above his ears. This seems significant and I don't know exactly why. He's pointing a gun at us and the other two passenger's scream even more.

"Michelle slam on it!" I yell at her and she does as I say, effectively running over the guy. We speed to my house and she's hyperventilating. I mean it makes sense saying that she did just run over a person. Dylan too is freaking out, not as much, but he definitely is.

Acting on instinct I touch her head and she goes slack for a moment. Dylan stares at me and I assure him it's okay even though I don't know why. A moment later she wakes up as if nothing happened before and I thank her for the ride.

I pass my sister watching tv and smile at her innocence. She comes over to me and frowns, "Why do you look so scared?"

I laugh, there's no way I could explain that without sounding insane, "That's a little hard to explain."

She shrugs as if it wasn't that big of a deal either way. I go upstairs to do my homework before dinner's ready. We're having spaghetti tonight and I'm actually dreading it. Mom's spaghetti is to die for, but I don't know it just doesn't sound too good at the moment.

But when it's on my plate it does smell good, especially with the bottle of soda or whatever that Ms. Tall sent me home with. She figured based on what's going on that I'd need it and even though I'm not sure what it is I'm grateful.

"So how was school today Matt? You've been distant lately."

Understatement much, " It's good, sorry about not being around lately."

"Why would we care?" Dad asks. "You have a girlfriend of course you aren't home."

I blush at this and Mom lights up, "Oh my gosh we haven't had dinner with her yet!"

"Uh Mom it's just Anna you've known her for years."

"Yeah but it's different now. Why don't you invite her to dinner this weekend?'

"On Friday," Anna insists. "I want her to see my play."

She was the lead so I figured that was a decent request, "Sure I'll text her later."

"Oh and don't make plans Saturday either," Dad tells me. "Anna has another show then and the rest of the clan is coming in."

No, not them, "Please don't make me spend the day with Lily and Alice." Lily and Alice are my twin cousins and I hate spending time with them. They kind of drive me crazy.

"Lily's bringing her new boyfriend so it may not be so bad," Mom says feeling bad for me.

Dad's a bit mad though, "Don't talk about your family that badly. And they might have grown up."

I doubt this but just keep my mouth shut and take a bite of garlic bread to stop me from pointing out that the two of them will never grow up. Maybe my destiny will save me from them even though the thought of the man in boots saving me from anything makes me laugh.