Astrid's POV

it had been a few weeks since the last Xana attack and it was all too peaceful. Jeremy was working on a program to rid Aelita of her virus and so far he had made a little progress. We were all sitting at breakfast talking with each other.

" I'm glad today we finally get to do something in the art class." Yumi said, so far all we've done is learn how to use the materials. Basically the first thing we are doing are clay sculptures. I already know what I'm going to make.

"Well it's fun for you guys but for me it's boring. If only I knew my partner." Odd complained since he had gotten a stranger.

"come on it's been three weeks since you got partnered with him, shouldn't you know him by now?" Jeremy said

"Maybe I would, if he wasn't one of those dummies whose always staring at Brynga." Odd said annoyed, I don't blame him. Brynga was only supposed to stay for a week but instead she's spending a semester here. Another thing is she always has her eyes on Odd. I don't care about what happened before but he's my boyfriend now.

"Most of the time she stays away from us though, I think Astrid scared her." William said laughing a bit at the memory of me threatening her. Hey gotta do what you gotta do.

"Heck, she scared ME!" Ulrich said and we all laughed.

i made a cheesy monster face and said, "rawr, imma going to eat you!"

William was right though. She was leaving us alone. Even so I still catch her glancing at Odd every no and then. Today though she must have thought something was different because she came and sat down with us. Every one went silent as she sat down on the other side of Odd.

"Um, something wrong?" I say with fake sincerety. She flashed me an angry look. I stuck my tounge out at her challengingly.

"Actually my dear friend Sissy and I need to speak with you, Astrid" Brynga said, ignoring the shocked looks on every one else's faces.

"And why is that?" I ask

"You'll find out."

"Fine, let's get this over with. I'll be right back guys." I told the others and Odd gave me a worried glance before I left. Walking down the hall some guys turned to stare at Brynga. Most had gotten over her by now but some were just as crazy for her as before. She led me all the way back to Sissy's room.

"Man, don't you guys eat?" I asked sarcastically, you'd think they'd be at breakfast right about now.

"yes. We do for your information." Brynga said through gritted teeth as we walked through the door.

"Whatever, can we please get this over with?" I said, acting oblivious to her see through anger.

Sissy was standing in the room brushing her hair. I walked up to her and clapped. Not as applause but one loud smack of my hands to get her to pay attention.

"calm down just one more second." Sissy said as she brushed through it one more time. "Done."

"How bout you tell me what's up now?" I say annoyed. I want to bea able to finish this before breakfast ended.

"To put it plainly a few weeks ago you said you knew my secret correct." Brynga said in the annoying ice landscape accent.

"Yep" I said sitting down on Sissy's bed.

"Well basically now we know your secret." Sissy said intending for me to react to this. I just sat there on the bed.

"So?" I asked and she looks slightly miffed that I didn't react the way she wanted.

"well you have to do some things for us or we'll tell your little group, especially Odd." Brynga said eavily and I rolled my eyes.

"look I don't even know which secret your talking about." I explain to them and they snicker likes it's a big deal.

"Don't you remember? Your days unconscious in a coma?" Sissy said, that striked a nerve. Yes I was in a coma. And yes it was actually for a long time, ten years in fact. It doesn't matter though. I've put that behind me and done my best to forget about it.

"Oh," I say like it's no big deal. "So that's what your going at. Well I hate to inform you but that's not much of a secret."

"yeah right," sissy says finally feeling some edge on the conversation. "I know it means your really ten years older than everyone here."

"you might also know it means I'm ten years older than you." I say standing up and heading for the door. "Basically I have authority over you, since I am technically an adult." Using this to my advantage is the best solution. Without looking back I walk down the hall and back to the cafeteria. Hopefully I'll be able to finish Breakfast.

When I got back the others were leaving so sighed and grabbed my trey too.

"Astrid your alive! I was betting on you dying of boredom." Ulrich said and mumbled a response. Odd came up beside me after we put up the treys and grabbed my hand. I let mine slip out of his and I ran ahead. I had to much to think about.

The fact is what would they say if they realized I was ten years older then I appear. The doctors said that my body gave no change or growth when I was in the coma so I should just act like everything was fine and normal. But everything wasn't normal. Alex is grown up now, married and out of college. They told me he would visit every day when I first went into a coma but then he went to college and had other things to do. He didn't have room for a high school lover. Tears ran down my eyes as I slipped into my room for the rest of free time. Aelita was kind enough to not come in even though I know they followed me to see where I went.

After a few minutes I dried my tears and made sure I looked okay. When I walked out of the room Odd immediately stood up from his sitting position and took my hand. His intense gaze didn't show question about what it was or anything like that. All it said was are you okay. At that moment I couldn't help myself, I wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly. After a split second he returned the hug.

"Are you okay? What did they do?" Odd asked me urgently as we pulled away. I check the clock to make sure we had enough time.

"It's a long story, I'll tell everyone later okay? Right now I just want to forget about it." And when he still had a questioning look I said, "It's about my past, something I try not to think about it. It's kinda sensitive." I say cautiously, not wanting to spurr more emotions. I will tell every one else, I had never really thought about it since I came here. I guess it had just been good to kinda go back to my time a bit.

"Okay, you don't have to though." Odd said gently. And I smiled. We walked down to the class room I thought some more. What if this turned out like Alex too? Two weeks after our first kiss I fell into the coma. We had been through an adventure together, one that I vowed never to speak of to anyone. During the adventure I fell in love with him, where time was stopped I still changed. He told me he loved me too. Eventually we came back to find no time had past. Even though he loved me it was impossible to wait ten years for me. I have only seen a picture of him since I woke up, my heart was torn out. For me the coma was as short as a minute but in that minute I lost everything I ever loved. All of my friends were grown up, even most of the kids at the orphanage had been adopted. What if this turns out the same way? The doctors said they had no idea why I was in the coma. What if it happens again?

I stop thinking about it. I tighten my grip on Odd's hand and lean on him as we walked. Eventually we reach the class and sit down Next to William. The teacher had already set out the supplies for our clay project so I got to work on mine with out saying a word to anyone. The teacher didn't even notice me and Odd coming in slightly late.

Everyone else in the room was talking so when William started to speak I didn't kick him in the chins like I had to do sometime. "Hey, are you alright?" He said and I turned to look at him.

"yeah, I'm fine." I mumble loud enough for him to hear and turned back to my clay creation. I was making a little ornament for Odd. He can put it on a Christmas tree, it's already december so it's getting close. (warning not working on European time.)

"No your not." He says insistently and I swing my head around to face him. My anger fades as I see his concerned bur per distant face.

"I Im going to tell every one later" I say shakily. And this time when I turn back to my work he doesn't refuse. As I sit there working on my Eskimo ornament I think about what I'm going to say. What can I say?

William looked over to me from time to time, I wonder when he started to care about me? I glance over at him and shock myself. For a split second I see the spitting image of Alex. How I never noticed it before I dont know. I blink a few times and William comes back into view, but I can still see the resemblance.

Not being able to resist the urge I ask softly, "William are you somehow related to a man named Alex Bex?"

He looks at me curiously but I still insist he answers. He thinks about it for a few seconds then answers, "yeah, it sounds like the name of one of my cousins. On my mothers side. Why?" He looks at surprise when terror flees across my face. Before he can say or do anything I get up a walk to the teacher.

"May I go to the infirmary? I'm not feeling well." I say and nods and shoos me away. I go back to my desk and snag my bag before running out of the classroom. The only one who seems yo notice are my friends. I see odds questioning look as I pass him and his partner.

I ignore it all. I i get out of the building and walk into the woods. As I move forward I get quicker and quicker until I'm sprinting blindly through the trees. Some how, maybe by instinct I make it to the factory. I climb onto the bridge from a probably dangerous cliff. Running inside I don't go down to the computer. I take twist and turns through he abandoned factory finally settling down and leaning against a wall. My sides heaving.

By sudden impulse I pull out the locket that I got in the mail. Opening the compartment i pull out the paper. I'm ready to see why this is my fate.

Sup guys, I dedicated this chapter and the next to Astrid. Get ready cause we are finally going to see her past! Hope you guys like it, it's kinda late now so I'll end it and post it. Thanks!