Chapter 21:
~~~SARALYN'S POV~~~
"Saralyn! Time to get up! First day at your old school!" my mom called from downstairs.
I slowly rolled out from under my covers and sat on my bed for a while, recollecting the recent news. I looked around at my new room, still not used to it. My big canopy bed was replaced with a simple twin-sized bed with pink and blue polka-dotted sheets and plain white pillows. The walls of my room were a light gray and pictures of my family with scattered around the walls, large spaces between each one. The one picture with my friends laid next to me on my bedside table. I felt as if I was still in the ghostly prison cell back when I was kidnapped by Skulker and Metallica. I shook my head and stood up. I dressed myself in jean shorts, my converse, and a bright yellow t-shirt. I stole a second glance at myself in the mirror and sighed.
"Good morning, sweetie." mom chirped as she put a plate of pancakes in front of me. "Did you sleep well?"
"Kind of..." I said. "I'm still getting used to this house, and you know... being here."
"Oh, honey." mom said, putting her hands on my shoulders. "Everything will be alright. You're going back to your old school. You get to see your friends again and go back to your new old life!"
As mom walked away, I muttered. "I liked my old new life better."
I ate my breakfast slowly, kissed my mom goodbye, and walked out the door. It felt so strange going back to my old school, Lincoln High. Some people who caught glance of me responded with raised eyebrows or glaze-over eyes, but no one said a word to me. I felt so alone. As I looked up at the towering building, I heard a loud scream behind me. I whirled around and running towards me was Skyler, my best friend.
"Lynnie!" she cried.
Skyler ran towards me and almost maimed me in her hug.
"I can't believe you're back!" she cried as she let go.
"Neither can I."
I've always thought that someday Skyler would become a supermodel or an actress. She's got long black hair that's perfectly perpendicular to the ground with the kind of luxurious volume girls would kill for. Her gray eyes had flecks of yellow-gold in them that grew bright at the sight of me. I must admit, even I get intimidated sometimes by her beauty.
"You're back so soon! I thought I wouldn't see you until summer." she said.
"My parents' cruise ended early." I said.
"Ooooh, I'm just so happy you're back!" Skyler pounced on me with another hug. I could hear my spine popping.
"Hey, are you girls forgetting about me?" a male voice said behind me.
I turned around and I saw my other best friend, Flynn. His red hair and amber eyes made him stand out in a crowd, almost as much as his style. Today he wore a neon green and dark blue long-sleeve shirt, khaki shorts with white suspenders hanging from his black-and-white checkered belt, and silver high top sneakers.
"Flynn!" I cried, giving him a hug. "Man, am I glad to be back..."
"Really?" Skyler questioned. "Didn't you like attending your other school for a while?"
"Do you want me to go back?"
Skyler rolled her eyes and smiled. The first class bell rang and I felt my stomach drop. I took a deep breath to prevent myself from dry heaving and stepped into the hallways.
~~~SAM'S POV~~~
Danny's symptoms of depression: paying attention and participating in Lancer's class. After the last hour of the day, I passed by Danny and grabbed his arm. I pulled him aside.
"Danny, are you sure you're okay?" I said.
"Yeah, of course." Danny said, standing up straighter and putting on a tough face.
"Danny."
Danny's shoulders slumped. He stared down at the ground.
"I'm sorry." Danny said, shaking his head slowly.
"It's okay." I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, why don't we go to the Nasty Burger? Piles of meat always seem to cheer you up."
Danny shrugged.
"I guess." he mumbled.
I took Danny's hand and dragged him out of the building.
~~~SARALYN'S POV~~~
My friends decided since it was my first day back, we went to the park to have a picnic.
"So, how was your first day back?" Flynn asked.
"It was great!" I said.
The award for Biggest Lie goes to me. I hated my first day back. It wasn't the same without Sam, Aaron, Tucker, and Danny...
Stop it. I have my old life back! My friends, my home, my school. I should be happy about it... right?
And yet, those things I described as mine seemed so foreign to me.
"Man, did you see Reggie get hit in the face with a dodgeball by Donald?" Skyler said, snickering at the thought. "Mr. Frank makes gym class so brutal."
A smiled twitched on the corners of my face. Donald was like the Dash of Lincoln High, except the urge to dunk his head into a paint bucket wasn't as strong.
"So, what was your favorite thing about living in Amity Park?" Flynn asked.
Uh oh.
"Um..." I said hesitantly. "Well, the people there were very nice."
"Did you meet anyone... you know...?" Skyler nudged me, wiggling her eyebrows.
"What?! Of course not!" I said. "Why, did you find a mysterious someone and you're hoping we could double date?"
It was Skyler's turn this time to be uncomfortable. She let out a nervous giggle and switched her glance between me and Flynn. I laughed with her and quickly stuffed my mouth with grapes.
~THIRD PERSON POV~
"OOF!" a four-foot tall Chinese elder crashed against the wall. "Vlad, you are mad!"
Vlad smirked sarcastically. "Oh, I didn't know you took up poetry. Here's a little one I thought of: Roses are red, violets are blue, get out of my way, or I'll lay waste to you!"
Vlad shot another barrage of magenta ghost rays. The old man raised his hands and created a wall of fire that deflected the attack.
"Do not make me attack you, Vlad! You will not win!" the man said. "The goddess must not be disturbed! What could you possibly want with a sleeping deity?!"
Vlad launched a television at the man, but he dodged. Quickly, Vlad lunged and grabbed the man's throat, lifting him up and shoving him into the wall.
"I hope a certain childhood legend comes to mind. If you recall, although the goddess is sleeping, her power is still very much alive and on the move. I plan on getting that power, and no one or no thing will get in my way." Vlad said.
"The Heroes will not allow this! I will not allow this!" the old man choked. "What you have in mind will bring the destruction of all the worlds! Give it up now!"
"Maybe he is right, Vlad..." Rudy said. "Are you sure this is the best way of conquering the worlds?"
"Of course it is!" Vlad snarled. "And anyone who gets in my way will be the firsts to die! Are you questioning your master?!"
Rudy gulped and shook his head quickly as he bowed.
"Of course not, Master." he said. "I will stay at your side no matter the costs."
"Good..." Vlad said. He turned to the old man. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a portal to open."
With a grunt, Vlad threw the old man across the room. The sound of glass shattering pierced the air and the old man laid unconscious in a cluster of trash cans and debris. Rudy looked from the man to Vlad and gulped. Vlad brushed his hands together and smiled again. A small green light flashed on Rudy's shoulder. He pressed the light and a holographic screen popped up in between him and Vlad of one of his servants. He bowed.
"Mr. Masters, you recall a girl named Saralyn Matthews?" he said.
"Of course I do!" Vlad snarled. "Your point?"
"Her parents returned from their trip early, so she and her family moved back to their home in Timberwoods."
Vlad's eyebrows shot through the ceiling.
"What? Then that means the ghost children aren't as powerful. In fact, they both must be heartbroken at the separation, making them completely vulnerable..." he said. The servant nodded, bowed again, and the hologram disappeared. Vlad turned his gaze to Rudy. "This is it, Rudy! My chance to... permanently take care of the ghost children. I believe you know what to do."
Rudy's sinister grin returned. A jet pack emerged from his armored back.
"As you wish, sir."
As Rudy took off into the sky, Vlad turned towards the entrance to the back of the room.
"What is it the kids say these days...?" he said. "Let's get this show on the road."
~~~DANNY'S POV~~~
"Danny, I've heard your stomach growl for 15 minutes." Sam said, poking her salad around. "You have to eat something."
"Yeah, dude." Tucker said, shaking his head. "You've been way hung over this Sara issue."
My eyes glowed when they settled on Tucker.
"Am I the only one who cared about Saralyn?! You guys are acting like she never existed! She was our friend, a member of our group! How dare you!"
As I took a breath, my ghost sense went off.
"Hold that thought." I growled.
I ducked under the table, went ghost, and flew outside.
"BEWARE!" the Box Ghost said.
"I don't have time for YOU." I said.
I took out my thermos and suck the Box Ghost in.
"Oh, COME ON!" Box Ghost cried from the thermos.
I pressed a button and I watched the Box Ghost shoot off into the air until he was out of side.
"I will now PLOT MY REVEEEEENGE!" his voice trailed off the further he flew.
I stared at my thermos and my fingers began to tighten around the cylindrical object. I thought back to the rainbow-haired girl. I remembered vividly the scene back at school: the power that saved me from Saralyn's attack and the power that caused her to attack me in the first place. Did that shield come from the girl? Did that power come from her as well. As I thought more of this, the anger inside of me boiled until it began to overflow. I growled in frustration.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!" I screamed.
I floated in silent, slowly trying to bring my breathing rate back to normal. I returned to the ground, changed into my human self, and walked back inside.
"Was there a ghost?" Aaron asked.
"Yeah, nothing really important." I said, sitting back down and crossing my arms.