Something Strange: The Arsonist

V: Lin

        Lin smoothed her skirt and picked up her phone. Two texts from Dana. She shut it off and returned to her friends and pizza. He gently picked the greasey peice of food up from the plate and bit into it. She grimaced at the heat and sat it back down. She frowned mockingly at Jen and Brayden as they laughed. She laughed with them.

        "Don't try the pizza yet, it's too hot. You'll burn off you tongue." Jen nodded.

        "No kidding. Didn't you hear me say that two minutes ago?" Lin shrugged and began blowing on her pizza. Brayden sat, uncomfortable next to two girls. He smiled breifly and went back to his phone. Lin's parents sat a booth away, as she had made them do. They were full of embarrassing stories. She didn't need that right now.

        Lin Thomas, a black haired, fair skinned sixth grader, wrongly attributed as a cousin to Evan Thomas, was one of the most well known people in the grade. She was one of those people everybody knew existed. No dispution. But, despite her open place in the sixth grade social system, she was marvelous at keeping secrets. Especially about other people. But, she knew that she could keep them about herself too. Everyone in the grade knew practically nothing about her.

        Jen knew some things, from before she established her wall in front of her personality. She was the closest person she had to her, over to her house since first grade. But even Jen knew that small minority.

        "Jen, Lin, I gotta go. I've got basketball at six. See you at school!" Brayden picked up his coat and walked away. Lin flashed her plaster poster girl smile and waved. She then returned to her pizza, face like stone. Jen smirked. She knew this act.

        "You, don't like him, do you?" Lin made a gagging expression with her mouth. Jen frowned. "Well, he's my friend. You can warm up to him eventually." Lin took her turn to smirk now. Sure. Mrs. and Mr. Thomas now exited the booth where they sat.

        "Time to go. Jen, your pparents are outside waiting in the car. Pleasure seeing you!" Mrs.Thomas said. Jen waved and walked ahead and out the door. Lin's phone beeped and she pulled it out.

        Jen<3

        See ya soon

        Lin stuck it back in her pocket and walked out onto the sidewalk with her parents and got into their small car. She spread out her hands on her skirt and smoothed its peach colored rumples once again. She popped out her Iphone and slid the headphones into their little hole. She hated her dad's rock music. She flicked on some Katy Perry and watched the scenery go by out the window.

        In a matter of minutes and about four Katy Perry songs later, they arrived at the house. It was a cream-colored two story building around countless others in a populated corner of suburbia. One other kid from her neighborhood lived there, and that was Rory Hill, a nobody. She had never talked to him. In fact, she didn't know his name until she bought a year book.

        They rolled in the driveway and Lin popped out, walking silently in the warm house. She wrapped her ivory sweater around her flower print top and stepped over the threshold. The warm, stylish house greeted her in shades of white and green. She walked up the stairs and stepped into her silent room. This house was clean. This house was silent. That was due to the fact that she was an only child.

        She slipped out her headphones and picked up her journal and pencil. She beegan to doodle the usual hearts and flowers and peace signs. Then her pencil drifted onward and she drew faces and trees and animals that didn't really exist. Her imagination that she had subdued for hours came to life on this old drawing pad. Drifting designs and curving lines slipped down the page like a tiny drizzle of rain down a window.

        Then her mom walked in. She hugged the pad to her chest. Mrs. Thomas smiled and tossed a package to her, then closed the door. Lin never wanted her to stay in for a long time. She liked her privacy. She slid her slender finger down the envelope's seam and lifted it open. She pulled out the bubble wrap and unwound it. She pulled out the small, white jewelry box. Inside was a light purple gem in a rhombus shape. She pulled it out.

        Her head swam with a band and she threw it across the room. It disintegrated on impact with the wall and floated away in a cloud. Oh my gosh, Lin thought. I've been poisoned! Then the nausea passed. She sighed and stood up from the floor. Her mirror in front of her showed her a strange sight. Lin Thomas was not in the mirror. It was someone else. The girl had blonde hair and green eyes with a pointed nose. She  oved her hand. The girl moved her hand .

        It's me! The girl is me! As she started to freak out, the thoughts of her old self started to appear. Then she noticed her eyes turning back to their muddy brown and her hair straightened back to black. She was clutching the side of the mirror and breathing heavily. Oh. My. Gosh.