Everyone was staring. Sophia didn't even know what the reason was this time. She appeared to be in a cave, surrounded by flashing lights and a pounding stereo. Great. A party. A big party. There was no way she was actually invited. Maybe she'd gotten caught sneaking in? But this was not Sophia's usual attention. There was none of the normal malice in her fellow students gazes. None of the dismay, or disapproval that they usually regarded her with. There was-- Sophia jumped, shocked--admiration. Adoration, even. And it felt so good! To be accepted, not shunned or bullied. Sophia turned slowly in a circle, to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. Which, if she was, at least it had lasted this long. A few moments passed, and when no one started doubling over with laughter,or teasing her for falling for a premeditated joke, Sophia allowed herself to start enjoying the moment. She sighed with joy. It was as if a beam of sunlight had finally broken through the dark ring of clouds that had plagued her every waking moment since day one of kindergarten. She felt invincible. Powerful. Happy. A strange sharp, cold feeling began to race through her veins. Adrenaline? She wasn't used to this much attention, after all. The sensation became sharp suddenly, and very unpleasant. Sophia whimpered in surprise.What was this horrible feeling?! She was then ripped out of her reverie by the worst thing on the planet. August Goodwin. He strode over confidently, apparently unaware of the admiring spectators gathered around her. "Well," he sneered arrogantly, his emerald-green eyes laughing at her, "if it isn't the biggest loser in school!"
Ugh! She thought, repulsed. What an egocentric snob! Aloud, she said quietly
"just leave me alone, August." His eyes narrowed with disdain.
"I think you should leave." August's sharp undertone suggested that, contrary to his words, it was no suggestion. Sophia bristled, furious to her core. All her life, this--boy-- had teased her, making fun of her and her family and friends. She didn't even understand why! But not tonight, she thought, her pulse racing wildly at what she was about to do. Tonight, its my turn. Sophia determinedly raised a clenched fist--and the cold came back. Sophia stumbled back, surprised. Definitely not adrenaline. The stares of her classmates morphed from love to confusion. The room temperature dropped considerably. Sophia's heart hammered in her chest. The strange thing was, as she grew steadily more frightened, the temperature dropped still more, faster even, if that was possible. Frost began to creep along the floor and the ceiling, and Sophia's breath came in white vapor clouds. She began to shake, with fear now instead of anger. August was using the limited reserve of brain cells that he possessed to shake off the cold and advance toward her menacingly. Sophia went from fear to panic-attack-mode. The cold building inside her shot out suddenly like water bursting through a broken pipe. A hiss and a wrenching pain in Sophia's stomach sounded as white flurries flew around the shocked children, seeming to come from around her. Sophia turned around to locate the source of the bitterly cold wind and ice, but there was nothing behind her. It was only when her weary eyes fell to her hands that she realized-- the source of this wintery weather was her. Sophia's mouth dropped in shock. She couldn't form a single thought. Her head was filled with so many questions it resembled the storm churning around her. The storm that was steadily growing. Sophia gasped in realization. She didn't know how she knew--it made absolutely no sense--but... she just knew. She would have to stop this. The expensive-looking stereo and went silent with a loud pop! and some of the lights overhead shattered. Already her peer's faces were growing blank and vacant with cold as they swooned into relaxed heaps on the ground. She couldn't let anyone die! Sophia had no clue why she wasn't affected, but that, of course, didn't matter. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Since her agitated feelings seemed to worsen the volume of the cold, she tried focusing on calming, happy memories. Attending her sister's wedding. Her whole family crowded around a sparkling evergreen at Christmastime. Saving her puppy Oscar a few days before his time at the kill shelter. It took a few minutes, but sure enough, the wind died down and the gleaming ice ceased it's raging. Sophia sighed in relief, glancing around tentatively to make sure everything was back to normal. Sure enough, the room was still and quiet, save for the crackling of the frost as it began to melt away. Sophia then realized--it was too quiet. Everyone was still collapsed on the floor in piles, and they weren't moving. She gasped in horror but before she could do anything--the room began to spin and shimmer confusingly. She looked around, trying to get her bearings...and then everything went black. She felt herself being sucked down, deep into some kind of--pit? Sophia struggled to breathe, trying not to lose consciousness....
