Julia Lelieveld and the battle with the underworld

~4~

Fortunately, in those 10 minutes on the bike, I was able to calm down a bit. I knew it was new and exciting for everyone. Certainly now that Evil had already been, there would only be more to follow. I tried to shake the thoughts off me.

School. How strange, everything just continues as it was.

Yesterday I had missed my last hour because of the fight. Rob said he had informed me that I still had to go to the doctor because of my wrist. And that I needed tutoring afterwards, because I had missed my appointment with the psychiatrist. Fortunately, he had also been able to convince Tim that nothing was wrong. How that had happened I still didn't know, because I had run away from the gym without any explanation.

"Hey Julia, is your wrist feeling better?" It was Eva. A sweet spontaneous girl, I was friends with her and her twin brother Bas.

"Yeah, fully approved again." I saw them look suspicious.

"Gosh, you look tired." She looked at me concerned.

I waved it off. "Just slept badly. How's volleyball?"

I knew how to start with Eva about a different subject and luckily I always succeeded. "Oh it's so nice! I look forward to every training session."

And so she kept on chattering until we got to the classroom. Renzo was a little bit behind, but I could tell he was keeping an eye on things. Lucas would be here somewhere too. I hadn't seen him since yesterday on the roof.

The day passed slowly. Luckily my body felt better. I still couldn't believe the fifth element did that. My head was still tired. The feelings I picked up since Tuesday were getting stronger, but not yet as they were before.

I had arranged with Sara that she would pick me up tonight to go downtown so Daddy would know who she was and where I would be when I wasn't home. An alibi in case I was busy with the circle.

At the end of the afternoon I said goodbye to everyone and walked towards my bicycle. I had to find a way to clear my head, because everything that had happened over the past few days kept running through my head.

Ever since Monday, ever since Ivo had acted like an asshole. And that I woke up on Tuesday with the fifth element. That the circle found out and we started practicing. The incident with Kate in the shed. And the moment when I ran into Simone in the locker rooms and I went into battle with Evil. Even though I had come a few times to the point where I almost wanted to give up, I didn't do it, because I had to move on, I had to fight. I wouldn't give up without a fight.

I got on my bike and started cycling, playing back everything that happened yesterday afternoon. How Lucas could be so intensely bad. That he had unceremoniously pushed me off the roof with the intention of taking me out.

Luckily I didn't see him today. I didn't know what I would do or what I would feel if I met him. How would he behave? Would he go on the offensive again or would he take Evil's order seriously? Would he just observe and report back to Evil? How would he do that? Why was I even bothered about this?

I cycled into my street thinking I hadn't managed to clear my head. I felt my body start to protest with every move I made. I started to get tired. Not surprising after what happened yesterday, but I still had to go out tonight. Something I had absolutely no interest in.

When I got home I was surprised to see that dad was already home.

Over dinner we talked about school and my tutoring, luckily I had learned how to tell lies over the past few months. As much as I hated having to lie to dad, I did it for his own safety.

After dinner we sat together at the kitchen table, I did my homework and dad went on with his work that he hadn't got to at the police station.

The doorbell rang and dad looked up from the thick file on the kitchen table in front of him. I walked to the door and there stood Sara.