I could feel a tight ball of emotions forming in my stomach. My emotions, not the other students who were projecting a series of emotions, ranging from jealousy to lust, depending upon their gender or sexual preference.
"Students, please make Mr. Blake feel welcome." A series of greetings answered Mr. Gordon's request. "Ander, you may take a seat behind Ms. Chase." My body became progressively stiffer as footsteps approached my desk. I heard a chair scrape the tile behind me but still stubbornly kept my head down.
"Hey, Thea." A cool breath caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand as my head snapped up. "Long time, no see."
My hand shot into the air, effectively cutting off Mr. Gordon's lecture on some random literary topic.
"Yes, Ms. Chase?" He asked, surprise evident in his voice. I don't talk much in class.
"I'm not feeling well. May I go to the nurse?" I grabbed my books and all but ran out of the classroom, not waiting for an answer.
I ignored the surprise and confusion of my classmates as I made a beeline out the door and to the nearest bathroom. Closing the door behind me, I walked over to the sink and splashed some water on my face. I paused to examine the face staring back at me in the mirror.
Large, slate colored eyes framed by blonde lashes, and average nose with a slight bump on the bridge, and an average mouth all set in a heart-shaped face. Slightly wild blonde hair completed the look. So similar to the girl in the mirror five years ago, yet so different. It was my eyes that changed the most. What used to show every minute emotion now gave away absolutely nothing. Ironic when you consider my abilities. I felt a girl approaching the door so I quickly ducked into a stall. I finally left after she did and headed to the library. I know I can't avoid Ander forever- that doesn't mean I can't try.
I gave a friendly not to the librarian, Mrs. Prince, an older woman who always gave off a warm, grandmotherly vibe. She seemed to be the only on in the school to ever really acknowledge me so I spend a lot of time in the library. I headed near the back of the room, inhaling the smell of paper and ink as I went, then sat down at my usual table. That is where I stayed until the bell rang to signal the end of first period.
I packed away my newest novel and braced myself for the chaos of the hallway. Surprisingly, I made it to my locker without seeing Ander. He was always good at hiding so it really shouldn't surprise me, but I was still thankful. I heard the girls from my first period class brag to their friends about sharing a class with him or that he smiled or winked at them.
'Of course he'd turn out to be a flirt.' I thought with a shake of my head and a small smile. I slammed my locker shut and made my way to second period, praying Ander wouldn't be in this class too. Those prayers proved to be useless when I opened the door to my science class.
'He was waiting for me.' I realized, 'He knows my class schedule.' I cracked a smile and almost laughed. That is so typical of him. He was even sitting behind my assigned seat.
"You hacked the school's computer system, didn't you?" I asked without looking at him
"Did you expect anything less?" I heard him chuckle when I clenched my teeth. He knows I hate when people answer a question with a question. "I had to make sure I could talk to you."
That piqued my interest. Why would he be wanting to talk to me? It was dangerous for us to be together. The bell rang and Mrs. Wright began class before I could voice my questions.
Ander and I were two out of the five children experimented on in Project S, a privately funded experiment team designed to expand the functions of the human brain. Each one of us went through various processes to manipulate neural functions. For example, my experiments were made to expand my primary sensory cortex to allow me to sense and manipulate the emotions of others. Skin to skin contact also allowed me to occasionally read thoughts. The Overseers- what we called Project S's scientists- wanted to sell me to the government as a tool to know when an enemy is lying during an interrogation and force them to tell the truth..
Ander's electrical impulses were strengthened. All humans give off a low-strength electrical current, but Ander can actually project current. He can manipulate technology to change encryption codes or shut down entire computer systems. He can also hack into a computer to change his class schedule to match mine. A note landing on my desk startled me out of my thoughts. I opened it curiously and read:
Meet me in the parking lot after class.
I gave a discreet nod then skipped the note in my pocket. The rest of class passed quickly. Ander and I left class at different times to avoid raising suspicions. I went first and left Ander surrounded by a group of giggling girls. I slowly made my way to my locker, put my books away, then waked to the parking lot at an equally slow pace.
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Hi everybody! How's it going! I am finally back to writing and should be updating Elemental Witch soon as well as posting chapters for this story!
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ToeSocks22
