A Crack Away from Destiny

Louise

"The Teleporter" (as Louise called it) gave off a sense of plummeting straight down from an airplane. She'd never committed such an activity, nor did she assume she'd do it in the future, but she just had that feeling. As she was plummeting in the white light, she could feel her hair trail wildly behind in her in the uncontrollable wind, and her screams were ripped from her mouth as she sailed downward. Louise squinted, trying to make out Shijie's small form in the midst of the chaotic plunder, but she could barely see her own hand, let alone another person. Her ears were filled with the sound of whistling, creating an overwhelming urge for Louise to clamp her hands over them, though, she was forced to keep her hands upwards. Finally, the whistling in her ears stopped, and the plummeting sensation had also dissipated and was replaced by the feeling of merely floating. Louise scanned her surroundings, until her eyes landed on Shijie who appeared somewhat vexed with his jet-black hair sticking up at odd angles. Before Louise could inquire of Shijie's well-being, the white surroundings were replaced by thick, gray skies, and drooping plants, trying to keep shape from all the water weighing upon them. Rain drizzled down in small droplets that would gently touch Louise's skin before swerving out of sight. English cars drove on the streets, the drivers nonchalant, and in the center of it all, was a grand high school that had two stories, which would probably match the length of a football field if one were to measure it. Windows lined the front side of the school, reflecting limited sunlight that peeked through the clouds. The gray doors stood tall with age and solidity, as if it were intimidating anyone that were to try its patience. Louise gasped. It was the most beautiful school she had ever laid eyes upon.

"We're here...," she said, her eyes not leaving the school.

"Er, yes," Shijie replied, as if noticing Louise for the first time. Almost within in instant, their mission flooded back into her mind. Without even a second of reluctance or thought, Louise began to jog up to the entrance of the school. Shijie, instead, trudged behind her, his eyes examining the new environment warily. Finally, satisfied with the examination, Shijie jogged up toward Louise who was already at the door. A white electronic device was stuck to the right of the doors with a one large button. Louise pushed it, and said with a fairly decent mimication for a British accent, "Uh, hello. This is Alexa Johnson..."

"And Joshua Peddlestone," Shijie interjected with a thick Chinese accent. Louise swore under her breath; she had intentionally made it so that she was the one that would do the talking because in case Shijie didn't notice, this was England - not China. Somehow, however, the secretary didn't seem to notice because she merely inquired as to why they were not in school. Louise made a lame excuse as to how they wanted to escape taking the English test. It seemed like all the secretary wanted to do was go home, who couldn't care less who the kids were on the other side of the doors. And Shijie had confirmed her suspicions, using his psychic abilities. Louise was never going to get used to that. Louise opened the heavy doors with fruitful effort and slid inside after Shijie had gone in. The air smelled something of garlic and the humidity outside had created a musty environment inside. The interior of the school was surprisingly much like Louise's. The walls were white with a few bulletin boards dotting the premises. A black carpet stood underneath Louise with various muddy footprints smudging the unadorned design. Very few students wandered the halls, and those who were, were completing some kind of school assignment. Louise walked up to a lone student with black hair, who had a few textbooks in his arm. A spark of hope appeared in her chest. She tapped him on the shoulder, and to her profound disappointment, the boy had glasses and blue eyes, instead of the mesmerizing green ones. Well, at least he's a student.

"Um, excuse me? Do you know where I can find Joshua Peddlestone and Alexa Johnson?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah. They went home early during science. I wasn't sure why two people who practically loathe each other would be going home together, though," the boy replied with a thick English accent.