Normal can be the most beautiful thing there is...
No one knows that more than Aline and her brother.
Aline Blake never knew what was going to happen. Only thirteen years old, she had no clue about life's dark secrets. But that would soon change...
...
I woke up among a bunch of strangers. I looked around, and recognized myself at once. The bare walls. The hard, uncomfortable bed. I was at the hospital.
I had expected to see Liam when I woke up, but I didn't. Instead I met a very similar, but older face. Eliott Stone smiled at me.
I sat up in the hospital bed, and immediately got a strong headache.
"There you go, Aline," said Eliott. "You've run out of energy. Take it easy."
"W-where's Liam?" I asked.
Elliott looked at me. "He's coming. He's been waiting for hours. You've been knocked out for two days—"
I widened my eyes. Two days?!
Just as Eliott was about to say something, a familiar voice interrupted us. "Aline!" it exclaimed. "You're awake!"
Liam's fit figure appeared in the doorway. He hurried over to me where I was lying in bed. "Aline!" he exclaimed as he came over and took a firm hold of my hand. "How are you?"
"Good," I replied. My light brown curls fell over my shoulders. "Despite the circumstances."
"What actually happened?"
Yes, what really happened? I had exhausted myself, taken in too much. I had let my anger take over. And for what? Because I'd rather embarrass my great rival than make sure I got out of the battle unscathed. Now it was instead me who had to be ashamed.
The whole thing was really just my fault. I was the one who had been stupid enough to think I could handle taking in so much. And Liam had let me. He had watched while I hurt myself. He didn't understand how untrained I actually was. I barely understood it myself, so why would he?
I had to cancel the remaining lessons, and took the first best chance to leave the bare concrete walls of the school hospital. As soon as I got home, I rushed in to see Simon.
I neglected to inform mother of my return. I guess she just kept complaining about letting me go to Mystic, and if I came home with bad news from the school day, she'd just start blaming Mr. Brock. And he had nothing to do with this.
Simon took no real notice of my rushing in, but why would he, in that state? I sat down next to him, sighed deeply. Thought through the day.
Suddenly I felt a cold sensation against my skin, the same as before, and then I understood immediately. He had succeeded again.
I searched with my eyes along the hand and up the arm again, just like before. This time I didn't even have to say anything; Simon still understood. And he tried to comfort me.
I felt the tears flow, even though there wasn't even anything to be sad about. I hugged Simon's hand tightly, not wanting to let go. But I did.
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