𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟏- 𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍

CHAPTER 7

Allie was desperately trying to act normal. She closed herself off from anything that could disturb her thoughts, shutting out the ability to read the minds of those around her and the sounds she heard.

She wanted everything to feel normal, but it seemed so difficult because the fire within her refused to fade. It felt as if she would burst into flames at any moment.

At school, she walked alongside Maricar, who had become a good sister to her. Her classmates and teachers even sang her a welcome song. However, Allie couldn’t find peace. Something was bothering her, a feeling that lingered since she saw the woman...

“Hi.”

It felt as though time stopped for a moment. Only she and the woman she had turned to look at were moving. This was the same woman she had seen yesterday.

“Who are you?” was her first question.

The woman smiled, a smile that seemed to tickle Allie's heart.

“I’m Maia.”

Allie furrowed her brow. “Do we know each other?” she asked.

Maia smiled again. Allie couldn’t understand why her heart was racing.

“You’re Allie,” she replied.

This only puzzled Allie more.

“Someone told me your name is Alessandra. Allie for short.”

“Ah…” she responded.

“Nice to meet you, Allie,” Maia said as she extended her hand.

Allie shook her hand. “Nice to meet you too, Maia.” Suddenly, she felt a jolt and quickly withdrew her hand. “What was that?” she asked in surprise.

“Body reaction,” Maia answered simply.

“Just a body reaction? It felt like I was electrocuted!”

Maia smiled again. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she said.

Allie stared at her. How did she know?

Maia laughed. “Everyone has been talking about you since Monday when I transferred here. That’s how I know about your accident. But you seem fine.”

The girl nodded. “I’m very fine,” she replied.

When someone called her name, she remembered that they weren’t the only ones there. Rainier approached her.

“I’m happy you’re back,” he said.

“Thank you, Rainier, for visiting me in the hospital.”

“I was so worried about you.”

Allie smiled. She had liked him for a long time. Even though she hadn’t paid much attention to him despite his attempts to get close because of her studies, he was still her crush, and nothing could change that. However, when she glanced at Maia, she felt something different, something she couldn’t explain.

When she tried to read Rainier’s thoughts, she could sense that he was considering inviting her to lunch but was anxious about whether she would decline. “Let’s have lunch together later. I’ll treat you,” she said to him.

It took a moment for his words to sink in. Once he realized that they would indeed have lunch together, his smile stretched from ear to ear.

“"Even if it's every day," he said happily.

***

WEIRD. That was what Allie was thinking as she looked at the book in her hands. She had memorized it from the first page to the last. She knew the answers to almost all the questions and problem-solving exercises the teacher assigned; they were all in her head without her needing to think about them.