Nothing Gold Can Stay

Chapter One

The searing pain has stopped, and my body feels relaxed. Relaxed- yet odd.
I stand up and run down to the kitchen. As usual, I am the first awake. I wolf down a bowl of sugar puffs, and run to the shower.
When I come out, I stop dead at the sight of my reflection. I seem... Different. I feel... Beautiful.
Then I go numb when I see my eyes.
They are as gold as pound coins.
Golder than that.

By the time everyone wakes up, I have already left the house, sporting a pair of large sunglasses. My uniform is intact. I rush down to the nearest Superdrug and buy the first pair of brown contact lenses I can find. I think to myself. Why are my eyes gold? Am I already a dark caster? I go into the changing room and put them on, to find they irritate my eyes. I read the back of the packet. Use after six hours of purchase and eye spray. So I go to school with my eyes burning gold.

The first person I see when I get there is my best friend, Laura. My sunglasses are on my face. Laura smiles, "It's not even that sunny, Rae."
Her smile fades when she sees I haven't smiled. "There's something I need to tell you," I whisper, and I drag her to a quiet corner. "Well, you already know I'm a caster," Laura nods as I speak, "Well, my eyes are gold." I remove my glasses slowly, revealing my eyes.
"Rae, that's not normal." She says.
On our way to class, I bump into Nathaniel. His periwinkle eyes glance past me then quickly shoot back to me. He shakes his head and continues walking. He's noticed that there's something odd about me. I face facts and decide it's time to remove my glasses, so I do. "You can't do that," Laura says. "Well I can't wear glasses in class," I retort.

When I walk into my tutor class, Romeo grabs my arm and pulls me down to his chair. "What's up with your eyes?" His breathing pattern is heavy, and he is actually concerned about me.
"Uh, my eyes go gold in the sun?" I say, unsure of myself. Romeo glares at me. "It's not even sunny," he says, "Seriously, Rae. Tell me what's wrong." At that point, Miss Greenward walks in and tells me to go to my seat. I do as I am told, hoping that she won't notice my eyes. Or anyone else.

Shannel and Shardoné (two of my best friends) wait for me outside my tutor room. They grab each of my arms, and drag me to the stairs. "Rae, you can't just walk around like that," Shardoné says, "You know how dangerous it is for dark casters these days..." She trails off when she sees my expression, "I haven't been claimed yet, it's just, I don't know, a phase." Miss walks towards us at that point and says, "Get to class, guys. We've got a joint year ten and eleven workshop, but we need to be registered first." All four of us walk towards our science class, in complete silence.