Extraordinary

Chapter 37: Back to School

I glance at the empty vines one last time, then finally I will myself not to think about our defeat.

"Guys? Come on, we have to go to the other banks and return their money." I say half-heartedly, and everyone follows me out of the building. With my super speed, I take the bag to all the robbed banks, distribute their money, and then come back to where the Extraordinaires were waiting for me.

"Let's go," Fauna says. Even she sounds discouraged, despite her normally outgoing attitude.

Everyone grabs onto me and I envision Tremont Middle School in my head. Immediately, an invisible force pushes me from behind and we pop up on the front lawn of the school, the big ugly building looming over us.

"Okay, guys, let's get back to class." I glance at my watch, which says 11:42. "It's the middle of 4th period, so I have gym with Reece and Tempest. But first, we have to meet in the bathroom to shrink our clones. I'll summon them."

The Extraordinaires wait awkwardly as I close my eyes and concentrate on our clones. Once I find the signal, I transmit the message. "Come to the girl's bathroom on the first floor immediately. Make an excuse as to why you are leaving. Do not interact with anyone while you are going to your destination."

When I open my eyes, everyone looks at me expectantly, as if they don't know where to go. I was sick and tired of their blank expressions. Why couldn't they make their own decisions for once? "Well? You heard what I said, didn't you?" I shout at them. "What are you waiting for? Someone to catch us?"

Anger, almost unnatural anger, rushes through me as they all look at me with those stupid faces. WHY do they keep looking at me like that?

"Um, Aurora? You didn't... well... you didn't say anything." Fauna says quietly. "This isn't like you. What are you so angry about?"

"What are you talking about? Of course you heard me! I said it loud and clear... to... to... our clones." Realization spreads through me. I haven't said anything out loud. I transmitted the message in my head, I should have known that. Now I feel horrible.

"I'm really, really sorry, guys. I didn't mean to yell at you like that, it's just, well..." I can't explain. I feel stupid and terrible for yelling at my friends for no reason.

"There's no need to explain." Tempest says softly. "It's okay. We all know you didn't mean it." She gives me a hug, and I instantly feel better, but also confused. Why was I angry in the first place? I can't seem to remember. Something feels as if it were washed away.

Suddenly, I hear a loud but soft voice. A weird combination, I know, but that's exactly what the voice sounded like.

"You may be escaping your own wrath now, my dear, but just wait. Just wait until your friends need you the most. You will let them die, for you will be too angry to care about their meaningless lives. Instead of yelling at them, you will attack them. Instead of words, there will be blood. Just wait."

I stifle a scream and cover my mouth with my hand. Blood? Betrayal? Anger? What did all of this mean? I look over to the Extraordinaires for support. They heard it too, didn't they?

According to their faces, they didn't. They all looked confused and a bit frightened by my sudden reaction.

"Aurora, what is wrong with you?" Reece demands. Leave it to Reece to ask you something straight out.

"You didn't hear it? That... that voice? Tell me you heard it, please..."

"What do you mean? There was no voice," Fauna says, clearly worried.

"The voice... it... it talked about my wrath, and turning against you guys, and... and..." I couldn't bring myself to say the last one: blood.

"What? Aurora, I think you need some rest." Fauna places my arms around her shoulders, and I realize how limp and weak I was. "You're just suffering from fatigue. You're imagining things."

Imagining? No, that voice was real. THAT WAS REAL! I wanted to shout, but I just didn't have the willpower to argue. Together, the Extraordinaires helped me to the bathroom, thankfully without being seen.

Our clones were dutifully standing by, and once they saw us they waved. It was pretty odd to see a replica of me standing there, not mimicking my movements like it would in a mirror.

"Okay, guys, you go change. I think I can stand up now." I say feebly, not sounding like a leader at all, but my friends do what I say anyway. Once they're all out of the stalls, I trudge into a vacant one and change. I struggle to put my shirt over my head, but I managed to get fully dressed without a problem.

Once I was done, I was regaining my strength, so despite my friend's rejections I use my powers to shrink and freeze the clones.

Once we're all ready, we have a feeble chant, then we go our separate ways to our classes, while I go to the nurse.

I knock on the door of her office.

"Come in!" she says sweetly.

I walk in, explain my problem (not the fact I fought a bank robber and made clones, but I told her the rest), and she instructed me to lie down on the bed. Finally, a place to rest. I lay down on the bed and think I won't ever fall asleep, but soon enough my eyes droop and I drift off to sleep.