Children of the Stars

Chapter One

It was early morning when Officer Collier arrived at the Detention Centre to round up Jasmine and I. He wasn't alone, either; there were six others from the detention centre that I hadn't met yet headed to Horodiac University for unNatural Talent as well. As I pulled a sweater on and made my way to the iron-barred doorway while Jasmine was doing some last minute packing, Collier fixed me with a look, and held up a pair of handcuffs.

"Do I need to use these on you today, Cap?" He said with a smile.

I shrugged with a yawn back. "It's too early for that, Smokey."

He kept them within my visibility just in case as he loaded us into two large white vans. To my great surprise, my mother and sister were in one of them, and ran out to greet me as I approached.

"Hey guys," I grunted into their shoulders as I smiled privately. "Thanks for seeing us off."

"Of course," my mother murmured, smiling a watery smile. I couldn't meet her eyes, instead staring out at the empty surroundings, with the stars shining bright above us. I felt a tug on my wrists and then the cool kiss of metal as Collier secured the cuffs on me. I glanced over at him and he shrugged.

"Just a precaution."

"What about Jasmine?" I asked with a pointed look at the other girl. She held up a pair of cuffs with a smile on her face.

"He tried," she giggled. I rolled my eyes and loaded the van with Jasmine, my mother and sister, and one of the other students who didn't say a word to us the whole hour long ride.

The sky was still a deep blue at 4:30 in the morning, as I got out of the van and approached the small local airport to board the plane that would take me to the boarding school in Alaska. Jasmine, Krystal, my mom and I all followed one of the officers who was responsible for bringing our luggage to the luggage area. Once we were in the airport and had our tickets, Collier led us to the gate for our plane, where a couple other kids were gathered around. Some looked a bit older than me, while some looked around the same age. I almost ran into a dark haired girl who was sulking in the shadows in the corner of the poorly lit area.

"Watch it," she snapped. I glared at her and shifted awkwardly in the handcuffs. She noticed my movement and followed my arm down until she saw the metal digging into my skin. Her eyes widened and then she turned away from me, throwing her dark brown hair over her face like a curtain to keep me out. I blushed and flashed a grimace to Jasmine before looking back at my mother and sister and wondering what they were thinking in that moment. Their matching blue eyes were unreadable.

For the next hour and a half, we waited at the gate waiting area in near silence. I tried to talk to Jasmine but she was dozing, twitching and muttering in her uneasy sleep. A voice came over the PA system, announcing the flight from our town to Seattle and that passengers could now board. That was when parents were asked to leave, and Collier finally removed my cuffs. I turned to my mom just as she was leaving, rubbing my wrists.

"Wait, mum," I said. She turned to face me and I hugged her tightly. After a moment's hesitation, she hugged me back. "I promise, when I come out again, I'll be fixed. I won't run away anymore, and I won't stress you out."

"I know," she said. "I know."

She smiled and stepped away from me, watching as we headed out the gate. When I was through and my ticket was scanned, I waved at her. She waved back with a happy smile. Inside, I felt just as happy.

***

As the plane began rolling down the runway, I looked around at the people surrounding me. The cabin was rather large and luxurious, with enough space to fit one hundred people in it. There wasn't an empty seat. The seats were designed for comfort with two rows on either side that were slanted in slightly. Jasmine sat beside me, while in front of me sat the girl with dark features who was hiding in the shadows earlier next to a tall girl with short, auburn hair.