Abilities Vol.2

Chapter 8: Does it hurt?

1 Week later

"Sophia?" My mom asked.

     "Yea?"

     "Does it hurt?" There was a moment of silence.

     "No."

     Word got out that I had my memories back after I fought Mike again. Instantly I was getting bullied by almost everyone in the school since now they could talk about Cassie. Apparently, everyone at school was friends with Cassie, except for me. I had my right arm bandaged up. From to top of my wrist to the bottom of my forearm. I would like to tell my friends what it was these bandages sealed, but the higher up's at D.C. wont let me. I mean, I can manipulate fire and make it do whatever I want it to, and i'm not being supervised 24/7 by some special agent, so it'd be extremely easy to tell my friends. Almost too easy. But I didn't want to. If I told them, it'd just worry them more.

     It was my first day back since the battle and I couldn't even get home peacefully without getting punched in the stomach or shoulder or getting stepped on the foot. I walked onto campus with Michelle. She instantly noticed the bandages and asked about it. "What's under them?" But I ignored her. It hurt like a bitch and I really didn't feel like talking. At lunch I met up with my friends. Rachel saw me first and walked up to me.

     "We have an idea of where Mike is." She says.

     "Where?" I ask. She seemed a little afraid to answer.

     "Remember that old abandoned warehouse?" My eyes widen slightly as I looked straight ahead.

     My heart skips a beat. I watched as her body slowly hit the ground. He shoots her one more time in the chest. I feel a sharp pain in my chest, as if I was sharing the pain with her. They say you can feel it when someone you love dies. Well now I know how it feels when you witness someone you love die. My hands stop shaking. All at one moment, I felt as if the energy in my entire body vanished. I faced the ground with my hair covering my eyes as the sound of the gun falling to the ground played.

     "Sophia!" A voice called out. It was Caitlin. "You okay?" She asks worried. I shake my head and fall out of my trance.

     "Y-Yea! I'm okay. Just a bad time to remember that Vietnam flashback." I say trying to be a little funny. "It isn't a bad idea. He might possibly be there." I say.

     "But Sophia..." Michelle says. I didn't realize she was there until now. "Are you going to be okay going back to that place?" She asks worriedly.

     "Yea... I'll be fine." I say.

     "When would be the best time to go?" Rachel asks.

     "Maybe later tonight."

     "Okay." The three say in sync. I was a little surprised at how easily the three agreed. But I didn't complain. The bell rang and the four of us started walking to our history class. I noticed that the three of them kept messing with their necks. Rubbing the right sides of their necks like it hurt. I decided that after school i'd ask them about it.

     On the way to class, one of the school bullies gripped my right arm, squeezed it and pushed me against the lockers. I just ignored him but it hurt like hell. I grabbed my arm. "Sophia! Are you okay?!" Michelle asked. I wasn't. My arm started bleeding but if I folded my arms no one would notice.

     "I'm fine." I said. But they already noticed. The bandages around my arm showed multiple dots of blood.

     "What is this?" Caitlin asks worriedly.

     "Its nothing." I said. Quickly, I ran ahead and lost my friends in the crowd. I hid behind a set of lockers next to a classroom door. Once my friends ran past me without noticing, I ran back to where the bully pushed me against the locked and walked into the bathroom nearby. Luckily, no one was in there, due to the fact that the bell was about to ring. Which meant we'd be considered late if we weren't in class. Silently, I took off the bandages and carefully washed the blood off my arm. Even though water should make it feel better, since it came so recently it hurt like a bitch. I bit my lip to prevent myself from swearing out loud. I turned the water off, threw away the bloody bandages, and pulled out some new ones and wrapped my arm in them. Suddenly the bell rang. And i'm late for class, shit. I thought to myself.