The Darkness Inside

Chapter 2

Alédegerath Demiere Curioe. The name given to me at birth. I don't know much about my family. All I know was that my mother died giving birth to me at the orphanage and that my first name was my father's, the second my mother's and the surname was also apparently father's but according to the French authorities no one named Alèdegrath Curioe exists, except me.

For the first five years of my life I lived in France. I was completely happy until my power became overwhelming. After a building exploded I had to keep moving. I moved to Germany and just moved around there. When there was an accident I moved to a new city. No one would believe the witnesses so I had no reason to change my name. That was until I started being hunted. This group of people seemed obsessed with killing me. Whenever I get a sign of them I move. Changing my name was a real problem. I simply did not have the technology and because of that I had to constantly move. The places I stayed at were run down and the owners did not seem to care a kid was renting the place.

This is what brought me to England then Ireland. I had recently discovered that Ireland had some sort of spell that kept people who had evil intentions out. So I'm hoping that I will be safe here.

This all went through my head on my trip to school. I arrive quite early. Cursing myself for forgetting to bring a reading book, I sit on the staircase and bring out my physics textbook. I'm curious to see how easy the syllabus is.

"Why are you sitting on the stairs?"
I look up to where the voice came from. Standing there was the boy I noticed from yesterday. He has shaggy brown hair and light blue eyes flecked with gold. He had a pimpled face and an upturned nose.
"The library was closed so this is the best spot to read." I state flatly trying to make it clear I'm not in the mood for conversation.
"What book you reading?" He asks looking over my shoulder.Sighing I close the book indicating he must read the title.
After some time he eventually asks," aren't you too young for senior advanced physics?"
He was just full of questions wasn't he. I didn't answer, I don't feel like explaining to a nosy stranger.
After another pause he tries again, " so, what's your name?"
"My name is none of your concern."
"It is"
"How so?"
"Well I do advanced physics as well and it is always good to know people who take similar subjects to you." He said this with a hint of a smirk on his face.
"Fine." I snapped, " It is Alédegerath."
"That's quite a mouthful." He says looking shocked. "Do you have a nickname?"
"You can call me Aléde " I said after a while.
"Cool, I'm Henry, sucks right but you can call me Ry."
I gave him one of my rare smiles. He then gave me his hand to help me out. The feminist in me screamed insults at me for accepting his hand up but I really needed the human contact. I followed him as he took me to meet his friends. I was unsure of this. Friends and me are polar opposites. I have no experience in this field.

"Guys, this is Aléde." Ry says addressing a small group of four girls and two boys. Both boys were a bit dumpy. One boy had pasty skin, dull blue eyes, a hooked nose and a blonde military haircut. The other boy was pale with black hair, dark brown eyes that seemed a bit too close and a smile too big for his face. The one girl had caramel hair, big grey eyes and a small button nose, the other had black hair and blue eyes, another had blonde hair and blue eyes. The last girl caught my attention, she had mousy brown hair, brown eyes and a round face but what caught my attention was that she was the one glaring at me yesterday and she was glaring at me now.

I was easily the youngest in the group. But I knew all of us were in the same grade. Ry had started introducing the group to me but I wasn't paying any attention to what was being said. I felt incredibly uncomfortable mainly cause I was being constantly glared at but also as I was terrible at social interaction.
"So what's the answer?"
"Sorry?" I asked facing the blonde girl who spoke.
She rolled her eyes jokingly," I asked where are you from?"
"Oh, I recently just moved here from London."
"Cool, were you born there."
" No,I was born in France."
I could see why she and Ry got on so well. They both asked way to many questions.
"Aren't you a bit young to be in our grade?" Asked the girl with caramel hair.
"Yes." I state hoping to avoid the subject. But I never had good luck.
"Why?" She asked again.
Sighing I answer, "I have an incredibly high IQ one of the highest in the world."
The group looked awestruck.
"How high is your IQ" she asked again.
"Last I checked it was in the three hundreds."
This silenced every one. Though as I figured one of the group could not resist asking another question.
"How old are you?"
"I am fourteen turning fifteen in a couple of months." I answer. Sighing I decided to change the topic, I don't want to scare them off though it might be better for their health if I did. "What subjects do you guys do?" I asked.
Ry answered this one, " we all do the similar subjects but we all take; English, Maths, French, Biology, IT and Chemistry."

Soon the group entered into their own conversations, I was just about to sneak away when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Turning around was Ry, he gave me a lopsided smile.
"If you wanted to leave you could have told me." He says.
"It is not that, I just do not want to be late for my next class." I reply.
"Cool, I'll walk you there. But I must ask; why do you speak like that." He says looking at me with a questioning gaze.
"Like what?" I ask countering his question with my own.
"You don't speak with any abbreviations. You say things like; I am Aléde instead of I'm Aléde. You know?"
I nodded my head in understanding. I was about to answer but a couple of boys started cat calling me. And saying how gay guys always get the girl. I could feel Ry's anger and sadness. Before I realized what I was doing, there was a loud clang and there lying next to a pole was the boy who insulted Ry. He wasn't dead, just unconscious.
Damn, I didn't mean to do anything. My powers are growing. This is bad. I quickly speed walked away my face losing color from dread. I've been here a day and I'm already losing control.
Stop it. You can keep control, just no more emotions and no more contact with people and everyone would be happy.

Ry quickly caught up with me. I am probably the slowest person in the world.
"You okay? You look as if you've seen a ghost."
I glance at his face and am surprised to see general concern for me.
"I am fine." I say bluntly.
"Hmm... My father says that those three words always mean a lie."
I decided to quickly change the topic before things go bad. "You should not let those boys get to you. They are nothing compared to you. Just dust mites compared to you. You are destined to do something great. Them... Not so much." I say a blush tinting my cheek. Good work Aléde, now Ry is going to think your nuts and that you like him. I do like him but not romantically. I just have a feeling that he is a good person. What I spoke was true, I don't know how to explain it but I just know if a person is fated for something great. Though this doesn't work on myself.

I glance at him again. He seemed cheered up from my 'speech' but his inner emotions showed that he was trying to solve a complex and difficult puzzle. I was about to ask if he was okay when the first period bell rang. I mumbled goodbye which he appeared to not have heard.

The rest of the day past in a blur. That was up until lunch time, in the cafeteria.
"Hey Aléde, come sit with us." The blonde girl says. She was sitting at a orange table with all the people she was with this morning. I quickly walk over, balancing my tray carefully as I have a talent for clumsiness.

I sat down and started eating, not really paying attention to what was going on around me. The three boys (Ry included) were talking about a video game. Halo, I think. The four girls were engrossed in a vivid description of a hot guy they saw in a mall yesterday. As they talked their perfect pony tails bobbed in unison. It was incredibly comical. As I had no interest in what was being said I zoned out. My visitor yesterday really creeped me out and because of it I was incredibly jumpy.

"Are you okay Aléde?" Ry asks pulling me out of my thoughts.
"I am okay. Why do you ask?" I answer him, my tone flat without any emotion.
"You look as if you ate a lemon thinking it was a peach." He replies a smile etched on his face. I was in no mood to entertain him. I stood up grabbing my tray. Ry quickly followed mirroring my actions.
"Aléde, wait up" he called from behind me. I kept my pace, knowing Ry won't have any difficulty catching up to me. And as usual, I was right.
"Thanks for helping me this morning not many people stick up for me when they find out I'm different."
"Ry, just because you prefer men doesn't mean it must define you."
He gave me a small smile but his gaze in the distance never wavered.
"I would like to thank you by inviting you over to dinner tonight at my house."
"I would love to meet your family." I say.
"Brilliant, I will meet you by the main entrance and we can walk home together."

I knew I was playing with fire but it was one afternoon. How bad could it go.
"Bye Ry. I will see you later then."
"See you later Aléde" he replied then started walking in the opposite direction for his next class.

A small smile creeps on my face. I have a chance at friendship. I was bursting with giddiness which abruptly ended. Sparks had erupted at my fingers. Probably caused by my joy. I stuffed my hands into my pockets and bottled up my joy. I can not leave a new place only after two days. I just hope nothing happens this afternoon.