Two Worlds Apart

Miut

The ache in my neck started as a beacon calling me out of a dark space. I groaned and the ache grew to a painful throb. Soon the pain was not just at my nape, it slowly began to travel downwards. A fire of heat travelled down my skin which was soon followed by a ripping sensation underneath my skin. I squeezed my eyes tighter and wished the pain away. The feeling of being clawed to shreds tugging at the edge of my nerves.

It's not real, I swallowed slowly and took in slow steady breathes. Soon the aches began to fade away and I slowly blinked awake, feeling somewhat disorientated as I took in my surroundings.
The fractured light stung slightly and I screwed my eyes shut, trying to blink out the bleariness. The lavender painted wall opposite myself was cluttered with study sticky notes, and I tried to kick my brain in gear.
As I willed myself to move, I knocked my art pencils over and bit my lip at my clumsiness. I pushed back my chair and continued to keep my breath steady as I stumbled to the bed next to the window, wondering what time it was. As if answering my call, the alarm on my phone went off and I peered down at the screen.

It was my Monday alarm for school. Groaning, I dragged myself off my bed and began to get ready for the day I would probably regret.

Something was different this morning the minute I stepped foot in the corridor of Silver High. The air was charged with excitement and the students had a look of secret hiding in their eyes. With practised balance, I dodged the traffic and strode to my locker.

"Miut!" a voice shrieked and I jumped, whipping my head in the direction of the origin.

"Selene, you scared me to death." I breathed out and relaxed my body.

"Sorry," she flashed me an apologetic smile and ran a hand through her unruly curly brown hair with red streaks. "I have major news! But first, how was your birthday weekend?" she grinned, waiting for feedback on how she accomplished my 18th birthday the weekend.

"Nothing exciting really, major bum out with my best friend in the world and then a movie marathon weekend." I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Come on, Mi. I know you enjoyed yourself." She stuck out her tongue teasingly. "I saw how you looked at Liam Hemsworth with those big eyes."

"Shut up," I chuckled and bit into a sandwich which compensated for breakfast. "I noticed that something's different at school." I yawned tiredly and turned, packing my books for the first few classes. "What's up with that?"

"Yeah. A couple of new students." Selene's blue eyes shone and she blushed. I smiled despite myself and glanced at Selene who had a secretive grin on her face.

"Tell me about them." I could feel her energy rolling off her in waves. I closed my locker and put my lock on it. Selene bumped me with her hip and we walked to home room.

"A whole group. They are super close and seem to know each other really well too."

"That's not all?" I chuckled and tilted my head.

"No..." Selene dragged it out too long and I smirked at her.

"Okay, okay. Maybe there is this one cute guy."

"Cute guy hey?" She rolled her eyes at my tone and we went in our class, taking our usual seats by the windows.

Students spilled into the class and just before Selene could answer, an electrical crackle caused me to whip my head to the tiny silver box in the corner of the classroom. The class hushed in record time.

"Students please take notice that certain classes will be suspended due to reasons unseen. Will the following classes please file into the gym for the first classes until lunch..." the intercom buzzed and a list of classes was read out loud. Ours was one of them.

"Right, everyone heard that. Move to the gym room. No rowdiness, thank you Jared." Mrs Daemons glared down her nose at the loudest, ADHD, jock head in the class and he gave her an innocent smile in return.

"Reasons unseen?" I quizzed and arched an eyebrow at Selene who looked just as curious. We all made our way to the gym, which was emitting a murmur from the other students who seem to have arrived before us.

"Miut..." Selene froze slightly just before she was about to enter and scrunched her face in a frown, her slight sprinkle of freckles darkening as her face paled suddenly.

"Let's get a seat first Selene. You're getting pale." I got a bit anxious as I noticed how pale she was getting. I gave her a gentle nudge and she stepped into the gym, walking as if she was in a trance.

I watched her closely and I froze as a particular scent crossed my path. Every hair on my body stood up and I felt the scent coming from the group of people that Selene was looking at. The new students.

They were all noted as a single group despite the various fashion sense and seeming outer appearance. Most of the boys had wild unkempt hair and tan which looked like they came from a long outdoor run. Each wore a somewhat easy boyish smile but they had a rogue-ish masculinity to their body language that seemed to carry on each of their group members. That and the muscles that seemed to make them seem built but not overdone also contributed to the aura.

Next to each of them was a girl, but they were varied. Some of the girls looked like they belonged to the group as I never seen them before, with their easy going but flattering outfits and long hair all kept loose or semi loose. They had a look about them that was similar to Selene as well.

However, the other girls were from our school who wore skirts or shorts too short to be called clothing. And the noticeable way the guys treated the two groups of females. The new students coupled together had this intensity between them that was bordering on obsession, but the males with bimbos were just seeming to flirt casually, as if they were just trying to entertain themselves.

But my attention was zoomed in on a blonde with stormy grey eyes. By his posture and the choice of girl who was the sluttiest and beautiful in a classic way, he has draped across his arm, he seemed like the one in charge. And he was staring straight at Selene with a look of pure focus, not seeming to listen to or notice the brunette who was chattering away while stroking his arm in a seemingly suggestive way.

Selene met his look without flinching, her eyes widening ever so slightly. I could practically feel the tension in between the two of them. Smell it too. I noticed that each member of the new group, excluding the standing out bimbos from our school, noticed the tension and glanced from the blonde to Selene.

I began to fidget, gnawing on my lip to distract myself from the uneasy feeling I was gaining from the new group.

As if sensing my uneasiness, the blonde snapped his gaze towards me and he frowned as if figuring out a complex math equation. I stared at them each and the ache by my neck flared up, slowly seeping a course of heat to flood down my back to my arms and legs. My body began to itch intensely at the moment. I scratched my arm without thinking and fought the urge to snarl at them, my body tensing as if for an attack.

As if it was a signal, the blonde stood up slowly and I backed away, feeling sick to my stomach with dread. His face was stitched with hostility and was directed at me.

"Miut?" Selene glanced away from the blonde and turned her eyes on my briefly, noticing my shift away from their direction.

"I... I h-have to g-go..." I murmured somehow and backed away from them.

I didn't want to take my eyes off the group, feeling as if they would pounce on me if I turned my back to them. I swallowed down that feeling and turned around, moving to the change rooms without causing too much attention to fall on me.

Who are those people? And why do I feel like this?