Young Blood (PART ONE OF THREE)

The Art Teacher

24. The Art Teacher

Of course they found Song and Celeste leaving the library and Sophie stepped in front of them. "I think I've got it, you guys," She said. Celeste looked at her quizzically, "Got what?"

"Well, you guys have spent all this time reading about praying to Selena, right?"

"Yes...?"

"Well, what if she wasn't in her goddess form? What if she was stuck as a human, waiting to have her powers released by a witch?"

Celeste's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, why didn't we think of that? How stupid could we be?" She asked Song. He shrugged and looked at Sophie, "Well, you're a witch. You could help right?"

Sophie shook her head. "Sorry, I'm a Gifted." Song frowned.

"Anyway, there's something else. I kind of have an inkling about where she could be," Sophie said. Everyone stared at her intently. "I think she's Ms. Shores, the art teacher. She kinda fits the description, you know? Strong jaw, long black hair, blue eyes."

Song looked at Celeste, remembering the picture from the library. "You're right, I guess that really is how she looks," He said to her and then he smiled at Sophie. "Let's go?"

The four Gifteds weren't entirely sure what to expect. Sophie simply had an idea about this teacher. The woman was very quiet about her past, perhaps she wanted to live a semi normal life. But they needed her, they needed her desperately.

It may have been selfish of them to ask her to be her true self, but it was selfish of her to hide away like that.

When they got to the art room the door was open and the lights were on. Sophie knocked anyway as she stepped in and she saw Ms. Shores at the back of the room, arranging paintbrushes by size and setting out tubes of paint at an easel. When she was done she clapped her hands together and wiped her hands on her pants.

"I paint when I'm stressed," She said with a smile and then she walked over to her desk. "You guys needed something?"

"Yes, actually," Sophie said. "I know it's going to sound crazy though."

Ms. Shores laughed. "You're talking to an art teacher. Crazy is perfectly normal in this room."

Sophie looked back at the others and nodded firmly. "Well," She started, looking back at Ms. Shores, "I was wondering how much you know about Selena."

Ms. Shores stopped smiling for a moment and raised her eyebrow at Sophie and she flipped her black hair over her shoulder. "Enough," She said.

"Did you know she could reincarnate and store herself in a human body, giving that body Gifts much like our own?"

Ms. Shores shook her head, "No, but I guess that's a way to give more people Gifts."

Sophie bit her lip and tried to not look agitated. "Ms. Shores, what's your first name?"

"Allison."

"Um, Ms. Shores, I need you to answer this stuff honestly."

Ms. Shores opened her mouth to form an O as she realized what they were getting at. She put her hand on Sophie's shoulder and sighed. "Kiddo, I'm not a goddess. Never have been, never will be," She said. It was saddening to see how true it was, Ms. Shores wasn't lying.

Sophie turned around and walked out furiously, muttering something to herself along the lines of, "Stupid idiot, why don't you go ahead and suggest that tree outside is Selena. Probably a better chance it is."

Song, Vaan, and Celeste followed her silently. It was so disappointing. They'd gotten their hopes up and it backfired on them.

"It was a good try, at least," Celeste said to Sophie who was a few steps in front of them.

Sophie stopped suddenly. "She has to be lying, she has to be." She walked back towards the art room and tried to focus herself on sensing Ms. Shores energy.

The good thing about Sophie's gift was that not only could she manipulate the energy of the world, but she could sense it too. She didn't know why she hadn't tried earlier when they were in the room in the first place.

She closed her eyes, focused and found Ms. Shores energy. She was right, about it being a small amount. But it felt like it was struggling. Struggling to expand.

Sophie's eyes shot open and she ran back down the hall. "If she's not Selena, then she's hiding away some major mojo."

Vaan snickered. "You're happy just like that? You're insane."