Tainted

Chapter Seven

Unedited. Sorry for any grammar mistakes but please, enjoy. *smiles dramatically*

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I don't hesitate to move around the corner, but the action is pointless because Josh's face appears not even a second later. I slide down the wall and hug my knees.

"You-"

"Please, don't make me explain." I say quickly, cutting Josh off and he nods before joining me on the floor. Maybe he didn't get the message. I was basically telling him to go away.

"I don't need you to explain." He says slowly and I look over my shoulder at him.

"What do you mean?" I ask, staring at him, searching for the answer on his face.

"I mean, I know what you are." He tells me and I laugh. He knows what I am? I mean, what am I, an alien?

"I'm not some exotic creature, Josh." I say through my laughter and a small smile forms on his face.

"Of course you aren't." He says with his own special hint of sarcasm in his voice. Hell, almost everything he says sounds sarcastic.

"But seriously, I know that you have telekinesis." He says and my eyes go wide. Then, I ask the world's dumbest question.

"How?" I ask and he bursts out laughing, loudly, and I frown at him.

"Well, for starters, I just saw you levitate that book. Then, if you didn't notice, your eyes changed from blue to purple." He explains and I stare at him with a frown at first, but it fades as he continues to talk.

"But I'm used to people like you. My mom has some type of power, I think. She's really cautious around fire." He blurts and I finally become interested.

"Then, you have powers, too?" I ask and he opens his mouth to speak, but another voice cuts in.

"Where are you two supposed to be?" The old woman with sticky-looking black hair asks and I rise.

"English class." I say in a barely audible voice and pass by her without a word.

"I have to go, but it was nice meeting you, Josh." I say and hold out a hand, awkwardly.

"Wow, formal.." He calls out and continues, "but the pleasure was all mine. I will see you around, right?" He asks, shaking my hand, while I nod.

"Yeah, will I see you around?" I ask, stressing the word 'you' for no reason at all. Josh rises an eyebrow and chuckles lowly.

He's so different from me, happy and vibrant, but I can see the other side to him. I don't want to ever see all of it because I know there's a darkness in him, like everybody, that is scary. I'm just not sure how scary his is.

"You'll see." He responds and walks away in the direction of the classroom. After he's gone, I walk around the building in search of Rita.

She gets out of class on time and I walk up to her quickly. She gives me a normal smile and I explain to her that we have to leave. She doesn't complain, and instead follows me out the door. I don't actually have to leave, but I want to. I want out, but not completely. Like most teenagers, I'm at this awkward stage between being a child and being an adult and I'm closer to being an adult. I'm like any other person, except I have all these complications, ones that I don't completely understand.

"What's the matter?" Rita asks as we load the car with our bodies. I quickly fire up the engine with the turn of Ian's keys and drive off.

"Nothing's wrong. There was a minor incident, that's all." I say calmly. I don't want to upset Rita and add to her stress.