Chapter 2.
I couldn't focus at all through out the rest of the day. Every time I closed my eyes the image of those piercing, strange eyes, belonging to Charles, flashed into my vision. Abbie tried to distract me but it was quite difficult, seeing as half of our English class had started spreading rumours around about what I had apparently said. Charles hasn't been seen since he stormed out of our first lesson. The thought of this worried me slightly. Where the hell could he have gone?! Upon my first meeting with Charles Preston, the only two things I found out were his name, and the fact he is hiding something. But what?
I stay behind school that night, because I have basketball practise with Abbie and Hannah, another friend of mine. We stay later than usual, just us three, and tidy up the equipment cupboard. Abbie and Hannah throw basketballs to me and I catch them and put them in the bags. As I spin, putting the final ball away, I look up. Suddenly, Charles is directly in front of me and the door of the equipment cupboard swings shut.
"Sydney? Are you alright?" Abbie asks, as she tries to pull the door open.
"Abbie, I think it's locked! Can you go get the key off of someone?" I call back, trying to steady my voice, because I can hear the panic rising up in my throat.
I waited for a reply, but neither girl said a word. I faintly heard their footsteps tap away, and sighed in relief. I turned to Charles, breathing heavily.
"What do you want?" I ask, worried about the answer.
He holds up my school medical file in his left hand and browses through it. He stops on the page about my nut allergy.
"Allergic to nuts, eh?" He laughs and slams the folder shut with a sharp slap. He looks up and smiles at me crookedly.
"What about it? And you haven't answered my question yet. Why are you here?"
"Why am I here?" He passes the folder back to me. "I'm here to warn you. Stay out of my life, it is way to complicated for someone like you to understand. You are too naive and stupid."
"Try me." I say, defiantly.
"No. Stop asking questions and snooping around. You'll never find what you're looking for."
"And what is it that I am looking for?" I look up and stare at him, my eyebrows furrow slightly.
"Answers. Oh and acceptance. But I can't give you that. I don't have the power to persuade people that you are not entirely a freak."
I step back in shock and fall on the floor. My eyes widen and I shuffle backwards away from him.
"Scared are we?" He smiles, crazily, "Didn't expect that, did you? Let's just say I know more about you, than you will ever know about me."
I jump to my feet as he walks in my direction. He walks up to the door and presses his ear against it, checking if anyone is in earshot. Then he takes a few steps back and charges at the door, raising his foot inches before it. The door flies open and he casually walks out of cupboard. I pause for a moment and then follow him out and gently close the door behind me. I look around the sports gym for him, but he'd already left.
Shaking and scared I drop to the floor and try to steady my breathing.
He knows. He knows what I can do, but how? Why is that of any interest to him? Questions whirl arouns my mind and cloud my thoughts so much that I barely hear Abbie and Hannah come back in.
I look up and Abbie rushes forwards.
"Sydney? Sydney, what happened?" her rosey lips slip open, clearly she was scared of what my answer could be.
"N-Nothing. I just... I tripped on a basketball and hit my head. I'll be fine, I just need a minute." I shakily get to my feet and hug Abbie.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Hannah asks.
"Yeah.." I reply, with as much steadiness as I can muster.
I limp past them both and out of the gymnasium. I wander down the corridor and enter the girls bathroom. I walk over to the sink and turn on the tap. Soothing cold water runs over my hands and dribbles off of my finger tips. I cup my hands and scoop up the refreshing liquid and splash it on my face. The water runs off and leaves diamond-like droplets of water glistening on my forehead and cheeks. I grab a towel and dab at my face.
I then walk over to the mirror and rest my hand up against it. My eyes flicker upwards and I glance at myself in the mirror. My long brown hair resting on my shoulders, my hazel eyes surrounded by redness due to lack of sleep recently, and the dark circles under them make me look spooky. I reach up and touch my face, wishing I looked more like my beautiful mother. I take after my dad, and look plain and boring. I wish I had my mum's blonde hair, I really do.
All of a sudden, the lights in the bathroom turn off. I call out in the dark but nobody answers, and there's no sound coming from anywhere, so I stumble through the darkness over to the light switch and flip the switch back on.
Someone, or something, had purposely turned them off. Weird.
I walk back over to the mirror, and jump at the sight of my ghostly father staring back at me.
"Dad?!" I stare at the mirror in shock.
Although I know my father's soul is with me, I've never actually seen him in his full ghostly self. I only ever knew he was there when the shimmering aura of light shone from every part of my body. It was always strange and eerie to know when he was watching over me and when he wasn't.
"Dad, can you hear me?"
The see-through silhouette of my father pressed a finger to his lips and pointed to the door. Immediately it swung open and Abbie walked in. I looked back at the mirror and my Dad had disappeared.
"I've been looking for you!" Abbie said cheerily. "You feeling okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I smile back at her.
"Come on, we best get ourselves home. Especially me. You know what Mum and Dad are like!"
"Yeah, I know."
I join her by the door and we walk towards the exit of the bathroom. With a final glance back at the mirror, I walk with Abbie out the door.
