Outsiders

Chapter 9

We were sitting on Josh's couch, waiting for everyone to arrive. It was about time I told everyone my real name. Brandon, Blaze, Winter, Asha, and Anita were already here; we were just waiting on the wonder twins, Michael and Ali. Nash snuggled up to me, and I was a little mad that he had let it slip. "I'm sorry, babe, I didn't mean to say your real name. It was the heat of the moment," Nash apologized, his eyes filled with genuine regret.

I sighed and stared out the window. The sun was setting, casting a beautiful array of orange and purple hues across the sky. The colors reflected off the glass, creating a mesmerizing pattern. "It's okay. It's about time I told everyone anyway. I just hope they can forgive me for hiding it all these years," I explained, my voice tinged with anxiety.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked over to him, and he smiled awkwardly, his lips curling up slightly. "I may have something to tell the group myself," Nash said, his smile fading into a frown. I knew instantly what he wanted to say.

"It's about your dad, isn't it?" I asked quietly. His face lit up in surprise, and he looked away, unable to meet my gaze.

"You knew?!" he said, shocked.

"Yeah, when we were at your house for the party. The police officer asked your neighbor who lived there, and she kinda spilled the news. I guess that explains the excessive drinking," I said, chuckling a little to lighten the mood. He laughed nervously and nodded in agreement. Finally, Michael and Ali teleported into the room, their arrival marked by a brief flash of light. We heard footsteps from behind us. I saw Josh and the others appear, their faces a mix of curiosity and concern. They told us they had brought Josh up to speed about everything that had happened.

"So? Are you going to explain why you didn't tell us your real name?" Michael asked, his tone demanding but not unkind. Blaze stood beside me, his presence comforting. He knew everything. Nash only knew my real name, but Blaze was at my side when it all happened.

"Alright, it was a year before I came to this school, before I knew all of you. I was walking down the hallways of my old school, Alex and I were holding hands as we walked..." I started. Brandon raised his hand like a child eager to ask a question. "What is it, Brandon?" I asked, slightly amused.

"Who's Alex?" he asked, confused. Blaze and I exchanged a look. Blaze rubbed the back of his head and laughed a little.

"Oh yeah... that's my real name," he said nervously. Everyone was shocked to hear that, even Nash, who looked at me with wide eyes.

"Okay... where was I? Oh yeah, we were walking down the hall, and everyone would step out of our way. They knew not to mess with us or they would be punished. Alex and I weren't always the nicest people. Alex would always piss me off by checking out all the other girls," I explained, feeling a pang of nostalgia mixed with regret. He laughed and placed his hands behind his neck, looking sheepish.

"Yeah... not my greatest moments," he said awkwardly. I rolled my eyes, remembering his antics.

"In our first period class, my ghost sense went off, and Chloe appeared out of nowhere. She attacked the class just to get me to change. I didn't budge. She even threatened to kill Alex and my best friend Clare. When I still didn't budge, she killed Clare in front of everyone and was about to kill Alex, but I blasted her back, transforming into my ghost form in front of everybody. I didn't even hear the CIA cars, but Elliot and Reid showed up and captured me. Alex fought back but ended up getting captured too. Chloe managed to escape," I recounted, my voice breaking slightly as I relived the traumatic events.

"They tortured us for days until one day, my mother came and found us. She broke us out and brought us to this town. We changed our names, our looks, and my last name to Roger, which used to be Baker. I broke up with Alex a couple of months later," I explained, looking at the floor. Alex rubbed my back, his touch reassuring. The room was silent, everyone processing the weight of my story.