Dragon Girl

Questions, Questions

It didn't takethem long to find the rest of the class. Everyone who knew her wellwas concerned about her health and none of them asked about how shestopped the car.

It didn't comeup at the museum at all. They went to dinner at a restaurant and hertable was just her three "best" friends, and Jason Barrister. Shewas surprised that Jason Barrister sat there. He was quiet andbehaved himself throughout the meal but when they were eating desserthe leaned across the table and asked.

"Janey, how didyou stop that car? I swear for a second I thought I saw a stone wallin front of it."

"You saw that?"Janey was stunned.

"Yeah, I did,too." Nancy whispered. She'd been walking right beside Janey.

"Janey, a lot ofus did. We saw the car and the cops then there was a wall where therehadn't been one before, but only for the second it took for the carto hit it." Brenda added softly.

"Well ... Nan,Judith and Brenda know I have psychic abilities. One of them iscalled PK or psychokinesis. That wall was a creation of PK. I wasjust as scared as everyone but I also knew I might be able to preventa tragedy and I just re-acted."

"That was reallycool, Janey. Look, I know I've acted like an ass since third gradebut it wasn't because I really dislike you, it ... well, I mean ..."

"I know, Jason,the guys you hang with are a bunch of delinquents and you couldn'tshow them you liked the 'weird girl'." Janey told him softly.

"Yeah, that'sit. But ... Janey ... is it possible to teach someone how to do that... or how to control psychic powers?"

"Yes. If youdon't have any at all, no, I can't help you make them up but ifyou already have something I can help you train it."

Jason physicallyrelaxed a little.

"What happenswith you?"

"I know stuff Ihave no right to know. I guess you can call it premonitions."

"That can be anasty ability; depends on if you only see bad things."

"Not only, andsometimes I have known things may look bad but they'll work out. Iwasn't afraid when I saw the car because I knew you'd stop it."

"You knew,specifically, it would be me?"

"Yeah."

Silently Janeycalled Zelistuck to tell her if Jason was going to be a problem.

"No. He needsyour help and you are going to find a lot of kids approach youneeding help. Your school is very much awakened."

"Great. I'mnot a teacher!"

"You willsurprise yourself with what you can teach and how ready they will beto listen to you." Thedragon answered.

"You know whereI live, right Jason?"

"Yeah, the greenhouse in the middle of my block. I live in the shingle house on thesouth corner."

"After school ...maybe after dinner ... we can get together and I can see if I canhelp you. But don't tell anyone else, ok? I don't need all myspare time tied up with teaching anyone else about psychic stuff."

"I won'tbreathe a word to anyone, honest. Do you think I want the guys toknow I'm weird, too?"

That made the fourgirls giggle; Jason had the sense to be embarrassed.

As they all filedout to return to their hotel, Jason found his way back to his own"pack" and they teased him about having to sit with the "weirdgirl". He played it down as usual. Janey watched and listenedwithout appearing to watch and listen. She and her three friends werefar enough away the boys couldn't hear them.

"I told youJason picked on you because he liked you." Nancy teased.

"Well, becausehe did for so long, I don't like him." Janey made it sound likeshe was totally uninterested.

"Lie to yourselfall you want Janey Richardson, but don't lie to me. You don'tknow it yet, but Jason is just your "type"." Nancy teasedagain.

"Oh, really?Enlighten me!" Janey turned on her.

"Jason is reallysmart, he's sensitive, yeah, he cares too much what other peoplethink, but he's still pretty young. He's creative, too. He's inmy art class and he's one of the best artists in the class; sort ofa Renaissance Man. He can do just about everything."

"So you think my"type" is intelligent, sensitive and creative?"

"Yeah ... justlike you." Brenda added.

Janey just cluckedher tongue and rolled her eyes and kept walking but she was thinkingabout what she wanted in a boyfriend all the while they were still onthe street.

The hotel roomsthey had were four to a room. Janey, Nancy and Brenda were in thesame room but they had to put up with Amanda Pepperidge as theirfourth. Amanda was not the "sharpest tool in the shed" as Janeywould say and she was conceited. None of the other three girls likedher. When they got back to their room, Amanda had taken all her stuffand piled it on her own bed and stood as far away from the others asit was possible to be.

"What the hellis your problem Amanda?" Nancy said with a scowl.

"Witch ... she'sa witch ... I want out of this room right NOW!" The girl was almosthysterical.

"You're havinga nightmare, Amanda. Janey is not a witch. Witches are people whoworship nature and make potions and healing spells. Janey doesn'tdo spells." Brenda tried to make peace.

"Witches areinstruments of the devil. I saw her stop that car. Normal humanscan't do that she gets her powers from Satan."

"What a load ofhorse manure, Amanda. That fundamentalist church you go to has it allwrong." Janey said as she plopped inelegantly onto her bed. "Thereis no entity as the devil, all the evil in this world is created byman, alone."

"No! Satan isreal! He disobeyed God and was thrown out of heaven so now he temptspeople to commit sin! He is real!"

Janey suddenlyappeared right in front of Amanda and her eyes were blazingblue-white. "Amanda ... human beings don't need any temptationthey don't create for themselves. They're stupid and greedy andselfish, like you. You're an idiot besides. You want out of thisroom? Fine, go ... I don't want you here either." Janey hissedinto her face then stepped aside to let the frightened teenager leavethe room.

"Holy shit,Janey ... your eyes ... they're glowing!" Brenda saidbreathlessly, a little frightened.

Janey turned herbaleful eyes on her friend then quickly toward a mirror. Yes, hereyes were sort of glowing but where Janey normally had green eyeswith brown flecks in them, they were deep amber right now. "Oh,shit ... Zelistuck what just happened?"

"Your nativedragon form began to assert itself. As a dragon, Janey, your eyes areamber."

"Then ... whydid it happen? How did it happen?"

"Amanda'sattitude made you very deeply angry and anger brings out the beast,in your case, the dragon."

"Can I make itnot happen other than never getting angry, which is impossible."

 "I will consultthe council. Right now, your fear has quelled it but don't stayafraid too long because for you that is a fast road to anger again."