The Gifted

Chapter 6

We finally arrived at a small stream that ran behind the academy's grounds. The area was beauty with tress and flowers lining the stream.
"It's beautiful," I expressed out loud, walking over to the water.
"It sure is," replied Rivers following behind me.
Sitting down I pulled off my shoes and dangled my feet into the refreshingly cool water. Sighing I rested my elbows on the soft grass. The sound of Rivers doing the same beside me made me turn my head to face him.
"So why did you bring me here?" I asked still maintaining my eyes on him.
"You looked like you needed a place to think."
"Well you didn't get that wrong," I stated shaking my head slightly.

The smile on his face slowly turned back to a straight line as his eyes focused on my upper leg. Looking down I noticed a medium sized bruise that I had gotten from sparing with Cam.
"Who did that?" He asked with a harsh tone.
"Cam, but don't worry we were just sparing."
"He should have been more careful, he knows your new," Rivers stated looking at his phone which buzzed. His face still held the harsh expression which seemed to deepen when looking at the message, "we should go, I have things to do," he said standing up.

"Oh yeah, me too," I lied not having anything to do at all. With that we walking back to the dorm rooms in silence. Nearing the doors we gave exchanging goodbyes as he kept walking past the dorms. Within a minute I had run upstairs and was almost at my door when Gracie's door opened in my face.
"Owe!" I exclaimed grabbing my head.
"Oh god I'm so sorry," Gracie said coming over to me. "Come in, I'll get something cold to put on that." Walking inside I sat down on the couch and watched as Gracie grabbed an ice pack out of the freezer. Wrapping it up in a tea towel she handed t over to me. "Here," she said sitting down beside me.

Placing the cold on my forehead I looked over to my neighbour.
"I didn't see you this morning."
"Oh yeah sorry, I'm on the student committee, we had to go over some things," she answered laying back onto the couch.
Looking around her dorm was very similar to mine except the window looked over the car park more than mine did.
"When do you think I'll discover my gift?" I asked Gracie.

Fiddling with a cushion she looked up at me, "I'm not sure, I've know mine since I was a child, like most of the people at this school." She answers. "Maybe you just need to practice."
Letting her words sink in an idea came to my head. "Can you teach me?" I said sitting up straighter.
"You want me to teach you, but you'll learn in class. She replied.
"They don't teach you to discover your gift, the only teacher on how to control and evolve it."
"That's true." She said resting her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands.

Turning towards me she looked me in the eyes, "when do you wanna start," Gracie smiled with a gleam in her eyes.
"Tomorrow," we said in unison.
"The thing is, we can't practice in the library, we're not allowed to use our gift outside of the classroom until we graduate. Not that anyone listens though."
"I think I have a place in mind," I said with a smile on my face.

A little while later after leaving Gracie's room, I was down stairs with everybody in the mess hall. Cam, Tom, Darcy, Bella, Gracie and I all sat on a long wooden table with other people. With the sounds of clattering and talking it wasn't easy to have a conversation.
"So Lyra, how are you finding it so far?" Ask Bella, who sat in front of me.
"So far, well considering it has only been two day, more eventful than I thought," I said looking over at Cam (who beat me in sparing).
With the a laugh Bella returned to eating her meal and so did I. Half and hour before the bell rang Darcy and Tom left, the rest of us looked at one another with a grin on our faces.
"Wanna leave early too?" Cam directed at me with a wink.
"Thanks for the offer but no," I said sarcastically.
"Oh Cam would you quit it out," Gracie said lightly punching his arm, "No flirting when we are eating."

Soon enough half an hour had passed and we had all gathered in Gracie's room.
"Hey Bella, chuck me the popcorn," I asked referring to the bowl in front of her. Handing it over she grabbed a handful and turned towards the tv.

After dinner we had decided to come back to Gracie's room and watch a movie. It was a tight call with me and Bella wanting to watch Before I fall and Gracie and Cam wanting to watch battleships. We compromised on shriek (which I don't know how we got there but here we are). Munching away on popcorn my phone vibrated in my pocket, awkwardly holding the popcorn as I grabbed my phone. It was my Mum. Handing over the bowl to Cam who sat beside me I wandered off into Gracie's bedroom.

"Hey Mum," I said answering the phone.
"Darling, how is it? Are the people there nice?"
Laughing i replies. "It's good, and yes the people here are very nice,"I said looking out the bedroom window. (Which also faced the parking lot).
In the background I could hear Sel and Jake.
"Hey Mum could you put me on loud speaker?"
With a quick "sure" I could hear my siblings.
"Hey L," said Jake, "Not getting into too much?" He states with a laugh.
"Not anymore than you would," I replied also laughing. "How's Sel?"
Jake paused before he spoke, "Lyra she really does miss you."
"She's angry isn't she," I said.
"Yeah," He said with a sigh. "But you know how she is, she'll be fine in a couple days."

That was true but it still hurt that she didn't want to talk to me. Before I could say anything else a dark shadow stripped out from the woods and into the parking lot. With the darkness I could She the persons face until they stood underneath one of the lights on the pathway. As soon as the face lit up I could make out how it was, Rivers.

"Jake, I have to go but say good bye to mum for me, ok?"
"Sure thing, bye L," he said.
"Bye," I replied my eyes not moving from Rivers.
Shoving the phone back into my pocket I rushed out into the living room.
"I just need to go have a shower," I said to my friends sitting on the couch. They won't hearing anything with the noise proof walls.
"Ok," they all said without taking their eyes off the screen.

With a small chuckle I dashed downstairs and out the front of the building. To the left I could she Rivers rounding the corner. Stepping back into the shadows I waited til he was almost directly in front of me.
"Rivers," I whispered, walking up to him.
Without being startled he turned towards me.
"What are you doing out of the dorms, it's past curfew?" He said.
"The same could be said for you," I replied looking into his eyes.
"I don't stay in the dorms," he stated.
"Wait what, where do you stay then?" I asked in confusion.
"Over there", he said pointing at one of the large buildings set aside for visitors and business meetings.
"Why?"
"Because," He said with no further indication of explaining. "Go back inside before you get caught."
"Fine," I exclaimed giving into his demand.
"Thank you," he whispered.

Heading over to the buildings door I turned around and caught Rivers looking at me. Turning around with flushed cheeks I hurried back inside. Taking the stairs two at I time I was in front of Gracie's door in no time. Almost opening her door I remembered that I said I was having a shower. Running into my room I stuck my head under the sink and drenched my hair. Squeezing it out I changed into my pj's and joined the others.

"Cute pj's, newbie," Cam remarked.
Rolling my eyes I sat down beside him. The movie was almost over meaning that Cam and Bella would have to go back to their own dorms soon. As the movie finally came to an end I noticed Cams arm was placed behind my head on the couch. Before deciding wether it was out of comfort or flirtation he stood up.
"My lady," he said offering me his hand to stand up. Taking it I stood up, noticing the closeness between us, I side stepped and walked over to the others. Leaning on the kitchen Island Gracie and I waved Bella and Cam off. As soon as the door had shut behind us Gracie suddenly turned towards me with a giant smile on her face.

"Oh Cam sooooo likes you!"
Scrunching my face up I shook my head. "No way, like you said he flirts with everybody."
"Sure, but not consistently," Gracie said.
Rolling my eyes I lightly pushed her. Quickly pulling her arm back I did the same. "What did I do, are you ok?" I stuttered.
"Yeah I'm fine," Gracie stated. "I just felt all your emotions at once."
"So you can sense my emotions," i stayed in happiness.
"Yeah," she said slowly. Confusion danced in her eyes as she looked at me.
"Anyways, I should probably go," I said giving Gracie a quick hug and walking over to my room.

"That was weird," I said out loud to myself as I sat down on my bed. Felling extremely tired I new I had to wash my face if I didn't want to get a pimple. Sliding off my bed like a sloth I slowly washed my face and brushed my teeth. Like a sloth on crack I run into my bed. "Agh," so comfy. Closing my eyes I thought of my brief in counter with Rivers, deciding I was gonna find out why he lived in the other building. As fast as the idea came it left as I was consumed by sleep.