Manifesting | kotlc

- chapter - five -

That morning I tried to act as normal as possible with my parents before going to school, and once I got there it seemed the normal was still an act. I could feel my skin boiling and didn't know why. "Hey, Poppy," a voice greeted behind me. 

"You are aware my name is Nova, right?" I looked at Eamon in annoyance. My anger rose slightly at the thought of the taunting childhood nickname. 

He grinned in response. "I think I like Poppy better," he replied before handing me a paper, cutting off any retort I had in mind. "My sister came by this morning and told me to give you this. She would've given it to you herself but she didn't want to intrude on your parents, since she knew you didn't want them knowing." 

I took it from him in confusion and my eyes widened when I realized it was a new schedule to fit my ability. All that had changed was the ability session was switched out with ability detecting, but it still felt odd looking down at the sheet of paper. "Thank you, and tell your sister thank you as well," I told him. 

"You should come over after school today," he told me. "Because I know after my first telepathy session all I did was come home and tell my mom a million things she obviously already knew, and if you get that feeling you can just tell me everything. I'm actually kind of interested in finding out what you'll be learning."

I bit my lip. "I'll think about it," I told him. While in the past twenty-four hours he had been nicer than I imagined he was, I had built up over three years of hidden angst with him. 

He gave me his signature smirk, which I heard he inherited from his father, and nodded. "I'll take it. Give me a reply during study hall?" He gave me a brief smile before walking away towards Mika, who was waiting by the side, bouncing on his heels in excitement. I watched as Mika started speaking very loudly and animatedly to his best friend before my own tapped on my shoulder. 

"What were you talking to Eamon about?" Blythe questioned me, confused. 

I folded up my schedule and started to walk towards my locker so I could grab the things I'd need for the day. "Nothing important," I told her. "Just making sure my head was okay. I did say I hit it kind of hard," I lied. 

She snorted. "He's literally thrown me down a full on hill but he's worried about your head being bumped a little? I'm not buying it." She crossed her arms. 

"I don't know what else to tell you," I replied. 

"Oh, I believe you. It's him I'm not buying." Her eyes narrowed. I licked the strip to open my locker and then switched out my books. "Are you sure that's all he wanted?" 

"Yes," I replied. "Now come on, we have to get to phys ed." 

She sighed and followed after me, her feet trudging. While I was very good with telekinesis and other parts of the session, she was not as exceptional per say. By the time we were at lunch I was seriously debating whether to accept going to Eamon's house or not. I was on the edge of my seat about my first pyrokinetic session already, and it hadn't even started. All I wanted to do was tell my friends sitting in front of me. 

"Hey, Nova, what do you think they're going to make us do today in ability detecting?" Lyra, one of the friends I sat with, questioned. She was one of the few other level fives who still hadn't manifested. 

I bit my lip. "Actually, I'm not in that ability detecting session anymore," I admitted. At least I could now say somewhat the truth. 

"Excuse me, what?" Blythe shouted from beside me. "What do you mean?" 

"My parents have been worried about me not gaining an ability. It's a miracle they started allowing children of talentless come to Foxfire right before I was eligible, but they want to prove that we should be included in case we manifest. With my having not manifested yet they've gotten a bit nervous so they asked to put me into a private ability detecting session where it can be one on one and really help me hone in on everything."

"I'd act surprised but I'm not, your parents would do something like that," Blythe replied with a sigh. "It's so stupid the stigma around the talentless. It's not like they're useless." She rolled her eyes and I smiled at her. 

"Still, I'm excited for the detecting." I grinned. "Also, Lyra, I think they're going to be testing everyone for frosters." 

"Again?" she whined. 

Soon enough lunch ended and I was making my way towards my pyrokinetic session. "Nervous?" I looked to Eamon who had walked up beside me. I looked at him in confusion. "When I saw your schedule I realized you're right down the same hall as my session," he explained my nonverbal question. 

"A bit," I finally replied to his question. "I don't really know what to expect. All I know is I want to learn how to keep it locked and tight."

"You know, being forced to keep their ability under wrap is what caused the huge rebellion from pyrokinetics," he told me. 

I nodded. "I know. But the difference is it's up to me. If I ever really want to just let it out, I can. I won't get in trouble. Well, maybe with people I love for keeping it a secret for so long, but legally I won't get in trouble. I can't imagine what it was like for them." I thought of the feeling I had when the fire was there, how drawn to it I had been. 

He nodded. "My mom doesn't like to talk about the rebellion that much so all I've ever learned I've pretty much learned from my dad." 

"She doesn't?" I looked in shock. "Doesn't she still do follow ups on it for her job?" I remembered a conversation with my mother where she mentioned it. 

He shrugged. "I don't know. My mom just doesn't like to talk about that kind of stuff. She says it's in the past and now she has us to make her happy and no matter what accomplishments it says she has in a history book, we're more important than any of them." 

"Wow," was all I could verbalize. "You know, you're different from the evil torturer that calls me the wrong name that I've imagined for the past few years," I finally told him. 

He gave me a quizzical look. "What?" 

I almost laughed but instead let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, I don't know. I've just had this weird hate that has branched to the rest of your family because of that time you dumped gulon poop all over me."

He cringed. "Yeah, that's not my best moment. I almost got kicked out of Foxfire after that but of course Mr. Forkle wouldn't do that because my mom."

"Mr. Forkle?" I had never heard the name before. 

He eyes widened. "You never heard me say that," he instantly replied in a stern voice leaving no area for discussion. "I could get in trouble." 

I nodded. I opened my mouth to say more when he stopped walking. I stopped too, and realized we were at my door. "Well, this is mine I guess." 

"Aunt Marella is awesome. Trust me, she doesn't bite," he tried to advice before making his way to his own session. 

I opened the door to see Marella sitting down writing stuff down. "Hello?" I nervously brought attention to my entering the room. 

"Oh good," she replied with a grin. "Take a seat."

---

i was made president of my school's book club and I won a 1,000 dollar scholarship to college last thursday!! but also my phone broke on friday and i haven't slept since school started a month ago :( 

i miss asking y'all questions but i'm just gonna ask one for now on:

i just handed in my senior quote today (one day late so my senior quote is: "this quote was due yesterday and that's a nice explanation of how high school's been going for me") ... what do you want your senior quote to be?