The 1%

chapter 1

13 years later...

I stare out the window of the bus as we travel quickly by all the different buildings and apartments. The bus was loud as I stared out. Even my headphones couldn't block out the sounds. It was an effort not to think about the students surrounding me disappearing or their vocal cords being torn out. You see, anything that I want can come true. All I need to do is focus and think about it happening. So not everything I think comes true, but if I want it to, it can. Because I am part of the 1%. 1% of what? The 1% of the world that has violet eyes. And powers. People like me are feared. Hunters and tracers are paid to kill people like me or turn them in for questioning. My adopted mother wasn't scared of me which is why she took me from that store when I was just a small baby. My birth mom was scared of me and just put me in a box and left me. I will never forgive her. I am snapped out of my thoughts when my eyes start to water. I resist the urge to rub them as the contacts may fall out. I wear contacts that make my eyes appear green so nobody will know. I blink away the tears just as I feel a tap on my shoulder.

"Athena! What's so interesting about the window?" My best friend, Harper asks. She picks at some speck on her nail as she smiles at me. Her natural bright blue eyes, flashing. Another thing about the 1% is that everyone's eye colors seem brighter. Almost glowing. She finishes picking her nail and tosses her silky blonde hair over her shoulder. She seemed like one of the popular girls but she was okay.

"Nothing." I reply with a shake of my head.

"Okay good. So Mari told Chelsea who told Olive who told Brooke who told Chantelle who told me that Brody likes me! I mean, what do you think I should do? He's like so hot! But I don't want to just go up to him and ask him out. I mean-" Harper lets out a sigh, tossing her hair over her shoulder again. "Tell me! What should I do?"

I must have zoned out again. And judging by Harper's tone, it was for awhile. "Huh? I don't know. Whatever makes you happy." I respond. Middle school relationships never last. She'll move on after a week. So I just don't care. It's not like you're going to marry the person. So what's the point? It's just a waste of time. I look out my window again as the bus slows. I hate school trips. Nobody ever learns anything good here.

The bus pulls into the parking lot of the museum and stops. Everyone stands up, pushing to get to the front. I sigh and wait until it's our turn to leave. I turn my music down a little and pick up my backpack. We slowly leave the bus and make our way to the sidewalk. I put my hands in the pockets of my hoodie and follow the teacher through the huge front doors. We are given a tour of the museum and told about special artifacts on display. After an hour or two of tours and talking, we are free to explore on our own. Harper and I walk around a little. Harper was mainly going on and on about her problem with Brody. Honestly, I'm not listening to her anymore. Why am I even friends with her? I don't really listen to her and I never seem to enjoy myself. Suddenly, Harper drags me off, claiming that she needs to use the bathroom. I just follow after her and sit on the small bench outside the door. I have a feeling I would be here for awhile. She was probably fixing her hair and makeup so she could ask Brody out. Brody, the classic jock at our school. Super athletic, lots of friends, pretty hot... you get the idea. He is known for being a really bad boyfriend to all the girls he dates. Yes, he buys them really expensive things but he cheats and never really pays his girlfriend- or girlfriends any attention. Why would Harper be any different? I turn my phone on, music still playing and open Instagram. I scroll through all the different images, looking at the ridiculous poses some of the girls in my school do. It is hard to imagine that some are 13 like me. They could easily be 15 or 16. I sigh and lightly rub at my eyes. I hear distant laughter and chatting coming from down the hall. These people are all so loud. It's a museum. You're supposed to be quiet and look at the items on display. But, then again, nobody in my school really cares about what you're supposed to do at a museum. None of them really care about museums in the first place. Let alone care about what you're supposed to be doing in one. As far as they knew, a museum is for weird, geeky people. Not social media obsessed idiots like them. I shake my head and look at the plant by the bathroom door. I focus and think about it slowly rising into the air. I feel the familiar adrenaline rush I get when I use my powers. I feel the tingling sensation that I get when my eyes start to glow a deeper shade of purple. Even the contacts couldn't hide the slight glow in the hallway. The plant slowly starts rising as I focus on it going higher and higher until the leaves lightly brush the ceiling, then slowly lowering down.

The plant was about six feet off the ground when I hear a sudden crash coming from further down the hallway. It scared me so much that it broke my focus and the plant came crashing down. Even after I stopped using my powers, the purple glow remained. I was confused. That meant... And then I saw him. A teen, about my age, at the other end of the hall. Purple eyes blazing. Without even thinking, I take out my contacts as fast as I can. So fast, they sip from my fingers and fall to the ground. I shake my head and run off after the teen. I don't care if Harper is alone when she comes from the bathroom. I don't care if she finds the broken plant. Or my green contacts. She'll probably figure out that they're mine and that I've been lying to her for our entire friendship. It is probably over now anyway. But I don't care. Finding another member of the 1% is rare. And I have to talk to him.