Identity

CHAPTER 10 || Broken

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Identity

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I walked into my bedroom, knowing that I wouldn't go back to school. Yes, I wasn't restored to normal mental health, but I wasn't going to cry anymore. Making this paper wet would be my worst mistake.

I opened the locket, and unfolded a piece of paper.

Serena,

If you've received this paper, it means:

A. You're 18,

Or

B. I've died before you became 18.

Either is okay. Just don't cry if it's B.

Serena, you're what people call an "aura guardian". There used to be a ton of aura guardians in the world until this one group of people named Team Flare wanted to kill them all to make the balance of humans equal.

There's two families of aura guardians left. Our family, the Yvonne's (Mom isn't an aura guardian), and...

The other family was ripped off the paper. I read past the rip.

You and that family will have to work together to kill Team Flare. Yes, I mean kill. Not a Pokèmon Battle. You have a huge target on your head, Serena. If they ever find a way to kill an aura guardian, they'll do it.

This is your identity.

~Dad

"So that aura sphere I somehow made yesterday-" I stopped dead in my words. "Oh my god. That's how he died! That's who shot him! The picture I saw... he had a flame sign on his shirt! That was the guy who killed Dad! He's the leader of Team Flare! This all makes sense now!"

My hands made more aura spheres now that I knew I could actually make them.

"You're..." I threw an aura sphere at the leader's picture.

"So..." I threw another.

"Stupid! I hate you!" I yelled, and created an aura beam.

It was aimed straight at the picture. Soon, it disintegrated into nothingness.

"Stupid orange hair freak!"

I dashed downstairs and picked up my backpack. I sprinted to school.

I wasn't going to stay at my house. I needed to tell someone about this, but I couldn't. I couldn't trust anyone. I just stood in the middle of the sidewalk, not knowing what to do.

Who am I? Where am I? Am I okay?

I started crying again. I couldn't do this. I slammed my backpack onto the concrete ground. I couldn't deal with this.

But I ignored that.

I picked up my backpack again and stopped acting like a baby. I dashed to Ashborne High. I  made it to the school, and I quickly joined all of my friends who were eating lunch.

"Serena! Where were you?" Dawn asked.

"Nothing of importance," I shrugged. I sat down at the table.

Ash looked at me questionably. Gary just shrugged.

"Relatable," Gary replied.

"Are you sure it was nothing of importance?" Ash asked.

"Yup, 100% sure," I lied, and gave him a fake smile.

I closed my eyes, and for some reason I could see color. Dawn's was green, Ash's was orange, and Gary's was green. The color of their auras! Orange was a mixture of red and yellow. Bright and angry. Does that mean he was suspicious of me? Green meant happy, so Gary and Dawn must be having good days.

Everybody started singing Shoutout to my Ex once again, trying to get the teachers angry. Everyone looked at me questionably. I wasn't singing, maybe that's why? Honestly, the singing was pretty annoying.

In the middle of the chaos, I screamed, "Shut up!"

Everyone stared at me, and I stared back at my food. I wasn't hungry. I pushed the meal away, and went to go put my backpack in my locker.

I blinked away tears as I put in my locker combination. I felt a presence walking up from behind me.

"Serena, are you okay?" Ash's voice echoed.

I turned around to see him looking at me sympathetically.

"Yep," I replied. "Didn't you already ask me earlier?"

I was about to walk away when he turned me around to face him.

"You're not o-"

"I said I'm okay!" I yelled, and dashed down the hallway.

Ash was left alone. His attempt to help me didn't prevail at all. Who knows what was going on in his mind. All I knew is that I was lost and confused.

Ash's POV.

She wasn't okay. Why didn't she just admit it? Why did she push me away? I'm so confused.

I felt something new in her aura, though. Something that I've never felt in anyone else. I didn't know what it was, and I wouldn't know until she told me.

I sighed, and walked back in the cafeteria.

"What happened?" Dawn asked, curiously.

"She just ran off. Serena's not okay, that's for certain," I replied. "She's been leaving school early and getting here late a lot recently. She's not sick. Isn't the only other thing that can make an excused absence the loss of a family member?"

"I.. I think so," Gary nodded.

"Did she lose someone important to her?" Dawn asked.

"She probably has a lot of stress right now, and making assumptions isn't going to help us get any closer to helping Serena. I say we just wait until she feels better," I suggested.

"Agreed," Gary replied.

"I just wish she wasn't so cold right now," I admitted. "I mean, we're only trying to help."

"That's what happens when you lose an important family member. It was probably one of her parents if she's this upset," Gary shrugged.

"She was really close with her Dad, right?" Dawn asked.

"You can't narrow it down to one person," I replied. "Just try talking to her in class today."

"Right." Dawn nodded.

"See you in fifth period Ash." Gary smiled.

"See you."