Dreamwatcher | KOTLC

Chapter Twenty: Introductions

"Biana?" Sophie asked. "Is that you?"

"Who do you think it is?" Biana squealed. She grabbed Sophie and pulled her into a long hug, cracking Sophie's back a couple of times in the process.

"Ow!" Sophie complained. "You can let go now." Biana eventually released Sophie, which allowed her to breathe again. 

"So what are you doing here?" Sophie questioned. "Were you kidnapped, too?"

Biana nodded. "I was. But I share a cell with my friends."

"Friends?"

"Yes," Biana replied. She gestured towards the other teenagers. Sophie only recognized Skylar, Kylie, and . . .

"Marella?" Sophie asked. "What are you doing here?"

Marella shrugged. "I was taking a walk and heard Biana scream, so I went to see and got kidnapped by those losers in the process."

"Losers?" Aspen wailed. "You better watch what you say, Mary."

"It's Marella!" Marella yelled. 

He scoffed. "Whatever Molly. We're going, Sophie, or you'll be late." 

"Like I care," Sophie muttered under her breath, then followed after Aspen to a mystical purple tent with a few other people underneath. How many people are here? Sophie thought. Once they reached the tent, the eyes of five people in total moved to her. "Who are you?" One kid asked, walking up to her. Sophie checked his name tag: Jake. 

"Well, Jake, why are you here?" Sophie countered. 

"Um, this is my class?" He answered absentmindedly. 

"Yeah, well, it's also mine. . . so ha!" Sophie exclaimed. But she immediately wished she hadn't after seeing the looks of everyone's faces to her outburst. "Sorry," she mumbled instantly. 

Everyone take a seat," one of the teachers said. Sophie immediately searched for a name tag and noted that her name was Cathy. "I am going to call out each person here, their subject number, their features and ability. Ready?"

Sophie found a spot on the grass to sit. Everyone nodded before Cathy started the Introductions. 

"Okay, let's start with Sophie. 'Sophie Foster, Subject Six, blond hair, brown eyes, six abilities—'"

"Hold up," Jake interrupted. "She has six abilities?" The entire group burst into mumbles and whispers, and anything else that made Sophie uncomfortable. She hid her head in her lap to hide the embarrassment. Cathy glared at Jake. Those are questions that can be asked another time, Mr. Dungworth."

Everyone 一 including Sophie 一 laughed at this. "How does it feel now?" Sophie whisper-nudged him. 

"Whatever, Foster." He spat out her last name like it was a piece of trash. "Whatever, Dungworth." But Sophie still thought about how she actually had seven abilities. . .

"May I continue?" Cathy asked. Everyone nodded. "Six abilities: Friends of Biana Vacker, Dex Dizznee, Fitz Vacker, Tam Song, Linh Song, Marella Redek, and Keefe Sencen. Daughter of Grady and Edaline Ruewen. Sister of Amy Foster."

Sophie glanced around the room, awestruck but also terrified that Cathy had all this information about her. Why did it say Marella was her friend? Sophie's eyes landed on a girl with luscious brown hair and beautiful brown eyes, that looked somewhat familiar for some reason. The oddest thing about her was that she kept on whispering "Keefe."

"Keefe, Keefe, Keefe, Keefe, Keefe," she continued. Sophie shuffled over to her and, at a loss of words, said, "Hi. I'm Sophie." The girl glanced over and suddenly widened her eyes. "S-Sophie?" She asked. 

"Um, yes, that's me," Sophie replied. 

"Sophie, Sophie, Sophie, Sophie, Sophie," the girl started whispering. 

"Uh, are you okay?" Sophie asked. "Should I get help?"

"No, it's okay," the girl shook her head furiously. "My name is Zoe."

"You two in the back! Quit chattering!" Cathy glowered at Sophie and Zoe. "Moving on," she continued nonetheless, "Jake your turn."

"Before you begin, ma'am," Jake raised his hand timidly. "Why are we doing this?"

Cathy glanced at Jake boringly. "Well, first class is Introductions, Jake. Don't you know this?"

"But couldn't we just go around in a circle and say our name and some fact about us, as normal schools do?" 

"What makes you think we're not 'normal'?"

Jake bit his lip. It was obvious he was shivering and probably wondering what he had gotten himself into. "Um, well, you guys kidnap kids, force them into cells, and send them to classes to learn nothing."

Sophie gasped and quickly covered her hand with her palm. Other kids copied her as well. And Cathy . . . well, she looked angry.

"Jake Dungworth! You shall see yourself to the Boss immediately!" She pointed out of the tent. "You can think about your actions on the way there." Then, covering the side of her mouth, whispered to Aspen, "Follow him. We all know he's the worst kid here, but who knows what kind of trouble he'll get into." Aspen nodded and raced after Jake. 

"SO," Cathy turned back to everyone else. "Let that be a lesson for you all. Respect everything and everyone you have before it's gone. Now, we'll skip him and move on to . . . Zoe."

Zoe gulped.

"Zoe Scott, Subject Three, brown hair, brown eyes, zero abilities, friends of none"—that fact earned a couple of snickers—"and sister to Mabel Scott."