Fire And Ice

Chapter One

My grandmother was displeased with me. For many reasons, but mostly that I had basically burned down the school.

"Do you realize how much that will cost?" She complained, running a hand through her grey-streaked hair. She really wasn't that old, and she wasn't even my grandmother. She was my aunt, but insisted on me calling her grandma. Whatever floats her boat, I guess.

"They have it covered. They told me that." I told her again, tapping my suitcase. We were on a train right now, on our way to the school I managed to get into. Grandma shook her head. For what, I don't know.

"Well, either way, you should have apologized."

"I did. A lot."

"Did you apologize to your classmates?"

"Well, no, but that's because they always--"

"Does it matter what they've done? I didn't raise you this way." She told me, displeased. "And what would Allan think? His kind, sweet sister being angry and making other children afraid."

"Allan isn't here anymore." I muttered, looking out of the window. Allan had gone to his own boarding school two years ago, an elite one for those with extraordinary powers. I didn't know what his power was, actually. None of us here do. We just know it was enough to scare the living daylights out of the judges.

Funny how similar yet so different we were.

Grandma sighed and looked away. "Oh, look! Your school!" She exclaimed, pointing out the window. I looked to where she was pointing and choked on my spit.

It was huge. It reminded me of Hogwarts, only this place wasn't fiction. Large stone walls, a huge castle inside. Towers came off of it, and there was a huge lake that it was completely surrounded in. There were other buildings to be seen in the surrounding lake edge, many of them stone and also very huge. Honestly, in size compared to Hogwarts, this school was bigger. It made Harry Potter's school look like a play house for toddlers.

After a few more minutes, the train stopped. My heart was racing, and I think Grandma could sense that. She patted my hand. "Don't worry, you have your cell phone. Call me whenever you need, okay?" She told me. "Now go. Don't hurt anyone, and if you do--"

"Apologize, I know. Bye, Grandma. See you later." I told her. Hoping I would see her later. I wouldn't, though. Ever.

Grandma sent me off without a hug, because neither of us likes touching that much. Her hand pat was the equivalent of a hug. Other students were coming off the train, bidding goodbye to friends and family.

"Bye Mommy! Bye Daddy! I'll miss you!" I heard a little boy cry out. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw him waving goodbye with a suitcase in hand. Why was he here? How old was he, six?

I continued walking, until I heard crying. The train was leaving now, so it was making a lot of sound, but I could still hear the cries of a young child. The little boy...?

Looking down, I saw him just a few feet to my right. He was crying, hard, but everyone was walking by. I stooped down beside him. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked gently. He sniffled for a while before lunging at me, crying into my shoulder.

"M-m-mommy and Daddy f-forgot me!" He whimpered.

"No, they didn't, they just--"

"My ability e-erased their m-m-memory! They d-don't know who I am!"

My heart twitched. That's why this boy was here. His ability is dangerous, for himself. Now his own parents forgot him, only in a matter of seconds.

I picked him up. "Well, I'm sure they'll remember when they get home. They'll see your stuff and miss you so much!"

"R-really?" He asked hopefully, taking his hands from his face. My heart hurt. I was probably wrong, I wasn't completely sure how his power worked. They may never know who he is. Thinking on it, I may not remember this boy.

"Yeah, they will! I'm sure! Now, let's get you inside, and dry those tears!" I told him, wiping his face with my hoodie sleeve. He beamed at me, making my mood worse. Of course it would be this way.

I dragged his suit case and mine to the front gate. "What's your name?" I inquired him.

"I'm Rowan Opal, but everyone calls me Toby."

"Why do they call you Toby?"

"Because that's the name of my twin brother." He said cheerfully.

"Where's your twin?"

"He disappeared last year. Mommy said he's sleeping for a while. Daddy said he's singing with the angels. I think he's just waiting for me to find him, like in hide-and-go seek."

This little boy, Rowan, is making me want to cry. He's been through so much and doesn't even know it. I kept my smile, though strained, and said, "Well, I'll call you Rowan because you're you."

He giggled. We continued to the school after the gate were opened, and stopped when we got to the huge doors. Rowan had just told me about his puppy back at home when someone bumped into me.

That's an understatement, they pushed me.

I tripped, but caught myself before I could fall. Don't want to make a scene here.

I turned around and saw a girl from my class, Sapphire. "Oops, didn't see you there, sorry. Guess I couldn't see you with all of that smoke still in my eyes." She sneered, her newfound group of friends laughing.

"I'm sorry for what happened." I growled, trying not to clench my fists, so not to hurt Rowan. I could feel his mood change instantly.

"What? Say that again? I can't hear you, I'm on a call with my parents. The ones I actually have, unlike y--"

She didn't finish her sentence. Not because I had punched her--which I was about to do--but because Rowan passed through my arms and hovered inches from her face. "Bullying is not tolerated here, you are hereby expelled." He pouted.

Sapphire bust into laughter. It wasn't nervous, she probably thought his power was to pass through things, but it isn't. I was the nervous one. "What did you just say, small fry? Why are you even here--"

And suddenly there was a woman standing behind Rowan. She handed him a pop-tart before he flew off, waving bye to me. "I am headmistress of this school, Karen Hopkinson. That was one of the guards at this school to find students who are kind--" she looked to me "--and not so kind." She said, glaring so hard at Sapphire that she flinched. "You haven't been expelled, unlike what Rowan may have told you, but you do have some detention for acting as you did. Now, all of you, to the first year great hall, where I will introduce you to the school, staff, and then be divided." She finished, before disappearing again.

Sapphire glared at me before heading forward to the opening doors.

I looked back to my suitcase and only found one. Where was Rowan's...? That's right, he's a guard. It was probably fake. I took the handle of my own and lumbered through the massive doors to the place I'll be spending the next few years at.