Burn

Chapter 1 - Kenna

I rolled my eyes at my friend, Jade, as she giggled about something someone had said. I mean come on... I don't care! Honestly she is so ditsy and stupid. "Did ya hear about what George said?" She screeched in my ear.

I winched "Yeah I did"

"I can't believe Chris would do such a thing, can you?" With every word her voice was getting higher and higher.

"No I can't" I told her

"And have you seen what that loser was wearing today?" She cackled pointed to a girl with ebony hair who was pushing though the crowds. Gaia, was what people would call the geek of the school. I think I was the only person in the entire school who had seen her without her without her thick rimmed glasses... and lets just say I'm jealous of her looks.

"Kenna?" She whined "Are ya listening?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be, you're my best friend?" I hid my laugh with a reassuring smile.

She opened her locker and pulled out a hot pink folder "So do you?"

"Hmm?" I asked distracted by the new words written on the folder. Apparently she loves George...

"Do you want to hang out tomorrow?" She repeated.

We did that last Saturday, and the Saturday before that and quite frankly I needed a break every so often from seeing her plastic face. Yet I plastered on a fake smile "Sure"

"Yay! It's going to be so fun" She clapped her hands together like a hyper five year old.

I couldn't help myself. I rolled my eyes at her "Yeah... great fun" Luckily she didn't recognise the fact my voice was dripping with sarcasm. The bell rang signalling the end of Lunch.

"Awww Mr Loopy's English now" Jade said pouting slightly. Mr Morris is an old balding man with a horrible attitude, plus he smells of fish. He hates me and Jade, always spying on us with his beady little eyes. All because we are in happy relationships.... speaking of which....

"Ollie!" I called to a retreating back. He turned around and his green eyes searched mine. I felt myself get lost in the green orbs.

"Babe" He shouted back... did I detect a hint of guilt? or was it sadness? Or maybe I'm over thinking it. With one final push I broke through the line of students blocking my way and latched onto his arm.

"Whatcha doing?" I asked him.

He smiled at me with a heart-stopping toothy grin "Got Maths"

"Lucky you" I heard myself whine "I got English with Loopy"

"You better go then babe" He told me.

"Come on Kenna, we better go" Jade grabbed my arm and literally yanked me from Ollie. Maybe it was a figment of my imagination but I thought I saw Jade wink at him.

What if Ollie was only dating me because I was head cheerleader? What if he really liked Jade? My mind was going into overdrive. "Yeah but if he liked Jade then he would have told you, wouldn't he?" The rational part of me thought.

"Or maybe He just wants to be popular by dating the head-cheerleader?" The irrational part of me argued.

"Kenna?" Jade said with her eyebrow raised.

"Sorry" I mumbled walking into the classroom. Today appeared to be my lucky day, Loopy wasn't in, instead we had a frail looking old woman as a substitute teacher. Me and Jade took our usual seats at the back of the class.

"Hello class" The woman said in a clear voice "I'm Moanna, not Miss or Mrs, just Moanna". A hand shot up "Yes?"

"Eld... Moanna where is Mr Lial?" Trust Gaia to call Loopy by his proper name.

"He was taken Ill this morning" Moanna explained "Now, Mckenna tell me what you have been studying"

I tried to concentrate on what Moanna asked me but my mind went blank and it wasn't helped by Jade who hissed "How does she know your name?" at me. In reply to both I shrugged my name.

Moanna smirked at me "Have you been paying attention to class Kenna?"

I tried to speak but I'm sure I looked like a fish trying to breath in air. Finally the words came to me "How do you know my name?"

"I know many things Kenna, Stay behind after class" Moanna winked at me before turning to the board. Ignoring Jade's quizzical looks I tried to answer Moanna's questions as best as I could. She always seemed to ask me even though Gaia had her hand up almost permanently.

The bell couldn't have rung quicker and I tried to escape the crazy woman many had nicknamed Miss Moo. Just as I reached the door Moanna called me. Cursing I turned around to face her.

"Yes?" I asked trying to sound as inpatient as possible.

"Close the door" Hesitantly I did as she said "Now Kenna, I am here to warn you"

I couldn't help but laugh at this "Warn me? 'bout what?"

"The next few months will be challenging but I trust you are ready?" She took a step closer to me so the violet specs in her blue eyes danced in the artificial light.

"What?"

"Don't tell me your mother didn't tell you" Moanna place her hand on her hips.

This conversation was getting weirder and weirder "Next you'll be telling me I'm not from Earth"

She actually laughed at this "But Kenna, you aren't from Earth, your from a planet called Inru"

I rolled my eyes at her "Yeah right, and pigs fly" I turned and stormed out of the room making sure to close the door with a bang.

"Crazy, Crazy woman" I muttered passing Jade who stood leaning against Ollie's locker talking to him in low hushed tones, I ignored the shouting receptionist as I walked out of school. I didn't care. I just wanted to speak to my mum. I don't know why Moanna's words hit me like they did but I needed answers.

My mother works in a large office building about a two minute walk from the school. The building has a glass front with giant posters of models hanging just inside. "Mckenna?" My mother asked when she saw me "Hang on one moment" She spoke into the phone for a minute before hanging up. "Why aren't you in school?"

"Mr Lial wasn't in class today instead we had some woman called Moanna" At the name Moanna, my mother's large brown eyes widened. "Then she asked to speak to me after class, then she said some wierd stuff about me not being from Earth"

She pushed her long red hair behind her ear "Listen honey, Moanna... is an old... very old friend of mine" She let out a sigh "I guess you should know the truth." Great my mother is officially crazy. "I'm from the Merai Tribe of Inru"

"What?!" In a space of minutes I've been told of some fictional world by two different people "This must be a joke"

My mother shook her head sadly "It's no joke"

"No! It must be. Inru doesn't exist, I'm from Earth! You're from Earth!" I stood up abruptly. This is one really sick joke.

"Honey, I'm from Inru" She sighed deeply before continuing "It's time for you to return home"

"Sure I'll return Home... my home on Earth, not this fictional Inru, or whatever it's called" I turned and stormed out of the building. I hailed down a taxi and ordered the driver to take me home.

"You okay, Miss?" The driver asked concerned.

"Fine!" I almost shouted back. The rest of the journey passed by in silence. The scenery turned from the urban maze of London to the countryside. The drive pulled to a stop outside a cute county cottage in the middle of nowhere. I paid him the money before calmly walking to the door. I watched him drive back the way we came.

I ran up the stairs past the wall of old pictures full of the happy memories from when I was little. My past shattered, how much of what I heard a lie? I was from Earth, right? Great.. now I'm doubting myself.  I ran straight to my bedroom and flopped down onto my comfy bed. I let the hot tears flow down my cheeks and felt myself drift out of consciousness with the new resolve that it was all a joke...