Awakening

Chapter 1

The picture is of Alexis and Briella, in that order... Lol
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"Do you understand your punishment?" Principal Schmidt asked the girls, staring them down evenly. He was met with the calculated gaze of Briella Thomas and the heavy eyes of Alexis Robin. The two girls were unashamedly his favorite students, being that they had perfect grades and manners, so expelling them was almost breaking his heart. In the short amount of time they'd known each other, he'd come to feel a fatherly affection for them both.

Their permanent records would suffer greatly, but their was nothing else to do; they'd released the school's quantity of green frogs to be used for the biology classes.

Alexis nodded curtly, "We understand the punishment Mr. Schmidt."
A frown made its way on to his face as he started the paperwork, "Have your lockers cleared immediately. You must leave the campus before the hour is up."

With finality, he put on his reading glasses and got to work. Alexis followed Briella out, ignoring the sympathetic locks from the secretary and guidance counselor, who were conversing about a group of kids busted for drugs. Alexis's face held a stubborn pout, something Briella knew she did when she knew she was socially wrong, but felt she was morally right. As they emptied their lockers and exited the building, Briella took out the keys to their shared car. Briella drove in silence as Alexis complained.

"How dare they pity me! Their pity should have been spent on those poor frogs that would've been mutilated," she said coldly, looking into a compact mirror to dry her tearing hazel eyes. Alexis was an avid believer in karma and the presence of spirits in all aspects of nature. Her conscience couldn't bear her knowing of their planned deaths.

She turned to her best friend, "Was I wrong for setting them free?"
Briella shook her head as she stopped at a red light, then turned to her friend with a frown. "I do, however, think you were too hasty and dramatic."
Alexis's eyebrows furrowed in disbelief, "Are you mad for being expelled?" Her tone was defensive.

"Not at all," Briella responded, driving through the now green light. "I'm saying you need to start thinking things through."

"I am! That was a very elaborate plan!"

"That's not what I mean," she rolled her eyes, "I mean think about your reactions more so than your revenge."
Alexis stared at Briella's profile for a moment before rolling her eyes. "Whatever," she scoffed, crossing her arms and leaning back in her seat. Briella parked the car in their driveway next to their mom's black Camry, fighting the annoyance that is wanted to build from her sister's antics. Alexis was impulsive, stubborn and incredibly defensive when she cared for something. Otherwise, she was really friendly and approachable, placing family over everything. Briella both loved and hated these things as they led her to acting childish, something a sixteen year old should have outgrown.
Alexis followed her sister in, irked that she was always so mature about everything. Couldn't she act on impulse? Alexis thought, then frowned. No, Briella was pretty mean when she wanted to be. Her control on her emotions was necessary. Last time she'd exploded, she was six getting mercilessly bullied by a ten year old. Briella singlehandedly broke his arm and nose, and fractured his collarbone, rib cage and brow bone. After that, Alexis and their mom helped teach her to work through her feelings.
Dropping their full backpacks by the door, they wandered the house in search of their mom. Jasmine Simmons was a tall, strong woman with the heart of a saint, she was the best mom any teenager could ask for. Her dad was Native American and her mom African American, so she had beautiful strong bones and a powerful sense of spirit. She looked great for her age, being in her forties with so little to stress about, and knew it. Still, she lacked arrogance and taught her adopted daughters to practice humility as well.

Jasmine was a magician in the kitchen, and that is where the girls found her. Her long, dreaded hair was twisted into an elaborate ponytail that only she could duplicate. Upon seeing them, she smiled with such motherly love that it was easy to forget they weren't related. The three of them shared enough traits that, on first glance, they were unquestioned in their relation. They weren't related, and that could be seen easily. They shared no blood whatsoever.