Hidden Power: Just the Beginning

Chapter 1

Nory woke up, trying to ignore the pain in her feet and the annoyance that is called an alarm clock. She had insisted a few nights ago she try to be a bit healthier with her diet, exercise, and sleeping schedule. She had gone for a run around town for the heck of it the day before and is starting to regret it. As she turned in bed her legs started to feel worse than her feet. Perhaps she had pushed herself too hard. No matter how hard she pushed herself during the run she obviously found she had almost no limits on how hard she could slap that snooze button. She was going to break her alarm clock some day.

Forget being healthy, she thought to herself. I'm an adult and I can do what I want. That includes sleeping in. She turned back over and went back to sleeping.

:',(~~<|>~~),':

After pressing snooze about four times Nory finally decided to get up. She went through with her usual morning routine, with breakfast saved for last. She had just shoved a peice of toast in her mouth when the doorbell rang. "I got it!" Nory attempted to yell through the toast in her mouth. The only other person in the house was her mother and she probably was nowhere near her but that didn't stop Nory from at least trying to make sure everybody knew she was opening the door. She grabbed her jacket off the coat hook and put it on quickly before opening the door, knowing it was most likely cold outside. She never liked the cold and the cold never liked her.

She opened the door to see Tim, an old friend of hers. They'd known each other since they were kids - Nory was four years old and Tim was five. "Oh. Hey, Tim," she greeted. "Didn't expect you to be here."

He gave a warm smile as he said, "I can't leave without saying good bye to you."

"Right. You're moving. I almost forgot," Nory said glumly. She didn't know how she could have forgotten. Despite this, she put on a smile to try to brighten the mood. "It's kinda chilly out today. Why don't you come inside for a bit?" Nory jutted her thumb over her shoulder and into the living room behind her.

Tim shook his head. "Nah. I actually like the cold."

"I should've known." Nory facepalmed. They both chuckled. It always fascinated Nory how she and Tim became friends. They were almost complete opposites. Even their appearances were nothing alike. Nory had brown hair with a hint of red and brown eyes to match. Tim had bright blue eyes and blonde hair with touch of brown that used to remind Nory of roasted marshmallows.

"I wish I could stay and chat longer but I have a plane to catch," Tim said sheepishly. This caught Nory off guard. She knew nothing about where he was moving because every time she tried to ask he would change the subject. She definitely didn't know Tim was moving somewhere far enough that he needed to take a plane.

"Are you leaving the region?" Nory asked frantically.

Tim began to look a bit nervous himself. "No, no. I'm moving to.. uh.. Bellport. Yeah. It seems like a nice city."

"On the other side of the region?"

"Yeah. I'll call you as soon as I get there."

Nory's expression turned dark at the relization that this may be the last time they speak in person for a while. Her eyes full of sorrow, she looked up at Tim and asked, "You promise?"

With a weak smile, he responded with, "I promise." Nory gave him a pitiful smile as well as a big hug. Then Tim went back to his car. Right before entering, her looked back at Nory and waved. She waved back.

And it was at that Tim left and Nory had to get herself a new friend to fill in the spare time and help her cope. Sadly, her cat wasn't going to work as a friend. It would help a little but not enough. Nory was going to miss Tim for sure.