I paced around the main room, feeling her waking coming closer. She would wake up from her coma at any moment, and I wasn’t even there yet.

“Finally,” I snapped when Damien walked in with Arabella, one of my friendliest students and a teleporter.

“Hello, Miss Greene,” she said formally. She stopped in front of me, her posture painfully professional. No matter how many times I have told her that she doesn’t need to be so polite with me, she insists on being formal. “What do you need from me?”

“Arabella, there’s no need to be so formal with me,” I told her for possibly the millionth time. I walked over and pulled her into a tight hug. “How are you feeling?”

She shrugged. “My powers don’t drain as much from me as they used to. I used to feel terrible after using them for just a small amount of time.”

I turned to Damien. “Have you been monitoring her training sessions carefully, like I instructed you to?”

Damien grinned. “Of course, my darling sister.” He pulled Arabella to his side until she managed to wriggle out of his grip. “I only do what you so perfectly instruct me to do.”

I looked at Arabella for confirmation, and she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

“If messing around with his powers count as monitoring my sessions, then yes.” She shot him a dark look as he faked an innocent smile. “He mainly tries to have me escape lightning bolts or a raincloud.”

I glared at my brother, who looked proud of himself. “Is that true?”

“It’s not my fault that I have a different training system than you,” he explained, trying to hide his amusement. And failing.

“Whatever. Go help some of the Shifters. They keep turning into weird creatures,” I told him.

He groaned and kicked at the floor. I suppressed a smile, remembering how he used to do that when he was younger too.

“Do I have to? They enjoy using me as a personal chew toy sometimes.” He shuddered dramatically. “I cannot be around Kyle anymore. He has something against me. Like, he is purposefully targeting me.”

“Stop whining,” Arabella snapped with a glare. Damien stuck his tongue out at her, and she did the same, before stomping out of the room.

“Now that my brother is out of the way, we can get back to business.” I held her shoulders and searched her amber eyes. “Arabella, if you cannot do this for me, know that you are not required to. I will not force you to do anything that you are not capable of yet.”

She looked into my eyes challenging. “I can do this, but are you going to be able to do your part?”

“What do you mean?”

She scoffed. “You don’t like getting help, and I know the second something happens that you’re not prepared for, you’ll just try to do it by yourself. I will not allow you to endanger yourself. We need you. Your brother needs you, despite how much he says he doesn’t.”

I nodded with a sigh. “You’re right. I will try to be careful.”

“Do you promise?” she asked, holding up her pinky finger.

“I promise, Arabella.” I wrapped my pinky finger around hers.

She nodded and took my hand. I braced myself for the flashing and the nausea that happened whenever I had her teleport me places.

***

I walked into the hospital, trying to look like I belonged there. Act like you own the place, I always say.

I was halfway past the front desk when the front desk woman stopped me. She looked me over questioningly.

“Are you supposed to go back there?” she asked me accusingly.

I cleared my throat, trying to make my powers work. I’m a psychic, and though I’m not technically a mind prober, I can influence others occasionally. I’m the only person at Greene Institute who has two powers.

“I work here. You are going to let me go without question,” I told her calmly. I watched the power take over her. “I’m a doctor that you forgot worked here, and now that you remember, everything is okay.”

She nodded slowly, and I prayed that my control over her would last.

“You work here,” she repeated robotically. I nodded, and she went back to looking at the files on her desk.

I sped to Estelle’s hospital room. Her mother was still awake.

“You never saw me.”

She went back to reading her home decor magazine as I leaned over her daughter’s bed. She would wake any moment now. I could feel it.

“You will remember who you truly are,” I whispered. I grabbed her wrist and tried to push that thought into her mind. Hopefully, if she remembered something when she woke, she would be able to stop whatever is coming for her. Even I wasn’t entirely sure what was coming up. It was too blurry to figure right now.

I headed towards Natasha’s room to see if she was already at the hospital, when I noticed that Daxon was following closely behind me. He had barely made a sound, but when I turned down a hallway corner, I noticed him out of my eye.

“She left already?” he asked me.

I nodded. “She insisted on being there extremely early. You know how my sister is.”

Dax chuckled. “Yes, I do. She is one of the most irritating people ever.”

“You’re not even related to her.”

I stopped at her door, hoping that he would take the hint to leave now. He didn’t.

“You think I’m going to let you snoop on your sister alone?” he challenged. I raised my eyebrows. I haven’t known him for long, but I have watched enough of his training sessions to be unsure of which one of us would win in a fight.

“Fine.” I swung the door open, and he pushed his way in front of me. I watched as he spun around in his chair and easily accessed one of her computers.

When he saw the confusion on my face, he said, “I have needed a way to keep track of her.” He pulled up the security cameras of the hospital she was at, and the view from a camera planted on her clothing. “She would never allow me to be there in person in case anything ever happened to her, so I plant cameras on her every once in a while.”

I chuckled, suprising myself. “I could see myself getting used to you, even despite you being extremely annoying.”

Daxon smiled impishly and then shrugged. “I grow on people. Take your sister as an example. I used to annoy her a lot, but eventualy she got used to me.”

I cocked my head to the side. “What happened all those years ago?” When he frowned, I added, “When Natasha nearly burned down the world to get me back.”

I shuddered, remembering the night the people took me away from her. The way she tried to claw her way to me. The fear that resonated through me until she found me again.

Daxon bit the inside of his cheek nervously. “I don’t think your sister would appreciate me telling ou something she should tell you herself.”

I crossed my arms over my chest defiantly. “I’m not still a little kid. I’ve grown up.” I gestured to the room. “My name is on this institution, Daxon.”

“Yes. Your sister currently is in charge of it though,” he pointed out. “I’m not trying to get on her bad side yet.”

I groaned, ready to throw him out of the spinning chair and out of the room.

“You really think snooping on her rescue mission isn’t going to irritate her?” I snapped.

Daxon eyed me up and down. “You’re not going to tell her.”

“Oh yeah?” I challenged. “And why do you say that?”

He smiled and focused on the camera screens again. “Because you already know how stressed your sister is right now, and no matter how irritated she makes you, you wouldn’t want to add more on her plate.”

I grumbled and pulled a chair to me. “I can see why you annoyed her, Daxon.”

“It’s Dax.” He held his hand out to me. “That’s what my friends call me, at least.”

I didn’t shake his hands. “I wouldn’t call us friends yet. Maybe associates would work better in our situation.”

“Maybe.”

I was suddenly attacked by a surge of blinding light. I squirmed, twisted, thrashed, and tried to do anything to get away from the light that was piercing through my closed eyelids because of the discomfort. The burning brightness slowly faded, and I sluggishly fluttered my eyelids open.

A woman was seated in a dark-brown armchair right next to me and was looking at me. Her hands were holding onto the armchairs tightly, her knuckles white. When I first looked at her, her eyes were already glistening, but now she was sobbing into her hands. The woman seemed sickly because of just how pale and slender she was. She looked almost as if she hadn't eaten in days when you glanced at her. At the doorway, there was a doctor staring who took my focus off of the crying woman beside me. She held my gaze, though I was curious, and she looked almost scared. She stayed silent, just watching me watch her, entirely ignoring the almost sobbing woman beside me.

The woman raised her head up and moved to face me with an expectant expression. She sucked air between her teeth as I continued to not speak, then reached over to touch my arm but stopped short. She spoke to me in a distorted voice as the room started to spin, originally slowly and then more and more rapidly.

"Jessica?" she asked me anxiously. Her voice was scratchy, probably from crying, I assume. I slowly shook my head, trying not to hurl anything into the immaculately folded blue sheets that were tucked neatly into the hospital bed. "It's me."

She reached out and captured my arm with her cold hand, but I wrenched my arm away. I tell her plainly, "I'm not Jessica." When I speak, the words sound rehearsed and entirely fake.

“What?”

My body felt weak, and I groaned. "I'm not the Jessica you're imagining, I assure you. I am, whoever she may be, not her."

She laughed bitterly. " Jessica, stop."  She rolled her eyes and reached out to touch me, but she quickly decided against it and withdrew her arm. " This is not a little game or prank. Stop it now, Jessica.” For some reason, I just couldn’t accept that. Couldn’t accept that I may be this Jessica that she was talking about. I don’t know why, but every fiber of my being rejected it. I was Estelle and could never be her Jessica.

I couldn't control the roar that erupted out of my mouth and echoed all through the room. " I'm not Jessica," I started shouting. I ignored the pain shooting through my ribs as I leaned dangerously close to her. "Don't call me that!" I shouted close to her face.

The woman gulped in shock at my unexpected outburst and leaned as far away from me in her chair as she possibly could. I froze in surprise as I stared at the wall.

Staring at the wall was a better idea than staring at the two women. Something in the doctor’s face almost looked proud of my outburst, though. I tried not to think about that.

She whispered to me, "What would you like for me to call you then?" I reached for a handful of my hair and was about to yank it all out of my scalp when I heard it. The voice echoed throughout my head, Estelle. It was peaceful and hypnotizing.

I answered matter-of-factly, "Estelle." The woman continued to stare at me with her piercing blue eyes and nodded while trying to mask her concern (and failing miserably).

“You may call me Kassia,” she informed me. I nodded and the doctor cleared her throat intentionally. We both looked at the woman curiously.

Kassia was motioned to follow the doctor out the doorway. Kassia threw me a brief glimpse before standing and sighing begrudgingly.

While they started talking in a lowered voice while out in the hallway, the doctor left the door open. I stayed motionless in my bed so that I wouldn't miss a single word in their conversation with a groaning sound from the mattress under me.

Kassia asked the doctor, "How long will her memory be like this? Practically gone, I mean.” I could hear the sadness creeping up in her voice.

“There's no way for us to know how long she'll have this kind of memory impairment”, the doctor remarked. “Although I know you're desperate to bring Estelle home, I ought to let you know that I will have to keep her in the rehabilitation center for a little while.

After a moment of silence, Kassia gasps. She hastily tried to reassure her, "It shouldn’t be too long."

There was a short pause, and then heard a huff of air (presumably from Kassia) and then a “fine.”

I pretended to be paying attention to the various hung-up encouraging signs in the room as Kassia and the Doctor entered the room again. Kassia once again sat down in the chair next to me.

The doctor came up and touched my forehead with the back of her hand. She suddenly began questioning me relentlessly.

“How do you feel? Warm? Cold? Are you hungry? If you want, I can fetch you some Jello.” As if in response, my stomach began to grumble. I tried my best to seem assertive as I cleared my throat.

“I would appreciate food and an explanation as to why I’m lying in a hospital bed,” I told her honestly. The doctor nodded, turned to my mother, and left the room.

I stared at Kassia incredulously. “Why did she leave?” I asked her in a raspy voice.

Kassia straightened in her seat, tugging her shirt collar down. “It’s my job to inform you, not hers.”

She fetched a blanket from her handbag and wrapped it snuggly around herself. She took a long exhale and then started to answer my one question.

I sped over to the staff restroom. Pushing past Cassandra to get into the last accessible bathroom stall, I quickly locked the door. Cassandra scoffed as she began to run the sink.

“Some people,” she muttered to herself. I waited until her footsteps retreated to pull out my phone and call him.

After three times of having me be sent to voicemail, Damien finally picked up his phone.

“It’s her,” I rushed out. Damien groaned and I could picture him waking up right now.

“Who?” he asked groggily. I rolled my eyes.

“Her,” I repeated. He still didn’t understand who I was talking about. “Estelle.”

“Oh,” he murmured. I could hear running water in the background. He did not sleep in.

“You sound tired,” I remarked accusingly. He gave me a cool chuckle.

He joked, "I would never sleep in, sis." I scoffed at that. His track record tells quite a different story. "Anyway, how do you know it's her?" he continued.

I groaned to myself knowing he wouldn’t understand like the way I do. “I just do,” I say, trying to form coherent words. “It’s her, Damien. Her.”

Damien sighs dramatically. I expect him to start making fun of me or coming up with a reason to disagree with me. However, he doesn't. "I just really hope that you're right this time." He senses the sting that unintentionally came from his words, and a tense silence builds between us. Nicole. I am acutely aware of his thoughts. I had also convinced myself back then that she was the one. She wasn't. She is no longer alive because of me.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers softly.

I admit, "No, you're right. She'll be the one to save us, I'm certain. She must be. She'll do it."  I hope.

He asks nervously, "How much time do we have? Dax is already in a frenzy."

This time, I sigh. "I'm not sure. I have my fingers crossed that it will not be quite so long. Tell Dax I say hi."

"Of course."  His grin is so evident in his voice that I almost start smiling too. Before I got a chance to stop him, he started shouting, "Hey, Dax, your girlfriend says hi."

I’m so glad he isn’t here to see my face burn, but what I would give to strangle my little brother right now. “He’s not my boyfriend,” I mutter into the phone.

“Sure,” he says skeptically.

“Bye.” Before he could continue with his assumptions, I cut off the call.

I walked calmly out of the stall perfectly composed as though I hadn’t been in there for several minutes. Two women walk into the bathroom and look at me with suspicion. I can’t hear most of what they say, except that my name came up in it. I hurry out to get Estelle’s food and ignore the whispers surrounding me.

I stared at Kassia shellshocked. I couldn’t believe her story of what happened to me—her daughter Jessica— at all. Jessica had gotten into a car crash while being with her friend. I managed to stay still and unaffected by her dark tale, but it was hard to listen to. Kassia blew her nose into a tissue right as the doctor rushed back in with a tray that had a bowl of soup and a small container that had my bright red Jello in it. I don’t know why, but the tears started rolling down my cheeks at that moment.

The doctor looked flustered. She placed the tray down on the small coffee table before she addressed me. “Are you okay?”

“It’s just a lot,” I whined. She nodded as she moved her arm behind my back to support me, as she pulled me up a bit into a hug.

The ground started to shake, not doing anything to help with my explosive emotions. Kassia crawled under her chair as well as she could. No amount of air seemed to be enough. I needed more. More, more, more.

“Calm down,” The doctor whispered to me forcibly. I nodded, trying to clear the lump in my throat. “You can do this.”

She moved her arms up and down in the air, leading me in a deep breath exercise. After a few minutes, the ground stopped shaking and Kassia crawled back out of her hiding space and whirled towards the doctor.

“Who do you think you are?” she demanded.

She replied coolly, "I'm Natasha Greene, but to you, I'm Doctor Greene." As Kassia glared at the doctor, her nostrils flared.

She stated forcefully, daring her to disagree, "My daughter and I will be leaving this hospital no later than tonight."

Doctor Greene grinned impishly at her. " Is this something you're doing for her or for yourself, ma'am?"

Kassia moved a step closer, crossing her arms across her chest. "My daughter is the reason behind all I do. I find it unbelievable that you would have that impression of me."

Doctor Greene narrowed her eyes at Kassia. “Is that true?” she mused. “Have you asked her about how she feels about anything?”

Fire blazed in her eyes. “Well, asking her,” she said, pausing to turn and point at me briefly,” in the state she’s currently in is unfair to her. She’s not in a position to make any important decisions right now.”

I interrupted Doctor Greene, speaking in a scratchy voice. “I will make decisions based on what I think I can handle. Not either of you.” I turn toward the doctor in my bed. “Can I go home yet?”

Doctor Greene let out a long sigh. “I can’t restrain you. Honestly, if you want to go, and if you can walk, I will feel somewhat comfortable with you going home.”

Kassia smiles smugly as I hoist myself out of the bed slowly. The doctor offered2 me a hand, but I refused.

“No need,” I said lightly. She nodded and took a step back. My feet landed roughly on the glossy floor, knocking me momentarily off balance. My arms flung in the air wildly until I was able to catch myself.

I walked around the small room, trying to ignore the fact that I was being carefully watched as I did so. I gave a little twirl at the end, to say, Good enough? Am I done?

Doctor Greene nodded with approval and Kassia let out a small breath she was holding in. Greene turned toward Kassia.

“Go to the front desk and sign her discharge papers,” she told her. Kassia nodded and sped away. The doctor anxiously looked out into the hallway before talking to me in a quiet voice.

“You need to be careful,” she warned me. I scoffed.

“Careful of what?” I argued. “A mother who misses her daughter and wants her back home? Yeah, real dangerous.”

Greene walked over to me and grabbed my arm tightly. I tried to wrench it away, but she didn’t let go. Her hazel eyes pierced into me.

“No,” she said without trying to hide her irritation at all. “You have to watch out for those who are trying to get to you. Harm you. Use you. Just be careful.”

I pulled my arm away again and she released me. Her bun was barely wound together anymore. She cracked her knuckles anxiously.

Moving closer to her face, I said, “The only person I have to be afraid of is crazy, superstitious doctors.” She looked at me with a hard expression. Her emotions were being carefully guarded. I was going to question her further, but Kassia entered the room again. Doctor Greene straightened herself and plastered on a fake smile.

She gave me a quick glance, warning me not to say anything about what she’d just told me. She had nothing to worry about. I wanted to forget the interaction myself.

So, I nodded, smiled, and did nothing unusual or that would draw attention to myself. Kassia led me out to her car, and she drove us away from the hospital. With luck, I’ll never have to see her again.

Estelle and her mother fairly quickly left the hospital. Estelle seemed genuinely shocked to see me, though at this moment, I don't have to worry about her revealing any secrets. I have to go back. In no time at all, Damien will be fighting with the Telkies or shouting furiously at my desk as he waits for me to come.

I shrug off my scrubs, standing in my regular tank top and black leggings. I walk out of the hospital, careful not to draw a scene. Well, even if I do, I can just ask one of the Wipers to make them all forget. The brisk night air bites at my exposed arms. I hugged myself until I saw the motorcycle pull up.

“Dax,” I say with a chuckle. He gives me a toothy grin before throwing my jacket at me. I catch it, barely stopping myself from getting clawed in the face by the zipper. I scowl at him, but he just laughs at my displeasure.

I hopped onto the motorcycle and wrapped my arms around him carefully. He winces as my fingers touch his stomach. I leaned back a bit.

“What happened?” I ask. “Insult the wrong person again?”

Dax chuckles at my teasing accusation. “Nope. Just fought too hard.”

“Don’t do that,” I squeak. He turns to face me with a smirk.

“You know,” he starts,” You are a lot prettier when you’re worried. It’s endearing.” I slap his arm and he erupts in chuckles as he starts the engine. I lean close, preparing to start shooting off.

Kassia pulls up to this two-story, brown house before turning to face me and unexpectedly looks very concerned.

"Just let me know if you're feeling overwhelmed." She tries to give me a reassuring smile while resting her hand over mine. "Just a couple of people are eager to see you. Not a lot.  If you really need to step away from the chaos, that is understandable. Although I've already informed them that it would be a lot, I wouldn't claim the transition will be easy."

She smiles again, appearing more assured of herself as I silently nod. "Jessica, hurry up." I give her a short, careful look, and she immediately corrects herself. " Estelle, I mean. Estelle, yes?"

I nod. “Yes.” She quickly ran over to the other side of the vehicle to open the car door for me after quickly opening her door first.

Hesitantly, she says, "Come on." I nod and get out of the car tentatively.

***

I almost topple over as a girl about my height scrambles up to me and wraps her arms around my waist. While I'm still surprised, she hastily breaks away from me.

“Sorry,” she whispers, wiping a stray tear from her eye. I smile until another girl, shorter this time, shoves her onto the couch and shoves a picture in my face.

“Look, look!” she squeals. Five stick figures stood in front of a brown house. The grass was just a bunch of green scribbles. She pointed to the girl in the middle. “That’s you. Do you like it?”

I nod, and look around the house, trying to find some sort of way to escape. The girls’ stare knocks the wind out of me until a firm hand tightens around my arm and whirls me around. It’s Kassia.

“Here’s John,” she said with a wink, gesturing to the man next to her. He had his arm wrapped around her waist. I held out my hand and he shook it firmly.

“Nice to meet you, Jessica.”

“Estelle,” I correct.

He gives me an apologetic smile. “Estelle.” He slaps his palm against his forehead and lets out a small groan.

“Best way to introduce yourself to someone: mess up on their name.”

I chuckle lightly, trying not to make him feel any worse. “It’s cool.” Kassia places both of her hands heavily on my shoulder and grins broadly.

“Your room is upstairs and to the left of the hallway. Last door.” She leans down and kisses my forehead, and I flinch backwards, startled by her sudden touch. Hurt flashes through her eyes, but I don’t let her apologize.

“It was me,” I say. “Sorry.” She begins to say something, but I turn away and rush up the stairs, my steps sounding like booming thunder.

I stop at the last door of the dark hallway. The metal handle is freezing cold as I twist it open.

I stared at the room in curiosity. It’s like being in the room of a ghost. Nothing has been touched for a while. The bedding is clean and folded neatly. The top of the white clothing drawer has a layer of dust that I blow off my fingers.

The mattress adjusts to my weight as I collapse onto it. I stare up at the bumpy ceiling until my eyes feel heavy and I close them.

The building groaned as the heavy garage door began to open. Dax rolled in on his motorcycle with Natasha sitting behind him. He hopped off with a ridiculous grin as he began to walk over to me. I hopped down from the table that I’d been sitting on, and we began our handshake while Natasha was brushing her hair for a moment.

“Hey, baby brother,” she said, giving me a fist bump. “What went wrong while I wasn’t here?”

“Nice to know how much you trust me,” I say sarcastically. Natasha raises and eyebrow. I continue with the breakdown of things that had gone on without her.

“Little Jane was able to stay invisible for almost a full minute.” My chest swelled with pride. After many affirmations and trials, she’d been able to keep it up much longer today.

Natasha smirked. “You always did have a soft spot for her.”

I hold my hands up defensively. “No soft spots here, sis.” Dax makes a little noise and Natasha sharply towards to him and stares.

“I just wanted to know if we were going inside.” He shifts on the balls of his feet nervously. “Are we?”

Natasha smiles sweetly at him and punches his arm with a chuckle before running inside. Dax turns determined and charges after her. Loud squeals from Natasha erupt.

I walk inside and Natasha is making faces at Dax while hiding behind a pillar. I stand and watch them for a moment, transfixed by my sister’s sudden joy. She rarely lets her guard down like this. Hopefully, after whatever danger occurs in her visions gets solved, she’ll be like that again. Free. Happy.

She used to braid flowers into her dark hair and roll down the small hill behind our house. We’d blare the music loud, dance, and dance. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized she was blocking out our parents’ noise. Even then, she wasn’t truly having fun. She was just placating.

“Natasha!” I call out. No answer. “Natasha Abigail Greene, get over here!”

Natasha jogged up to me, panting heavily until she dropped herself on the floor. “What?”

“When are we getting them?”

Her eyes suddenly went cold. “Tomorow.”

I frown at her. That wasn’t the original plan. “What do you mean? I wasn’t supposed to g—”

Natasha stands up and steps close to me. I’m taller than her, but she’s still as intimidating as a bear. “Tomorow,” she said with finality. I nodded and walked away.

I shrieked at the sight of Kassia rummaging through my clothes. She looked over her shoulder at me and frowned.

“Don’t yell,” she scolded. “It’s too early in the morning for that.”

“Why are you going through my clothes?” I demanded. She held up something that she examined for a moment, and then placed it back, making a sound of disgust.

“Helping you with your first day back clothes,” she told me cheerily. I groaned as I walked over to her. I had to yank one of my shirts away from her hands.

“I’ve got it,” I assure her. She lets out a small puff of air.

“Fine.”

I smile as I lead her to the door, my hand on her back, guiding her out. She turned back to me as we reached the doorway. “But —”

I cut her off, holding up my index finger. “No. I can handle getting dressed.”

She sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “Fine. Just ask if you need help with anything.”

She walks out of my room as I shout, "I won't!” after her. She turns around and sticks her tongue out at me.

***

I had to ignore Kassia’s upset looks at my clothing choices this morning. She had gotten the whole first day back idea all wrong. You don’t stick out; you blend in.

I waved goodbye hastily before the bus drove off without me.

“Your choice this morning is quite...interesting,” she muses. I watch in amusement as she gestures to my sweatshirt. “You sure you don’t want something, oh, I don’t know, nicer?”

“Nope. Bye.”

***

I try to ignore all pointed stares and comments as I go to the back of the bus. One of the seats is already occupied by a boy consumed by his book and nodding his head to the music in his headphones. I smile nervously as I slide into place beside him.

He takes his headphones off, and I can hear the small sound of beating drums and muffled voices.

“I’m Cole,” he says.

“Estelle.”

I look out through the window at the houses that we speed past on the street. When I turn back to face him, he’s staring at me. My face warms in embarrassment. “What?”

He lets out a short, amused chuckle. “Nothing.” He smiles and then turns away for a moment. When he looks back at me, he’s not smiling widely, but he is clearly trying to stop himself from doing so. “Are you okay? You look kind of sick.” He inches away from me. “Don’t get sick on me. That might ruin my solid reputation.”

"What is your reputation?"  I asked him in a sarcastic manner.

Cole smirked and then gave me a wink. " You'll see, I'm somewhat a big thing around here."

I laughed slightly. My body is thrown toward the seat in front of me as the bus stops suddenly. Cole outstretched his arm to stop me from banging my head against the seat in front.

I was just about to thank him when he joked, "See?"  He smirked, "I'm already your hero."  I am left to follow him as he jumps up and rushes off the bus.

I sat in the office, waiting for my father to finish scolding another student. I could feel all the women in the office staring at me.

I watched a brunette rush out of the principal's office. Tears glistened as they rolled down her cheeks. I wonder what she’d done to deserve being yelled at by my father.

As she passed me in the chair, I handed her a tissue. I was pretty used to the people who came out of my father’s office.

“Thanks,” she said with a sniffle. I didn’t have time to respond because my father was summoning me. I lifted that backpack of mine which weighed a hundred pounds and started heading over to the torture room. I had crossed most of the room when I clamped my hand onto my wrist.

It turned around. It was the nurse, Darla.

“Don’t anger him too much,” she warned. It was no surprise that my father had a temper. “Clarisse? Please try to get in and get out.” She held onto my wrist until I nodded.

“Clarisse, get in here,” my father called out, not bothering to come out of his torture chamber. Darla gave me a quick hug before sending me on my way.

“Yes?”

The office was plain. No pictures on his desk of his loving family. I don’t know how he spends so many hours in a room so boring.

My father gestured to the seat in front of his desk. “Sit down, miss Shaw.”

I rolled my eyes. He didn’t even bother calling me by my first name in his office.

“What did I do this time?” I recited. “Light a house on fire?”

He didn’t bother to look up from his laptop. He just sat there, clicking away, not bothering to respect me enough to look me in my eyes.

“At least look at me if you’re going to try to accuse me of something,” I snapped.

He raised an eyebrow. “Who are you to speak to the principle this way?”

I crossed my arms over my chest stubbornly. “I just happen to be the principle’s daughter, if you have already forgotten.” I slammed down his computer, watching the rage fill his eyes. He knew he couldn’t do anything to me at school. Where there were witnesses.

“I have a suspicion that you went snooping around in my office the other day and got hold of a copy of test answers,” he said calmly, leaning back in his chair.

“Nope.” I leaned forward and drummed my fingers on his desk, watching him frown. “It wasn’t me. Can I go to my class now?”

Dad clasped his hands tightly together on his desk. “No. You’re going to be truthful. Did you or did you not go through my desk?”

I smiled, watching as his jaw clenched. I was playing with fire, and it was very clear to see.

“I did not.” We stared at each other, him enraged while I remained calm, which irritated him almost more than anything else I’d done.

“Go to class,” he demanded stiffly. “We’ll continue this conversation later. Have a good day, miss Shaw.”

My blood froze when I realized I had just dug my grave. The fact that he didn’t even yell shows how much I’m in for it later.

I bowed my head as I left his painfully bare office. The women at the front desk exchanged confused glances with each other.

Darla pulled me aside. “Are you okay?”

Despite my fear, I managed to smile for her. “Of course. Don’t worry.”

“Just know if anything happens, I’m here,” she told me, lowering her voice.