Dawn was making its way over the horizon, tip-toeing and peeking all the way, shining its morning rays on the dewy grasses of houses near and far.
As I was rolling around and moaning at my clock, I felt something. It was a sinking feeling, as if the ocean was trying to drown me. I was pulled under, and as I gasped and screamed for air, all I could think was No, no don’t take me. Dad needs me. I cried out in fear of whatever was happening to me, and my grief of Brian came flooding back. I was sobbing along with gasping and all of a sudden I was on my floor thrashing.

Then, it was gone. I gulped a breath of life, of air and sweet, sweet oxygen. When I had gotten my breath back, I looked around at my surroundings. All was the same, but strangely enough, the chipper of birds and the foggy light now seemed to slice right through my tendered eyes and straight to my fleshy brain. Everything was blurry and brilliant, like a fish underwater in the Gulf.

I swayed when I stood up, but after a second, got my balance back. Ever slowly, things went back to normal, and when I found opening my eyes didn’t hurt any more, I looked around me and saw that it was 20 minutes later, and I would be late if I didn’t start getting ready.

Realizing I was fully awake now, I shook my head at the oddity of the wake up call that had just called me from my sleep and shakily walked over to the bathroom. I turned on the shower and then turned on my stereo. The warm blasted through the shower head, and soon enough, I was feeling my muscles calm and I could feel a smile form on my face. Water was beautiful and silky and, mood replenished, I sang while The Beatles: Rubber Soul pumped through my bathroom.
*************
I reached school with 5 minutes before homeroom began, and I was just about to pull into a parking spot when a group of jocks and cheerleaders walked directly in front of my slightly moving car, assuming I would stop for their higher presence. Slamming on the brakes and honking my horn, I not-so-quietly remarked at their being there, and in return one of the blondes looked at me, and maybe it was just me, but her nose seemed so far up that she might have been looking at the clouds as she flicked her hair back. How intimidating.

I flicked the bitch off, but they were already walking away, oblivious to what I had done. "Stuck up brats," I muttered as I turned off the ignition and grabbed my things. So many people were just like them, completely unaware of how things worked in the real world, and only thought of themselves and what girl had sex with what guy.

I muttered a few more things under my breath, speed walking up to the school when I suddenly heard the sound of a skateboard on pavement. Ignoring whoever it was, I walked up the steps, realizing I only had 2 minutes before they marked me tardy.

"HEY!" I gave a quick glance over my shoulder while still walking, wondering who it was. Oh! It was the Chinese food guy.

"Hey! Hold on!" I didn’t hear him, and when I kept on walking he must have been confused, because when he finally caught up with me he gave me a puzzled look that fitted him. I smiled inside, looking at him. "Didn't you hear me? I was the one calling to you on the skateboard."

With a warm smile I replied, "Oh, sorry! I guess I was just caught up in my thoughts. So, Ryan, right?"

He smiled in that secret way again, which I would soon find out to be one of my favorite traits, and when he answered he spoke in a voice that sent shivers down my spine, saying, "That's me."

Shuffling my books from one arm to the other, I realized I had to get to homeroom because unfortunately, if I was late again, I would get yet another demerit. They seemed to be piling up lately, and even though it was my senior year, I needed to not get kicked out before graduation. The words came spilling out of my mouth, "Okay well, I didn't know you went to this school, but I really have to go to-"
The bell rang before I could finish.

One more tardy slip, one more demerit. "Great.... want to go to the main office with me? You’re tardy now too." I pointed with my thumb over my shoulder towards the offices in case this kid didn’t know the right direction.

He bent over with a flourish, one leg in front of his other, and in such an accent replied, “Lead the way, my lady.”

****************

I was just leaning against a tree surrounded by flowers and a pond nearby in the campus garden eating my lunch peacefully when someone came up behind me a screamed my name.

Choking on the gulp of Snapple I was drinking, I screamed with surprise. I also knocked over my drink with my foot and threw my sandwich a good 10 feet away from me as I hopped up to yell at Nicole. "NICOLE! I've told you a MILLION times! DON'T DO THAT!"

She was laughing really hard then. I glared as I waited for her to stop. When she finally did she said to me through teary eyes, "that gets me every time. Anyway, Brianna and Grace and them are over there."

She pointed with her finger to an opening with my friends in a circle. "Want to come and eat with us instead of reading in solitary confinement?"

"Sure, just a second. I have to go grab my SANDWICH and BUY a NEW DRINK." I put emphasis to tell her that it was her fault I was going to be a minute. But Nicole being Nicole... and knowing me far too well said, "Fine, fine, see you in a sec."



I ran into class and was just getting into my seat as the bell rang. "Please take a seat, Miss Browne, and join us in the Lotus pose."

"Yes, Mrs. Steinbeck." I was just entering my yoga class after lunch. I had gone and sat with my friends, and the whole lunch I had the satisfaction of seeing Ryan catching looks at me while he was with his friends. Now I looked around the room, and was surprised to see Brianna, but what surprised me more was when I saw she looked like she was actually meditating! Her eyes were closed, and she was taking deep calming breaths, sitting Indian style.

I was only surprised because I hadn't expected her to be taking this class of all classes. Brianna was a very high energy kind of person, and it was strange to see her so still and concentrating. Though, she hadn't told me what class she was taking this period, come to think of it. Looking around the room to see what everyone else was doing before sitting down cross legged, I tried to send questioning vibes to Brianna to make her eyes open.

To my extreme surprise, she did just that and looked at me with a look of utter curiosity and amazement. Shocked, I shook my head just to make sure she was really looking at me like that- like I had sent her some kind of waves with my mind. Covering up my feelings with a smile towards her, I then looked towards the front of the room where Mrs. Steinbeck was just telling us to take in deep breaths and make our backs as straight as a board.

***************
"WAIT!" He shouted, holding up his hands for extra emphasis, "She just did a level two telepathy! Maybe we don't need to do this anymore." He was feeling extremely guilty from having to watch his betrothed go through the painful fits that the group of Telepaths was doing trying to contact her from the Elvin world.

"What?” asked one of them incredulously.

"Yes, I just saw. I don't think she realized what she did, but she certainly just sent emotions from her soul to another; Level two telepathy."

Another harrumphed, obviously not believing him. "We all know that it causes you pain to watch a loved one go through the stages of calling, but it is necessary for her to transform."

He masked his face to look like a stone, trying to hide his hate for this ignorant fool. He was a young telepath- not over 60 years old. He himself was younger, only in his late teens, but was far wiser from his loss of family and private knowledge of the meanings of life from his master, Kunnan.

"I am not deluding you when I say she truly did what she did. Do you understand?" I was person of higher command in this situation, whether he wanted to recognize it or not.

After looking angry for a moment, he bowed and said in the elfin language, "Forgive me, sir. I have been mistaken." Erutan nodded his forgiveness and sighed as he paced the stuffy, earthy room. How he had wound up stuck in this small pit of a place in a place so lushly beautiful and full of green was still a mystery to him. The normal lives of elves were going on all above him, meditating, communicating with animals, doing daily house chores, and here he was, under ground and saddened by it. Then he looked in the pool again and remembered why he would put himself through this uncomfortable situation- her.

"You are excused from your duties for two days. I will remain here to keep watch over her until you are back. You may go."

The telepaths looked uncertainly at him, not worried about him being fatigued because elves have 10 times more strength and endurance than human’s, but worried about his emotional wellbeing. He had lost both of his parents, and with the war wreaking havoc, only three of the nine siblings were still alive.

As soon as they left, he slumped into his chair leaning back, relaxing himself from his mask that he often hid behind now, and wondered why she had suddenly decided to hang out with that slug of a guy, and was blushing around him even.

The thought that she might fancy someone made his emotions flare with anger, but he flattened them immediately, realizing she had no idea she was betrothed with an elf. He gazed into the seeing pool, where she was in an awkward position that looked slightly uncomfortable to be in and gave a short laugh thinking how some human customs were awfully strange.