Kori and Clara arrived at their homeroom class with Mr. Connelly, who directed them to their seats. Homeroom class progressed, but the incident at the bus stop repeated through Kori’s mind. So much so, that hearing Necro in her ear couldn’t deter it. He doesn’t seem very old. Maybe around my age? Is that where he lives, or if I imagine that place? After a lecture on school rules, dress code, he released them for their morning classes. Clara only shared Homeroom and P.E. with Kori, so they separated with plans to meet by the office for lunch.
Kori’s mind whirled as the hall erupted into a mass of commotion. Students shuffled in a single body through the hallway, sweeping Kori along with it. She exited the herd to find herself in the wrong hall for her next class. Pushing her way back along the steady flows of bodies, her mind wandered back to the shadow figure. So distracted, she bumped straight into a girl by a line of lockers. Kori apologized as she stumbled back. But before she saw who it was, they hurled her to the floor so hard her school bag went flying from her hand.
“Stop summoning demons and watch where the hell you’re going, Necro!” shouted a familiar voice.
Kori looked up and saw the main villain of her middle school years. Marie’s face, coated thick in makeup, sneered down at her. She flipped her smoothed brown hair with a snort.The pungent horror gripped Kori’s stomach in liquid fire. Memories of her two minions holding her down, of whom now stood beside her, flooded back. She remembered the delight in Marie’s eyes, the stench her bad breath while she hacked away Kori’s hair. The pull and ripping of the dull scissors still tugged at her scalp every time Marie showed her face.
It could have been worse. I could have lost control. The thought of saving herself then crossed her mind, but at what cost? Her mother finding out and knowing how strange her daughter is? Kori’s skin burned with ice when they held her. She pushed it down, deep within her, clearing her mind to everything but restraint. It’s just hair. Kori’s mother fumed over the attack. She insisted the school punish those responsible, but Kori said nothing about who did it. Marie left her alone for a while and then Clara came into her life. The incident ended soon enough, but Marie made it clear that she detested Kori’s presence.
“I bet her little black friend is here somewhere too,” one of the girls said.
“Ha!” said Marie. “Guess this school won’t suck as much as I’d thought.”
“You stay away from Clara!” Kori shouted.
“What are you going to do?” Marie mocked as she leaned down. “Curse us?”
“I don’t care what you do to me,” Kori said, her body shaking. “Don’t you lay a hand on Clara.”
Marie stood up with a snort. “At least we got your permission.” As they walked around to pass, she kicked Kori’s bag across the busy hallway. “Necro bitch!”
Kori tried to get up, but her shaking legs refused to respond. Whispers from onlookers surrounded her like a symphony of ridicule. Every inch of her body burned and trembled, evaporating her strength. She clenched her teeth, buried her emotions deep into the pit of her stomach. Their harshness clawed her throat and burned her eyes, but she succeeded.
Stand. Kori balanced on her shaky feet, but she lacked the strength. A large, outstretched hand appeared before her. A guy who crouched beside her, but she couldn’t see his face. The hood of his double zipper jacket he wore over his uniform covered it. Unsure of what else to do, she took his hand. His other arm gripped around her waist and pulled her up with little effort. He bent over to pick up her bag he rescued from the other side of the hall and handed it to her. She muttered a “Thank you” before he disappeared into the mass of spectators. Surprised by the strangers’ kindness, Kori found herself staring after him. Isn’t that the guy from the bus this morning? She stepped to walk after him, but the bell for the start of the next period rang.
***
The lunch bell rang at midday and Kori made her way over to the office to meet Clara, only to find that she wasn’t alone. Unaware of the extra company, Clara followed Kori’s catatonic gaze.
“Hey, Richard,” she said with casual flair. She nudged the bewildered Kori. “Long time no see! When did you get so tall?”
“Oh, this past summer,” he said, his voice full of pride.
Kori’s eyes grew to the size of saucers and her heart threatened to pound right out of her chest. His thin, yet built, figure towered over the two girls. Cut short on the sides, but long on top, his blond hair flowed to one side while his deep blue eyes shined in excitement. Words attempted to surface, but Kori’s voice caught in her throat. Her hands found her bag strap and they attempted to twist it to pieces.
“Still a bit shy, huh, Kori?” he said with a smile before turning back to Clara. “It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, it has. How’s it feel being a sophomore? Getting old now, huh?” Clara said.
Richard laughed, stepping closer to Clara. “You haven’t changed a bit!”
“Oh, did you join the baseball team this year?” Clara asked.
“Yeah.” Richard’s eyes lit up. “Coach Johnson is one of the best in the state. He started here last year so I transferred to be on his team.”
“Flirting with the freshman already, Rick?” said a passing boy, who hooked Richard around the neck.
“Oh, umm…Just some old friends,” he stammered, pushing him off.
“Yeah, right. Mr. Popular.” He rubbed Richard’s head, disheveling his perfectly swept hair.
“Dude, shut up!” Richard punched him on the arm in play before attempting to fix his hair.
Her knuckles white from the grip on her bag strap, Kori took a step closer . Be yourself. Just ask if he’s still pitching. Her heartbeat thudded throughout her body. She took a deep breath before allowing the rehearsed sentence to leave her lips, but her words fell on deaf ears.
The river of people stood in the hallway in silent, motionless suspension. Again? It’s never happened twice in the same day! Kori’s eyes darted around, searching for the shadow. Sure enough, he appeared on the other side of the hall. A guy stood beyond the river of people rather than an impression. His shaggy black hair seemed alive from an unfelt breeze. Yet, his young, tanned face creased with confusion at his new surroundings. He turned and their eyes locked in recognition. His black eyes shined in shock as his mouth moved to say something, but no words came to her ears.
Kori pushed through the throng of statues, but couldn’t get past them. Desperation took hold. “What are you?!” she shouted at him, too afraid to use a light sphere in a crowd, frozen or not. “Where do you come from?!” Also unable to push through, he reached out to her before he vanished from sight.
The barrier of bodies resumed their flow, knocking her around. Hands came from nowhere and pushed her from one stream of people to another. “Watch it!” and “Move Necro!” said voices from the crowd.
A strong hand pulled her clamoring from the chaos. “There you are, Kori,” Richard said. “Did you get caught up in the crowd? You just vanished.”
“I… uh…” she stuttered, unable to process what happened. Richard loomed over her, his eyes filled with worry while his hand held hers.
“Oh, did you see that person you were looking for?” Clara said, before pushing herself between the two. “They sure are hard to catch!”
“You’re looking for someone? Maybe I can help?” Richard asked, looking between the two.
Kori continued to stammer. Her heart hammered inside her, fueled by the influx of sensations she couldn’t control or name. That was him, right? I didn’t imagine that?
“You guys heading to the cafeteria for lunch?” Clara asked. She grabbed Kori’s arm and pulled her behind her.
“Oh, yeah. Did you want to join us?” Richard said. “There should be plenty of room at our table.”
“Sounds good.” Clara smiled. “We’ll catch up in a sec.”
“Let’s go Rick,” said the other boy while he eyed Kori with suspicion.
“See you there,” he said before turning and disappearing into the throng of students.
Clara turned to Kori and pulled her over to a vacant corner. “What was that?” she asked, fear clear in her face.
“I…” Kori struggled.
“Kori, you disappeared right in front of me.” Clara’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“I blinked and you were on the other side of the hallway.” Clara gestured with her hands. “Is it a new power?”
“Wait…But…” Her mind buzzed with a mix of questions, panic, and her memory of events. “I don’t think so. I can’t explain it. I recall every step. I saw him and tried to get to him. That’s all.”
“You saw him again?” Clara said, shocked. “Twice in one day? That’s never happened before, has it?”
“No…He was right there. He reached for me…” Kori stammered.
Clara hugged her and whispered in her ear. “We need to go or Richard will suspect something. We can talk about it later. Are you gonna be okay?”
Kori managed a nod. After a few minutes to collect herself, she let Clara lead the way to the cafeteria.
***
The smell of overcooked beef and bread hung in the air. They pushed open the double doors to the bustling lunch room. The freshman struggled to find places to sit. Many of them huddled in an unoccupied corner amid the levity. The girls made it to the sluggish food line while Kori kept her breathing calm. Her heart fluctuated and spasmed unchecked, making her dizzy. She grabbed a hold of Clara’s arm, feeling faint.
“Just breathe, Kori,” she said. “It’ll be okay.”
“I disappeared.” Kori’s voice seized with horror. “How is that okay?”
“It happened,” Clara whispered back. “There’s nothing we can do about it right now. Concentrate on what’s in front of you. And right now, it’s Richard.”
“He saw me.” Kori heaved. “What am I going to do?”
“I don’t think he noticed much. Calm down,” said Clara. “We’ll cover it with something.”
“He’s not simple. He’ll know we’re lying,” Kori said.
“Are you sure it wasn’t a new power?” Clara whispered.
“I’m sure,” Kori replied. “I didn’t use anything, unless…”
“Unless, what?”
“What if they’re manifesting on their own?” .
“Calm down, we can’t know that right now.” Clara grabbed her hand. “If you said you didn’t do anything, then it might be something more to do with him.”
“You’re right, you have to be,” Kori said. “The alternative is too much for me.”
“I am right.” Clara squeezed her hand. “Now try to eat something.”
A voice sprang from the crowd for their attention. Richard waved at them by a table full of other students. Clara nudged Kori out of her stupor before the line herded them past the offered food. After paying for a sandwich and a soda, she waited for Clara to finish only for Richard to confront her alone.
“Hey!” he said, jumping out from a passing group, causing Kori to almost drop her tray. “This place is so crowded that I figured an escort service would suffice.”
“Ah, yeah… Thanks,” Kori muttered, straightening her lunch. She gripped her shaking hands around the tray to steady them.
“Words! See! That wasn’t so hard!” His laugh echoed off the ceiling. “Ah, you got the tuna sandwich. That’s…brave.”
“Uh… well, uh… I….” Her mind blanked. Images of the Shadow flashed through her mind. Not a Shadow this time, he was here..
“Well, you’re coming along. Sentences next, okay?” he said. His eyes brightened when he looked up. “Hey, Clara!”
“Hey! Came to get us, huh? What a gentleman,” Clara said, trotting over.
“Precisely,” he said with a playful accent while bowing. “Ladies, do follow me,” he added while he gestured toward his table.
Fake laughing, Clara whispered into Kori’s ear. “I really don’t think he noticed much. You’re probably in the clear.”
Kori watched the tiles of the floor pass under her feet while she followed behind Clara. He reached for me, so he can see me too?
The others at the table made room without even stopping their conversation. One guy animated a story someone else told him earlier this morning. “And she was all like, What are you doing in my classroom!” the guy said while putting his hands on his hips that caused an uproar of laughter.
“Well, I heard-” started someone else. Kori only half listened. I disappeared. But how? Clara grabbed her hand and squeezed it under the table.
Lunch time neared its end, and the first bell rang before long. Everyone carried on with various conversations when Kori stood to take up her tray. So immersed in her thoughts, she almost missed the gentle touch on her arm for her attention.
“Clara and you should come by the baseball field after school on Friday,” Richard said. “I’m helping the coach with tryouts. You guys should come and watch.”
“Come and watch?” she repeated. Butterflies seemed to be having a battle amongst the sticky dread in her stomach.
“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his head. “You guys used to watch a lot when we were in middle school. So I thought it would be fun, you know, to have Clara and you there like old times.”
“Um… sure.” The dishware clattered on her tray from her shaking hands.
“Awesome! See you two there!” He made his way past her after rubbing her head.
Clara walked up on her way to take her tray when she found Kori’s lifeless form in the way. “Kori? You okay?” she asked while looking over at Richard’s retreating back. “Did he mention something about earlier?”
Kori blinked in disbelief. “I, uh… think he invited us to come watch the baseball tryouts on Friday.”
“Really?” A sly smile spread across her lips. “I told you he didn’t notice.”
***
As she curled up on her bed, the exhaustion of the day hung over her. Clara’s reassurances did little to subdue the chaos of her mind. Kori stared at the screen of her phone after their long conversation, still lost. Sighing, she rolled onto her back and lifted her hand up above her. With a push of the flow within her, she twisted her fingers and set forth several glowing balls to float above. She dropped her hand and watched them dance in the air. It doesn’t seem like I lost control. So he’s causing everything, I guess.
He appeared before her this morning on the street. I didn’t notice at all until it was too late. Even worse, the incident in the hallway far outweighed the morning. I remember every step, but Clara didn’t see me move. Could he be stopping time too or something?
Their eyes met and the intensity that radiated from him consumed her along with his striking features. Black, shaggy hair framed his dark, penetrating eyes and his strong jaw line shaped the curvature of his young face. His toned arm and large hand reached for her in the crowd. He saw me. Does he usually see me like I do him?
“Kori!” said a shout from the bottom of the stairs. The balls of light snuffed out into wisps of smoke and Kori sat up in alarm.
“Yes?!” Her voice trembled. Mom’s home late again.
“Come help with dinner!”
Kori pulled herself up and forced her legs to carry her down the steps to the kitchen. Onions, peppers and chicken littered the counter as her mother, Helen, dug through the spice cabinet. “Chop the peppers and onions for me, it’s already getting late.” Her usual ironed brown curls stood frazzled and her cinnamon eyes were dark with exhaustion.
“Yeah,” Kori replied. She pulled a knife from the block on the counter. I can’t tell mom about today. She’d freak. In her younger years, Kori talked about the things she saw not realizing that no one else could see them. Fearing what it all could mean, her mother panicked and forced Kori into an evaluation. I won’t do that to her again.
“Are you done, yet?” Helen urged. “The chicken is almost cooked through.”
“If you want me to become fingerless, I’ll hurry,” Kori answered, emotionless.
“Is something wrong?” Helen turned to face her. Concern creased her eyes.
“No. Nothing’s wrong.”
“You can talk to me, you know,” she pushed.
Can I really? The thought of having her mother know about that part of her troubles seemed so comforting. Would she really understand, though? Kori smiled. “It’s just… First day and all. No big deal.”
Helen grabbed the bowl of sliced vegetables. “Look Kori.” She paused. “My job is going to be hectic for a while. We’re merging with another banking company and there are too few people right now. I’ll be coming home late and will probably be leaving earlier than you. I know you just started high school, but I’m going to have to depend on you more than normal.”
“I figured something was going on.” Kori shook her head.
“Can I depend on you?” Her eyes glistened.
Kori swallowed her bubbling anxiety. “Yeah, Mom, I’ll try harder.”
“Good.” Helen smiled. “I’ll try to at least make it home for dinner as often as I can. I’d worry about what you were concocting on your own otherwise.”
Kori’s lack of skill in the kitchen more than justified her concern. “I can make enough stuff to survive,” she joked.
“I wouldn’t call microwave mac and cheese and sandwiches surviving.” Helen tossed the chicken and veggies in the pan along with a concoction of spices. A waft of spicy aromas permeated the kitchen. “Grab the tortillas, would you?”
“I’ll be fine,” Kori stated while she pulled the package out of the cabinet. “You want the salad from the fridge out too?”
“Yes. Might be the last time you actually eat any vegetables.”
“Give me a little credit,” Kori said. “I can put lettuce in my sandwiches.”
Kori and her mom sat down to eat their fajita dinner. Helen continued to explain about the new merger and more opportunities for everyone. Kori listened, glad to have anything to distract her. The conversation made her even more convinced of keeping her problems to herself. I won’t tell her. I can’t tell her.
