• Natalia

    Prologue

    I don’t know. She always seemed a bit different to me. I guess I should have noticed it a little earlier, but we can’t all spot a wasp among the bees the first time over. Well, maybe that’s a bit of a brutal comparison, but it’s the only one I could think of at the time that I started writing this. It’s in pen, so I can’t exactly change it, huh? In any case, I guess I’ll start talking about how my day went, and hopefully my brother doesn’t come and read this later on; I’d hate for him to think his older sister is a nut job, writing crazy stuff in her diary.

    I woke up as I did, every morning, and my arms pulled me from bed, much to my leg’s displeasure, and moved to turn off that annoying buzzing sound coming from my alarm clock. I’d contemplated throwing it from now on, but I don’t think my mother would appreciate it, especially if a hole appeared in the wall over time.
    I made my way downstairs, and noticed the clock on the wall was ten minutes behind, and I chastised myself for having not set mine properly for those heavenly ten extra minutes in bed. My father, looking up after hearing my entering through our squeaky kitchen door, smiled to me, and offered me a piece of half eaten toast. How lovely.
    “No thanks, dad, I’m good. I’ll eat some of the school food. I’m sure it’s much less toxic.”
    He laughed and nodded, “Whatever you say, don’t expect me to pick up your body from the school when the food bursts from your stomach.”
    Always with the stupid movie references. He was making a quote towards the movie ‘Alien’, but I gave him points for creativity.
    After another uneventful morning, I grabbed my stuff, spent the usual 10 minutes on my hair alone, and decided to forsake brushing my teeth today, though I knew I would regret it later. Thank god for Tic-Tacs.
    Allie met me at the bus stop, but I noticed her attention wasn’t on me, but down the road in front of her.
    When I came within no-one-else-can-hear-us range, I whispered, “Hey, Allie… ummm… What are you looking at?”
    She gave me a glance, and said, “Hello to you, too, Monica… And if you must know, just take a look down 5th street.” She pointed down the said road, which I later found tactless seeing that she was spying on a girl who could easily see us.
    I squinted my eyes, then reached into my bag for my glasses case, breathed on them, wiped them off, and put them on.
    Just down the street, a girl with black hair and just short of divine looking skin was making her way quietly down the road. She had a really fast gait, and I wasn’t sure how I should judge her. Too much of everything in the girl: She was holding a messenger bag, and it had a lot of books in it. What made me mad about that was that she didn’t need glasses, and therefore, didn’t look like the typical nerdy girl in the least. As much as I found her odd, I found her enticing as well, and wondered what my chances were with her. Allie punched my shoulder.
    “Oh come on! She’s new to the school and you’re already checking her out! And you call ME tactless!”
    “Oh come on!” I said, purposely mimicking her, “What’s the harm in checking out a nice looking girl?”
    “Well, who knows how she is?” she said, making a very good point, “And do you honestly think she runs your way as it is?” I pushed out my lower lip in a sad face, and she laughed. I always get her with that. I straightened back up, and looked back at the girl, who caught me off guard by already being across the street. It wasn’t a busy morning, maybe a car or two had passed on my walk to the stop, but she still refused to cross the street to where we were.
    “Ahhhh…” I said, realizing she was one of the shy types. I opened my phone, and, seeing we still had at least ten minutes before the bus showed up, snapped it shut, and started to cross the road to meet our new addition to the neighborhood.
    Allie grabbed my arm and whispered hurriedly in my ear, “What are you doing?! You don’t need to be picking on new girls, at least not this early in the morning!”
    I rolled my eyes at her, and slipped my arm from her grip. She never could keep hold of me.
    “I’m not picking on her... I’m just checking out a new face. No biggie, kay?”
    I made my way across the street, and noticed the moment I got onto the sidewalk, she seized up and kept her head facing down. I smirked. Oh yeah, this girl was shy, nervous, or afraid. Good. Newbies need to fear me. I raised a hand to my hair, and flicked it from my face, seeing as how it never chose to obey its styling.
    “Hey,” I said, and when she didn’t respond, I said it louder, “Hey! I’m talking to you!”
    With great satisfaction, I noticed her look up a little, but slowly, definitely nervous. With a bit of effort, I checked her eyes, and was instantly thrown off. This dark-haired, warm skinned girl had gold colored eyes. Definitely out of left field. It took me a moment to regain my poise, but after a few seconds, I was back to myself.
    “So, I haven’t seen you around here before,” I said in a rather loud voice, knowing no one but Allie could hear me anyways, “You new?” No answer. “Hey! Can’t you talk? Something in yo-” I stopped midsentence, and spun around, looking wildly, shaking. There was no way I imagined that. Something had just growled, and it was nearby.
    My first thoughts were that the neighbor’s dog had escaped again. It’s the reason my family doesn’t have one. When I was younger, their dog got out and chased me down the block, and managed to get my leg. I’ve hated dogs ever since.
    But as I looked around, I began to realize that there was no one but me, Allie, and New Girl. Definitely strange. I think I use that word too much. Anyways, back to the story.
    Once I was sure there were no slobbering mastiffs about to attack me, I turned to my prey. She was looking straight at the ground again, and I had to lower my own head to get a proper view of her face.
    “Ok, c’mon. Why don’t you tell me your name? Or was it you who was growling?” Still no answer, but I jumped when she started walking towards me, then I noted that the bus was approaching our stop, and New Girl went to stand next to Allie, showing just as much, if not a little less, nervousness and regard for Allie. I was about to cross the street when the driver honked the bus horn at me, telling me to stay there until he gave the signal. Idiotic regulations. After I crossed, I got on the bus and looked for Allie. She was in our usual spot, and I went and sat next to her, scanning the area for New Girl. Much to my amazement, she was sitting up front with the nerdy kids and the middle schoolers. I shook my head, as did Allie. When I looked at her for it, she shrugged.
    “I don’t know what it is about her, but I would leave her alone, you know? Something seems a bit off about her.”
    I ignored Allie, and watched New Girl’s black hair flow about, even though all the windows on the bus were closed. THAT was odd, for sure. There was no way that should be happening, unless she had a special effects fan, which I supremely doubted. I looked to Allie.
    “She has gold eyes. Did you notice that?”
    Allie gave me a sideways glance, one of those ‘oh really?’ looks.
    “Yeah, seriously! It’s so weird, but I must find out more about her. Too interesting of a specimen to pass up, I-M-H-O.”
    “Monica, can you please speak properly when you are talking to me? I hate it when you use text speech. Just say, ‘In my honest opinion.’”
    Using my incredible powers of ignoring again, I turned away from the statement, again watching New Girl. I would figure out why her hair fluttered, and why no one else seemed to notice. I guess it was too subtle, but it was definitely happening. I had to figure out more about this girl!

    The bus let us off at the high school. If there is one thing I love about school, it’s our school’s name: Porsche High School. Totally sick. What makes it even more awesome is that the school was built before the car came out. But I digress from the real story. After stepping off the bus, I looked around for New Girl. I needed to at least learn her name, so I could stop calling her New Girl in my head. I spotted her across the school lawn, just about to step off the grass. I started to run after her, when I felt something in my stomach drop.
    She turned around.
    She was looking back.
    Looking back… at me.
    I stopped where I was, and just looked back, and I felt as though those golden eyes were piercing into my soul. I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t look away. Her expression was calm, for a moment, before her mouth opened slightly, and she took a breath and ducked under the cover of one of the walls that housed the doors. I saw the door open slightly from my point of view, then vanish from sight once more.
    I remained rooted to the spot, until Allie came up behind me, and took my shoulder, giving me a slight shake.
    “Monica? What’s up? You were running after that girl and then just stopped.”
    I shook my head. “I don’t know,” I said, feeling suddenly dizzy, “It’s nothing though, c’mon, I want to get some of the doughnuts before the fat kids get them all.”
    Allie laughed, and followed after me as we went up the steps that New Girl had gone up to get to the double doors into the school.
    I was greeted in the hall by the usual entourage that believed I was their friend. It was convenient, really, because I wouldn’t do a thing for them, but they did anything I asked them. I love fans. I noticed one of my admirers left me some flowers at my locker. I usually gave them to my mom when I got home and told her they were in front of the house from dad to her. It helped their relationship, because dad just went along with it. Everybody’s happy, especially when they leave me some chocolate.
    We got into the lunch room, and lo and behold, there she was, sitting at a table all by herself. Her back was to me, so I didn’t see what she was eating, and I figured I’d find out when I passed her.
    “No doughnuts?! Are you kidding me?”
    “You guys are supposed to have them today!”
    “What’s the deal? Lunch ladies decide they wanted to get fatter?”
    I flicked my hair in annoyance. Seems like the hypocritical fat kids were ragging on the lunch ladies for no doughnuts. But that in itself was strange. Normally the fat kids were there before anyone (ha ha, I know, right?), but it seemed today, someone had beat them to it. I grabbed a Sobe and a bran muffin, and went off to find New Girl. When I found her table again, I noticed some more people were there, and they seemed to be giving her a hard time. I had to see what was causing this outbreak.
    I walked up to her table, and much to my surprise, saw her trying to hide the dozen doughnuts she had picked up from the breakfast line. The kids were ragging on her for taking so many, and a lot of them were trying to reach in and grab them. However, they always stopped short, because she would look at each one who tried, like she had looked at me. Only more fierce. Finally, they all backed off, but they were glaring at her from surrounding tables. She was ignoring them, and eating every doughnut as though she hadn’t been fed in weeks. I wondered if she was bulimic, because she was so skinny, but got a lot of food.
    I decided to drop the apprehension from earlier, and sat down at her table. She looked at me for half a second, then, seeing who it was, instantly turned back towards her food, avoiding my gaze. I didn’t know if I should be afraid of her, or if she was afraid of me. She wasn’t afraid of a group of kids, but she’s afraid of some girl with white hair and green eyes? Well, maybe the white hair was a little offsetting. I liked it that color, ever since it changed to it after my fourth year in school. Everyone would tease me and tell me I grew old, but I liked it.
    Finally, I got the balls (so to speak), and said, “So… What’s your name? I didn’t catch it earlier.”
    “I didn’t give it.”
    I was startled that she spoke so readily, but her voice was gentle, but assertive. Still shaky, but at least she was talking.
    “Well… uh… Yea, you know? I just wanted to get your name. Mine’s Monica, if that breaks the ice at all?”
    New Girl stayed silent for a while, then gave me a doughnut, one of the cream filled ones.
    “I’m… well… My parents never gave me a name…”
    If nothing else, this threw me off the most. The girl without a name. I wonder how she was registered in the school. I guess I’d find out later when they called her name in class. Still, her parents never gave her a name? What kind of parents were they? I voiced my wonderings out loud.
    She took a moment to respond, then shook her head, “As far as I knew, my parents didn’t want me. They left me at an orphanage, and they didn’t even leave a note, short of a piece of paper that said ‘We don’t need a demon child in our life.’” She went silent after that, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt at the way I treated her earlier. But curiosity racked my mind, and I wanted to ask more, but I knew that was something probably not easily relinquished.
    I jumped as the bell rang, and realized that breakfast was over. New Girl got up immediately, gathered her belongings, and a few doughnuts, and left for her first class. Or the office. Whichever she needed to hit first. I wondered if I had any classes with her, how old she was, or why she needed so much food, though I suspected that what I thought earlier might be the case.
    I stopped at the cola machine on my way to Science, then dropped in my seat next to Greg and Tanya, the two people who loved to talk across me, sharing in information I would rather not know about.
    The late bell rang and the teacher had us get into our seats ‘immediately.’ Everyone is always sitting already, but our teacher is near blind, so it’s a bit difficult for him to grasp the concept when kids are all yammering on after the bell rings. After having us work on a warm up assignment, he was about to have us open our books to the elements page, when the door opened.
    If you can’t guess by now who walked through that door, then I must not have been making a very good impression on you. Yes, it was her… New Girl. Maybe now, I’d get a name.
    After greeting the teacher, who smiled warmly, looking over New Girl’s head obliviously, and turned to the class.
    “Students! We have a new student! Try to make them comfortable here! Her name’s Monica!”
    Monica? But that’s my name. She looked around for a seat at the teachers suggestion, then, spotting me, came and looked for a seat nearby, despite the presence of the blabbermouths. However, when Greg noticed her, he got up and left. He was one of the people who chewed her out for the doughnuts. I guess he wanted nothing to do with her. But it freed up a seat for me, and it made my right less claustrophobic because Greg’s friend followed suit. She sat down next to me, and I looked at her sideways.
    “Monica?” I asked, “I thought you didn’t have a name.”
    She was quiet for a moment, then said, “It’s not my name. I just don’t want to say the name I have for myself out loud to people I don’t trust. I thought of the first other name that popped into my head, and that was yours…”
    “Well, I’m flattered… but-”
    “Miss Poe!” said Mr. Blinman (funny right?), making me jump, “Think you can silence the noise hole for a moment? Thank you.”
    The class always snickered at that, and Blinman could never figure out why. But never-the-less, I kept my peace, and waited for a moment when I could speak with her again.
    Turns out, Mr. Blinman was on a role today, and we spent the entire period taking notes on the elements and their properties. Which I found incredible for a fifty minute class. When class was over, a walked out into the hall with ‘Monica’ and felt rather jealous when one of the other classmates came out and complimented her on her knowledge of the elements. I always worked hard, but I guess being the New Girl, people wouldn’t expect it.
    I walked with her to her second period class, which wasn’t mine. She was taking Latin. I’d never even considered the class, but Allie had. She waved at me from her desk, then stopped when she saw who I was with. She went silent as ‘Monica’ went and sat down beside her. She looked to me awkwardly, then turned towards the front as the teacher turned on the overhead. ‘Monica’ glanced at me, too, before I made my way over to Algebra 2 with Miss Harpy.
    I didn’t see her for another two periods, finding them as dull and unattractive as anything. When fourth period ended, kids started moving down the halls towards their lockers, the parking lot, or the lunch room. I usually just stuck around at school, but I noticed ‘Monica’ heading outside. Allie waved at me from the lunchroom doors down the hallway, but I waved back and headed outside, instead of following her to waste disposal, aka lunch.
    I don’t know if she knew I was following her, but I felt that I should go after her anyways. She crossed the lawn, and headed for the east side of the school. This confused me even more, because I knew that town was to the west, and that the forest was in our current route. I wondered what business she had out there. My mind began making up many stories, from drug dealer, to serial killer, to furry, to hippy. I guess I’d find out, wouldn’t I?
    I made my way after her, when she stopped at the edge of the forest, her feet on the pine needle infested grass. She looked back at me, and gave me a slight smile, the first I’d ever seen her make. Now I was really curious. I wondered what was in store for me, and I became a bit worried, but I guess you learn nothing from doubt. I walked up beside her. We stood there for a moment.
    So, ummm…” I started, “What exactly are we-” She closed her eyes and walked into the forest, which that in itself I found strange. I walked in after her, trying to keep up with her longer, more relaxed stride. The brambles of the forest weren’t very thick, though, thankfully, and my legs didn’t suffer too badly from the thorn bushes.
    We walked for what felt like an hour, which worried me because lunch was only an hour long, but I assured myself that it was just because nothing was changing. My god, was I wrong.
    It was getting darker and darker as the trees became thicker and fuller. I stepped on something not foresty and looked down. I saw a shoe, and even more surprising, it was hers. I saw her other shoe just a little further ahead, and then felt my stomach tighten when I saw her shirt and pants a little further down.
    Ok, what the hell is going on. That was exactly what I was thinking to myself when I saw her clothes on the ground. But I realized, she probably wasn’t stark naked, and I looked ahead, and didn’t see a bra or panties… yet. I had to hope for my sake she wasn’t a nudist.
    When I finally caught up with her, I felt my stomach clench again, realizing that what I had before me was a butt naked girl, whom earlier I had felt an attraction to. Maybe she could read minds and knew what I was thinking at the bus stop. But she didn’t seem like she was doing anything sexual at all. She was just standing there, her black her flowing in a nonexistent breeze. She had her eyes closed, and was taking deep breathes, and letting them out slowly. It made me think instantly of hippy. Probably one of their spiritual things. I figured I would might as well see what would happen next, and watched silently. After a while, she turned around, bosom’s exposed, which made me blush, and she said, “Why are you still clothed?”
    I had a hard time believing she had asked that.
    “Ummm.. let’s see… because I don’t have the slightest clue what’s going on, and unlike you, I don’t get undressed in front of people I just met.”
    She smiled softly, and I felt uncomfortable.
    “I seem undressed to you?”
    What? What was that supposed to mean? Of course she was undressed; I stepped over her pants for pete’s sake. But she just closed her eyes, and I felt a strange sensation run through me. I watched her for a moment, then stepped back, as I saw her skin shift slightly.
    Ok, we just stepped over the border. What the hell was going on?
    I kept watching, and her skin slowly changed in texture, and her body was shifting slightly. I peered and wished I had had my glasses with me, but it couldn’t be helped. I tried to see what was happening, when I heard a sound behind us.
    “Monica! Monica, where are you?”
    It was Allie. Damn it all. I looked back at ‘Monica’, but she had already changed back. But I saw a white-gold flake of something fall to the ground, and she stooped over to pick it up. She handed it to me, smiling to me, and making me feel uncomfortable again. I looked at it, and had to look closer to confirm what I had seen.
    I was a white-gold scale…
    I looked back up to her, but she was already half dressed, smiling awkwardly at me.
    “Thanks for gathering my clothes for me…”
    I felt nonplussed. “Yeah… no problem.”
    Just as ‘Monica’ finished dressing, Allie poked her head out through the trees. She gave us both a strange look, before looking back to me.
    “Ummm.. what are you guys doing out here?”
    I searched my mind frantically for an answer, then said, huffy-like, “She was just taking me for a walk, I guess, not like some big secret!”
    Allie rolled her eyes, and looked at me with that, ‘Yeah, uh-huh’ look. “Well, you guys need to hurry up and get back to school. We still have enough time to get back.” She pulled back out, and I could hear her walking back towards the school. I looked back at ‘Monica’ but she was right in front of me. I took a step back (personal bubble) and gave her a sideways look.
    She grabbed her belongings, and started to head out of the woods, but came up to me first, and whispered in my ear.
    “Natalia, but you can call me, Lia.”
    I stood there by myself for a few moments, then shook myself free of the spell I felt under, and walked back to the school feeling as though in a dream.