The First Symptom

I rushed to my next class, panting as I grabbed a seat in the back of the room. What had just happened? No, I didn't care what had just happened. I slid my book out of my backpack and began reading again to hopefully banish any thoughts of those two.

It was impossible. The dream, at least I'd convinced myself it was a dream, from last night had just replayed itself in front of me in the exact same voices of the intruders in my room. But...if someone had been in my room, what was the green light? I froze. That's where I had seen the color of Blaze's eyes before--the green light in my room was exactly the same. What the hell? Pondering every possibility, I finally settled on the only one that seemed plausible: I was psychic. That was the only explanation because people were always saying how dreams are like foretelling what's to come. Oh my God! I was going crazy!

Blaze and Amara walked into the classroom. I glared at them only I don't know why. Maybe they had been in my room last night, and that green light was some...hypnotizing thing to get me to pass out, and now they were trying to do something to me. Suddenly, I laughed aloud. Some people around me looked back to see what I was laughing at, and fortunately, I still had my book open. What was I thinking? They're high school students for heaven's sake. I read way too much and was definitely over thinking this.

Blaze sat in front of me again, and he gave a smile that would make any girl melt instantly. He flipped a long strand of hair over his shoulder and pulled the dark brown silk into a ponytail.

"Hey," he said, smiling as he held out a hand to me. "I'm Blaze Karsh."

I know, I thought sullenly, unable to form the words. Instead, I said, "Danyka Sword," and shook his hand politely.

His hand was amazingly warm and tan. I felt a warm blush creep into my cheeks at his touch, jerking my hand away for fear that was the reason. He laughed. I wondered at what and turned to see him still staring at me. Of course it was me. Who else? 

"Are you Italian?" I blurted without reason.

Again, he laughed. "Yes, why do you ask?"

"Well..." I began, "your dark hair and really tan skin was a pretty good give away, but your emerald eyes don't fit the description so I had to ask."

"Then what are your origins, Dani?" Blaze asked.

I barely registered the question for all I heard was the name he'd used. "What?"

"I said 'What are your origins'?"

"No, I heard that," I said somewhat angrily. "But what did you call me?"

"Dani..."

I took a deep breath. There was no reason this should anger me so much. Blaze had no idea that I had a brother who'd gone away to college and hadn't been home in two years and who was also the only one who ever called me Dani. "Please don't call me that," I commanded as calmly as possible through clenched teeth.

"Why not Dani?"

I tightened my fists under the desk, unsure of the reasons behind the anger surging in me.

(Note: I realize this doesn't seem to go anywhere, but I do have a reason that I will get to in future posts, if not the next one.)

De Ja Vu

In the quiet classroom, I sat in the back corner and flipped through the pages of a book as I waited for class to start. Every day, I would come in early to avoid the crowds of students and to read before the din of voices filled the room. My classmates learned early on that if I had a book on my desk, I was not to be disturbed.

Only today, that rule was violated. I had just finished chapter 16 when a hand tapped my shoulder.

"Hello," said a female voice I swore I recognized, but it belonged to a face I did not.

Trying not to glare at the girl staring down at me with amethyst eyes, I said shortly, "Hi." Then I attempted to revert my attention back to the book.

Of course, she would not have this. "What are you reading?" she asked before sliding gracefully into the desk beside me, flipping a strand of long platinum hair over her shoulder.

I sighed, "It's nothing," and marked my page with a bookmark, finally resigned to talking with this new girl. She held a permanent smile on her face as she watched me place my book carefully in my bag and return my attention to her.

"Um...okay." She looked like she had more to say but kept her mouth shut, biting her lip until the words finally burst from her. "I'm Amara Phalen. I'm new here." She thrust a hand towards me.

I shook it slowly. "Danyka Sword," I told her.

Amara shook my hand with enthusiasm. "Nice to meet you Danyka! I'm sure we're going to be good friends." Her smile widened.

I found myself smiling easily with her. With that attitude, how could I not? Soon after this, however, the rest of the class began to file in, and Amara let me return to my book while she introduced herself to more people. I quickly became immersed in the story again as the noise around me increased. It wasn't until it quieted again that I put the book back in my bag to replace it with a notebook as Mr. Johnson, the math teacher, had finally arrived to start class.

The final morning bell rang as he wrote the day's date on the board, and not ten seconds later, another new student burst through the door, slightly out of breath, but looking like he didn't really care that he was late.

"You must be..." Mr. Johnson began, glancing at his class list, "Blaze Karsh, yes?"

The boy flashed a grin. "Yes, Sir."

"Well, Mr. Karsh, since you're already standing, why don't you introduce yourself to the class, and I'll forget to mark you tardy."

Blaze turned to address the class with an arrogant smirk. "Hey," he said, saluting with his right hand. "I'm Blaze." He then went to find a seat as the class laughed at his abrupt introduction and at the blank expression from our teacher.

Blaze's eyes met mine briefly when he sat in the empty desk in front of me. I froze. They were emerald green. I recognized the color, but the memory was fuzzy. I spend the rest of the class considering where I'd seen it before--and why it bothered me that I couldn't remember.

When the bell tolled the end of class, in a hurry to get out, Blaze and Amara collided, their books spilling onto the floor.

"Look what you did!" Amara exclaimed.

"Look what I did?" Blaze said. "You knocked it over!"

My own books fell from my grasp. The two looked at me in confusion as the feeling of de ja vu intensified at their words.

The Dream

Half awake, I vaguely registered the sound of books crashing to the floor. I thought I was just dreaming so I rolled over and tried to fall back asleep. Whispers from across the room prevented any sleep though so I sat up to request that they shut up and let me sleep, but as I was about to take a breath, the whispers became louder.

"Look what you did!" a voice hissed. It sounded female.

"Look what I did?" said another voice, deep and clearly male. "You knocked them over."

"I did not!" the female said. "It's your fault. You fix it!"

The male sighed heavily, and suddenly my room was filled with a bright, green light through which I made out two blurred outlines of the people talking. I was unable to see their faces before sleep overwhelmed me at last.