I lean against the row of lockers, staring ahead, my eyes averting from Rye. My presence is noted, I notice even with his locker door separating our faces, with a breathy chuckle. I recall his schedule, and it clicks; fourth period Gym.
"You need anything, birthday girl?"
I smirk and hang my head, tucking my hands into my pockets.
"Nice wishes, Rye, though I feel it could be a bit warmer."
His locker slams shut with the bang of metal against metal, I cross my arms and we make eye contact. He's still in his gym clothes, a jersey and shorts. The commotion from his locker sets several eyes diverting from whatever task they were handling to his muscled body, sheen with sweat.
My boyfriend? Don't be stupid.
Rye and I are best friends, which is amazing, considering our differences and social groups. Rye plays the typical, hot, popular guy (are you rolling your eyes yet?) while I, on the other hand... well, relatively known, you could say, but I keep myself from people. I'd describe myself as "kept to herself", but Rye likes to go with "the girl that would rather you to piss off".
I suppose he's not wrong.
"So, what's up?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. "If you're asking me for a Starbucks trip, I told you-"
"The teacher want to grant us extra credit," I cut him off with a lowered voice, ducking my head. Annoyanceflickers across his expression as the code sinks in. With a roll of his eyes, he runs a hand through his honey-brown hair.527Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12I82t2DuR
"Today of all days, huh?" he says after a deep sigh, a small smile making its way to his lips. "Don't be bummed, Ria. I'll get you that Starbucks cup after the mission."
"You mean project?" I hiss quickly. "Honestly, Rye-"
He rolls his eyes. "No one's listening, Ria. Come on, let's go."527Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qiBmZGbRP
We approach the science lab, me constantly looking over my shoulder while Rye couldn't give a damn. The halls were empty, yes, but one could never be too sure, especially with people like us.527Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiqnoiOgGv
Rye pulls out the familiar silver key from his pocket, and opens the lab with ease, not an ounce of pressure on his shoulders. I nudge him in anxiously, and I follow him suit. I spare the room no second glances. The abandoned classroom was always the same, its shelves stripped of its containers of substances, bare and dusty, and the few apparatus that lingered even after the new labs were built across the school compound. Rye and I instantly head for the back door of the lab, its handle the only thing in the lone lab that wasn't coated in several layers of dust - other than the fully functional electronic device that hung on the wall beside the door, level to my chest.527Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iCT7vitap
The strange mechanism was coal in regards to colour, rectangular in shape, the size of my palm. No other detail could be noted, until I stepped forward, and my presence lit it up with a blue glow.
The light emitted only from the edges of the instrument, outlining its shape. I bent slightly, aligning my eye in the middle of the device, and a low hum escaped from it as it approved of my presence. The seemingly old-fashioned door clicked, but we wouldn't dare go through it together. The last time we did - well, let's say Rye never liked hospitals in the first place.
And through that particular incident, we learnt that both of our eyes had to be scanned. Rye copied my actions, and we opened the door and stepped through it together.
What should be there, to a normal person's expectations, would be the safety showers. Instead, we were greeted by the sight of the completely ordinary white room.
What? You were expecting some weird sci-fi business, fancy holographic computers and all that? Nah, man. We may be mysterious to you right now, all cool and hiding secrets and stuff, but, like, we're broke. We got no money for those. Anyway.
The white walls were heavily contrasted my the tall man that leaned against one of them. He wore a black t-shirt with blue ripped jeans, his dark eyes readily trained on us, as if he'd been staring at the door for a full three hours.
"Hello, children," he mocked with a smile. He was three years older than us, really. "And happy birthday to you, Ria."
"Hey Aaron," I reply with a grin. "Thanks."
"So what's the mission, druggie?" Rye asks casually. Aaron scrunches his nose at the old nickname. Really, when we first met in front of that burning building, it was the first name that came to Aaron's mind, due to his crazed look, pretending to be a homeless person. In Rye's defense, when a building is burning and you're a thirteen-year-old boy with only a thirteen-year-old girl at your side, being the only people able to stop the fire, not many good names could come to mind. Needless to say, the nickname stuck.
That's right. You met your best friends while playing in the playground? I met mine while choking in the soot from a fire, and the other was dressed like a weed smoker. Epic, right?
Aaron ignores the old title, and answers.
"No mission, airhead, just needed to talk to both of you."527Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtndCyUfpcN
Rye and I glance at each other, confusion evident on both of our faces, practically mirroring each others. I look back at Aaron.
"Well, we're here." I prod him with my words. "Go on."
Aaron wastes no time getting to the point. "Your aura, as in, both of your individual auras, are getting stronger."
I stiffen. Our usual auras get us in enough trouble. I nearly lost my hand once because of them. If they're getting stronger, we'd probably not even live to the age of eighteen. Aaron continues.
"Well, Rye's one already has started growing more comfortable since he's already fourteen. Now, with Ria finally hitting that agemark, both of you are really going to be in deep crap. I would've explained this to Rye before, but since you guys are mere months apart, I waited until your birthday, Ria.527Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJE1ESzvKkS
"Biologically, our bodies - as in us, you know what I mean - change three times within the course of a lifetime. Three stages: Ena, Dio, Tria."
"One, two, three in Greek," I say numbly, and Aaron nods impatiently.
"Yes, yes. Dio and Tria are minor changes, but Ena is the most important change for us. Our auras get stronger, our bodies get stronger, and most importantly, our little trick gets more powerful - and uncontrollable, aligning with our emotions."
"Uncontrollable?" Rye echoes in question.
"Yes. Have you felt more angry or frustrated, Rye, for no reason in particular?"
Rye looked at me in confusion while I raised an eyebrow. Rye and I always had our usual petty fights, but no doubt in last few months Rye's anger had been fueling. It would usually be me who stepped into what could've been a full blown fight between him and some guy we've never talked to. His 'good boy' reputation had slowly inched downhill. Aaron turned to me without needing a response.
"Ria? Have you felt like ignoring people? Well - more than usual?"
I shift uncomfortably. "I guess? I don't really know..."
Aaron nodded thoughtfully. "Understandable, since Ena has started only today... soon enough, though. I wanted to tell you both to be careful, and keep your emotions in check."527Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSeLJIrpAT
I clear my throat. "Aaron... whatever you're describing... basically sounds like puberty. You sure you have your facts right?"
Rye snickers.
"Positive. I mean, I'm seventeen, I know I'm still young for our kind, but my Biological Studies pretty much explained it all. Something about our normal sides have to correlate and suit our weird sides and all that stuff, how it affects the muscles and organs, blah blah blah, I'll let you know once I pass the class," he flashes a smirk.527Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPYAqWAUqJ
"So basically, what you're saying is, my first birthday present is the feeling of isolation and more uncontrollable powers," I sum up bluntly.527Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCpkKSTvdj
"Our lives are amazing," Rye snorts.
I sigh and slump against the snow-white wall. I chuckle to myself, making the two boys look at me questioningly, to which I ignore. Ironic.
Ignorant. Cold.
I sink to the floor and pull up me knees, a hand resting on each. Raising my right hand, I stare intently at my fingertips. My eyes trace the pattern of my skin, every curve and turn, the colour of my skin. No one ever notices the peculiar thing about them, save for Aaron, Rye and me. If you just squint hard enough, you'd see the faintest baby blue layer under the fleshy colour.527Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJq40yE9aDn
I concentrate, and there, they blossom like flowers in the spring, so natural, seeming so innocent.
Snow-white.527Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7m2uubXdc
The white snowflakes dance across my fingertips, a curse and blessing gifted by Mother Nature.
Happy birthday to me, I guess.527Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzRCOdHCFz
A/N Happy birthday, Ria! I truthfully do not know you well enough, because I'm am very rarely on Penana, and I still have many books and writers to explore, but still, warm wishes to you for a beautiful life full of wonderful experiences :) <3527Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsvdrzY1me
