A Haunt of Ancient Peace

It wasn't as the girl thought.
Amid the flashing lights and pulsing, familiar music, her eyes stared, again, across the room. Only to stay fixed on that one spot. On him.
Again, she was abandoned. But she wouldn't be for long. Before she knew it, she had pushed her chair away from herself and pulled herself out of it. She realized that as she slowly paced to them that this was going exactly opposite as planned. It was exactly the opposite thing she was hoping for; the one action she never expected herself to make. But she knew this dance. She wouldn't miss this opportunity.
She stared past the one she had been looking at to another. "Come on!" she said enthusiastically, with a wide grin. "Let's dance!" At least this wasn't so akward.
Then her eyes averted to the boy of which gave purpose to her journey. "Come on", she urged, now obviously inviting him as well. All three progressed to the dancefloor.
It wasn't as she'd hoped. But that was okay; somehow she didn't expect it. He lingered around her for a time, but gradually left her with the one who wouldn't stop stepping on her toes. She teased him anyway, though, in all of her pain. She couldn't quite remember all the steps, and made some mistakes. But it was a step up. Maybe.
She smiled lightly at the irony of that.
Her own steps were a bit clumsy and akward, but she supposed it was better than none at all.
It wasn't as she promised herself it would go. Somehow she knew it wouldn't happen that way, anyway. Maybe that was what drove her to do what she did.
Anyway, she was content. For now, at least.
---
"Gilbert took the offered hand eagerly."

Adanic: Chapter 9

I was extremely careful with the mystic fire topaz ring. I no longer kept it in my hand for fear of dropping it. It sat on my right ring finger now, as Topaz had intended it to, with my hand in a tight fist clenched protectively around it. I knew that I couldn’t let my guard down with such a valuable object in my trust.
I, again, didn’t have to pay much attention in French that day, so I kept my mind plainly open to other things, mostly including Topaz and the ring. It seemed that the more information I got, the more confused I became.
Lab Bio fourth period came shortly. I found Courtney and sat beside her.
“Wow, you look so different!” Courtney pointed out with a bright smile. “Did you dye your hair?”
I sighed. I had already gotten this question so many times today. “No. I woke up with it. It has to do with Topaz, apparently. But I don’t know if I believe her”.
“Why?”
“She claims I’m not human”.
Courtney laughed. I could see that by the way I said it, it really sounded like a joke, but I kept my face serious. “I’m not kidding. She’s says I’m half Adanic or something like that”.
Courtney stopped laughing. “Is she crazy or something?”
I briefly gave her a summary of everything that happened from after when she left us at lunch the previous day. When I finished, she sat wide-eyed and speechless for a long time.
Finally, she said, “April, I think she really is crazy. You’re one of the most human people I know”.
“I know, but it all makes sense”, I said, and stood up. “I mean look at me. I’m five feet tall, and I was five two yesterday. I didn’t dye or curl my hair and I’m not wearing contacts. I didn’t do anything last night”.
“Are you sure Sally or Will didn’t pour radioactive fluid down your back while you were sleeping?”
“Positive”, I said.
Courtney blinked, unconvinced, and then asked, “Did you have another dream about her last night?”
“No, not of Topaz”, I said. I thought for a second and then asked, “What do janitors mean?”
Just then Topaz walked in. She glided over to her desk and smiled politely to both of us. She turned her head to look at me. “How’s it working for you?” she asked, holding up the hand with the sparkling pink Topaz that matched her eyes.
“Um, good, I guess”, I stuttered.
Courtney understood after a second. “She has one too?”
“There’s a whole race of them on Pluto, Courtney”
Class started then, but my mind was elsewhere. I recalled the dream that started all of this chaos…. the sinister, flawless pink eyes and the nefarious grin that had changed me in a few hours. Looking at her now, sitting a few rows in front of me, she didn’t look nearly as lethal. Not at all like her body was being used as a vessel for the Sun Goddess. She didn’t threaten or intimidate me nearly as much as she did only just earlier today. But her words were gnawing at my mind, and I was starting to feel extremely threatened by myself.

Adanic: Chapter 8

I stood completely out of touch with the mortal world on the football field, in a rough circle with my friends but not actually engaged in the present conversation. I stared off at the overcast sky, not actually seeing the gloomy gray and purple-lined clouds that covered the blue sky like dismal cotton candy. I mindlessly twisted the ring Topaz gave me as I played the end of our conversation over again in my head:

“Anyway, these aren’t the only changes you’ll see. You’re still coming up to full Adanic form. Normal full Adanic form, anyway. You’re going to have powers, like we do, that came from the gods”, Topaz said with a very serious face.
“What gods? What powers?” I inquired.
“Every Adanic possesses their own god. We act as a sort of vessel for their souls. We’re all born with it, and each Adanic possesses a different god. No one person has the same god, and therefore everyone has different powers. They vary with the god”.
“So what god do I possess? What do you?”
Topaz stared at me with the same intense curiosity through her pink eyes that I had seen earlier. “This is another particular thing about you. You possess the power of the Ice Goddess. You might associate her with that old fantasy you created when you were little called ‘Sailor Snowflake’”. She continued, registering the confused mask I wore, “She’s one of the most powerful gods we’ve ever heard of; she's extremely powerful. Both of our bodies are hardly strong enough to withstand it. It would be impossible for any Adanic to carry her soul for more than a week, and those aren’t even the statistics for someone who’s half human. Any human would probably die shortly after being born”. She eyed me as if I were a miracle.
“I’m the vessel for the Ice Goddess’s soul?” I asked breathlessly. I must have been some sort of freak of nature to live for so long.
“Yes”, she said, ending it there. “Oh, by the way, I harness the Sun Goddess’s powers. Technically, we’re supposed to be rivals and enemies because we’re practically opposite”, she said smiling. “You wouldn’t believe how opposed to training you I was, but seeing as you are in possession of the second most powerful god ever and I have the fifth most powerful, I was the only one to do the job”.
We both sensed that we were cutting it too close for time; any minute now someone would come looking for us, and we’d both be in trouble for sure.
“I need to give you this”, Topaz said in a rush, thrusting a ring into my hand. It was beautiful; the heart-shaped stone in the center of the gold band wavered between green and purple, depending on the lighting.
I admired it for a long while before I said, “This looks really expensive. I can’t accept this”, and held it before Topaz.
“But it’s yours”, Topaz said. “It shows you are a registered Adanic as well as it helps control your power, with you especially. Here, put it on this finger”. Topaz paused to slip it on my right ring finger. “It’s a sort of Adanic tradition”.
“It’s too big”, I said, worrying that I’d lose such a beautiful and valuable piece of jewelry.
“Hm”, Topaz said, lips pursed. “I’ll have to get you a gold chain for you to hang it on your neck temporarily. Or we’ll have to get it fitted. But that might take a while…”
“I have a gold chain”, I said suddenly.
Topaz smiled. “Great. That will do until we can get it fitted”. She stared more equally at me, despite me being shorter. “Take good care of it. It’s mystic fire topaz. All Adanics possess a ring like that one”. She held up her hand so that I could see a silver band with a pink princess-cut stone. “Pink topaz”, she murmured, beaming proudly at it.
Suddenly, something connected in my head. “”Topaz”, I repeated.
“Yes”
“You’re Topaz. The stones are Topaz”.
She laughed. “So you noticed. My parents liked the name. I wonder if you caught that my last name is Cinada, which is ‘Adanic’ backwards”. She laughed again. “Of course it’s just a cover last name. My real name is Topaz Aiden. Nice to meet you”, she said, smiling and shaking my hand as we walked towards the field.

I looked over to where Topaz was standing now, in the middle of a large group of some of my classmates. She saw me and flashed me a quick, friendly smile, which I instinctively returned.
Could what she said be true? There seemed to be no other explanation for my appearance. But I was so mellow and quiet. How could I possess the spirit of the second-most powerful goddess in the universe? Nothing made sense. Yet I felt that I remembered something of that incident with the scientist and Adanics somewhere in the back of my head. What was it?
As we made our way back to class, I truly felt like I had become someone else. Like an ice goddess did possess a portion of my soul. Or maybe it was the realization that it had been there all of my life to be awakened by Topaz.

Adanic: Chapter 7

“So let me get this straight- you’re telling me that I’m not human”, I barely managed to say. “And that you aren’t either, but some kind of Plutonian person? That doesn’t even seem possible”.
“Not for a human, it isn’t. But I told you, I’m not human, I’m Adanic”, Topaz said irritably. “Would you please allow me to explain?”
“Well, seeing as we’re already ditching, I guess you should”, I couldn’t help snapping back at her. It was so out of my character that I stunned myself into silence again.
Topaz stared at me before beginning. “I thought you might know of us, but I guess you don’t, so I’ll give you a brief summary”, she started, making sure I was actually paying attention. “Over fifty years ago, a scientist-here in the United States- wanted to create a race of perfect human beings. By perfect, I mean that he wanted to create people that were the most intelligent, most strong physically, most beautiful, and most supreme in every way. He experimented on men and women, and even children, I’d heard. He actually succeeded; he successfully created super humans. These test subjects became known as the Adanic race, although we’re not sure why. But once the government heard about them, they knew that the scientist’s new race of people would pose a huge threat to the rest of the human race and suspected that they would destroy anyone if they were given the chance, because they would probably develop feelings of superiority. This was not the case; Adanics were also caring, and although some did feel a little ethnocentric, they were never hostile. The scientist never even let them out of his house. Nonetheless, the government came to exterminate all of the Adanics in fear of protecting the human race. When they encountered the scientist, he had fully opposed their plan. When he did not give in, the government agents shot and killed him on the spot, already planning to lock him up for life so that no more beings could be brought to life. But they weren’t as lucky when they found the Adanics. Their goal was to pull them out of existence, and so each agent aimed a shotgun at an Adanic. They all pulled their triggers, and the Adanics did not move in their fear. However, an inch before the bullets hit, the bullets hit something else and all clattered to the floor. Like I said, Adanics are super humans. We each act as a vessel for a certain God. It’s still a mystery how that scientist managed to do that”, Topaz paused for a second to smile before going on. “But anyway, the agents could not kill the Adanics for their peculiar abilities. They then tried to confine them and put them under government watch, but the Adanics would not have it and relocated to Pluto, via teleportation. That’s our history. My parents were part of that original group”, she smiled proudly.
I was surprised I stayed silent all that time. After I took a long second to process it all before asking slowly, “Where do I come in?”
“There’s still so much we don’t know. One of them being why you are half Adanic. You’re the only one we know of that wasn’t born in a test tube or on planet Pluto. You’re also the only one with a shell”, Topaz stated, almost as if it were rehearsed. “I was sent here to help and train you. You’re obviously meant to be full Adanic, otherwise you wouldn’t be only half”.
“What’s a shell?” I asked.
“We call the human form a shell. You’re the only one of us to possess a shell, of course, because none of us are really human. None of us has seen a shell before. It really is fascinating, looking at you. We only know that because of the obvious difference in your appearance from yesterday”, she paused to laugh. “You know, you’re really short, being five feet tall. Most Adanics aren’t even that short”.
“Oh yeah”, I asked, just thinking of it now. “Why did I shrink? I know that I’ve become smaller all around”.
“Oh, that’s simple. Adanics made to be more aerodynamic. To suit our duties, and everything”. My curiosity was enough to ask what their duties were, but I didn’t. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“This is really hard to believe”, I said flatly. “But I know I’ve heard of this incident a long time ago, I just don’t remember when or where. And I do look a lot different than I did yesterday…”
“Well, believe it. We still don’t know how you can be one of us, but we’re positive that we aren’t wrong.”

Benoist...?

I'm so confused.
2 more years feels like both such a short time and a long time. Will I feel alone when it's over?
I feel like I want two things. But for some reason, I feel like I can only have one. I know it's completely greedy and insensitive of me. I'm not even sure which one I want most. It's so confusing. I'm stuck and can't tell where I should be going.
It's hard to tell with you. When it's just me, it's different, but when there are others, I'm not so convinced. You don't seem to push me away, even when we both know it's akward.
Then again, I can't be sure myself. Is it that way with you, too? Haven't I always wanted to stay stationary, no matter what I or anyone else wanted? I can't be sure if that has changed about me too, but I have a suspicion that it didn't.
In this time of change, I'm not sure of much of anything. Maybe in these 2 years I'll find out, and then we'll know the answer.

Rosin

The case is empty on the stool in front of my knees. I can hear the wire strings carefully being tended to behind me. G-D-A-E. It's been in that order for eight or so years now. During this time, I pull out the small maple block from the secret compartment in the case, and then I free the bow from its bindings on the top half of the case. I twist the bottom of the bow to tighten it to the width of a pencil. Then I slide the block back and forth along the white horse hair, leaving a trail of white powder. Every time it mesmerizes me; I am put in a trance for a minute or so by the constant sliding back and forth.
The simple black notes are before me now. I've been looking at the same black notes for eight years now. Their pattern hardly changes, yet it is always a pleasure to play them. Instead of to the right, my arms are outstretched in front of me, carefully caressing the wooden neck that has stood by my side for so long. The bow hypnotically glides along the wire, vibrating the wood. In eight years, I could not produce nearly as lovely a sound with wood as I had with metal in four years. But the difference was the feeling that came from it. Like reading Anne of Green Gables for no reason instead of reading the Old Man and the Sea. Like writing a story rather than an essay.
I lived each week for this feeling. To come back to everything familiar; to be at a place where the years stopped when I was seven. Where nothing was expected of me but to reach my aspiration from so many long years ago. In eight years, nothing has changed in this sacred place.
It's funny how when I think of it now, the number eight looks like an infinity symbol, but I have to wonder how long it will last. Within a year I know that number will change. Just for now, though, I'd like to feel like the feeling could last an eternity.
It's always painful to rest the wooden body back in the black casket...like burying a loved one that can only come alive once a week for a half hour.
Why is there such a difference between metal and wood? I know the answer, after much contemplation. After things were set into a completely different perspective and changed my life outside of the young life that never left me in the small, comforting studio. Why are we forced to permanently leave such lives of familiarity and comfort?

Adanic: Chapter 6

The class started to process out the door and march to the football field. I wanted to be at the back of the group, so I was one of the last out the door. None of my friends came for me; they knew I’d catch up if I wanted to. This wasn’t normally how things worked, though; I was almost constantly by a friend in any situation like this. But the only person beside me now was Topaz.
I still hadn’t really formed an honest opinion about Topaz. I just knew for a fact that she was the most intimidating person I’d ever met, even if she hadn’t meant to be. I wasn’t the only one who thought this; as I’d listened to friends and various people chat about their experiences meeting her, I noticed their ideas weren’t far from mine. The strange thing about her was that she didn’t appear to have a flaw; it seemed that everything was her strong point. I talked with at least one person from each of her classes and each person had said that she was the top at any activity, being academics or P.E. It was like she wasn’t a new student at all. She was a perfect prodigy.
Of course, none of this helped me get used to her, especially with the dream I had only two nights ago. I felt uneasy around her.
I kept an awkward distance from her as I started down the hallway. I only allowed myself one glance toward her, finding not only the same strange satisfaction as before, but also curiosity, like she’d never seen anything like my mutation before. Her stares were the reason I was avoiding anyone and all of their questions I could today.
“April, I need to talk to you”, said a very distinguishable, flawless voice. “I think now would be the best time; I see your distress”.
I couldn’t help jumping at the sudden appearance of Topaz by my side. After I collected myself, I said, “Um, it’s not really the best time now. When a fire alarm goes off, every student is expected to be in one safe area. And what distress?” I added, still trying to fool whoever I could.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t try to hide it. Anyone can see that you don’t appear your usual self today”, she almost snapped at me. I knew she meant that I didn’t physically or mentally appear the person I was just yesterday. “Now, we’ll just stay back for a while. There’s no silence in this school…” she said, obviously irritated.
“Well, it’s a big school”, I pointed out; but I wasn’t about to disobey my teacher. “Is whatever you have to tell me so important that we have to ditch a fire drill?”
“Vitally important”, was her immediate answer. I came to a halt, my lips pursed. “Walk slow”, she commanded in a lower version of her normal tone. I still didn’t like it, but I didn’t disobey her.
As soon as everyone was far enough ahead, Topaz began, “Don’t be afraid of yourself”. I was puzzled.
“Looking at you now, I can’t help but feel awe at the difference there was from only yesterday until now”, she continued. I narrowed my eyes. What did she know that I didn’t?
“You’ve probably figured it out by now, but I’m not a human like everyone is here”, she said quietly. I couldn’t let this one slip.
“Then what are you?” I asked, not believing her.
“I’m Adanic”, she let the words sink in, but my face still held a confused expression. There was something vaguely familiar about that word. Where had I heard it before? Nonetheless, I was stunned into silence.
“To be precise, I’m a second generation Adanic. You might recall my race as being the one condemned from this planet over fifty years ago. You might also recall that our home has been the planet Pluto since then”.
I determined at that moment that Topaz must have been crazy. I stopped breathing. It was all impossible; Pluto was impossible to live on, and she looked just as human as me.
“The reason for your improved appearance today wasn’t a mistake. My arrival triggered it. You’re somehow like me; you’re Adanic. Your human shell is gone, and you are now in your Adanic form. One state of it, anyway. I didn’t believe them when they said there was a human girl half Adanic. But here you are, right in front of me”, she smiled gently, looking over my paralyzed body with the same amazement as I saw in her pink eyes jus a minute ago. Who was crazy- Topaz or me?

"There's Another, NOT a Sister"

She sat at the lonely table, alone of course. Her friends had asked that she join them numerous times before they deserted her, but she insisted each time with a smile, shaking her head and hands and saying that it was perfectly okay, and to go on without her. So here she sat at the elaborately decorated table, elbow on the table's surface and chin in palm, staring at the one boy she knew well across the room when she had briefly averted her hopless eyes from the dancefloor. She couldn't tell if the pang in her stomache was the feeling of regret.
As she turned her head yet again across the room, she noticed that the boy was now making his way toward her. She felt her heart race in her chest, for she knew as well as he did what conversation the purpose of such a journey would bring. She wasn't prepared for it; if she probably would have noticed him any time sooner she would have fled the room. She thought again. No, she probably wouldn't have.
The boy pulled the chair next to her up and planted himself in it. He stared into her face, as if to make sure she was okay, briefly before speaking.
"Why aren't you dancing? You look so lonely", he said softly. Despite the softness and caution of each word, they pained the girl's chest further.
"I can't dance", she stated, matter-of-factly, trying to hide her despair. By his next expression, she hadn't done a very good job.
"So? Come dance with me. Let's go!" he smiled genuinely, matching the caring tone of his words, trying to lighten her mood. He must have thought very highly of his plan, for when he heard her response, he looked disappointed.
"No, I'm sorry", she said, trying to end it. Could she convince him?
"Fine", he attempted to say with a spark of defiance. Then he spun around, away from her face, to look in the direction of the dancers, and crossed his arms arcoss his chest.
After about ten seconds, the girl said, "You know, your attempt at making me feel guilty is failing miserably". If he would have turned around a second earlier, he would have seen the new humorous expression she had taken on. "I haven't, and I won't, change my mind".
The boy stared gravely into her face before answering, "Well then, I guess I'll just have to force you", with an almost mocking voice.
Before the girl could answer, the boy grabbed her wrist, and forcfully-but very cautiously and gently- yanked her from her chair and started to drag her to the dancefloor.
It was all she could do from shrieking at him after her moment of stunned silence when she could finally talk and stumble out the word, "No!", trying futilely to break free of his strong grip and perch herself in her chair again. Of course, it was all in vain.
"Would you stop that? You're making this a lot harder than it should be. Just give in, already", he answered with a mocking grin, completely indifferent.
By now they had reached the small crowd that was bobbing in the center of the room. The akward air now was not only in possession of the girl, but of the boy as well. "Umm...how about we stay outside of the crowd?" asked the boy.
"Sure", the girl mumbled.
They had made it just in time for a new song. It was slower, definitly meant for a waltz, although the song was more lively than it was serious or romantic. "You learned how to waltz a few years back in school, didn't you?" asked the boy sincerely.
"Yes, I know it", the girl answered, as shy as ever. She could feel herself blushing.
The boy saw this and smiled softly as they created the proper "frame" for the waltz.
That went beautifully. The boy had great skill in this area; the girl was also mostly graceful, although she did have some slips in her nervousness. The feeling was like no other. The girl's friends saw them and were shouting encouragements, making her blush further.
But when the next song approached, the girl tried to pull away and return to her chair. However, the boy still kept a firm grip on her hand. He clearly had no intention of letting her go, even for this much more lively song, where she had zero experience.
"No you don't!" the boy said, grinning still wider.
"But I can't dance like that!" the girl protested, still pulling at her wrist with much determination. "One song is enough; you've already had your dance. Why aren't you satisfyed?" she pouted.
But again, it was useless; the boy managed to bring her back. "Please, just dance. Be free. This doesn't even have rules like the waltz".
"I can't", she said simply.
The boy shrugged and began to pull her into a dance. The girl honestly tried to at least not make herself look like a fool, but failed and instead represented a board, she was so stiff.The boy laughed at her.
"You're too stiff; lighten up!" he said, smiling. For once, it was useless on his part. The girl remained stiff, and almost smiled in her defiant, brief glory.
After the song ended, the boy did not stay. He instead went back to sit with her...and he did not leave. He stayed for company and talked amiably with the girl.
The girl realized then that perhaps she hadn't had such a boring night.

Kindergarten Canvas

My work of art stood proudly before me; in vibrant crayon colors, I had drawn my future. I had decided my future with only five years experience in the world.
The crayon displayed it in near-scribbles. The towering mansion peering down over my backyard. It's eyes darted to the pond with the exotic fish, then the gigantic trampoline, next to the waterpark that inhabited whatever was left of the green grass. My family stood in the middle of it; the mansion looked at us too. It found my face, the two lines on either side of my head yellow and my face as bright as the happiness that I so deeply felt; then it saw my husband, a perfect gentleman, my Tuxedo Mask; and then our children, playful grins on each of their faces.
I believed it with every ounce of my being then. Why didn't I believe it now?
I was convinced of this for seven more years until I came to the realization that I couldn't pull through on my plans. Over time after that, the mansion faded, the pond and fish, trampoline, and waterpark followed. My husband and children disappeared not soon after. I stood, still smiling, by myself, in the middle of the dying and aging grass. Was I too old for an imagination, for hope in such a life?
For years later, I'd convinced myself that I was. How could any other being make me truly happy? How could I have had created such a face and decived myself for all of these years it was worth aspiring towards? Was there even a purpose in this world for such a selfish being?
But then the sun with the smiley face I had drawn in the top left corner of my paper burned with an intensity that I could not doubt. It highlighted my grin, revealing its true depth. Everything whitewashed, and I disappeared, too.
Images flickered across the canvas like a film; pictures of the present and past.
Maybe there was a purpose in this world for such a being; maybe there was hope for one in a fantasy future.
I realized this: Things come out by your hand. You have to put faith and responsiblity into what you are creating in life. Life doesn't have to be unbearable. No circumstance can keep you from reaching the smiling sun, but if you don't make the best of the bad things and do what you can to the best of your ability, there's no point. And let what happens, happen.

Adanic: Chapter 5

The next morning, I woke up just as groggily as I did every morning, but today I had a sudden awareness about me that I did not make my mom resent waking me up or do anything that would cause painful headaches. I didn’t even drift off for a few extra minutes. I felt like I had more energy than I’d expected.
I did my usual routine. After I got dressed, I’d glanced in the mirror.
I just stared at it for the longest time. Of course this was me; there was no doubting it, but I looked subtly different. I searched the reflection for anything that had appeared to change. As I took in my features, one by one I found more subtly different but clearly noticeable things altered in the process of sleep.
First of all, my hair was no longer dirty blonde in color. It proudly stood in defined, perfectly golden curls. The new unmistakable, solid color could never be called borderline-brown again. The curls were as full of light and perfect as any I’d seen on a doll’s head.
Next, squinting slightly to catch it, I’d noticed that my eyes weren’t the simple, dull brown that they were yesterday. They were now a starry hazel, shining like diamonds as I tilted my head. They were almost green. My eyes had been this color once (although it wasn’t quite as intense a color it was now) a few years ago, and when they had been exposed to extremely bright lights or heat, they would turn a bright green. But for whatever reason, they had disappeared and appeared today. This case was actually similar for my hair, which had once been a solid, very light blonde, except without the curls.
I picked out each change; I kept noticing small things, such as the blemishes disappearing from all over my skin…even the crimson splotches in my cheeks were faded to an almost pleasant rose color. It felt like I’d been moved into another body.
Realizing in a second that nothing had to be done this morning, I dashed down the stairs.
“Mom!” I nearly shouted at my poor mother, who was cooking pancakes. “Did you do something to my hair last night? Or Sally?” I said, frantically pointing to the new golden curls atop my head.
Turning her head, and staring confusedly at my hair, and then my face as a whole, she said, “No. I didn’t dye your hair. I doubt Sally did either. It must have just changed color overnight. It looks like your eyes did too…you must be growing!”
I didn’t believe her theory. “Will”, I called to my brother at the table, shoving a stack of pancakes down his throat. “Did you by any chance dye my hair last night? Or this morning?”
He stared at me and practically gagged on his pancakes as he laughed.
“Did you?” I demanded, immediately suspicious.
“No!” he managed to say through bursts of laughter. “But I almost wish I had!” He stood up then to ruffle the golden strands on top of my head. “Hey, I must have grown!” he said. There was a new height difference between us. My mom came over to see for herself.
“Did I grow, too?” she asked, comparing herself first to Will and then me.
“You both must have, somehow. You look much taller than me today”, I said bitterly. This didn’t explain my new skin.
I stormed my way angrily to the bathroom. I was going to put this hair up into a ponytail and hide it from further notice. I noticed that the sink was closer than it usually was. Could it be?
“Mom, where’s the tape measure? I need you to measure my height”, I said, stepping out of the bathroom doorway.
After we found it, I pressed my back against the wall and felt the tape measure slide along the extent of my body.
“It says that you’re five feet and half of an inch”, my mom said, confused. She checked again, smoothing out the tape measure. After checking twice more, she came to the conclusion that this measurement wasn’t false.
“But I was five foot two just yesterday!” I choked out. What happened to me?
We said no more. Whatever did happen to me wasn’t going to change back.

First period was the nightmare I’d fully expected. I heard so many people ask, “Did you dye your hair?” or “Did you do something with your hair? What’s the special occasion?” or “Are those contacts?” in just that small amount of time that I began to wonder if I could survive the rest of the day.
In second period, I received the same treatment. I took notice of the suspiciously satisfied look Topaz gave me. At least she wasn’t asking questions. I’d do anything to be free of this embarrassment.
As if in answer to my pleading, the most obnoxious sound came from the door. A red light flashed across each face in the room, revealing numerous surprised expressions. The fire alarm wasn’t exactly my idea of a savior.

Adanic: Chapter 4

I was no more lost in thought at lunch than I was in French earlier. I quietly sat on the on the wall slowly nibbling at my the consistency of my lunch (a granola bar), and thoughtfully stared off at nothing in particular, going through all I’d heard just a moment ago. My friends did not question me about it; I was normally quiet, although I was usually never as spacey as this. My feet swayed back and forth in my trance, my heels hitting the hard cement of which I sat on, further hypnotizing me and encouraging me to finally figure this Topaz out. Still, I could not understand how Topaz could have known me, or why she thought I’d understand the situation after I saw her, or even after the dream. As I realized I still didn’t know anything, I brought myself back to reality and talked to my friends for the remaining time left in lunch.
When the bell rang to hint that lunch was over and we should be heading to our fifth period classes, I found Taylor, another one of my best friends, and walked to class with her, because we both had band next. Tawnya was the most intellectual person I’d ever met. She analyzed whatever she was wondering about until she got a logical answer. She would find the right answer too, and even in a short time; unlike me, who had spent nearly all day trying to figure one person out and coming up empty-handed, even now.
I thought maybe she could help with this, and so I told her what I had told Courtney, plus the short exchange of words Topaz and I had after Lab Bio.
“Huh”, Taylor said, already deeply immersed in a flood of ideas. “I haven’t seen her around yet, but she sounds really weird by the way you described her. I can’t imagine what she wants with you”. Her face took on a puzzled expression.
We walked in deep thought all the way to the Band Room. Taylor was still thinking.
We said no more as we set up our chairs and stands and got out our music and instruments. I stared at my music without seeing it, my flute smooth and cold on my lap and between my hands. Someone suddenly tapped me on my head and knocked me out of my trance. I twirled myself around, searching for the culprit. I was suddenly aware of the rest of my band friends’ presence. A smile spread across my face, and just as I was going to talk to Jenna, another flute and another one of my friends, I heard a boy’s laugh come from somewhere near me.
“What, did you not notice that I hit your head this time?” Of course; he was always doing this. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t suspected him, of all people.
“Chris”, I said, with a firm voice and my face hard.
He continued to laugh at me and my expression. He probably saw the pouty look on my face, now reflecting how I had realized how I was fooled again, too.
“Oh, April”, he said, still giggling, and strode off to the chair racks.
Suddenly, another boy’s laugh came from behind me. Jake set his chair down beside mine and began to assemble his flute. He glanced once up at my face, which had become no less sour than it was a second earlier, and continued to laugh.
“Don’t look so angry!” he said, smiling. “You know we like to mess with you like that. It’s just funny, to see your reaction. Like this”, he said, pointing his index finger at me.
“You guys get me every single time”, I said, trying to sound firm, but the smile escaped my lips, anyway. “I can never figure out who it is. Sometimes you guys make me think I’m imagining it. You’d think I’d learn”, I almost explained entirely to myself, shaking my head.
“That’s the point”, said Jake, his grin as wide as ever.
It took Mr. Richard some time to come out of his office, so I talked with the masses around me. Playing music was always fun, so I was disappointed when we were dismissed.
Finally, the last period of this long day had come. Geo/Trig was surprisingly one of my favorite ways to end the day, partly because it wasn’t as exhausting as it was made out to be.
It wasn’t long before the last bell screeched throughout the classroom, relieving us of the day’s work. What a long day it had been!
I nearly skipped out of the classroom and to the van waiting for me. Just before I opened the door, I spotted the newest, pink-eyed addition to our school. She looked only to me for a second, and then turned away. I eagerly jumped inside the car and left my biggest problem and a mountain of questions behind.

Adanic: Chapter 3

Third period passed unusually slowly. I couldn’t begin to imagine what kind of message Topaz had supposedly given me. So then she had known me beforehand? It wasn’t adding up. She had never even crossed my mind until last night’s dream.
Today’s events hadn’t untangled the web of my thoughts; they only formed more questions. Maybe after I figured out what Topaz’s message was I would have some answers.
I let myself wander through my mind like that for a while, trying to connect the little I knew together. All that fit into place was Topaz’s shape into the black silhouette.
We didn’t really have a schedule for French today. This was probably my easiest class, so I would be fine pulling myself from all things français.
A tape in the corner of the room recited lines, asking us to “ecoutez et repetez”. Subconsciously, I robotically answered the tape while I was thinking.
I waited, both eagerly and worriedly, for the bell to signal the end of class. Finally, it came.
I anxiously made my way to Lab Bio, my 4th period class in which Topaz was to see me again.
I stepped in and spotted Courtney, one of my best friends, right away.
“Hi, April!” she called, waving in my direction. I strolled over to her desk and took my seat beside her.
“Hi, Courtney”, I answered, smiling.
“What’s new?” she asked me.
“Not much…” I said, realizing that Topaz had just now entered the room. I fixed my gaze on her but continued to speak to Courtney. “See that girl over there? She’s a new student, Topaz Cinada. There’s something weird about her. She seems to already know me. I had a dream about her last night…I don’t know why, but I thought maybe you could tell me what it meant”. Courtney had her ways of finding the meaning of dreams.
“Really?” She asked, her eyebrows rising, and she looked over to Topaz, too. “Tell me about the dream”.
“Well, I didn’t see Topaz clearly. All I saw was her grin- it was so creepy- and her pink eyes-“
“Pink eyes?” Courtney caught me mid-sentence.
“Um, yeah, haven’t you noticed yet?”
“Not yet. She’s still across the room, you know”, Courtney, replied, laughing. Her laughing was contagious, and I laughed with her for a second. “Anyway, about the dream. Go on”, she insisted. I could see she was more interested now.
“Okay. So anyway, I saw those against a silhouette. What does a silhouette mean?” I didn’t ask about the flames, because those seemed kind of obvious.
“I think silhouettes symbolize youth or innocence”, Courtney said, staring in confusion at Topaz. “She does look a little young. Is she our age?”
“I’m pretty sure”
“What else?” Courtney asked.
“Well later in the dream she disappeared. I appeared in her replace. And somehow…I looked like her. I mean, I looked the same as me, but I looked…scarier, more intimidating”, I explained. “And she apparently sent me a message, which I never got”.
“Hmm…Do you think the message was in your dream?” Courtney was still looking at Topaz, no doubt analyzing her and trying to make the same connections I tried to make earlier. “That is interesting”.
By now, class was in session. Topaz introduced herself to Miss Jolene and took her sat down at a front table. She turned back to flash Courtney and I a quick smile, and then turned back towards the board.
Fourth period was nothing like the previous. It seemed to pass in a blur. Before I even noticed it, the bell rang as a reminder for lunch.
Courtney and I got up to leave, but Topaz appeared right behind us in a second. “Hi, guys”, she said in her sugar-coated words. She remembered that Courtney hadn’t yet met her and they introduced themselves. “Hey April, can I talk to you alone for a second?”
I looked to Courtney, who gave me a look that said, “Okay, as long as you tell me later”, smiled, and said good-bye to us before catching up with her other friends.
“It’s about the message I sent you”, Topaz began, perfectly articulate.
“What message exactly?” I asked, looking for clarification.
Topaz frowned, but explained, “Do you remember your dream last night? It was a signal I was coming”.
It was my turn to frown. “Why tell me you were coming? No offense, but I didn’t even know you”.
She turned her eyes to full impact their powers upon mine. She answered with a confused expression, “I thought you should know. To see me without knowing me first would only make things worse”.
My eyebrows pulled together as I slowly responded, “I still don’t understand”.
Topaz sighed. Then she glanced over and past me, scanning the mass of students that was growing bigger and bigger. “Later”, she promised.