Chapter 10

Thomas took Luke's hand awkwardly and shook. "Hi," he managed to say

"We were going to go to the dance but decided against it, we didn't feel like dressing up. So we stayed in and put on some Netflix. How was the dance?"

"It was..." He was having trouble finding words. He felt sick; he needed to get out of there fast. "I-I uhh. Tell you later. Gotta get home, curfew, dad, kill me." He turned briskly walked away after that. Waiting until he turned the corner to let the tears flow freely down his cheeks and run.

He found his way to the plaza and splashed the water from the fountain on his face. After a few sobbing breaths he punched the concrete with his fist, it hurt, he punched it some more. He stopped after his knuckles got bloody and then rinsed them off in a fountain. After that, he lay down and spent the night there. The next morning he dragged himself home

His dad was up waiting for him, "Where the hell you been boy?" He demanded to know.

"I went to the dance remember."

"Yea I know that stupid, it ended at ten so where you been all night?"

Thomas shuffled into the kitchen and took a seat at the table resting his head on his fist. "Ninth Street City Plaza." He was silent for a time after that. Eventually, he said, "Dad, why are woman so mean?"

His dad chuckled then grabbed a whisky bottle from the top of the fridge and a couple of shot glasses from the cabinet. He half-filled them both with the whisky and slid one over to Thomas. After drinking his shot, he said, "I don’t' know, you think you have them all figured out, treat em like queens... Blah."

Thomas took his shot. It burned his throat so much worse than whatever he drank at Normia's party last year. "Can I have another?"

His dad hesitated but poured him another shot and one for himself as well. They both drank then his dad put the cap back on the whiskey bottle and put it atop the fridge. "I'll call the school, tell em your sick today and can't come in. But tomorrow you'll be going. Now go on upstairs and get yourself cleaned up and get some proper rest."

The day off from school yesterday was a nice relief for Thomas, but he wished it was a month off, or a year even. Still it was only a few more days until the weekend so he could pull through. He got to his locker in the morning to pull out his books before going to the gym to meet his friends. Once he had it opened a strong hand slammed it shut in rage.

He turned to see Harold ready to explode. "You had anything to do with it?" It was more an accusation than a question.

Thomas cast down his eyes at the thought of the dance. He shook his head, "I'm sorry about your girlfriend, that was... awful what they did to her."

Harold grabbed Thomas by his shirt and lifted him off the ground, pinning him against the lockers. "I'm asking if you had a part in it!" Still an accusation rather than a question.

"No, you were right about her the whole time. She was only dating me to get back at you. She only noticed me after I dumped her."

Harold eventually lets him go then stormed off. After that, Thomas got his books and headed for the gym.

"Thomas we heard about the dance," Normia started in.

Luke was there with them, his strong arms wrapped around Miranda.

"Yea man are you alright, that was pretty messed up what happened," Kellen said.

He shook his head, "I wasn't the one who was pranked, or whatever you call that cruel joke. But you guys were right about her all along, hell even Harold tried warning me about her. Anyways I'm going to go walk around until class, clear my head some more."

Damnit why did Luke have to be hanging out with her this morning? Why is my whole life have to fall apart just when it starts?

Turns out he couldn't get even lunch alone with Miranda as Luke shared the same lunch with them. He quickly turned away and headed outside before they spotted him. He found Kellen at the east corridor by the music wing, eating his lunch. It took him a minute to figure Thomas out after he sat down with him.

"So that's the real reason you're so upset," Kellen said. "I'm sorry you know I don't mean to pry but-"

"It's fine," Thomas interrupted. "You know it's my fault anyways. If I'd seen sooner how terrible Lexi is I could have moved past her and been with Miranda. But at least, she's happy, Luke's..." He trailed off at the end.

"He's a great guy all around far as I can tell." He knew what Thomas was suggesting.

He sighed, "Well there goes that small hope. No it's-it's fine, she's with someone that makes her happy and he's a good guy, so I should be happy for her. I am happy for her."

"But?"

"But I finally start to figure my life out, and it all falls apart. Growing up is stupid."

"High school is stupid."

"That too."

Thomas soon enough came to live with Luke being a part of the group, at least during school. And he was coming to terms with him dating Miranda. He didn't like it, but he gave them no resentment either. One thing he was grateful for was the fact they were keeping their magic abilities hidden from him, that was Normia's call.

"Mind if I have a word?" A British accented girl asked as she approached them on the stands.

They all turned to see a girl with neck length white-blue hair and copper wires sprawled around her ears that went into a cord going down in the pocket of her jeans. She wore fingerless gloves, knee-high converse sneakers, and a plain light T-shirt. She was staring at Thomas, who sat there awkwardly not sure how to answer.

"I think she's talking to you dork, don't be rude," Normia whispered to him before shoving him forward.

The girl smiled and proceeded to walk outside, Thomas following shortly behind her. When the doors shut the girl said, "My name's Ellis."

"Ummm, Thomas... What did you want to talk to me about?"

"You're a mage aren't you?"

He was suddenly wary of her, the last mage he encountered wasn't friendly, and Normia warned all of them about other mages. "I don't know what-"

"Please," she cut him off, "I saw you skating uphill without moving your feet off the board."

"That doesn't prove anything."

"No, but I hacked into some traffic cams and saw something interesting involving someone who looks a lot like you running from a cop on his board, again all without using your legs to push you."

He said nothing.

Her blue eyes flashed with light as she held out her open hand and electricity crackled between her fingers and danced on her palm. She smiled, "I have not been in the city long, so far you're the only other mage I found. Thought I should introduce myself."

"I can move objects with my mind and stuff. But I'm not very strong."

"TK? Nice, and who needs strength when you have talent like that. The way you moved around on your board, you a pro skater?"

Thomas chuckled, "Not even close. I use my TK to keep from falling off the board, the first day I couldn't even stand on it properly."

"Yea, the Tomes open new worlds for us, don't neglect it. Say umm, your friends in there, they mages too?"

"All but the guy, the handsome one."

"Cool I figured as much, what can they do?"

"I think that's for them to say if they want. Mind if I ask you something now?"

"It's only fair, go for it."

"Why do you have copper wires like glued on your ears or, however, they're stuck on there?"

Ellis laughed, "Really that's your question? Not 'who are you, where did you come from, what are you doing here?'"

Thomas shrugged, "I mean those too yea."

She pulled out an mp3 from her pocket that had the cord that the wires were attached to plugged into its jack. "I'm secretly a music junkie. But schools don't allow headphones in class, so I learned how to use my magic to emit the sound vibrations directly from the wires gently to my ears so I have the music playing all during classes, and no one else can possibly hear it but me. Best part is they don't even know it, to the whole world it's just strange accessorizing."

"And the other stuff."

She grinned mischievously, "I tell you what, you meet me here after school today, and we'll race down to that old factory across that bottom bridge in the south district. You know where it is?"

"Yea I been there before."

"Good well beat me and I'll tell you everything, maybe a little more." She winked at him and left before he could even say if he would race her or not.

He went back inside, and his friends were waiting expectantly. "So who was that what did she want?" Normia asked the question.

"Her name is Ellis, and she just wanted to talk."

"About what, though?"

The bell rang as he hesitated to answer. "I will tell you guys later." Saved by the bell.