Not the same

Hailey's pov,

We got to the park thirty minutes after breakfast and headed for the waterfront.

The park seemed pretty deserted save for an elderly couple having a picnic.

"Where's is everybody?" I asked no one in particular.

"Ever since the recent attacks people have been afraid to come out and have fun because they believe it's too dangerous" David answered.

"Well is it dangerous?" I asked again looking at their faces.

But they didn't reply.

We walked in silence for a while until etim shouted "we're here!!!"

I stared ahead to see the most beautiful lake I had ever seen. It looked like it was made of crystals as it glistened I'm the sun light. Their was a really elegant swan shaped marble bridge stretching across it which mad the whole thing look like something from a fairy tale.

"Thus is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen"

"I know... It still takes my breath away every time I see it" David said looking at the beautiful sight before him.

Jewel hadn't said a word since we left and I was starting to think she was having second thoughts about coming with us when she said "why don't you go for a swim?"

"Sure but won't you swim too" I asked as I started taking of my cloths to reveal my one piece bathing suit.

"Nah I'll just stay here and watch"

Not wanting to push her or anything I said "okay suit yourself" I turned to face David and etim who where still admiring the view and shouted "last one in is a rotten egg!!!"

I ran to the lake and I saw struggling to take off their clothes and catch up.

I jumped into the water but instead of being met with cold water it was surprisingly warm.

"Woah this water is surprisingly warm"

"Canon ball!!!" Etim shouted as he jumped into the water splashing the water all over me.

"Hey..." But before I could finish my protest David also jumped in the water and splashed my hair.

"You guys..."

"Sorry Hailey" they chorused and I smiled a mischievous smile before splashing water on their body .

"Water fight!!!"

And before we knew it we where splashing water on each others bodies like children and when I looked up I saw jewel smiling at us but she quickly concealed her smile when she saw me looking at her which made me smile back.

After a day of fun it was almost sunset so we left the park and headed back to the castle.

Jewel's pov,

When we got back to the castle tower I was still thinking about this afternoon. I wished I could've joined them but I knew I couldn't.

I just can't be the jewel they use to know back on earth anymore. Tenebras changed me in ways I would never be able to tell another person.

We all went to change out of our clothes and into our jumpsuits before going to the training room to wait for Penelope.

She was thirty minutes late ,which was really unlike her, I wonder where she was.

As I walked in the training room I saw the girls huddled up in one corner , Hailey was probably recounting the activities of today to them, but they dispersed immediately I entered.

I said "hi girls" and waved.

And they replied "hey jewel"

Just then Penelope walked in but she was also wearing a jumpsuit instead of her usual hippie attire.

" Hello Girls ,for today's lesson you are going to learn to use your powers in extreme situations" she started heading towards the door again and gestured for us to follow her .

Outside the elevator were David and etim also dressed in their jumpsuits and carrying several bags which they handed to each of us.

It was then I noticed that each bag had our different symbols on them and mine was black with a jewel on it.

They were also carrying backpacks which made me think they would be going with us.

We all filed into the televator and went down to the solitary room.

We stepped of the televator and into the white room i knew so well.

"TARANA room harsh wilderness mode" Penelope spoke out in a calm voice.

They were suddenly transported to a rocky mountain region.

"Okay girls you are going to have to learn to hone your powers to survive in harsh environments" she turned around to face us "I will be waiting on top of that mountain" she pointed at a tall mountain "your task is to make it to me with only your skills, your powers and the things in your bags"

"But the mountain is so tall" rebby whined.

"Yeah we can't make it on our own" Cally said placing her hands on her hip.

"What do you think we're here for?" David said placing a hand on her shoulder and just that simple gesture gave a terrible feeling.

"David and etim will help you in your journey okay?" The girls all nodded in agreement "and before I forget"

She whistled and out of nowhere came Mokini. She jumped on D.F and started licking her till she was covered in slobber.

"Ah mokini... I love you too but stop please" the beast got off of her and she tried to clean herself.

"Mokini will protect you because this place can be a little dangerous" she patted Mokini on the head "okay girls good luck."

"Bye Penelope"

And with that she was transported out there.

"Okay girls Penelope said we should do as little as possible to help you" etim started clapping his hand to emphasise.

"Yeah we are only here to make sure you make it there in one piece meaning you girls are gonna be doing all the work and roughing it out" David said mockingly before looking at Cally and rebby who weren't exactly fond of the outdoors.

"Then let's go.The sooner we start, the sooner we leave this hell garden" saying that Cally adjusted her bag and started walking.

"Don't start walking like you know where the hell you're going" I snapped at her "I will be leading this entire process seeing as I am the only one with any proper training on this" and without even waiting for a reply i went ahead "follow me if you don't wanna die" I looked over my shoulder and they were all looking at me with a mix of shock,rage and disgust.

I really didn't have a problem with that and I just kept walking as they tredged on behind me.

We walked in silence for what must have been hours but I didn't feel tired.

The girls however must have differently when Haileyspoke up "jewel we've been walking for hours,do you maybe think we could take a break?" I knew she was tired but I could still detect sarcasm in her voice so I just ignored her and kept walking.

"Jewel?" D.F echoed.

"All right fuck it, I'm stopping right here" and with that Rebby threw down and get backpack and sat on a fallen tree. The others all did the same and Iet out a groan at how much they were dragging me back.

"Fine but I keep moving I'm twenty minutes so if you don't come with me then have fun getting lost"

"I thought Penelope said we were suppose to work together but ever since we started you barely even glanced at us or made us feel relevant" I could hear the anger building up in Cally's voice as she tried to speak to me as calmly and she could.

"Yeah but maybe if I thought you guys could be useful in anyway I would have asked for your help" I didn't raise my voice as I said this but everyone heard because as soon as I said it the atmosphere became heavy with a deafening silence.

Now what most don't know about cally is her uncontrollable anger. When she gets angry things tend to get out of control and as a result Cally has spent her whole life meditating, doing yoga and attending anger management classes just to keep that side of her self hidden.

But it seemed my last statement had snapped something Inside of her as she started with a sadistic laugh "hahaha so what is it exactly uhn? Is it that you think you're better than everyone else just because you spent one fucking year!...on another planet, you think you can just boss us around!!!, well I'm not just gonna sit here and take it. I believe we've been generous enough,we didn't press you for information when you didn't wanna talk about it, we didn't smother you with affection just cause we haven't seen you in so long but still you still find a way to be such an ass!" now she was standing with her fists clenched as if saying something she'd wanted to say for a long time.

I wouldn't just sit there and take it and so I retorted "yeah well I don't owe you an explanation because while i was on that God forsaken planet you were back on earth without a care in the world. You have no idea what I went through and I won't even try to explain"

I said all that in a calm and even voice not showing a single emotion and that just seemed to infuriate her as she scoffed "without a care in the world you say, you think we didn't care that three of our best friends were lost in God knows where!, You think we didn't have a care in the world when we had to sit next to your families and comfort them when they had given up all fucking hope!" Tears were running down her face as she spoke now "you think it was easy when Hailey came out that she was a lesbian!, You think it was easy when we had to help D.F fight her Anorexia, hell you think it was easy that I didn't have all my friends to comfort me when my dad died of cancer, NO! it sure as hell wasn't but we got through it all together as friends and we stayed strong for one another so I don't know what kind of image you had in your head of the life we were living back on earth but it sure as hell is dead wrong" and with that she stormed off into the woods crying.

Her words totally caught me off guard and I had no idea what to say,so I didn't say anything and just cast my eyes downwards.

All she had said was followed by an awkward silence until david finally broke the silence when he said "we'll go make sure she's okay"and with that he and etim went In the direction Cally had gone.

The rest of the girls were staring at me with disappointed eyes now and I don't know why but I felt I had speak "the rest of you have anything to say?" I asked sarcastically as I rolled my eyes.

"Yes jewel I believe we do, we don't know what you went through on tenebras so we won't judge all your smart mouth comments but you also don't know what we went through on earth for the past year so we'd prefer if you didn't make false assumptions as well" coming out of D.F's mouth I was totally at a loss for words seeing as D.F was always so passive and loving.

Now I knew where I belonged.

The people I once use to consider my friends now seemed like strangers to me.

It felt like amidst all the things that had been happened to me I failed to realise that I had pushed my friends to the wall and they were now sick of it.

I didn't want them to give up on me yet. It was through them that I felt a little bit of hope that one day the jewel which they had once known and loved would come back to the surface.

I sighed "I need some air"