'Super Weird'

He gazed at me with a bizarre smile and said, "Hi Linnet!"

My whole body was shaken up by his sudden appearance. I had questions ravaging my mind and he stood there, right in front of me, smiling. As if he didn't just appear from nowhere and whack someone unconscious.

"Oh, don't worry. He won't die." He smiled like it's nothing serious. "Although he did risk his life when he tried to harm you."

His voice got deeper and his eyes turned colder, latched at Brandt's unconscious body. Which carried twitchings down my spine.

"What do you mean? Risked his life?" I asked nervously.

His smile grew bigger as he came nearer and said, "I'll tell you. First put that rod down. you're safe now."

The metal of the rod was still cold beneath my hand. I didn't realize that I still had held that rod high. While Cold sweat constantly surfaced my skin. His voice somehow made me calm.

The sharp clink of metal crashing on the floor resonated before I even knew that I had dropped the rod. The fact that I felt relieved now that he was here, was more ridiculous to me.

"Now, if you had struck him with this dangerous thing while he was drunk, He could've died on the spot." He smirked. "Killing humans comes with consequences, trust me I've been wanting to do it more than you do." I couldn't tell if he was being serious or sarcastic.

"You... You're weird. Super weird." I blurted out.

"I'll take that as a thanks for saving you earlier." He chuckled.

"I want to go home."

I needed to lie on my bed in my comfy pyjamas and disregard this unpleasant ordeal.

"Okay, I'll walk you there," He retorted leisurely.

I pointed a trembling finger towards Brandt's knocked out body lying on the ground. "W-what about him? We need to take him to a hospital." I nervously gazed up at Tyler.

"What? You want me to take him to the hospital?" He ran his hand through his hair with a sigh of disbelief. "Do you have any idea what he could do to you if I wasn't brought here?"

"But I'm safe and standing right here! What if he bleeds to death if we leave him like this?" I got all worked up.

He let out another discontent sigh. "Okay, I don't have my car right now so I'll contact his friends. They'll be able to get him treated." He mumbled in umbrage and typed something on his phone.

Then he hunched lower, making a straight eye contact. "Now let me walk you home." He smiled.

We walked in quietness with dim lightning of a few stars that shone above us and some lights from nearby houses. The silence that filled the air between us wasn't awkward, it was solacing.

"It will be better for you to forget about this incident." Tyler chose to speak.

Dread caught me at that point. It was clear that he'd stumble in difficulty if anyone was to know what happened. "I... I promise I won't tell anybody about it."

He looked puzzled for a moment. "It wasn't a threat."

I recoiled back as he reached out his hand towards my head. "Don't try anything weird," I warned in a wavering voice.

"Nevermind. I was just trying to help." He sulked in, kicking a can to the side while walking.

'Help? By touching my forehead? Super super weird.' I thought.

"I can't understand you at all," I uttered.

His suppressed laugh only increased my scepticism. The rest of our walk went with a mysterious air around us. Even though I had a great deal to discuss and many things to say and ask, I didn't, for a reason obscure to me.

When I was about to reach my home, he asked me for a favour. I was shocked but yet unable to decline after receiving his help prior.

He removed his pendant from his neck and instructed me to hold it. The chain was in his grasp and as soon as the pendant grazed my palm it glowed like it had last time.

With a rewarded smile, he stared at me and took the pendant back. Before I could inquire any further, we were already at my door and he left with a goodbye.

All of my attempts to convince myself that I had been imagining things went in vain. My doubts turned into fact. I had never feared extraordinaries like others. And whatever it was, that strange pendant, it had a connection with me.

Although it was inexplicable unless I had answers. Answers to the mystery hidden within me. There had to be a reason I possessed this ability. And this guy, 'Tyler', he was the answer to all of my questions.

The subsequent days, Tyler attended school routinely. We behaved like everything was normal between us. Ryle and Kyle thought about the occurrence with Brandt but mentioned nothing regarding that matter. I was only able to know that he was hurt pretty bad and was currently in a semi-coma.

As I believed, there was some connection between my ability and Tyler. When he was within my sight, I was unable to hear any thoughts unwillingly.

Another peculiar thing I had discovered about him, was that he was by all means explicitly keeping away from any skin contact with me. Which, to be truthful, was kinda disturbing. Likewise, I complied with his condition and avoided any circumstances where I needed to contact him.

We as a whole would sit together in the cafeteria talking and giggling accompanied with Ryle's dad jokes. Sometimes Emalie and I would go to the basketball court and watch them practice. They were surely outstanding at ball.

When I'd go to the library, I'd sneak behind a rack with a book and in the most unnoticeable way possible, I'd observe Tyler. Invariably lost in a book at the window-side table, sunlight striking his walnut brown eyes, making it a couple of shades lighter and almost impossible for me to take my eyes off of him.

Sometimes I wondered what does he eat to be this attractive and what is he trying to find in those advanced research science books that were far too complicated for me to decipher.

They were intending to throw a party tomorrow because it was my birthday. This birthday was going to be remarkable. Ryle was going to confess his feelings to Emalie. Of course, I heard his thoughts. Besides I was also excited for another reason.

This birthday would be different because I'd have my friends by my side that actually cared for me.

Recently I had started to think about it and I finally came to a realization that I just needed some friends, real friends. Not the fake ones I've had before. Who did nothing but made me regret my choices. If I had met these guys sooner, who are now my buddies. I would be living in peace, without any remorse of having this ability, that I always wanted to disappear from me.

Emalie and I dashed into the nearest mall for some shopping. She tried on dozens of dresses and pulled off each one of them. But nothing could satisfy her more than this burgundy off-shoulder dress which she finalised.

Then she made me try on different kinds of dresses, some of them were too short or too revealing for me and some were boring or bland according to Emalie.

"How's this one?" I had picked a white knee-length dress.

She gazed at the dress critically.

"Nope that's boring," came the same reply again. "Go try this out." She handed me a navy blue lace dress.

As I whirled towards the changing room, I saw a silver patchwork tassel sequin dress on a mannequin. That was maybe too fancy for me. I'd never worn something as alluring as this dress as I never wanted to stand out.

"Wow! You'll definitely slay that dress," Emalie cried from behind me.

"Really? You think so?" I uttered.

"EXCUSE ME! PACK THIS DRESS ON THE MANNEQUIN HERE!"

☆■☆■☆■☆■☆■☆

"So are you headed home or do you have any plans?" I asked as we exited the mall.

"What plans could I have except for going to that depressing hell of a home," she thought, her face depleted of expressions.

"I'll be going home, of course." Her strides became unwilling and quieter.

"Do you wanna try out this café, it'll be my treat!" I cheered.

"If I reach home late, and if they both are home before me, they'll yell at me like the lunatics they are. But will it be okay to turn her down?" She thought before her face brightened and she replied with, "Linnet is being generous so why not!" She jumped in excitement, making me crack up.

'Would it be rude if I take my offer back or make an excuse now?' I reckoned because she was obviously going out of her way for me and I was afraid if it would cause a problem for her.

"I know how it feels to go to places and eat alone. She should not go through that," She thought.

I previously had a notion regarding her having family issues, yet she never opened up about that. Despite the fact that she was sweet and acknowledging, she, when all is said and done, had walls built up around her.

Numerous times, I had wondered why she'd even let me in. Not completely but rather sufficiently to accept my treat despite being worried that she might have to hear an earful on grounds of coming home late and being irresponsible.

"Thank God, Ryle isn't here or else he'd tell a dad joke on even this Iced mocha." Emalie laughed.

"What's wrong with me? This is my seventh time mentioning that crackhead. Yeah something's definitely wrong with me." She thought.

"Yeah you are damn right." I chuckled. "It's a wonder why he's still alive, though. I thought you would've murdered him by now. Then again, he's a bit too cute to die brutally by you, right?"

"Right, he is adorable. No, I must be mad!" Her thoughts changed by the speed of light.

A chuckle helplessly escaped my mouth. She had no clue about her developing feelings for Ryle. I hoped Ryle succeed tomorrow and they start dating.

Her phone dinged and when she checked the notification, "If you're useless enough to goof around at this time then also pick up your brothers from daycare centre in a few hours. I'll be late today." She read it in her head while scanning her phone. It must be one of her parents.

She seemed relieved now that she got a few more nonchalant hours to hang out with me. We continued our gossips.

"Yeah! Right? And then you appeared like my saviour, 'I'm your class president. If you ever face any problem here, do tell me.'" I chortled along with Emalie and took a sip of my caramel macchiato.

"No ways, I didn't sound like that at all! You're exaggerating!" She laughed while idling with the straw of her Iced Mocha.

"I was just happy to meet you because, you know..." She looked down, with her smile fading slowly.

"Because you were new, not afraid of me, and I could be myself for the first time in a while and didn't need to act according to my image in the heads of people," Emalie's thoughts came flowing through my head.

"I'm glad I met you. If it weren't for you Megan would've harassed me more," I chuckled. "Like the last time you said those words, I wanna say something too. If there's anything you want to share, be it any worry or any problem, you can count on me. Although I'm not super strong, I can't knock those out who are troubling you but I can do what I'm good at. I can hear you out."

Her mood unexpectedly lightened up. "Is she for real? She makes me want to open up about myself," she thought.

And just like that, I got acquainted with a side of Emalie that was concealed from the eyes of the people. The Emalie who'd embrace her little brothers and hide in a room to protect them from their parents' violent tendencies. The Emalie who used to be the punching bag of bullies and the incompetent daughter her parents can vent out their frustration on. She never got their support for even once.

Although, she had to cut off from the street fighting club and those 'Scoundrels' or that was what her mom called them. She never abandoned the things she loved. Whenever she got extra time, she practised her fighting skills without the help of anyone else now. And that was the side of her, I admired the most.

My impression of Emalie at the start was a makeup-loving fashion addict kind of girl but in just a few days I had seen it for myself that how cool of a best friend I have.