Chapter 10:

When I reached home I packed quickly grabbing all of the possessions that I believed I would need when I arrived at the new school. I grabbed some money and left to head to the bus station, as quickly as I could. It was a couple of hours away from my house and I hoped no one would question me when I got there or recognize me. I reached the station and headed over to buy a ticket. I stepped up when it was my turn.

“What can I do for you?” I heard someone say.

“When’s the next bus leaving for Zapta, Texas, or an area around there?” I asked quietly.

“Your in luck, a train is departing for Zapta in about two hours. Not many of those.”

“I’ll take one, please,” I answered taking the money that would be required out and handing it over.

I grabbed the ticket, sighed, and went over to wait for the bus’ arrival. Two hours later, I boarded the bus and was headed to Zapta, and my new life.

I grabbed a seat close to the front, and pulled out a book, deciding to read during the bus ride. I got lost in my book and before I knew it, the bus arrived at Zapta, Texas. I got off the bus and looked around. It was pretty empty, although those who where there looked quit friendly, looks can be deceiving though.

“You look lost,” someone commented from behind. I spun around, after jumping nearly a foot in the air, and was staring into blue eyes. The source of the voice was a male, my age, possibly a year or two older, and really cute. I smiled slightly and shrugged.

“Maybe,” I said while I shrugged.

“Well which is it, yes or no?” he said laughing slightly.

“I’m honestly not really sure,” I said laughing.

“Well you don’t look familiar, I can recognize most people who from ‘round here, so you must be new around here, or just visiting.”

“Nope, never been here actually, I’m Melanie Harris,” I said trying to avoid saying anything that might give anything important away.

“Jason Sanders.” He said holding out his hand.

I reached out and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, maybe you can help me with something. I'’ trying to get to 245 victory Road, but I’ve no way of getting there, have any ideas?”

“Really? Isn’t that a school?”

“Um, yeah, guess so. I’m supposed to be starting there, at least that’s what I was told.”

“Really, that’s where I’m going too. Want a lift?”

I smiled, “Yeah, I’d really ‘preciate that.”

“Great, come on then, just gotta make a quick stop along the way, first, you don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all. Thanks so much for your help.”

“Anytime,” he said smiling. I smiled back and followed him to his car.

We hopped in, me in the passenger side of his BMW. No one said anything and I was caught up in all my thoughts of what had happened, although I never thought to question why Jason had been at the bus station in the first place. When I felt the car stop and that it had been stopped for a while. I looked over at Jason and saw a worried look on his face.

“You all right?” he asked concerned.

“Yeah,” I said smiling slightly, “just thinking.”

“How come you’re here by yourself? You’re parents didn’t want to bring you or something?” he asked turning his head slightly sideways.

I shrugged and looked away, but refused to say anything. Jason shrugged and luckily dropped the subject.

“Come on,” he said, “I’ve got to grab some supplies from the dollar store.”

“You sure you don’t want me to wait here, I mean I’ll probably just be in the way?”

“Nonsense, course I want you to come, I’m sure you won’t be in the way. Come on, it’s your first day in town, I am not letting you sit in the car and wait.”

“Fine, you’ve convinced me,” I said smiling and walking towards him.

“Good,” he answered smugly and led me into the store.

When we got inside I quickly looked around and realized it was nearly the same as what I remember the dollar store was like back home. I smiled slightly and just followed Jason around as he got what he needed. When he was done, and I had bought a chocolate bar, we hopped back in the car and headed off to the school. I just sat there, looking out the window, and Jason just drove in silent to allow me to take everything in, at least that’s what I though, he’d constantly look over at me and smile when I wouldn’t know he was doing so.

When we came to the school, Jason parked in the parking lot that was pretty full although it was a pretty small parking lot. This probably would have been so much easier if I could drive. We got out of the car, me grabbing my possessions and Jason grabbing his newly purchased items.

“Come on, I’ll take you to the headmistress,” he said and started walking away before I could say anything.

When we entered the school I starred around in awe. The school was beautiful. It had many antiques and the ceilings where quit high in some of the rooms and hallways. We stopped in front of an obnoxiously large door with headmistress on a plaque on the door. Jason knocked and we heard a female’s muffled voice tell us to enter. Jason opened the door and we entered closing the door behind us. There where three people in the room, one female, whom I assumed to be the headmistress, and two males who seemed like teachers.

“Ah, Mr. Sanders, thank you for running this errand for me,” the female said.

“Of course Ms. Smith,” Jason said forcing a smile.

“And who might you be?” she asked turning to me.

“Melanie Harris,” I said nodding slightly.

“Ah,” she said looking very surprised, “I was definitely not expecting you this soon. Mr. Sanders, would you be so kind as to go and fetch Ms. Singer?”

“Of course headmistress,” Jason replied and left to go and fetch Ms. Singer.

After he had left Lauren Smith addressed me.

“I’m Lauren Smith, the headmistress, you talked with me on the phone.” I nodded to this, thinking I would say figured as much or something along those lines. She turned to one of the men and introduced them next, “this is Adam Downly, I believe he answered the phone when you called here earlier.” I nodded and Adam got up and shook my hand before exiting. “Adam is the secretary here. And this,” she said turning to the last person in the room, “is Mr. Gary Jameson, he is the History teacher here, although Adam may take over a class or teach one here and there if it is necessary.”

I memorized faces with names. “Um, so I have the parents permission letter that you wanted,” I said after a bit of silence and pulled out the forged letter.

Lauren walked over and accepted the piece of paper. She read it and for a minute I was afraid that she’d see through the signature and know it wasn’t actually my mom’s. She nodded when she was done and set it on her desk. I sighed internally and put my bag back over my shoulder.

“Ok, I guess I must tell you about this school, but I see that you have no family with you?” she said as a question.

“No, I came alone, they did not want to come,” I lied.

Lauren nodded although I wasn’t quit sure if she believed the statement or not. “Then before I can officially accept you into this school, I must see proof that you are one of us.”

I looked bewildered for a minute. “One of you?” I asked confused.

“Yes, one of us. Anything at all that you can do.”

“Oh, you mean my gift,” I said comprehension dawning on my face.

“If that’s what you call it,” she said a little off.

“Yes, um, what shall I do,” I though aloud. I decided that I would have to try telekinesis, since it was the most controlled, and almost only controlled “gift”. I saw a metal ball sitting on the headmistress’ desk and concentrated hard on it, trying to force it to levitate off of the desk, hoping that it would work, knowing that sometimes I failed at my most controlled ability. When I saw the ball rise almost instantly I nearly dropped it. I had never actually been able to control something so well so fast and I felt sense of achievement.

“Very good, although you concentrate too hard, whoever taught that to you did a horrible job,” the headmistress said frowning slightly.

“Taught?” I said trailing off slightly. “I taught myself, not too long ago actually. I didn’t even know about these stupid gifts until not too long ago and I couldn’t stand it any longer, that’s when I emailed you.” I was quit annoyed at this point, and not in the mood for being nice to her.

“Taught yourself? Well this is a peculiar case. I don’t believe that this has ever really happened. Everyone has always been taught, by their parents or by someone else, until they come of age to come here or a place like here.”

“And I have no idea what you are talking about, I told you I knew nothing about any of this until not too long ago.”

“Of course, pardon me, this will be looked in to. You’re mother should have had you trained…”

“My mom,” I said interrupting her, “I live with my adoptive mom, not that I ever knew my birth mother.”

“You know what,” the headmistress said getting slightly annoyed, “let’s just get you set up in classes and everything else here and we’ll deal with this later.”

I shrugged slightly. “Fine with me.”

Just then Ms. Singer entered, along with Jason. Jason stood with me, while Ms. Singer walked forward, not seeing, or not acknowledging me.

“You wanted to see me headmistress,” she said to Lauren.

“Yes, we have a new student, Melanie Harris, but it will be slightly different. Mr. Sanders, would you take Ms. Harris and get her situated in one of the non-occupied dorms?”

“Of course,” he answered, “now or later?”

“Now please, I will call her back down when everything is situated.”

He nodded and led me out and to my new dorm. This was the start of my new life, and so far, it had been really weird. Although only time could tell how it really would be from now on, hopefully it would be fine once I got settled in, at least I hoped it would.

A/N: Ok this is the last chapter of this book. I will be writing a second book that will take place after all this, when she is settled in and has discovered things from her past, well, kind of from her past.