In Too Deep

Chapter 9

“Concentrate, Violet.” I instructed. We were in the clearing for another training session, today’s focus was to try and help Lucas and Violet use their powers to aid them in fights. Being physically strong is one thing, but if you can use your mental strength as well then you could gain the upper hand against your opponent.

I told Violet to close her eyes, and use her visions to guide her to where my next attack was coming from. This was having variations of success. They were both doing really well with training, and this is no easy thing to learn. I crept up behind Violet and wrapped my arm around her throat. She sighed at yet another failed attempt.

“I’m never going to get this.” She was disheartened, I could tell.

“Yes you will, you just need to keep practicing. You need to anticipate my attack, and your psychic abilities should kick in to help you the rest of the way.” I explained. “This isn’t an easy thing to accomplish, it’ll take time. Usually your visions would come unexpectedly, trying to train your powers to work the way you want them to will take a lot of practice.”

I turned to Lucas to see how he was getting on, but he didn’t seem overly enthusiastic about what I had asked him to practice.

“Lucas, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“I don’t want to use my power to kill people.” He said. I shook my head as I remembered our conversation on my first day here.

“That’s not what I’m asking you to do. Training yourself to use your powers more accurately doesn’t mean you have to use them to kill. You can use them to knock them back, delaying them long enough for you to escape.” I explained to him.

“So I don’t have to kill anyone?” He asked.

“Lucas, of course not. This is just supposed to be practice in case you need to defend yourself, remember? That’s what you both wanted this training for.” I reassured him. “How about we call it a night? It’s getting late, and you’ve both done really well.” They both agreed and we headed back to campus to shower and get some rest.

The past couple of months at Fair Lake have passed without incident, I was doing my best not to cause any more trouble, which wasn’t easy. I haven’t had any more weird encounters with Bastien and that I was pleased about. I’ve been avoiding all eye contact, so I don’t get lost in his eyes again. Well all contact altogether really, just to be sure. I didn’t talk to him and if I needed to hand in an assignment I would just put it on his desk and walk away quickly.

Although I do keep feeling his eyes on me during class, which takes all my effort not to look up in to his deep blue eyes. This really doesn’t help me to concentrate in his class, I definitely think I’m going to fail.

I have been trying to get hold of Ryan to try and smooth things over, but it seems like he needs space. It hurts that one of my oldest friends needs time away from me. But after what happened I guess I can’t really blame him.

Violet had already gone to bed but I was so restless and I couldn’t sleep. To pass the time I decided to go to the on-campus gym, maybe if I use up some of my energy then I will be able to get to sleep. After I warm up I get some fighting practice in, unfortunately I didn’t have a sparring partner so I had to make do punching and kicking one of the highly worn punching bags, which to be honest I think is a bit ironic considering there is a ‘no fighting’ rule and yet they have this much fighting equipment? Sends out the wrong message if you ask me.

I plugged my iPod in to the speakers and put the songs on shuffle. I started dancing and before long I was lost in the beat of the music. A few songs in I felt someone’s hands on my shoulders, my instant reaction was to grab their arm and flip them on to the floor so they were on their back, straddle them so they wouldn’t be able to get away and pin them by their wrists. I looked at the face of the person who I still hadn’t identified, and was met by sparkling blue eyes.

My own eyes widened when I realised I was straddling Bastien, who currently had his trade mark smirk on his face. I froze instantly, I couldn’t think of anything to say or do so I just continued to pin him to the floor of the gym. Finally he spoke.

“Are you going to let me get up or are you just going to straddle me all night? Not that I would really mind that idea.” He said. That didn’t sound like a bad idea to me either. Whoa, I did not just think that. Well at least that’s what I tried to convince myself of anyway.

He raised an eyebrow at my lack of response, I loosened my grip on his wrists slightly and was just about to get off of him when he completely removed one of his wrists from my grip and used it to pull my head down and kiss me. I was in shock for a second but recovered quickly and that is when I realised that I was kissing him back! Well who could blame me? He was a good kisser.

I leaned down further to deepen the kiss, I released his other wrist that I almost didn’t realise I still had hold of and he ran his hands through my hair. It was then that my brain kicked in with a mental slap.

I pulled away from Bastien so fast he looked a little disorientated, I picked up my gym bag and practically ran out of the gym to the showers. While the water ran down my body all I could think of was that kiss and Bastien maybe joining me in here. Did I just think that?

I need to learn how to teach my mind not to have those kind of inappropriate thoughts. I wonder if that could be possible? I had the fastest shower in history and ran back to my room.

When I got there I collapsed on my bed, my heart was racing and my mind decided to play the scene all over again on a loop. I lay there feeling like a complete idiot, I just kissed my teacher. I would be the laughing stock on campus if anyone found out. Oh geez, what if someone saw? Surely not, it’s late after all. What was he doing there at that time of night anyway?

So now I’m lying here, beating myself up and calling myself every name under the sun (although not aloud as Violet was still asleep). I was never going to be able to face him now. He probably didn’t even want to kiss me. How do I keep getting myself in to these situations?

I avoided Bastien as best I could the days after that but it came to the time when I had to go to Economics. I felt like faking an illness but I remembered Violet telling me Fair Lake was quite strict when students missed class and I did not, under any circumstances want to have to explain the real reason I didn’t want to go to class. So I took a deep breath and headed in, with my eyes glued to the floor, and headed straight to my seat next to Lucas.

I could feel his eyes on me all through the lesson but I refused to look up, almost scared of what I would find in his eyes. The lesson seemed to drag its full hour and it wasn’t a moment too soon when the bell went. I jumped out of my seat and headed as quickly as I could towards the door.

“Freya, could you stay behind for a moment please? I need to talk to you.” I briefly thought about pretending I hadn’t heard him but I decided against it. I walked up to his desk as all of the students filed out of the classroom. “I would like to talk with Freya alone if that’s ok with you Lucas.” Bastien said. I hadn’t realised that he had stayed behind to wait for me. Much to my dismay Lucas nodded and left the room.

Even when we were alone I didn’t dare make eye contact. I heard him sigh and I saw him hold his hand out towards me. I looked up slightly and saw my iPod in his hand. “You left in such a hurry that you forgot this.” He explained.

I nodded and went to take it but just as my hand reached his he took it in his own instead of allowing me to take my iPod. He moved around his desk so he was in front of me and using my hand he pulled me towards him so we were flush against each other. Using his index finger he lifted my chin up and my eyes met his.

“Freya what is the matter? Everything seemed fine when we were kissing; you certainly looked like you were enjoying it.” I could see the worry in his eyes but as he still blocked me from his mind I couldn’t decipher the reason behind it.

“Nothing is wrong; I was just surprised that’s all.” I lied. “You’re my teacher, I didn’t know how to react.” He looked deep in to my eyes as if he was trying to look in to my soul. I pulled away from him and took my iPod from his hand as we parted.

I turned toward the door to see Mr Bentlen standing there watching us, with a questioning look in his eyes. I froze. How long had he been there?

“Everything ok in here?” Mr Bentlen asked. I nodded.

“I need to get to my next class,” I said. He moved from the doorway enough for me to get through and I made my hasty escape.

I was a bit flustered after my encounter with Bastien when I reached art class and sat next to Lucas.

“Are you ok? What did he want?” Lucas asked me.

“Just talking about my homework, but yeah I’m fine thank you.” I lied. It didn’t look like he believed me, but he didn’t press the matter either.

Mr Robbins set us a task and I tried to keep my mind off of what just happened with Bastien. But he seemed to be all I could think about. I tried to think of a distraction, I looked around the classroom; it was quite small and only had about 20 students currently occupying it. None of them bothered to talk to me so I paid them the same respect.

I looked to Lucas, he was currently drawing a small house, with red roses climbing up the outside walls making an arch around the wooden oak door, a beautiful garden with all different kinds of flowers that made it look like a rainbow, I have never seen that many colours all in one place before. Square stepping stones led its way to a brightly painted white fence which surrounded the property.

There was a thick forest in a semi-circle around the house indicating that the house was located in a clearing far away from civilisation. The drawing was bursting with life and colour, Lucas had also added some forest animals around the house and I wondered how on Earth Lucas managed to just draw this straight from his imagination, because surely this place couldn’t be real.

“What are you drawing?” I asked in amazement. He looked at me confused.

“We are supposed to be drawing our homes. Why, what did you draw?” He asked as he looked at my drawing on my canvas.

The house I drew was at a great contrast to Lucas’, the old structure was crumbling and looked unstable, the window shutters hung from the panes in a tattered mess and the windows were smashed. The garden was wild and untamed and swallowed up the path that led to the rusted gate, which hung off of its hinges. Lucas looked at me concerned. “Freya, please tell me you don’t live there-“

“I don’t live there.” I said cutting him off.

“Then why didn’t you draw your home? That was the assignment. We are being graded on this, you could fail if you hand that in.” He said, still concerned.

I looked down at my work and frowned. I didn’t think about that. But what was I supposed to draw? I had no home; my parents put me up for adoption when I was born and every foster home I have been to didn’t work out. Maybe I could just draw a forest? I love the woods; it’s my favourite place to be.

“Freya? Why didn’t you draw your home?” Lucas asked again.

I didn’t reply, I just continued to stare at my work. He seemed to understand without me telling him. Damn that sensing power of his. Isn’t that cheating? But coming from a mind reader that’s a little hypocritical I guess.

“Ok class, time to hand in your work.” Mr Robbins announced. Shit, now what am I supposed to do? I hung to the back of the class so I was the last one to hand it in. I didn’t want anyone to see what I had drawn.

“Wow Lucas, you have a beautiful home.” Mr Robbins said to him, Lucas just smiled in response and moved to the side so I could hand my work in. I gave it to him and his face spoke a thousand words. Mr Robbins got his expression under control before speaking to me. “Freya, why did you draw this? Surely you don’t live here?” He questioned.

“Well technically I live on campus if you think about it but I thought that would be a bit boring to draw.” I answered trying to dodge the question.

“Well you were supposed to draw your actual home but never mind, we can’t do anything about it now. I hope you did better on your homework assignment?” Mr Robbins asked.

Oh shit, this was not going to go down well either. I fished around in my bag and pulled out a slightly crinkled piece of A3 paper that I had folded in half and handed it over to him with a sigh. He opened it up and sighed also. This was not going to be good.

“Freya are you purposely trying to fail?” Mr Robbins asked, a little angry now.

“No.” I replied.

“Well I ask you to draw your home in class and you draw some tattered run down building and for your homework I ask you to draw your family and you hand me a blank piece of paper? Are you taking the mick? Do you not take this class seriously?” He fired questions at me.

“I do take this class seriously.” I said while looking down at my feet.

“Well it sure as hell doesn’t seem that way.” He said sternly.

“Did you even look at the drawing? The use of shading and the level of skill needed to draw that?” I asked him, a little offended.

“Well of course I did and I will admit that it is very well drawn but it is not what I asked of you. And you didn’t even bother to attempt to draw your family. Why is that?” I figured that he wasn’t going to leave me alone until I told him.

“Well it’s kind of difficult to draw what you do not have don’t you think? And how do you know I don’t live there? It is certainly possible.” I answered Mr Robbins.

“But you can’t live there, it’s a wreck and unstable. It wouldn’t even have any electricity or warmth; you wouldn’t be able to survive in that house. You would be dead in no time. And no family? Everyone has someone.” He stated.

“Yeah well not everyone lives in a perfect world.” Was all I said, and with that I left the classroom with Lucas right behind me.

The next class I had was PE and I had both Lucas and Violet in that class. Which I would usually be pleased about but I just wanted to be left alone with my thoughts.

My wish was granted as I found out that we were running laps and that we were to go at our own pace. I set off, ahead of everyone else and just ran. I used to do this every day when I had to fend for myself; I had to make sure I stayed in good shape.

A lot had happened in just a short morning. I don’t know what’s going to happen after Mr Bentlen caught me with Bastien, I don’t know how much he saw but from the look on his face it was enough to suspect something was going on. Could I get kicked out? Or would Bastien get fired?

It seemed too soon when I heard the teacher’s whistle sound to signal the end of the lesson and that we all had to hit the showers. I jogged back over to the rest of the class and that was when I noticed everyone staring at me.

“Why is everyone staring?” I asked Lucas and Violet when I reached them.

“Freya, you were running faster than everyone else here. Even the jocks and they have enhanced speed. You were going so fast we could barely see you half the time.” Answered Lucas.

Shit, I was really going that fast? I hadn’t even realised. And what happened to me being more careful? I had to think of a decent reply as everyone was staring at me.

“I have always been a fast runner. I have been trained to outrun any opponent I ever face.” I replied calmly and everyone stared wide-eyed at me.

Somehow, that didn’t strike me as a great response. Now everyone knows I am highly trained, can run faster than people with enhanced speed and have opponents to worry about. “And by that what I really meant to say was-“ That was when I froze, what was I supposed to say? Everyone continued to stare at me.

‘I guess that’s why you usually run in the woods?’ Lucas thought his question to me instead of saying it out loud, so no one else would hear. When no one was looking I nodded, silently answering his question.

We were told to get to the showers by the teacher otherwise we would be late for our next lesson. It was then that I noticed two men stood over the other side of the field. Mr Jackson the head master and Bastien.

Bastien looked concerned but the look in Mr Jackson’s eyes worried me, I couldn’t quite identify it. I tried reading his mind but he too was blocking me. That ability was really starting to bug me. I headed to the showers but I couldn’t help looking back at the two men watching me.

Now what could that be about?