The Hybrid Girl (Andromeda Book 1)

Chapter 11

A loud beeping noise awakens me and I curse myself for not turning my alarm off the night before. Shuffling out of bed, I rub my eyes tiredly and it takes a minute for my brain to start operating properly. Once it does I sigh, feeling enervated, and collapse back onto my bed. Gently rubbing my fingers over my forehead, I think about the past twenty-four hours and momentarily forget whether I was dreaming or if it actually happened. My head starts to pound at the thought and I rake my hand through my fringe.

Trudging down the stairs, I make myself a slice of toast and warm a cup of milk. Silence is usually something I prefer not to sit in. I usually put the TV on and watch an episode of something on Netflix. For some reason, today the silence is extremely inviting. Bringing my breakfast into the front room, I sit on the window seat, open the window and enjoy my food in peace and quiet. Breathing in deeply, I feel the tension ebb away as the fresh air engulfs me and I sigh.

The calm before the storm.

Later today, Norma is going to start teaching me how to use my powers. After that, I'm meeting the group for training, and I have some university work to catch up on too. I have yet to tell Danielle about yesterday's crazy escapade and I think my mother is avoiding me after the mind-blowing revelations that became out in the open at the yard. The only normal thing on this list is university work and that really depresses me.

Devouring the rest of my breakfast, I quickly clean up and dash back upstairs. I throw on some grey sweats, pick up my keys and decide to go for a walk to clear my mind. With the insane day I'm about to have I think some alone time in the field will do me some good. There's a field around the back of our house and when I used to go to school, I'd go for a run for thirty minutes every morning. I head straight there and instantly feel relaxed. 

After around fifteen minutes of walking, I stop and sit. The field runs up a hill, and if you keep walking you end up close to the motorway. From where I am sat, I can see the whole town, all the way past the beach and out to sea. I can see the tall university buildings towering over the car park and covering most of the student accommodations. I spot the yard with the minibuses and coaches parked up in a line. The houses are dotted in straight lines and the market is buzzing with life. Everything is exactly how it should be yet nothing is the same.

Yesterday I was mad at mum and Norma but after sleeping on it, my anger towards mum is gone. It would be unfair of me to give her a difficult time when a few weeks ago, I wouldn't have believed any of this nonsense. Maybe, I resent her a little for never telling me the truth about Norma but I guess it wasn't really up to her. I mean, she had the choice to tell me who my dad was and she did. I shouldn't blame her when it was technically all Norma's doing. Truthfully, I still want to speak to her about it, without Norma's presence, but I'm not really mad at her anymore.

Norma is a whole other story. One that I don't really want to think about until I have to. 

A startling shuffle from behind me makes me jump to my knees. Imprecating myself for wandering off alone like an idiot after everything that's happened, I look towards the trees surrounding me. Everything goes in slow motion, as my eyes dart around to identify where the shuffling came from, I suddenly start to hear every single thing there is to hear. Rustling leaves in the wind, the cars zooming past on the motorway and the faint sound of the sea. My breath hitches in my throat and I hold it in as if it will somehow better my hearing. 

"Jade," a hand gently falls on my shoulder, making a loud scream escape my lips. In one fluid motion, I grab the hand on my shoulder and the arm attached to it and use all my might to fling the body over me and straight onto the ground. "WOAH! HOLD ON!"

"Sam?" I exhale nervously, and he looks at me in concern. "What are you sneaking up on me for?" Then he sends me a more pointed and concerned look. "Sorry," I apologise, trying to calm my racing heart, "you scared me."