The Other Side of Me

Chapter Five: The Other Side of Me

I drop myself back into the chair, shocked. All my memories, all my past, everything that I thought was real, flashes before my eyes.

I can't believe it. It's not real. This can't be true.

"I know it's hard to believe Bella, but what I'm telling you is real."

I glance back up to see my mother, no, Corinne's face, realizing that I spoke out loud. Teachers around the room are looking at me. Some stand with a still, emotionless composure, while others, like Ms. Tanya, look at me with sadness and reassurance. I look down to my hands, which are shaking. Out of all the things I should be doing, walking away, screaming at this impostor mother, and whatever else my heart desired, crying wasn't going to be one of them.

What am I?

"I'm sorry, Bella. I can't say that I wasn't lying about who you really were, but it was all to protect you and your future."

I look back up at her, and this time, anger and disbelief cover my face.

"How could you keep this from me?" I scoff. "Not that I believe a word you're saying." I look back down at my hands and clench them into fists.

"Does Father know about this?"

She sighs. "Yes."

"My sisters?"

"No. They don't know, and they don't need to know."

"Well they should." I reply. "They should know what I really am."

Corinne's hand touches my shoulder and I shrug it away. She sits back down in her seat and tries to find my eyes.

"You are not a what. That I know. You are still a who. But," she shrugged casually. "Not exactly the who you were thinking of."

I decide to get up. As I raise myself from the chair, Mr. Polic begins to come towards me.

"Oh, relax. I'm not going anywhere." I snapped.

I start to pace back and forth behind my chair. I won't believe this. I pause. But this would be a really sick joke. Even for my parents. I turn back and glare at Mr. Polic, never making eye contact with Ms. Tanya, who was sitting next to him.

"If I'm not a Dark Angel," I put my hands on my hips. "Then what exactly am I?"

Mr. Polic began to speak, but Ms. Tanya put her hand up in front of him.

"I'll tell her. You've done enough."

Mr. Polic huffs and goes to sit down. Ms. Tanya stands up and comes to stand in front of me.

"You're not a Dark Angel," she softly says, looking into my eyes. I soften my gaze. She'll tell me the truth. "But you had grown up in the middle of it all, so that makes you one of us. If you choose to be that is."

Well, so much for this just being a joke.

"How long have you known about this, since this is actually happening right now." I ask in a low tone.

"Since you were enrolled in my class." Ms. Tanya sighs. "I knew you were talented and went up to Mr. Polic one day to discuss putting you in a higher level. And then he told me."

"And what exactly did he tell you?"

She sat down and gestures me to the chair in front of her. I lower myself onto the wooden chair and rest my elbows on the cold table.

Swallowing a nervous breath, she starts.

"In the beginning, God created light."

I nod. "Genesis. What about it?"