Different.

Chapter 8: Not alone

Chapter 8

Not alone

I sat up, cross legged, on one end of my bed, an old orange laying on the other end, and narrowed my eyes, focusing on it, trying to will it to move like I did with the rock.

Nothing.

I sighed exasperatedly and plopped onto my back. I'd been working at it for hours now but the orange stayed perfectly still, practically mocking me. How had I done it in the forest?

I groaned and rolled over onto my face. I couldn't remember. It just happened on its own.

Giving up on the rewardless task, I sat up and reached over to my nightstand for my sketchbook. I ran my fingers over the leathery cover, and smiled smally. In a way, the tiny ragtag book was like my diary. Everyone had their one thing that they loved more than anything. That they felt was an extension of themselves as a person. For me, that was drawing.

I flipped through it slowly, looking at drawings from when I had a nightmare, when my mom went on one of her tirades, and the happier ones, like a butterfly that had waited patiently for me to draw it as it sat perched on my knee, till I finally landed on the drawing of Alexander.

I'd always had a knack for drawing, but I had to admit, this one was especially good, the shading, his stance, I'd somehow managed to even capture the intense look in his eyes.

It was then that an idea popped into my head. Maybe if I drew what happened in the forest I could remember something I'd forgotten?

Akshana's ominous words echoed in my mind as I began sketching away.

Using your abilities like that should've killed you.

Did that mean if I tried to use them again, they would succeed in bringing my life to an abrupt halt? She did warn me not to try to use them again until I was safely in her strange city. But somehow I had survived the first time. And maybe since I'd know what was happening the next time, my body would have adjusted.

Either way, I wasn't going to sit around like a helpless damsel in distress, I thought angrily, putting my pencil down and leaving the drawing unfinished.

But if I did find a way to get my newfound abilities to work, it wouldn't help anything if my mom burst into the room. So I packed up my book, a few oranges, and my keys in a small bag, then slunk out of the house before my mom woke up at her usual time of two o clock in the afternoon.

Slinging my bag onto my back, I hopped on my bike and pedaled as fast as I could, wanting to start practicing again as soon as possible.

I decided it would be best if I avoided being anywhere near where I met Alexander, so I went in the opposite direction, to a small field a few miles from my house.

But obviously I couldn't be sitting out in the open while some oranges floated in front of me, so when I arrived-which was much quicker than I had expected-I hopped off my bike and wheeled it with me into an area where the trees and shrubbery got thicker and thicker. As far as I knew, no one ever came back here, so I was pretty much free to do whatever I wanted.

I let my bike drop to the ground lazily, and pulled out one of the oranges.

Placing it on top of a small pile of flaming orange and red leaves, I backed away a few feet, and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath, and focused on only the small sphere shaped fruit, imagining it floating to the air.

But nothing happened.

I let go of my breath, and frowned. Why wasn't it working?

Furrowing my brows, I raised my hands up to the orange, and imagined it floating to the air while I moved my hands upwards.

Still nothing.

I sat down in the dirt and put my chin in my hand, frowning at the orange. Maybe they were wrong, maybe I wasn't special after all, and there was some other explanation for what happened with Alexander on that first day.

I closed my eyes and inhaled, then exhaled. I envisioned all the energy in my body moving to my hands, and then raised them once more, seeing in my minds eye the orange floating in midair.

When I opened my eyes, there it was. Twisting and turning in the air about a foot above the ground. I gasped, losing focus, and it plummeted back down, tossing up leaves as it went.

"I did it!" I shouted, then covered my mouth. It would be best if I didn't alert anyone to where I was.

Practically jumping for joy, I hopped to my feet, and felt the energy crawl to my fingertips, the tingling sensation becoming familiar, while I raised my palms.

Slowly but surely, the stubborn fruit climbed through the air, swirling about like an acrobat.

I laughed, a wide smile brightening my face. I was finally getting the hang of it.

I lifted my other hand, and imitated juggling, testing to see if I could do more than just lift it.

The orange bounced back and forth in the air giddily, and it appeared as if two invisible people were tossing it between them.

"Lets see if we can add a few more," I mumbled to myself.

I glanced over at my bag, keeping the floating orange at the back of my mind, and brought out several more. They tumbled out of the open bag lazily, as if they had just woken up, before reaching higher to meet with the first orange.

I spun them all around me, dancing in circles and weaving in and out.

I was just about to make the intricate circle fly higher above my head, when a voice that could only belong to one person materialized from behind.

"You're lucky Akshana isn't seeing this." It said, and all at once everything stopped.

The oranges dropped to the ground, and I spun around to see none other than Alexander.

How the hell did he find me?

"What are you doing here?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.

He just laughed like I'd said the funniest thing in the world. "Me? I always come here. I would ask what you're doing here, but I think it's pretty obvious."

When I didn't say anything and went on staring up at him with a poisonous glare, he continued.

"That's a neat trick you got there." He said casually, picking up and orange and turning it over in his hands while he leaned against the trunk of a tree. "You're learning pretty quick."

"Thanks," I muttered, flipping my hair out of my face.

"Just don't tell Akshana about it. She'll lose it. We're technically not supposed to do this kinda thing out in the open."

"Well I'm not exactly out in the open," I retorted, rolling my eyes, "I was p-wait a minute. What do you mean we?" I asked suspiciously.

He smirked, and then right before my very eyes, the orange in his hand began to raise into the air, seemingly all on its own.

My eyes widen in disbelief.

Alexander was a shifter too.

-

A/N: Plot twist! :) So what do you guys think about the new chapter? Kaylee's abilities are adapting quite quickly, but what do you make of Alexander being a shifter too? If you'd like, lemme know by commenting. I just wanted to add this quick note to say, I won't be updating Different as frequently, because I'm trying to get my other story Through the wreckage started up a bit more. I will still be updating this story, just not as often. So if you start wondering where I've gone, that's where I'll be at! Feel free to go check it out if you want! Thanks again for all the support everyone!