Book 1: Awakening (The VIth Element Series)

Chapter 15: Alex

The girl who could fly, who was called Vanessa Johnson, a deduction I made purely based on the conversation she was having with her new best friend Tiffany, looked back at me with a mixture of shock, disgust and anger. Then, she exploded like a bomb, her beautiful hair bouncing up and down as she raged.

"What in god's name are you doing here?" She shouted at me, pointing her perfect nail in my direction and looking thunderous. "I didn't see your name on our dorm list!"

Man, what was that girl's problem with me?

In response to her furious outburst, I glared back at her, trying to keep calm. I frantically thought of a decent response, whilst my brain tried to deal with this horrible shock.

Perhaps there'd been a serious misunderstanding in the room designation? I thought as she stared at me as if I were a piece of dirt on her shoe. There better have been.

"The same could be said for you," I eventually replied, crossing my arms and frowning. Then, realising that her attitude and behaviour towards me had been uncalled for from the onset, I sighed in irritation. "What have I done to make you hate me so much?" I asked. "At the end of the day, we've only just met."

As soon as I had finished, I saw Vanessa stiffen at my question.

When she replied, her voice was filled with disdain.

"I don't have to answer that," she responded, throwing me a condescending glance. "How I feel about people is my business."

I threw her the same "are you kidding?" look that I had given Jack earlier, although this was slightly heavier. This look was also reflected in Jasmine's features.

"Well...you need to tell me what you think if I'm ever going to make sense of your reaction to my presence," I retorted. "It's just as much my business, as it is yours, for I've been on the constant receiving end of your clear dislike for me ever since I arrived here this morning."

After my cutting remark, Vanessa seemed to make a funny noise in the back of her throat, before she shot me another foul glare.

"What I say might offend you," she retorted, fixing me with her cold eyes.

I shrugged.

"Your reaction to my existence has already offended me on a number of occasions. Therefore, I might as well hear all of your excuses."

Again, Vanessa made the same peculiar noise in the back of her throat, before she fixed me with an unreadable stare. Eventually, shaking herself, as if she was a jewel encrusted bird ruffling up her feathers, she began her long speech.

"My reasons for not liking you are perfectly admirable," she began, looking at me with superiority in her features and her lip curling. "When you arrived this morning and I saw you covered in that disgusting gunk which, even after it had been removed, seemed only to heighten the fact that you're not blessed with approving features like my own and wearing those rags, which you have the nerve to call clothes, I couldn't believe my own eyes. Also," she added, "even from the way that you hold yourself, I can tell that your background is one that should never be associated with this academy."

Vanessa paused briefly, as if trying to recover from severe shock and I watched how Tiffany looked up her in admiration.

Unfortunately, she was not finished.

"Sadly though, this nightmare must be true as you're still here. However, I just can't understand how someone as respectable as Vladimir could possible allow you into this academy, of all people. I mean...the whole thing is just....just...unbelievable."

As soon as Vanessa had finalised her cutting speech, she met my gaze in detest, the swirling icy fire of maliciousness burning in her eyes. She awaited my reply. I could not form any words, for I had been completely and utterly balled over.

How could someone even have the gall to think like that? I thought. Clearly, Jessica Wademen, for all her horribleness, had nothing on this girl.

She was the queen of meanness.

The others in the room appeared surprised, although Tiffany looked as if she was going to drop to her feet and worship Vanessa until the ends of the Earth. When we all came hurtling back to reality, I saw Jasmine, who was shaking with tremendous rage, take a step forward. I held out my arm, holding her back.

She growled.

"Let me at her," she hissed, fists clenched. "No one should be allowed to talk like that to someone and get away with it, particularly if they're my friend."

I shot her a small smile, despite my pale complexion, pleased to hear that she was supporting me. When she saw the hurtling emotions in my eyes, Jasmine thankfully complied, although she grumbled slightly. Then, I spoke, my voice scarily calm for someone who had just undergone serious verbal brutality.

"So...let me get this right?" I eventually said, looking at her directly in the eye, my own unwavering. "The reasons why you despise me so much include the fact that you think that I'm ugly, that you believe I have no fashion sense whatsoever and that my family is disgraceful?"

Slowly, after I had finished, Vanessa nodded, her eyes blazing. Seeing her unfazed reaction, I swallowed, struggling to keep my cool, as this conformation only fuelled my fury. Nonetheless, for far too long I had let people like Jessica Wademen walk all over me.

I was not going to let history repeat itself.

As a result of this, I told her like it was.

"Then I'm sorry to break it to you, but I think you need some serious mental help!" I replied, causing Tiffany and the others to gasp in shock, as well as Jasmine to practically choke. At hearing this, I saw a vain in Vanessa's temple twitch. I pressed on, not giving her the chance to answer back. "What's more," I added, "I've got some additional news for you. For your information, my ancestors have been coming to this academy for a long time and some of them have inherited such remarkable talents that it would make you green with envy. Therefore," I added, now smiling, knowing I was holding the ace card. "I'm staying right here, whether you like it or not and, if you have a major problem with that, then go and sort it out with the psychiatric department." Subsequently, not giving her a chance to reply, as I watched Vanessa turn scarlet, swelling in rage, I motioned for Jasmine to follow me. "Let's go Jazz," I said, turning my back on Vanessa and, as I did so, I heard Vanessa suck in air loudly, on the brink of exploding like never before. "I've spoken my mind and I think that we should give Vanessa here time to mull over what I've said." Consequently, checking Jasmine was behind me, I left the room, not once looking back.

As we made our way to our dorm room, laughing and Jasmine comically mimicking Vanessa's furious reaction to my response, Vanessa's screams and curses of wrath against me, once we were out of sight, was, strangely, like music to my ears.  

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AN:

Well...that was certainly dramatic. Venessa has plenty to say for herself and with Tiffany at her side, I can only imagine what the two of them have planned. However, as highlighted before, is there more to Vanessa that meets the eye?