Changeling: The Daughter of Fire (GxBxNB)

Changeling 2

Sadly, there was no mysterious arson in the night, so the Unity Center for Behavioral Health it was for me due to court-ordered psych session. All because I'd set fire to the dumpster behind school.

The Unity center was all wrong, things needed a balance, a flow, and an evenness but the place's drab walls maze-like chaotic corridors and random bits of health posters had none of that. Waiting for my appointment, all alone in the waiting room, I reordered the chairs, bringing a little bit of order. 

Order was good, chaos only brought bad fortune. 

The Shrink called me in and I sat down listening to her babble and recounting my story for the hundredth time. It had taken a while to get her not to think I was some violent punk who wanted to burn down society or wanted revenge for being unpopular. 

It was hard to explain... I'd just have this build-up of anxiety and frustration, some of it from my struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and whenever I'd burn something I'd feel this rush and release from it all...

When I was done with that tedious session of psychoanalyzing me for childhood trauma, or any other potential reason as to why I liked burning shit, which there really wasn't any, — It was just satisfying and exciting — Dad came to pick me up and brought me to my school grounds where the superintendent had me clean the grounds for a few hours, another part of my punishment.

It was well past four-thirty when I finally made it home, all exhausted and filled with bad energies. I went up to my room and collapsed on my bed for a solid thirty minutes until my stomach loudly demanded food.

"Nadia?" Mom called as I came out of my room.

"Yeah?"

"There's mail for you."

"For me?" I arched a brow and rushed down the stairs and she gave me a paper envelope. It wasn't even sealed. On it was Liam's distinctive and terrible handwriting. I opened the thing and saw. It was a ticket for an art class at the community center. Along with it was a note.

Meet me there at six? ;)

So that was his plan? I was an artist so definitely he was trying to get some brownie point with his choice of activity... But was that a friendly kind of going out or was that him making a move? My cheeks burned at the thought.

"Is that a date invitation?" Mom asked, practically reading my mind.

"We're just friends mom." I meekly answered.

"You know your father and I wouldn't mind if it was." She smiled. "You're old enough to have your first boyfriend." Her tone was pretty clearly teasing,

She was right, I had never had a boyfriend... Emphasis on the boy part... But I hadn't had the courage to tell my parents that the sex and romance bridge had been crossed well over a year before with another girl.

"Besides, isn't he cute?"

"Mooom!"

She kissed my cheek. "Just be back for your curfew at eight."

"Yes, mom."

I went upstairs, took a shower and barricaded myself in my room, going through my drawers, trying to think of what to wear. I normally didn't really worry too much about these things, I was a casual kind of gal, but now my mind was racing.

I went for simple, my best jeans, and my maroon 5 tee. Under that, I put my dark gray bra with the little white flowers. I wasn't really planning on Liam seeing it, but it was cute and that gave me some confidence...

As I was putting on my makeup, just some light eyeliner, mascara, foundation, and discreet lipstick, I became aware of how my heart was beating a little out of whack. Okay, not just a little. A whole freaking lot.

What if it was actually a date? What if he asked me out? What would I say? I had no idea... I enjoyed being friends and I wasn't sure what I felt or if I wanted to complicate our relationship... But was it even a date? Liam didn't usually do these kinds of things... He'd just text me up and be like 'Wanna watch a movie?' he didn't leave tickets in my mailbox along with winky smileys...

"Gahh..." I groaned, tossing myself on the bed.

My brain was being stupid and worrying over what was probably nothing. Just then, there was a knock at my door.

"Come in," I mumbled through my pillow.

My big brother Ghali came into my room and I sat up on the bed.

"I was wondering if I could borrow your tablet—" He said before his eyes settled on me. "Oh wow, What's got you all dressed up? Does she have a name, is she cute?"

"It's not a girl..."

He was the only one who knew about that aspect of me. Not because I'd come out, but because he had accidentally walked in on my ex and I during a moment we'd thought the house was empty...

"Oh yeah?"

"Liam invited me to some art class at the community center." I sighed. "He was a bit weird about it, leaving me a note in the mail, so I don't know if it's a date or not... What do you think?"

"Do you have protection? I got some in my room."

"Woah," I raised my hands, "okay, I don't care what happens, I am not sleeping with Liam tonight."

"Hey, better safe than sorry."

"Not happening." I insisted.

It wasn't that I didn't like guys, although I had a feeling I was more into girls, it was just Liam was the one person I had and that made everything so much more confusing and complicated...

***

In the end, I was stupid early at the community center, counting the thousands of little tiles that made up the entrance's floor.

I sent Liam a text saying I was there waiting, but no answer came. I nervously paced the hall for a while, then reorganized the corkboard's ads until they felt right. The last thing I needed was the wrong kind of energy...

Some people looked at me like I was nuts, which I guess I was. But if the energy of a place wasn't right, it would get to me. Things need order, they need a pattern and they should be even.

Anything other than that is asking for misfortune...

Eventually, six p.m. came and there was still no sign of Liam. I tried to call, but he didn't pick up...

Fifteen minutes later, the instructor called the class in and still he wasn't there. I was assigned an easel and asked the one next to mine be kept free, in case he was just running late.

The one on my right, however, wasn't free. I felt my heart stop when I saw who it was. I hadn't seen her all summer... She wore one of those cute little colorful floral dress she loved and that always had me weak at the knee, her legs were bare and well tanned.

"Hey, Karin..." I said, looking down from her. "It's been a while... You look good..."

"Don't talk to me." She said with a grimace. "Dyke."

That felt like a stab in the heart. Last June, she'd told her parents she was gay. Then she was gone all summer and when she'd come back she'd found Jesus and stopped talking to me...

As much as I loved painting and wanted tips from a professional, I couldn't focus one bit. On one side of me was my ex-girlfriend and first love, who'd dumped me in the name of religion and self-hate, on the other was an empty easel where my friend maybe future boyfriend was missing.

Liam didn't show up, he didn't answer all night long either. I tried to call, message, poke him on Tumblr and Facebook, but nothing, niet, nada. When I came out of the class, there were twenty minutes to my curfew, just enough time to make it home.

Liam's house was the other way... Further away enough I wouldn't make it home before curfew if I went there. He couldn't have just stood me up for no reason, did he? Was he alright? Why wasn't he answering my calls?

Fuck the curfew, I needed answers.