Gift Academy (Book One in the Gifted Series)

Chapter Thirty Four

Austin

Mr. Hernandez asks all my friends and I to meet him in his class once Flora and I come back. We explain everything that happened, including Alison Davis mentioning the 'Flairs' and 'Winged'. Everyone, including Flora and I, were confused, except Fay and Mr. Hernandez. I'm pretty sure he told his favorite student all about them.

"I know who they are," Mr. Hernandez says, and everyone looks at him. He takes a deep breath and looks at each of us individually. Fay, Flora, Gina, Hailey, Jake, Wesley, Claire, Nick, Jennifer, and I.

"Mr. Hernandez, she said that you all wanted to tell all the Gifted at the same time," I remind him, but this teacher doesn't care.

"John," he corrects. I nod my head. Jonathan. Okay.

"John?" Wesley asks, his short blonde hair messily brushed. He also doesn't care.

"Jonathan," John informs, and when the others but Fay, Flora, and I still look confused, he finishes with "My name."

Now everyone knows.

I'm surrounded by idiots, including myself.

"So, what are they?" Jake asks, leaning forward in his desk. John hesitates, but before he can say anything, the door is slammed open to reveal a tall teenage guy with messy, short brown hair and dark brown eyes, which have a wild, hungry look in them. I automatically know that this isn't a guy I want to mess with.

"Gifted, get ready," the guy orders us in a deep voice. We all stand up, ready to work together if this guy turns out to be bad.

"Who are you?" Flora asks the guy, stepping up with a ball of water materalizing in her right hand. Leader.

"Don't worry, I'm a Shifter. Alison sent us," the guy responds, and we all quickly let our guards down, though Flora still looks a bit wary.

"Who's 'us'?"

The guy steps aside from the doorway, and we peek outside into the dark hallway, where a handful of Shifters stand patiently, waiting for us.

"What is this about?" Fay questions, looking just as confused as everyone else.

"We're going to take a few of you to come with us to Shift Academy. I think we need to discuss the war with more than just two," the guy answers. "We'll take whoever wants to come."

Everyone steps up, including me. Well, really, I just waited to see if Fay was going or not, but she was the first to step up, so I did as well.

"Well, the more the merrier. Come on," the guy tells us and we all follow him out the classroom, quickly followed by the other Shifters he brought along.

"What's your name?" John asks the boy as we step outside into the crisp night air.

"Alex Geller," the boy answers simply, almost bluntly. Just then I spot a guy around the same age as Alex wave us over; tall, with wavy, dirty blonde hair and ocean blue eyes behind cute, thin glasses.

"Alex!" The second guy whisper-shouts, waving us over. We all quietly rush to him, hoping to not wake any other Gifted.

Once we reach the blonde, Alex grabs his hand and they rush to a small group of dark colored vans. We all follow them, and I glance down at their intertwined hands.

Okay.

I mean, Jake is bisexual, so I'm not saying anything.

Oh wait, I wasn't supposed to say that just yet. Forget I said that.

Fay, John, Gina, Hailey, Claire and I climb into one of the vans with Alex and the blonde. Alex drives while the blonde is in passenger. I sit on the left window while Fay sits between John and I, and Hailey, Claire, and Gina sit in the very back. Alex starts the engine and quickly drives away while the other cars drive quickly behind us. I silently pray that Alex Geller is a good driver.

"How far is it?" Gina asks curiously, though I know she's just trying to break the tense silence between us all. The only ones who don't seem awkward with each other are Hailey and Claire and Alex and the blonde.

"Eh. Shift Academy is in Nevada," the blonde answers. A few hour drive from California to Nevada. I side-glance at Fay, who's fiddling nervously with a necklace. My necklace.

Well, the necklace I bought her after we out found her Gift was nature.

A gold chain with a small lotus flower charm. I can't believe she still wears that after all that's been going on.

I try my best to not grin like a fool when I see Fay admiring the charm. She catches me out of the corner of her green eyes and looks at me. I automatically look down at my lap, anxiously tapping my finger on my knee. Fay smiles at me and looks straight ahead at the two Shifters in the two front seats. (okay, maybe straight ahead isn't the proper term, but you know what I mean)

"What's your name? You never told us," Fay asks the blonde, who glances at her through the rearview mirror.

No. You look at your boyfriend, and I look at mine.

Wait.

"Oliver Collins," the boy- Oliver- answers, looking out his window. He looks like an Oliver. He seems like the shy, nerdy, yet adorable guy that sensible cheerleaders and quiet bookworms fall for at the same time.

Don't worry, I'm straight.

You're as straight as a rubber band.

​​​​​​​SHUT UP BRAIN!

I lean back in my chair, awkwardly trying not to squeeze myself against Fay, who honestly just looks straight-up beautiful- her long, silky brown hair lazily tossed over one shoulder, and her green eyes sparkling with hope and confidence. Her whole face seems to naturally glow in the moonlight, and she looks twice as brilliant as the stars themselves. She looks perfect.

See? Straight.

Bi.

​​​​​​​I hate myself.

Hailey

​​​​​​​I hate myself.

Claire confessed that she liked me when I was in the infirmary. And I did what normal, totally cool people do. I froze up and started stammering, blushing madly like the idiot I am. After a while I got ahold of myself and- stuttering like Bill Denbrough from IT- confessed that I liked her as well. How can someone not like her? She's confident, kind, caring, loyal. She can be fiesty and protective at times, but I like that. I love that. I love everything about her. Her wavy brown hair she always lets fall down her shoulders, her deep, melted-chocolate brown eyes, the way she always gives everyone a second chance, her perfect imperfections.

I can barely see a flaw in her.

I sneakily inch my hand towards her, and instead of grabbing Ginas attention towards us by holding her hand, I reach out my pinky and rest it on top of Claires. A faint smile tugs at Claires lips, a light blush forming over her cheeks. I love it.

I love her.