Chapter 8

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I run past my warehouse straight for the woods. I love running. The feeling of the wind on my face, passing by trees like a blur and the feeling like nothing can catch me like I'm invincible is absolute. It's so wonderful. I bet if I tried out for track I would be the fastest one there. Not like I ever would though. Despite how awesome and actually invincible I am, I don't like socializing. I'm the most anti-social as they come. That's why I have no friends and why I'm not in any after school activities. I'd rather eat my own ass than going to any kind of party or anything having to do with people. That's why I'm not at that one party tonight. I don't party. I wasn't even invited.

When I entered the woods I could see a mansion on top of a hill. The mansion where the party took place. I could barely see it though it was covered by so many trees and I bet that no one even saw me. So once I saw the rush of water and breathed in a fresh salt like essence I started running towards it. I stopped just before the edge of a small lake or some kind of pond with a waterfall. It crosses my mind that I didn't even bring a swimsuit. But not like that has ever stopped me. Just like I've been wearing my swimsuit all along, it appears on me and my clothes I had on before teleport in my bag. I sit my bag down and then back away from the pond. Like lighting speed I run towards it again and cannonball in. Water splashes everywhere including on my bag but I dismiss that.

I float above the water as my aura shines. Light illuminating from my body. I close my eyes and I'm drawn into a dream. My conscious no longer in the human world but in between realms. My dream is beautiful. I couldn't even describe it in words if I wanted to. It's just utterly dazzlingly enlightening. Using my powers makes me feel like myself again. Like I'm stronger and that alone is enough to take my breath away.

It's not long after an hour passes and then two. After two hours of spending my time in the pool I hear voices. Teenage voices. My eyes shoot open. The teenagers are close to me. They shouldn't be here. They can't know my secret.

I stop floating and my light dies around me. Before I could plunge into the water and become unseen, someone calls out my name. One of the teenagers. "Flo!"

I know exactly who it was before I even glanced at him. There was only one person that didn't know my name. And that was Landen. "Did you come to my party too?"

He stumbles to stand near the pond. I sink deeper into the water, only my eyes are visible now. I feel uncomfortable especially with his friends near me.

"Guys." He motions for his friends to come over. "This is Florence. But you can call her Flo."

No. You can not. My name ain't Florence. And my nickname ain't Flora or Flo, you prick.

Everyone of Landen's friends peer at me. Some of his friends I recognize, including his friend from study hall, and the others I don't know.

But I'm pretty sure those two girls go to some college in another city. One thing was for sure, they were a long ways from Landen's party and they were definitely all drunk.

"Are you naked?" Brady (the friend in study hall) asks. He crouches down to get a better look at me.

I hesitate to answer. "No."

I want to drown myself in this water so I won't have to deal with these drunkies.

"Yeah, let's skinny dip." Landen's other friend (Thomas) suggests out of no where like I'm the one that proposed the idea first.

Everyone else agrees with Thomas and they start stripping off their clothes. I, however, don't agree and recoil back into the water, hiding behind the waterfall. No one saw me retreat so I'll be safe here for a couple minutes until someone points out about my absence. I relax. Taking in the air and exhaling out. I've never been at a party before and the fact that these teenagers are near me gives me a queasy feeling that I don't like. It makes me feel like I'm at a pool party. It's enough to make me self conscious and anxious.

Before I could even realize that I could just teleport me and my bag out of here without them noticing, because they're drunk and won't remember this night anyway, Landen finds my hiding spot and emerges in front of me. "There you are. I wondered where you went."

He wipes water from his eyes and drags his hand threw his hair making him impossibly gorgeous. I ignore that fact and speak to him unhesitantly. "Aren't you supposed to be at your party?"

He smiles and I flinch as he pokes me in the chest. "Aren't you supposed to be at my birthday party too?"

Birthday? Party? It's his birthday?

I ache as I remember that he got dumped on his birthday. I bet Bella also didn't know about his birthday, otherwise she would've let him down gently and on a different day. I wish I'd known about his birthday too. Then I would've gotten him the best birthday present ever. Now I could only hope he doesn't feel so alone on his b-day.

I promise that I'll get a birthday present for you tomorrow. I mentally tell him. Only mentally instead I tell him something else. "I didn't know it was your birthday today. I'm sorry, I didn't get you a present."

His smile drops.

I hang my head low and say sorry to him again before I plunge into the water to get away from him, only to be held back and pulled to the surface by Landen. He holds me by the waist. I'm very aware that he is only wearing boxers and nothing else. I am also fully aware that he is pressed against my body and it's making me nervous that he can feel my goosebumps.

Nevertheless I set him straight. "Landen. I'm leaving now. Let go."

He inhales sharply as I say 'let go' but his eyes and grip never leave me. I look away. He stares at me and I stare at the water.

But then I hear the worse kind of sound imaginable. Barfing.

Ew. This is what I get for sneaking into the woods.

But before he could even try to vomit on me I command his stomach to settle. His stomach has no choice but to obey me since I hold the upper hand. My power.

Landen has ruined the mood and I can tell it's my chance to escape. I make a swim for it and dive to the other side of the waterfall. Of course Landen follows behind me. When I break through the water I see everyone making out.

Ew. I'm outta here. This is just- ew just ew.

I stroke towards the ground. Landen calls my name, making everyone stop what they're doing and turn to me just as I submerge from the water. My hair perfectly lays out behind my ears, water drips from my body somehow making my skin glow even brighter and.....

I wish I wasn't wearing a swimsuit right now. This is why I'm nervous. Everyone's fucking staring at me.

I hear Landen call my name just as I grab my bag, take my jacket out of it, put it around my waist and start running away from them. I have no destination. I'm just running. Running partly because I was worried that Landen might've followed me if I didn't start sprinting and also because I love to run. I need to get away from all that socializing. From the drunkies and the drugs that I'm sure the college girls brought to the party. Having five people near me was so overwhelming that I could've never went to his party. But I'll get him a present by tomorrow. I just need to figure out what to get him. What he likes.

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