Chapter Nine - Teacher

I could feel my heart racing in my chest.  Though I did not really have a reason to panic, I was.  I wanted to stay and talk with Hunter more, but now that Gin and Kami were here, they would make me go home.  It was rather late…or early I should say.
         I turned to see where they were in the café; one booth away.  It was official, I was screwed.  Gin and Kami walked up to the booth I was in and looked at me.  Gin looked very apologetic, obviously he felt bad for what he had done.  Kami though, she just looked mad.  A mad troll was something I did not want to deal with.  Ever.
         “I’m so sorry Sapphire,” Gin said as he held his hands together as if to pray, “Please forgive me.”  I noticed that Hunter was watching Gin carefully.  Obviously neither Gin nor Kami had noticed Hunter at all.  I did not really know what to say, but I could tell that Gin really was sorry for what he had done.  Great, now I had to forgive him.  Well, not right away at least.
         “I’ll forgive you,” I said and he smiled, “eventually.”  His smile faded away.
         “That’s understandable,” he shrugged, “and it won’t happen again.  I promise.”  At that moment Gin finally saw that I was with someone and he looked over at Hunter.  His eyes widened as if he was just finding out something amazing.  Kami however had crossed her arms and I knew she was trying to stay calm.
         “Do you have any idea,” she began, “how much trouble you are in?  You have no idea where you are!  You could have gotten hurt or attacked.  Anything!”  I slouched down in defeat, or maybe I was cowering.
         “Sorry,” I mumbled.
         “Hunter,” Gin said quietly.
         “Gin,” Hunter replied, “it’s been a while.”  I perked up when I heard them say each others names.
         “You guys know each other?” I asked in disbelief.  Then again, they did go to the same school.
         “Yes,” Hunter said, “and I know Tonic and Rina.  And Damien.”  He practically spat out Damien’s name.  Maybe I should not have mentioned everything I did when I was talking about my life.  Whoops.
         “You’re going home young lady,” Kami said as she took hold of my arm, “right now.”  She lifted me out of the both and was about to start dragging me out the door when I started resisting.  I wanted to know why Hunter did not seem to like Damien that much.  They seemed to have some history together and I needed to find out about it or stories would invade my mind till I did.
         “But my meal,” I said quickly, “I wouldn’t want to leave after just ordering!  It would be rude.  Very, very rude.”
         “I don’t care,” Kami was all business, which could not be good, “you need to get home and rest; we still don’t know what you’re capable of.  And until we find out, you aren’t leaving that house.”
         “But that isn’t fair,” I complained as I tried to pull away from her inhuman grip, “Just because I hospitalize one guy, I can’t leave the house?  Where’s the justice in that?”  Kami began pulling me to the door again and I decided to just give up.  I still sent Hunter pleading eyes.
         “Read my mind,” he yelled at me.  That was a stupid thing to yell.  I had told him that I could not control my power, had I not?  But I thought I would try anyway.  I concentrated on his thoughts as hard as I could.  And eventually I heard him.
         I’ll see you again at school, he assured me, after all, I’ll need my sweater back. I smiled at Hunter to let him know I had heard him.  He smiled back and then winked at me.  And I blushed.  Stupid blushing, it should not be part of being human.

         Sitting in the limo between Kami and Gin felt like hell.  Gin was quietly gazing out the window thoughtfully while Kami told me all about what was to happen for the next week.
         Starting tomorrow, er today, I was going to get lessons from one of her friends.  He was going to show me how to control my power since he had the same one.  She never mentioned his name, but she seemed to really like him.  I wanted to ask if he was a troll as well, but I thought it would be better if I just let her lecture me for a while.  Get it out of her system, that sort of thing.
         Kami was extremely mad about my running off without a word.  She was also mad at Gin for spelling me and at Terry for letting me go.  She said the world was too dangerous for a girl my age to be running around at midnight.  She also said how I should not go and have meals with complete strangers, even if that stranger did turn out to be Hunter.  I never mentioned that I met him while he was digging up a grave in the local cemetery.  I figured it would be best if she did not know.
         I felt the car turn a corner and looked out the window.  We were driving up the Pynch’s driveway.  When we pulled up to the mansion Kami got out first and I followed then Gin. 
         “Gin, please take her to her room,” Kami asked politely, “I’ve got to go and make a call to my friend.  And tell him that it’s an emergency to get here at seven o’clock,” she looked at me and finished with a stern, “A.M.”
         This was going to be the best day ever.  It was now about one in the morning and I had to be up for seven.  Best.  Day.  Ever.
         Kami got back into the limo and I watched as it drove down and out the gates.  Gina and I stood there for a moment, just staring down the driveway.  I looked at him and he looked back at me.  I was afraid he was going to apologize again so I said, “I’ll go to my room I guess.  Seven a.m. and all.”  He smiled softly and followed me into the house.

         I walked into my room and immediately shut the drapes.  It was so dark outside that all I could see through them was my reflection and it started to creep me out a little.  Once I sufficiently blocked out the darkness, I turned to face my large room.  It was the same as when I left it, except that the television that came out of my bedpost was gone.
         The night was finally getting to me and I yawned.  Sleep sounded very good.  But what would I sleep in?  I did not see my tiny bag of clothes anywhere and there was not even a dresser in my room.  I looked down at myself and wondered if it would be okay to sleep in.  It would have to do for now.
         I walked over to my bed and removed my bra, jeans and socks before crawling into it.  I had forgotten how comfy it was.  I curled into a ball underneath the blankets and fell asleep the second I closed my eyes.

         I dreamt I was in the forest again.  But this time it was not just me and the dark figure.  I was with Kay.  I looked down at her in her little sundress and she stared back at me with large, watery eyes.  She had been crying.  I knelt down and hugged her, trying to make her feel better.
         “It’s okay,” I whispered as I let go of her.  She began to cry.
         “No it isn’t,” she whispered back to me right before she let out a shrill scream.  Kay pointed behind me and I whipped around just in time to see the dark figure slash my throat.

         I shot up in bed screaming while grabbing at my throat to stop the bleeding.  I stopped screaming as I registered where I was, and that the forest was just a nightmare.  I attempted to slow my heart rate and my breathing as I sat there staring vacantly.
         Should I tell anyone about my nightmares?  Did they mean something, or were they just ordinary dreams that my subconscious made up?  I decided not to tell a soul.
         Light shone through my curtains to indicate that the sun was up.  I looked to my night tables to see the time, but there was no clock there to tell me.  With my heart going a normal speed, I checked over the side of my bed.  I was about to swing my feet over the edge but then rethought it.  Instead I just grabbed my clothes from the floor and dressed on the bed.
         Once dressed, I carefully jumped out of arms reach of my bed with a large thump.  I prayed nobody heard that.  I reached for the handle on my door when I heard a woman’s voice say my name.  I spun around to view my empty room.  I then ran out of there as fast as possible.
         I stopped running once I got to the top of the stairs.  Nobody in sight and the house was quiet.  Were they all out?  I was hoping more than theorizing.  My hopes died when I heard people talking in the kitchen.
         I crept down the stairs as quietly as possible.  I do not know why I did, but I felt I should.  I came to the kitchen’s revolving door and was about to push it open when I heard my name come from inside.
         “Sapphire,” I recognized the voice to be Kami’s, “has no control over her power.  And we don’t know anything about her.”
         “That’s okay,” came a male voice that I could not place, “I’ll teach her what she has to know.  Maybe I can unlock her memory even.”
         “Thank you so much for coming Renee, especially on such short notice,” Kami sounded truly sorry.  Damn, now I felt guilty.
         “Did you want me to go and get Sapphire?” It was Gin talking now; I had not even known he was there.
         “Sure,” Kami said.  I stood there staring at the door, wondering if I should just walk in then and there.  But would that not look weird?  They just finish there conversation and I walk in?  Kind of suspicious if you ask me.  But I decided that I should just go in and get it over with.
         I lifted my hand to push open the door but instead the door swung at me; hitting me in the face.  I swore to myself and cursed whoever opened the door.  It was Gin.  I was bent over holding my nose for a moment before straightening.
         “I’m sorry Sapphire,” Gin said panicking, “I didn’t know you were there!”  I looked down my nose and wiggled it a little, it was thankfully not broken.
         “It’s…okay,” was all I could say.  Kami called us into the kitchen before Gin had a chance to apologize again.  I felt bad for him because he must feel terrible after yesterday and now this.  I chose to not hold it against him.  This time.
         I walked into the kitchen with Gin trailing behind me like a lost puppy.  Kami stood behind the island counter and sitting on a stool was a very well dressed man.
         He sat looking at Kami and smiling while holding a mug or what I assumed to be coffee.  He wore a black suit and seemed to be in his mid-thirties.  His shoes matched his suit and I wished I could say the same about his hair.  It was a shocking white.  His hair was fashioned so that it seemed messy, but was really just styled.
         This must be Renee, I thought.
         “Right you are Sapphire,” he said and turned to face me, “and I’m going to be your teacher from now on.”