we are different

Celeste and Austin have supernatural abilities,with them they learn about a new girl at school, and how she plays out in their past and more importantly - their entire future existence.

I knew we were different. I couldn’t explain how I hadn’t noticed any of this before; I just thought that nobody liked us, or that we didn’t fit inside the stereotypical mould of the typical teenager. Never the less, I knew that I couldn’t change what others saw of us, and I knew that I wasn’t going to enlighten them. Austin was in the situation with me. Not only was he my brother but he was my best friend. Twins in almost every way possible; except for what we possessed. In that aspect, we were not alike.

I looked at my brother from across the table. We sat at this table every since we came to Burnwood High School. All the tables around it were clear from any other student, almost like they were afraid we would bite them. Biting was the least of their worries. Austin lifted his gaze from etching a slender oval into the weathered surface of the table with a nail. His green eyes sparkle inquisitively, and from the depths of the moss coloured glaze of his eyes, I knew what he was asking me. I shifted my sight downwards to the table and smiled.

“Just thinking about how stupid your new haircut looks.” I replied to his mental question.

I knew better than to look up into his eyes when i felt them harden on the crown of my head. I laughed aloud which alerted some students passing our empty side of the outdoor area. I looked blankly behind them; they seemed alerted but before they could have a go at me their feet started moving along past where we were sitting. I sighed and went back to watching Austin scraping at the table top. He didn’t even need to look up at me for me to hear his question in my head.

“I think that we not only repel people, but I think we push them away. Why is that Austin?” I questioned.

“Because we like being the way we are. Plus you can’t keep a secret to save your life Celeste.” He mocked.

I stared into his smug eyes and watched as he dropped the nail from his right hand and thwacked himself across the face. A red mark began to blossom upon the pale skin on his clenched jaw. I smirked " oh how I loved to tease him, how I loved how he put up with me toying with him the way I did. He didn’t retort nor did he complain when he looked up at me. His focus was lost and then regained again; only not on my face, but on something behind me. Without even turning around I knew already what Austin was looking at. She was beautiful " long, slender and pale. Her lush red locks billowed down past her shoulders; every strand glittered in the light from the sun that streamed in from above, like heavenly fingers. Her blue eyes looked glossy and sad, and her attire didn’t seem to shoot down the claims of sadness her eyes gave. Bleak and grey cloth hung from her in what seemed to be a dated suit dress. An odd choice for a teenager in these times.

“Shut up Austin, that’s disgusting.” I snapped. My nose wrinkled at the idea of Austin’s thoughts of the girl.

“What? She is just dressed bleakly, i was just wondering if she would be that bleak, undressed.” He smiled, and went back to his thoughts.

I blocked him out and focused on the new girl. I met her gaze and stared beyond the watery blue glaze of her eyes, only to be met by a swell of darkness and fluorescent sparks of white. She looked at me harder " like she was trying to look back into me. I held her gaze for a second longer then flicked down to my hands. They were balled into fists, the skin pulled tight over my knuckles, the blue veins visible against my chalky and translucent complexion. I looked carefully at the pulsating vein only to see myself from Austin’s eyes " i hadn’t realised i was tracing over the veins with the nail he was using before, to leave menacing white lines all over the back of my hand. I dropped the nail back on the table in front of Austin and watched as the menacing white lines on the back of my hand turned into impious red marks. He didn’t need to have supernatural powers to know that i was worried about something.

***

The black abyss burst into a round of fluorescent sparks. They bounced around my head, looping in and out and between each other. Eventually the sparks filled the space until only one black dot was left from the remains of the abyss. On closer inspection i saw it get bigger as i gingerly moved forward. And then her head came out. I showed no sign of shock, but inside my heart was rattling inside my chest like the beads in the toy shaker of a very angry baby’s toy. It bounced around my insides find new hollows that i didn’t know existed to rebound off. The tiny black dot had stretched to frame the red heads face perfectly. Her watery blue eyes only had more of the abyss behind they’re wet glaze, and i didn’t want to go there so i stayed on the human side of her eyes. The side that people melted when they saw. Her exterior was perfect, despite what was on the inside, she was truly beautiful " aesthetically beautiful.

“Poking around in place you shouldn’t be then Celeste?” she hissed.

“Pish posh " I’m allowed to poke around anywhere I please.” I retorted.

She weaselled her hand through the black spot and grabbed the front of my shirt. With an iron grasp on my shirt, i knew that i wasn’t going to be able to pull away. I grabbed hold of her arm " it was as hard as steel but as hot as a thousand suns. I refused to let go of her arm, i wasn’t going to show the red head weakness, not now and not ever. She wasn’t an exception to my protocol.

“Unhand me you; you, you.....” I stumbled over my words while wrenching at her wrist.

“Or else what?” she giggled.

“Oh you don’t want to know missy...” i said tightening my grasp on her steel wrist.

“You’re going to take me down? You and what army Celeste?” She asked inquisitively.

The sparks popped happily around me and the red head. And the black hole snapped shut taking the red head with it. The boisterous popping of the sparks was replaced by the thunderous clapping from Austin in my ear.

“Faaarrkkkkkk, Austin!” I grumbled at him. My body which was suspended a metre from the ground suddenly flopped into the floor boards. The stale air from beneath whooshed past my ears, pulling up all the dust and stray herbs from the floor up into the air.

“Don’t yell at me! You’re lucky that everyone has gone to class already! Controlled yourself, if you don’t I’m not sure how am I supposed to explain the fact that my sister is levitating?” He snapped.

“I don’t levitate I --” I persisted.

“Yeah, yeah, ‘I can detach my inner self into other people’s bodies, which causes my body to raise occassionally.’ I’ve heard it before Celeste.” He sighed.

I straightened out my skirt and inspected the gaping hole in my stockings. Still peeved at Austin, I set about leaving the table " my books following behind me. Hearing Austin whisper words of disgust about me as he picked up his things and joined into the back of my single file of books as I proceeded towards the large glass building where our next class was. Holding open the door for my books " I listened to vibrant warble of an opera singer. The notes rung through my body and my blood pumped to the tempo of the music as my eyes lingered on the partial view of a rather small lady standing on the stage, her arms spread out in front of her, embracing the crowd. Austin smiled once he had seen my gazing in awe at the mezzo-soprano beauty on stage. He pushed me forwards and though the door towards the stage " my feet shuffling, unable to move at first but as I drew closer, I found myself moving faster, and out of the reach of Austin’s guiding hand. I watched the movement of the singers face and when she drew to an emotion end I applauded louder than any other.

***

Author's Note

I don't like the name of the school - suggestions?

Anything you don't like and think would be best to change?

Worth continuing and developing into more than just a short story?

Reviews

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