All around me are familiar faces

Worn out places

Worn out faces

I stand in front of the school, staring up at the brick building rising from the ground like an ancient monolith. My fear festers in my stomach, images of people touching me and dropping dead fill my mind. Autumn never figured out how to make me touchable. No matter what she tried, nothing took away my killing touch. Her friend that made Mogget said searching for a fix was a fruitless effort. My power is irremovable and insuppressible. It is a part of my destiny and nothing I want can change that. Of course, Autumn hated the thought of “destiny” and not having a choice in our life, so she searched down every lead, leaving behind a bunch of dead ends. I lost hope a long time ago.

Bright and early for the daily races

Going nowhere

Going nowhere

“Ready, cuz? School actually doesn’t start for a few hours, but I wanted to get you here early so you don’t have to worry about a ton of other kids while I show you around.” Mordecai says, coming to my side.

“Thanks.” I mutter, following him in.

Mordecai had let me on his Simbook to look around at other peoples’ profiles since I didn’t have one. He said I should have a little knowledge on people in town since everyone else here has known each other since elementary school or earlier. So many were excited for school starting, for making friends and socializing. A lot were curious about me. It’s all pointless though. High School ends, people leave, and no one in the wide world cares about who you are during these years.

The tears are filling up their glasses

No expression

No expression

The halls are mostly quiet when we step inside. A large cafeteria takes up most of the bottom floor. I can see the lunch monitors getting breakfast ready, running around in the kitchen and bringing plates of warm food out to the counters for the students that will soon be rushing in around us.

“So, this is the cafeteria, obviously. There are classes and bathrooms to the left, and the first floor of the library to the right. That’s about it down here.” Mordecai says, smiling reassuringly before heading up the stairs.

Hide my head I wanna drawn my sorrow

Not tomorrow

Not tomorrow

The second floor isn’t as open. As I see the small hallways cramped with lockers, my throat constricts. It’s a death trap. Within a week I’ll be on trial for murder. This is a bad idea; it has always been a bad, horrible, despicable idea. What do Tilly and Autumn think will happen? That I’ll get chummy with people and my power to kill on touch will simply go away?

“It’s okay, Zoey. It’s not so bad in here. When I toured this place last year, the halls were packed with people but there was still plenty of room. No one’s going to run into you. I’ll make sure of it. I may just be a freshman, but a couple of my friends are upperclassmen. They set the rules and others follow them. I’ll make sure you get special treatment. No one will mess with you.”

I find it kind of funny

I find it kind of sad

The dreams in which I’m dying

Are the best I’ve ever had

“Great.” I groan. Special treatment, another reason to brand me a freak. High school is going to be hard enough with my current…ailments. Let me just add special treatment to the target on my back. It’s getting bigger by the minute. I wish I could bring Mogget. Maybe if he was still a kitten, I could hide him in my back pack or under a coat, but now he’d just cause a problem. I’ve been at school less than an hour and I already want to escape. Autumn said no going into Death at school, but maybe if I can just slip away from Mordecai for a few minutes and go to the bathroom…

Find it hard to tell you

I find it hard to take

When people run in circles

It’s a very very

Mad world

Mad world

“That’s the second floor library. It’s got the computers in it and a little sitting lounge. I’ll show you to our first class. Most our classes are the same, so I’ll be with you most of the time. Don’t worry, once you get comfortable here I’ll back off and let you do our own thing.” Mordecai says.

“Mord, I’ll never be comfortable here. I’ll never fit in.” I tell him, walking beside him.

He looks at me as we turn a corner. “Nonesense, you’re a Belle and under your prickly exterior you’re nice. Everyone will love you.” He smiles.

My family’s unending and blind praise is really getting on my nerves. “No. No they won’t, Mordecai. People fear what they don’t know and they don’t know me. They don’t know who I am, they don’t know my powers, and they don’t know what I can really do. Sure, they probably know I’ve got some freaky powers, but they don’t know what they do. Even you’re afraid of me, Mord, and don’t deny it. I’ve seen your looks before when I’m practicing my magic. You, Tilly, Anton, and everyone else stay far back when I’m working on it.”

Children waiting for the day they feel good

Happy birthday

Happy birthday

Mordecai frowns, stopping. “We stay back because we don’t want you to worry about us being close, and don’t you deny that, Zoey. You may act tough, but I’ve seen your looks before when we’ve tried to get close and help. Use being close to you terrifies you, so we stay back, allowing you more comfort. I may not have magic powers like yours, but I know that when learning anything, it’s better to be comfortable while doing so than afraid you’re going to hurt someone. Hidden Springs will love you. You just have to let them. Let us.”

I shake my head, my anger boiling up. He doesn’t get it. None of them do. “In the end, there will be a witch hunt for me, Mordecai. It won’t matter how nice I try to be. Once they see what I can actually do the people of Hidden Springs will hunt me down for my head, regardless of my last name. In the end, everyone leaves me because of the monster that I am.”

And I feel the way that every child should

Sit and listen

Sit and listen

Mordecai is quiet for a moment, just staring at me. I can hear people start to come in and eat in the cafeteria. The noise from below is growing. Finally, he takes a deep breath and shakes his head.

“Are you hungry?” He asks.

“No.” I reply.

“Okay, well let me show you to your locker then we can head to our first class.” He says.

I nod, following him down the hall.

Went to school and I was very nervous

No one knew me

No one knew me

We sit in the back corner and I slouch in my seat, trying to be as invisible as possible. It doesn’t really work. Kids come in and they automatically see Mordecai and then me. However, none really approach us. Mordecai sent out some texts earlier, I guess word spreads quickly here.

Hello teacher tell me what’s my lesson

Look right through me

Look right through me

We get through the day without too much trouble. I have to hold my breath as we go through the halls between passing periods or I’ll hyperventilate, but I manage to not only handle that, but also keep up my “prickly” exterior. People clear out of our way in the halls, always watching and whispering but never coming up to me directly. Lunch is the hardest. We were all packed at the tables amongst other kids. Mordecai’s friends sat with us, but luckily no one said anything. One of the boys kept looking at me, an upperclassman. I think Mordecai said his name was Jake.

And I find it kind of funny

I find it kind of sad

The dreams in which I’m dying

Are the best I’ve ever had

We get home and I immediately head to my room. Luckily, Tilly and Anton aren’t home yet and Autumn isn’t waiting for us so it’s easy for me to get away. Both Mordecai and I tested into advanced classes so I can always use loads of homework as an excused to shut myself away now. Mogget mews as I shut my door and drop my books on my desk. My nerves frayed, I let myself drop to my floor and lean against my bed.

Find it hard to tell you

I find it hard to take

When people run in circles

It’s a very very

Mad world

Mad world

Mad world

Mogget jumps down and rubs up against my legs. I smile and lean forward as he flops down, rubbing his stomach. Four years of this. Four ears of exhausting days and ridiculous amounts of busywork and then I’m free.

“Four years isn’t so long, is it?” I ask Mogget.

His only reply is purring.

AN: Song is Mad World. I was listening to the cover by Jasmine Thompson. Anywho, BLOOPER TIME!! Guess who surprised me at the school! These two love birds. Lol I have no clue why Logan is dressed up like a bunny. A lot of the old gens of Belles are just wandering around my town. It’s funny to see the ways they show back up lol.