Something Else

I walk towards my dorm’s bathroom. It’s shared so it is constantly crowded. It also doubles as a girl meeting place, for some of the more prestigious groups. It’s pretty much the only place here where you can get true privacy. Sort of.

It’s kind of strange actually, considering that well it’s a bathroom, but there are no people listening in here right now. Not even anyone loitering, not even the usual lurking pervert. It also serves as a good meeting spot for couples wanting to find some place private.

I sigh and walk up to one of the sinks and turn the knob. The water is as cold as always considering nobody bothers paying the bills for the poorer dorms. The academy here is a very advanced and upper class school compared to the other ones, but it is at the disadvantage of the poorer and middle class people in the school and in the area. Especially, for the people here living with abilities.

Abilities … all the families rooted with demon blood or ability blood in their veins have been drawn into this world. Hardly anyone has abilities anymore. Power ratings hardly matter, in fact they haven’t been very instrumental in a long time.

Abilities are what we call them, because we literally have no better word for it and that the closest translation to the word that they called it in the old language.

But, people who have ability blood in their veins generally do have a capability or at least some kind of inclination. I personally wouldn’t refer to it as a capability though. For me it’s just a natural instinct not just something I can do, but just a part of me like a sixth sense or an extra limb. Certain abilities sometimes run through family trees. I know Kimmi’s family are all gifted in air. Saey and Sierra’s family are talented with water. At least, their ancestors were.

Of course none of them have a real ability, just a capability. Saey can make ripples and small waves without touching the water, and Sierra can hold her breath underwater for an unnatural amount of time and go deeper than a normal person without getting crushed, but these aren’t true abilities. Just remnants of the old ones,

Almost every family’s ability is rooted in an element, abilities used to be whole when people were stronger, but now there are categories and sub catergories within abilities. Where the ability used to be water, now there’s boiling, freezing, moving, bubbling and other varieties of water -you guessed it- capabilities. Other abilities, not element based … are caused by demon blood.

Something goes through my head suddenly. “When I found her she was screaming in pain, she-she was perfectly healed, I don’t understand, because she looked fine. But, the look on her face, in her eyes; she was having spasms and sweat was pouring down her face. I went to grab her and help her, but she started breaking out in hives her skin literally ripping itself opening, tearing apart and reconnecting on a loop. It was frightening. Then, she twitched and her hair slipped away from her neck; streaked with blood. Ma’am it looked like-like she was drained … It was the most beautiful and deadly thing I’d ever seen.”

Probably a line about a big busted girl in a vampire movie’s intense murder.

Gosh what’s been going on with me lately? More flashbacks, memories I don’t remember … more power surges.

I snap back to the bathroom and realise the sink is still running. I turn it off quickly. Damn it, some water had spilt onto my clothes.

I do my business and exit the bathroom in a hasty matter.

“Shit,” I slip in a puddle on the floor. “Ow,” I hit my head hard on something; a stall door. I start to get up and fall back over the puddle.

“Euh!” It’s a puddle of pee. Gosh, I thought that this was the secondary school’s bathroom. Who misses in the tenth grade?

I climb out and stare down at my sneakers. Great day to wear white shoes. So happy that at least they are closed toe shoes.

After climbing out of the piss pool, I walk over to the sink and start attempting to rinse my shoes, but my shoes are permanently stained.

I walk out of the bathroom in my socks. People give me awkward sidelong glances and quiet mummers as I pass. Whatever.

I smoothly enter the room with a smirk and a snide comment.

“Kimmi you really should learn how to expand your air abilities you’d save lots of money on blow drying jobs,”

I know I crossed the line insulting her lack of ability and flaunting my own, but I truly couldn’t help myself.

“Well at least my daddy can afford it- oh wait yours can too,” her smirk goes from ear to ear, but with a glance at Karly she decides it’s time to change the subject.

“Sleepover on January 23rd to 24th! Then, in the morning we can meet up with Lacey who can complain about our outfits being wrinkled and be the older sister I never wanted,” Kimmi’s scratchy voice is irritating beyond repair.

Kimmi has two older sisters, one younger sister and four brothers. Gosh, Kimmi and her two older sisters are the only natural born. The rest are adopted, abused ‘charity cases’.

“So anyways lets go,” Kimmi pauses with a subtle look in my direction. “Grab some dinner, since you know we have downtime right now for all lower class men. You know I thought upper class men were supposed to have school from when they wake up straight to bedtime. How’d you get off easy? Could you tell us your secret?” Kimmi’s voice doesn’t show a hint of any attempt to conceal her smugness and distaste. How does she know I got a daily suspension! Some boy in my grade that’s hopelessly in love with her must’ve spilled all.

“I got let off for the day for a secret project for my aunt. The headmistress,” I add the last part with a final flourish.

“So, you already knew about the demons visiting and you weren’t going to share?” inquires Kimmi with an obvious attempt to break my composure.

“Or maybe I was organising student files and had to alphabetise your detention dates. Or is daddy going to pay your way out?” My smile is sleek and steady at the promise of an obvious win.

“So how many detentions do I have?” asked Karly smiling.

“None,” I say lightly. “Well at least now none,” I say with a ghost of a smirk.

“You threw out her detentions, but not mine!” shrieks Sierra in outrage. “I’m telling Saey! I thought you liked me,” she makes a fake pout. Her attempt at least, but her expression is so bad that Karly and I have a laughing fit. Although, Kimmi is sitting alone far off unamused.

“No I don’t just throw them out, her daddy came by and bribed me,” my face lit like a Christmas tree.

Kimmi is a lot of bad things, but she is also one other thing … fashionably aware. She does care for Karly maybe-maybe she can help her … What harm can it do?

“Kimmi and Sierra …” I am so going to regret this. “Would you guys like to have a makeover session courtesy of the headmistress tomorrow evening?” My eyes are rolling back into my head.

“Can I bring Saey?” asks Sierra bouncing on the balls of her feet, ready to dash out of the room at a single word.

“As long as you fill her in personally on your own time,” I’m amused at the kind of rumors she’ll bring Saey back with.

“Okay see you there,” she’s already running out of the room.

“Wait!” I call out, but to my avail to no one in particular. “I didn’t tell you when or where! Ugh. Be at the office at six pm tomorrow. If you’re late you don’t get a makeover. Tell Saey she can blow off class for this,” I scream as loud as I can, but I’m not sure if she heard me.

“Six pm Room 001 got it.” Says Kimmi rising.