“Do you ever smile?” I asked.

“Excuse me?”

“I said, do you ever smile?”

“You want to see me smile? I would have to charge you for that.” Brendan flashed a big fake smile, revealing white even teeth.

I chuckled. “That suits you much better.”

“Are you done tormenting me for today? Can I get on with my work now? I could report you for harassment for this,” he said.

I wasn’t sure whether he was joking or being serious. I was usually very good at reading people, although not as good as my Dad, but with Brendan I couldn’t get anything.

“I’ve got one final question. Have we met before? I mean before last night?”

Brendan drew his eyebrows together in confusion. “I’m not sure what you mean? Do you think we’ve met before?”

I shrugged. “I don't know. I’m not sure.”

“Well if you don’t know how am I supposed to know? I can barely remember anything from last night. I thought the entire accident was a dream. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the condition of the motorbike. I woke up in the Recovery Centre and Margaret explained I had been rescued by a family of lightworkers. I figured it was you because you’re currently the only lightworker at this school and you confirmed it was.”

“Where do you live? Why did your family move here?”

“You said one question. That’s three questions.”

“Fine. I’ll leave you in peace.” I flicked my finger as if to brush him off.

“Actually I like talking to you.” Brendan showed his first genuine smile which lit up his eyes with sparkle. He turned away and covered his face with the glasses before I could savour the moment.

With a supreme effort of will, I focused on the instructions on my screen. I had to re-pot a sunflower plant from under the table, water it and observe how the plant absorbed the water through the etheric vehicle. Since I already had clairvoyant vision, I didn’t need the X-glasses. I simply willed myself to see and a new dimension was open to me. I was able to observe the plant’s etheric forces working in harmony to select the water and nutrients from the soil. This work was done by the nature spirits and I saw several gomes and fairies busily working on the plant. I had observed this phenomena so many times, I was very familiar with the process.

“You have 5 minutes left.” Mr Gildon’s voice came over the speakers.

“5 mins?” I took a deep breath to stop myself panicking. I hadn’t done any work for this lesson and Mr Gildon was bound to notice. Nothing escaped that man.

I went through the questions on the screen and typed up my observations from memory. I knew it wasn’t good enough but it was better than nothing. I hadn’t discovered anything new in the plant assimilation process which Mr Gildon expected from every student.

“Brrrrrrrrr. . .” The sound of the lunch bell jogged me out of my thoughts. I placed the final full stop on the screen and logged out of my computer.

I was surprised to find Brendan was already gone. I didn’t see him leave and thought he must have disappeared whilst I was answering the questions. I threw my gloves on the table and left the greenhouse in search of Pamela and Charlotte.

***

The rest of the day proceeded without any incident. I sat with Charlotte and Pamela at lunch time and we were joined by Jeremy. It was hard to avoid all the chatter and whispers about Brendan Dolton in the canteen. Rosalind Henry, Tina Reeds and Victoria Barnes could barely contain their excitement. They pointed at me and Pamela and told anyone who would listen about the note Mr Gildon had forced me to read out loud. By the end of lunch, the whole school knew what had happened and we were a laughing stock. Brendan was nowhere to be found and I didn’t see him again until our World Literature lesson with Mrs Sharon Hayes that afternoon.

However, the following day, Brendan walked into the canteen to grab some food in open view of everybody. We had finished an intense morning of Maths with Mr Paul Timson and everyone was hungry.

“There he is. Look he’s standing in the queue,” Pamela nudged me to look at Brendan who was queuing for lunch in the canteen. I tried not to roll my eyes, all the females in the canteens were doing likewise, either pointing, whispering or staring at him.

“I saw you talking to him in the greenhouse yesterday. What did he say?” said Charlotte. Her mouth was full of green beans and baby spinach leaves.

I shrugged. “Not much. We spoke about the note. By the way, he knew I was staring at him during the lesson even though he was sitting at the front. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s got some kind of wired sixth sense that lets him see through the back of his head.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, nobody can see through the back of their head,” said Charlotte.

“You’ll be surprised Charlotte, by what people can and can’t do.” I followed Brendan with my eyes as he got his food and chose to sit by himself near the window at the back of the canteen. Every eye was trained on him, including those of Mrs Judith Miller, the art teacher, who was on lunch time duty, supervising the students.

“Oh no . . . what did he say about the note? How motifying!” Pamela covered her mouth in horror.

“Don’t worry, he’s not upset. Rather the opposite I would say. He’s a bit full of himself.”

“Of course he is. I would be full of myself too if I had a face like that!” said Charlotte.

“I hate you sometimes. You don’t know how lucky you are. I would give anything to have just 5 minutes chat with him,” Pamela declared.

“Really? Anything?” I raised an eyebrow.

Pamela screwed her face in thought, “Well maybe not quite anything, but almost anything.”

I chuckled, “Do you hear yourself? I’m not sure he’s worth it.”

“Well you would say that wouldn’t you, Miss high and mighty and righteous lightworker,” said Charlotte with a hint of bitterness.

I opened my mouth and shut it again. Never in a million years did I think Charlotte would ever say something like that to me. I was shocked into silence and couldn’t think of a comeback so I tucked into my salad. I sometimes thought that both Charlotte and Pamela were slightly jealous of my entire family, Charlotte in particular. She wanted to marry my brother, hoping that would guarantee her any easy path to becoming a lightworker. That fantasy was never going to become reality because being a lightworker had to be earned and couldn’t be granted by family association. Her chances were definitely non-existent now that James was matched with a girl from Italy.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“Just let it go, Rebekca!” Pamela pleaded.

“Let what go?” Jeremy, Charlotte’s twin brother, placed a tray of hot delicious smelling food on our table, choosing the seat opposite me.

Nobody replied, leaving an awkward silence in the air. I noticed there were more students in the canteen than normal for this time of day. Usually the students ate quickly and went outside to play ball games or explore the forests surrounding the school. However today the canteen was full, probably because of Brendan, who was still sitting by himself. I felt sorry for him, like a zoo animal at the centre of attraction. His features were veiled, but he gave off a cold vibe, warning anyone who sought to befriend him to stay away.

“Okay . . . if nobody is gonna speak I’ll find a different table. I don’t fancy eating in silence.”

“Trust me, you don’t even want to know.”

“Let me guess, it’s a boy issue. The only time you argue is when there’s a boy involved. Don’t let a boy ruin your friendship, but what do I know?”

“Jeremy is right. This is silly.” I offered an olive branch but the underlying tension was still there. “Anyway I need your help to plan my matching party.” I smiled at Charlotte and Pamela, hoping to warm them up to the idea. Pamela was an excellent planner and Charlotte loved partying, too much so in my opinion.

“Great, can I join?” said Jemery.

“Errr I don’t see why not, Jeremy.” Turning to the girls I asked, “Can you come to my house on saturday, there’s so much to sort through and I need the help.”

“Fine, I’ll be there,” said Pamela.

Charlotte nodded, “Don’t worry I’ll come.”

“Great, I need to use the bathroom before our next lesson. What do we have next?”

“Art,” Jeremy replied.

“Great, I’ll meet you there.”

I headed to the unisex bathrooms, which was at the opposite end of the circular corridors. Like the rest of the school, it was unusually empty at this time of day. I selected one of the cubicles and emptied my bladder quickly before washing my hands.

However as soon as I opened the door, I bumped into someone and lost my footing. I would’ve crashed to the floor except he held out hands to steady my shoulders. I looked up into the most vivid turquoise eyes I had ever seen. In fact the colour was a unique blend of greenish bluish shades. I could lose myself in those eyes for ages.

“Oh it’s you,” I said. “Are you stalking me?”

“Are you trying to attack me?” He looked amused but annoyed at the same time.

“What are you talking about, I was just coming out of the bathroom.”

“This is the bathroom. You swang that door so quickly I thought it was an ambush.”

“An ambush? Who would want to ambush you?”

“Haha very funny,” Brendan replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Anyway, what are you doing here?”

“Same thing you’re doing, using the bathroom?”

“Oh, I see.” I felt silly, of course he was using the bathroom. He made my brain go foggy and I couldn’t think straight. I was surprised he wasn’t being followed by a mob of screaming girls. I walked towards the mirrors hanging opposite the cubicles and pretended to fix my hair. He walked into the same cubicle I’d just used and locked the doors. A few minutes later, he flushed the toilet and stepped out.

“Didn’t you wash your hands?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“Not that it’s any of your business but I did.” His tone was curt, obviously annoyed at my question.

“Oh, I didn’t hear the water running.”

“Why are you still here? I hope you’re not trying to stalk me as well.”

“As well?”

“You can’t answer my question with another question.”

“I’m not stalking you but if anyone is following you around, you can report them to Mrs Reeds Morgan, the headteacher. That will put a stop to it really fast.”

“No need. I'll deal with it.”

“Of course you’ll deal with it, because you like the attention. I said you’re full of yourself and you are. Why else would you sit at the centre of the canteen where everyone can openly gape at you.”

“Why do you insist on provoking me? On judging me so unfairly?” Annoyance had turned into anger and his tone was sharp.

Within the blink of an eye, Brendan moved behind me, invading my personal space. He grabbed my shoulders and squeezed gently, sending my blood soaring through my veins. My breath came out in short shallow gasps as my brain turned foggier. Passionate desire, raw and untainted flooded my senses. I was caught off guard, unprepared for the assault. I was faced with the very thing my parents had warned me against since I was in dippers. Lust.

Brendan recognised the effect of his touch as he watched me through the mirror. My pupils were dilated and my chest was rising and falling in quick succession as if it’d run a marathon. I watched my body in fascination, stunned by the loss of control. Brendan released my shoulders and took several steps back.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

Brendan ran out the bathroom as if he couldn’t get away fast enough. I walked back to the cubicle and splashed water on my face to cool down but the space was filled with Brendan’s fragrance, a mixture of earthy but sweet smelling spices. I couldn’t stand it so I used the next cubicle instead, splashing cold water over my face until I was sufficiently calm and my breathing restored. I dried my face with some paper towels and composed myself before stepping out of the bathroom.

The corridors were empty and the noise from the canteen had died down, which told me I was late for Art. The Art classroom was located on the east side of the school, a 10 minutes walk from the canteen toilets. I broke into a run and was panting so hard by the time I got there that I wished I hadn’t wasted time composing myself in the mirror.

“Rebecka, there you are. I was beginning to wonder if you were joining us?” Mrs Judit Miller said in greeting.

“Sorry I’m late, it won't happen again.”

“I don’t ever recall you being late to lessons before Rebecka. Care to explain yourself?”

Mrs Miller was a kind, gentle and fair woman and I loved the tranquil atmosphere in her lessons. I glanced around the room and saw everyone was already seated behind a canvas, including Pamela and Charlotte. Like a needle drawn to a magnet, I spotted Brendan at the back, sandwiched between Tina Reese and Victoria Barnes. This classroom was one of the biggest in the entire school and depending on the subject in question, students could be seated on soft cushions on the floor or behind a canvas as was the case today.

“I used the bathroom and lost track of time,” It wasn’t a lie but it wasn’t the complete story. What happened when Brendan touched my shoulder was something I had never experienced before and didn’t care to explain in front of the entire class. The truth would likely shock Mrs Miller and get me sent to the head teacher’s office.

“Alright, but I’ll have to include this in your daily report home. Hurry and take a seat.”

I wanted to argue that it wasn’t my fault but I thought twice. I took my usual seat between Charlotte and Pamela, in front of a blank canvas which was already set on a stand.

“Today we’re exploring the art of fine painting,” Mrs Miller said. She had the habit of pacing across the room and waving her hands in the air as she spoke. “Your task is to paint an image from memory. It could be anything, either a portrait or a landscape. Every piece of artwork you produce this year will go towards an overall assessment of your ability. I’m not expecting any of you to produce a masterpiece but I’m looking for an original interpretation. Something rich with depth and emotion, something which represents truth. You’re free to use any medium of paint or colours as you wish. Understood?”

A quick glance around the room suggested most of the students had no clue. Mrs Miller’s lessons usually went along these lines. In first grade, she would give us colours to play with, leaving us to use our imagination. As we grew older, she began to demonstrate and we copied stroke by brush stroke until everyone in this class could draw, paint or sculpt anything. Mrs Miller had a colour sensitivity that was well known within the Waterside community. Although not a lightworker herself, she could read auras and perceive emotions from the colours they projected if she desired.

Now she was pushing us further, encouraging us to use imagination to come up with our own images. Painting was one of my favourite activities, something I did regularly at home. I knew I could produce something good but what to paint was the question. I racked my brain for ideas but came up blank. I couldn’t shake Brendan’s face from my head. I sat staring at the blank canvas for several minutes. Charlotte and Pamela were drawing something, as were most of the students. Mrs Miller was making the rounds, going from student to student. Apart from the sound of pencil or brush strokes scratching on canvas, the room was quiet.

I began by mixing colours on the palette provided before splashing them on the canvas. I thought of drawing the landscape scenery of the mountains that surrounded Waterside but couldn't hold onto the image.

“Rebecka?”

“Yes, Mrs Miller?”

“What is that?” Mrs Miller was standing behind my chair looking at what I’d produced so far with distaste on her face.

“Mountains. I’m not done yet, don’t worry it’ll come together.”

Mrs Miller didn’t look convinced but she nodded and moved on. I knew she trusted me because I was one of the best students in her class and she knew what I was capable of. Her face brightened when she saw Charlotte’s work. I was curious to see what the others were doing as I couldn't focus on my own work. I wasted a lot of time and mixed more useless colours on the palette until the bell rang, signalling break time. Some students continued to work through their break and paid no attention to the bell, which is what I usually did for the 3 hour lesson.

“You have 15 mins for break time. Use the toilet, get a snack and do whatever you need to do but make sure you come back on time. I want these paintings finished today,” said Mrs Miller.

“I’m going to grab some water, would you like anything?” I asked Charlotte and Pamela who were both engrossed in their work. I peaked at their canvas in turn and was astonished by how much progress they’d make. Charlotte was halfway through a realistic portrayal of the school canteen at lunchtime. I spotted myself and Pamela seated next to her on our usual table in the middle. Pamela had chosen to paint a forest scene and the birds and animals were taking shape nicely. In comparison, my canvas was a random splash of colours as if a child having a tantrum.

“I’m fine,” said Charlotte, rather dismissively.

“I might use the toilet quickly but I’m fine,” said Pamela.

“Okay, I’ll see you girls in a bit.”

I noticed that Brendan’s chair was empty as I walked out.

Robin Vasquez was filling his cup outside the classroom at the water fountain, one of the few students to have left the room.

“Hi Robin,” I said in greeting. Robin didn’t care much for Art and it showed in his work.

He raised his eyebrows, surprised to see me outside. “Hello Rebecka, I see you’re taking your break today. Come to join us mortals.”

“I am. Even non-mortals get thirsty sometimes, you know.”

“I don’t see your friends either, Charlotte and Pamela.”

“We’re not joined at the hip.”

“You could have fooled me. You girls move together like a pack of wolves.”

I shrugged and realised he spoke the truth. I go everywhere with Charlotte or Pamela, even after school and during the weekends.

“Ahhhh. . . here comes the newests prince charming,” said Robin. He nodded to someone approaching from behind me.

It was Brendan, strolling towards us with confident strides. My heart rate picked up speed. I slowed my breathing in a deliberate effort to control my reaction.

“Prince Charming?” I chuckled with false glee.

“Haven't you heard? That’s what the juniors are calling him.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“What's ridiculous?” Brendan asked, who was now within hearing distance.

“Nothing,” I said brightly.

“I was telling Rebecka someone’s new nickname and she thought it’s ridiculous,” said Robin.

I shot daggers with my eyes at Robin, pleading with him not to say anything further.

“What’s the nickname?” Brendan asked. He grabbed an empty cup, filled it with water from the fountain and passed it to me before filling his own cup. I mumbled a thank you and stared at the floor, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Prince Charming!” Robin said with a secret smile.

“Ahem. . . Ahem, Ahem.” I coughed, splashing water from my mouth and wetting my top. Brendan patted me on the back, electrifying my body at the same time with his touch.

“Are you alright?” Brendan asked.

The water had travelled down my windpipe, burning my lungs and so I was unable to speak.

“She’s fine, just a little bit excited,” said Robin.

I stomped on Robin’s foot, causing him to grimace in pain.

“Ouch. What was that for?”

“Shut your mouth!” I wheezed.

“Oh, a Gemini is telling me to shut up, how ironic.” Robin laughed, bending over double. I couldn’t see what was so funny about the situation. I frowned in disapproval.

“I’ll tell Miles about this.” Miles Garraway was Robin’s partner in crime and together they sought opportunities for mischief. Robin carried on laughing as he walked away from the fountain until he disappeared around the natural curve of the corridor, leaving me alone with Brendan.

“He’s nuts!” My voice was still wheezy but slightly clearer.

“But you have to see the funny side of it,” said Brendan.

The tension between us was so thick and tangible I could grasp it in my hands. I moved a step back from him to put some distance between us but it did little good.

“Are you going to look me in the eye? I know the prince charming joke was about me.”

I gasped and looked up. I felt mortified and was on the tip of my tongue to apologise when I saw amusement dancing in the turquoise eyes. For some reason his reaction made me angry. I was angry at the effect he had on me, that he could so easily arouse my body against my will.

“You think your new nickname is funny? I shouldn’t be surprised. You love all this attention don’t you?”

“Are you jealous?”

“Jealous? Me? Of what? Prince Charming?”

“Shhh. . . keep your voice down.” Brendan glanced around the corridor until he was satisfied that we’re alone. He stepped towards me, invading my personal space and pressing me against the wall. The hairs at the back of my neck stood on end, sending my pulse racing. Every nerve ending was on high alert, ready to respond to the slightest touch.

“The lady does protest too much. I think you’re jealous of the fact that others are showing an interest in me.”

“Not true. You’re clearly deluded.”

“And you are in denial about your own feelings.”

“You’re talking nonsense. You need to back off. Anyone could walk across this corridor at any time.”

“So you want us to go somewhere a bit more private.” Brendan arched his perfect eyebrow in question before stepping closer, pushing me further against the wall. Only a tiny gap of space separated our bodies. A part of me wanted him to grab me and kiss me, I wanted to know what he tasted like.

“Don’t be silly. We could get in a lot of trouble.”

The Adepts see everything that goes on and there is no hiding from their presence. I had seen that first hand. Being tempted would not be counted against me, but giving into that temptation certainly would. I didn’t want to do anything that would cost me my future as a lightworker and if my parents found out, the consequences would be much worse. Brendan didn’t have those worries. For him the worst that could happen would be a telling off. With that thought in mind, I pushed against his chest, placing as much distance between us as possible.

I walked away from him without looking back, stumbling blindly until I found the Art classroom. I must have missed the bell because I couldn’t recall hearing it. Everyone was already seated and I realised I was late, yet again. Robin’s grinning face told me something wasn’t right. I was in trouble. Chap