The first few weeks of school have been a blur of activity. Assignments due, homework overload, athletic training. Complicating my daily life further is the fact that Eben is openly sending me signals but no concrete evidence that he wants us to be a couple. It's like this gymnastic dance where only he knows where the cartwheels, split leaps and backward flips happen, how more frustrating can it get?
Inter-schools will be taking place at the end of this week. The level of our training will increase by at least 60% - 70%. We, the athletes, are excused from attending the last class on our timetables for this week as we prepare for the sporting event that gets the whole school excited.
I close my eyes as we get ready for our first 100 meters race and mentally visualize my leg and arm movements. I brace my feet against the starting blocks and feel calm, silent and luminous energy coursing through me. Okay, that feels rather new.
As I start my sprint, I suddenly realize that my feet are moving above the track, I'm running on air! This makes me increase my speed even more and I reach the finish line without breaking a sweat. What was THAT?!
The athletes that saw start running towards me, shocked and questioning me all at once. Mr. Gray rushes up to me and exclaim, "Miss Brown, you completed the race in under five seconds!" I am blinded by the heat flooding my very core and stagger helplessly looking around for an escape.
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Eben comes running from the high jump section and makes his way to me whispering, "Your eyes are the color of sapphires," I am flabbergasted and my body starts shaking, nothing makes sense.
"Okay people, back up and give her some space. I'm going to help her wind down," he says.
He pulls me out of the crowd and leads me to an isolated spot on the farthest side of the field.
"Your eyes are almost back to normal," he says. We sit in silence for what could be a full sixty seconds. "What happened back there on the track?" he asks gently. I cannot stop the tears from flowing.
"Hey, it's okay, it's okay," he comforts, lightly touching my shoulder.
"I'm sorry, I was overwhelmed by the whole experience and am just grateful that you were with me back there before it got crazy. I was off-kilter and you helped steady me. Thank you, Eben," I softly say, looking down at my hands. He gently lifts my chin and the smile he gives me in response, somehow soothes me.
"You ready to tell me what you experienced, Allyssa-Coco?" he asks again.
"I felt this energy, like a consuming fire, it made me feel like I'm running on air. The strangest thing was that I had this sense that it was always there, a part of who I am, just waiting for the right time to surface. I know, it doesn't make any sense." I say and wait with bated breath for his response.
"So this is your first experience of your enhanced ability?" he asks.
"Yes -- wait, back up, enhanced ability? Why don't you seem freaked out by my explanation or my blue eyes?" I ask, freaking out.
He takes a deep breath before responding, a response that would change my life forever.