The bleak, cloudy sky outside my bedroom window mirrored my mood perfectly. The morning after had been nothing but depressing thoughts of the events that transpired. My life was going down a dark road with no light in sight.

Everything seemed so hopeless.

Lost in my misery, I ended up downstairs to see the television screen on the sports channel. “Dad?” I called out.

He sat up on the couch and turned to me. “Hey, sweetie. I see you’re getting ready for school earlier than usual.”

“I just have a lot to think about.”

“Well, come and sit down. Talk to me. Clear your mind now so you can get those grades up later. Graduation is almost here.”

At the mention of the ceremony, a cage of profound sadness shackled my heart. I looked away from him and sighed. “Dad, there’s so much going on, I don’t think I’m gonna graduate. I can’t…focus.”

He turned the TV off and patted the couch. “Sit down.”

I did as told with my head low and my eyes wandering the rug. Telling him anything about what was going on would change everything, and I couldn’t risk that, no matter how much I needed to voice my anguish.

“First, before you tell me what’s wrong, I’ll tell you right now that you are graduating. There are no ifs, ands, or buts, you hear me? Why would you say otherwise?”

“’Cause, Dad, so many other things happen when I try to concentrate on school, and it’s hard to juggle between which is more important. It feels like I should have this big plan for the future, and I want that, believe me, but a lot of times, I feel what’s going on in my personal life is bigger than anything school related. I just can’t focus.”

I slouched back in dejection and expected him to reply with a serious lecture, but to my surprise, he put on a comedic grin.

“What’s so funny?”

“I used to have those exact same thoughts when I was your age. The exact same ones. I guess I shouldn’t keep it a secret from you anymore, so I’ll tell you the truth: I never finished high school.”

“What? You told me you and Mom celebrated in Hawaii after graduation. Why would you lie?”

He leaned back and chuckled before answering. “Technically, it isn’t a lie. We did go to Hawaii, but it was after her uni graduation, not ours after high school. You see, sweetie, when it comes to these things, good parents want what’s best for their children, even if they have to sugarcoat it a little. When I confessed to my own father about the thoughts you’re having now, he neglected me. I never had an empowering push to finish my senior year.”

I sat up attentively as he continued. “After dropping out, I struggled to survive. It was tough striving for opportunities when other things in my life were weighing down on me. Thankfully, I got a part-time job at an auto shop, where I was lucky enough to meet your mother when she came in for repairs on her parents’ car. I couldn’t believe how gorgeous she was, regardless of her nagging to fix the car before your grandparents found out.”

We shared a laugh before he resumed. “I know I got a little off topic, but the point is, I want you to live a better and easier life than I did. It took years of extra hard work to go back to school and get my degree, and I don’t want you to have to go through that. A good father should always support his child and wish for their success. The first stage of that success is finishing high school. You don’t always need to have a plan when it’s over. As long as you have the education, you have the ability to pursue whatever dream you want.”

After a nod of acceptance, I hugged him and simply said, “Thank you.”

He whispered in my ear, “And just remember, your mother and I will always be here for you. This family loves you, Aliyah. Even your brother watching over you from above.”

“I know.”

We separated our embrace before a question came to mind. “Dad, just one more thing. Don’t think too into it, but…do you think it’s possible for me to change the world?”

“That depends. Do you want the ‘Dad’ answer, or the social worker answer?”

“The truth, please.”

He leaned forward and rested his chin on his fist before replying. “Well, in order to change the world, you need to change people. And they’ll almost never change, no matter how hard you try. But, everyone has the power to change for themselves if they’re willing. You see, no matter how much influence you have in someone’s mind, it’s their heart that makes the final decision.”

I stared at the blank TV screen and thought about his answer before asking, “So you’re saying my words and...whatever else I may be able to do, is useless unless I reach the person’s heart?”

He nodded. “You need to stop aiming here,” he tapped his head with his finger, “and start aiming here,” he placed his hand on his chest. “That’s how you truly make a difference in someone’s life. Never stop helping people, Aliyah. But more importantly, never stop caring about them. One person cannot change the world, but they can empower others to help make it a better place. You can be the light that guides people in the right direction.”

The light that guides people in the right direction. Those words stuck with me, almost like a glimmer of hope deep within a valley of doubt. Our conversation gave me just enough solace to last another day.

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“Thanks again, Dad. I’m gonna get ready for school now.”

“Alright. I’m here whenever you need me.”

I gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I know you are.”

☾☼☽

Math class was almost over, and though Janet and I texted throughout it, I made sure to pay close attention to the lesson. My focus was only shifted after looking in the hallway and seeing Candice pass by the classroom. It was quick, but I got a sense of her negative emotions. She was in serious distress.

“Can I use the bathroom?” I asked Ms. Walters, who had been grading papers at her desk.

She looked up and stared at me. “Go ahead.”

I grabbed my purse and stepped out of the room. Sitting on the floor a few feet away with their back against a locker was Candice, who was wearing a shirt that didn’t show off her cleavage.

Totally not her style.

“You don’t look so good,” I said, standing over her. “You’re a troublemaker, but cutting class? Not your thing. What’s up?”

She sucked her teeth. “Like you haven’t heard. It’s all over my socials.”

I snorted. “Candice, this might come as a surprise to you, but I don’t follow you on social media. The only reason you pop up on my recommendation list is ‘cause… Ugh, I hate admitting this, but I may have watched one of your makeup tutorials a few months ago. But that’s it. Honest.”

We both chuckled and let our laughter die out before she finally said, “I guess I can tell you for being so honest with me: a guy tried forcing himself on me outside my house last night. Your friend’s abuelo called the police and the dude was arrested.”

“What the hell?” I sat on the floor next to her. “Was he like some stalker or super fan or something?”

“No, just a loco who wanted a cheap feel. It’s hard enough being in this building after what happened with that James guy, but now I have to deal with everyone in the school asking me questions and making judgmental comments. I should’ve never posted about it. I can barely sit still for too long because I’m worried about so many different things.”

This was not the Candice I knew. No, this was a real person. The mask of shallowness had been removed, unveiling genuine emotion. Had I not known the bell was gonna ring soon, I wouldn’t have minded a conversation with her.

“It sounds like you’re tired of being popular,” I said, standing on my feet. “Maybe it’s time to give it all a break?”

“I wish I could.” She dug into her purse and took out her acceptance letter from UCLA. “I applied to UCLA last year, back when my abuela wasn’t in such bad health and I thought I could pay my own tuition. Nowadays, she can’t work anymore, and I’m afraid to leave her alone, so most of my time is at home making videos in order for us to survive. Being an influencer used to be a hobby for me, but now, it’s my life. I don’t know what my future is going to be like, but I can’t stop doing what I do. Not for anything.”

The bell rang just as she stood on her feet and started to walk away. “Hey, Candice,” I called out through the crowd of students who quickly filled the hallway. She turned around as I approached her. “Have you ever thought about maybe talking to your followers about your problems?”

“What? Why would I do that? They’d roast my life. Not to mention how off-brand that would be, and the algorithm would—”

“Screw the algorithm, Candice. And yeah, trolls online are the worst, but you obviously have a loyal following. I’m positive there’s a ton of people going through a similar situation. Instead of always doing makeup tutorials and talking about the latest trends, maybe be real with your audience like you did with me and use your platform as an outlet to express yourself. Be a support system for those who need it.”

She placed her finger on her chin and tilted her head to the side. “I’ll think about it,” she said with a shrug. “You’re not as much of a loser as I thought you were.”

“Right back at you,” I replied. We both smiled and departed from each other’s presence, with me making my way to the gym to talk to Janet.

I spotted her inside the orange dome next to a group of girls heading into the changing room. “Jan, hold up.”

She turned around and walked to me. “Oh, we really doing the nickname thing. Alright, what’s up, Liyah? Where’d you run off to at the end of class?”

I smiled and replied, “I needed to talk to Candice, but I’m here to speak with you now about that text you sent me last period. The one about your abilities.”

“Right. That.” We walked over to the bleachers and sat down. “So when I got home yesterday, the flames in my fireplace started to erupt. Normally, I’m able to keep a fire that small under control, but I couldn’t extinguish it as easily as I could any other time. I think my power is increasing.”

“Does that mean Alvin was telling the truth? That the longer this virus or whatever is inside of us, the stronger our abilities will become? Not to mention they’ll be easier to manifest.”

She nodded. “And I think that’s why Alvin was so difficult for you to take down. He’s super powerful. Like, OP as hell. But speaking of him, I went through some of my parents’ files that survived the fire, and the word Obsidian was plastered all over them. I couldn’t make out everything due to most of the pages being burnt, but I’m positive my parents knew what was going on. I need to meet this Alvin guy and have a chat with him.”

Our conversation was interrupted by our gym teacher, Mr. Dickinson, who cleared his throat to get our attention. He was a middle-aged man who wore the same tracksuit every day.

“Janet Jones. Get to the changing room. Now.” His demand echoed through the gymnasium.

Janet gave him a dirty look. “I’m coming.”

He walked away as we got off the bleachers, but before Janet and I separated, my cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I took it out and looked at the screen, seeing a message from a random number.

“Hello, Aliyah,” I read the text out loud. “This is Alvin.”

“Speak of the devil,” Janet muttered beside me. “Tell him you’ve got a friend who’d love to meet him. Lord knows he doesn’t get any action. Probably too busy experimenting on human subjects.”

While amused by her joke, I focused on the rest of the message. “I hope you are doing well this morning. I expect you to begin your assignment by the end of the school day. I could not bear to be the cause of your failed education.”

Both Janet and I groaned at his fake compassion. She took the phone out of my hand and continued reading the text.

“Attached to this message is a visual image of where you must visit. A potential Dreamer has been seen daily at this location. Be cautious when interrogating the target, as his ability is reported to be teleportation, which is of the utmost importance in case I need to make a sudden disciplinary visit.”

Janet snickered. “Is this guy for real? That was clearly a shot at you.”

I grumbled my distaste with foul language. “Just keep reading.”

“You have until the end of the night to report back to me with your findings. I am afraid there is no description of the target, but I am sure you will be able to detect him if he is truly a Dreamer. Have a good day, Aliyah. Remember, your friends and family are counting on you.”

Janet tapped the screen to enlarge the picture attached to the message.

“What the hell? A café? What kind of boss sends his top agent to investigate a café?”

“At least it’s a small area. I shouldn’t have any problems sensing the Dreamer.”

The sound of the bell resonated through the school, bringing us both back to reality.

“Janet Jones,” Mr. Dickinson yelled once more. “I told you to get ready for class. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Janet stuck her tongue out at him before handing me back my phone. “He’s such a dick. I’ll meet you after school, Liyah.”

“Got’cha, Jan.”