It’s cold today, colder than yesterday. The wind has a certain grit to it, a bite that wants to tear my face off and leave me blue and frozen. I quite like it, the wind's murderous intention.

“I’m leaving,” I tell the empty house and shut the steel door behind me before the answer could echo back.
Not today. I don’t want to hear the silence today. It’s just a habit, one that I’m stubbornly keeping.

The road is clear, empty. I make my way through the slopping suburbs to my school, a single bus ride away.

I stop outside Angel’s house. I smell her mother cooking when I knock on the door. Capsicums and potatoes, roasted and delicious. I’m already feeling hungry again.

Junior comes running at the door, barking and scratching at it. She’s excited as always.

“Get back, girl. Let me through. You have to let me open the door!” Angel’s sweet voice comes from the other side of the door. She struggles to open it twice and gets it right on the third time. Junior hurls at me as soon as the door opens, tongue out, pupil dilated, ears up like two presence-sensing antennae.

Junior moans and whimpers. She rubs her musty scent onto my winter coat and licks my hands, covering them with saliva.

“All right, run inside now. Go play with your toys.” I tell Junior and she obediently runs back inside the house.

Angels watch her leave then turn to her mother and complain, “Mom, why does she listen to brother, but doesn’t listen to me?”
“Why don’t you ask your brother?” Mrs. Davis says.

She smiles at me and I smile back. I also add a wave at the end and surprise her by flexing my non-existent biceps, which makes her giggle. It was a job well done. 

Angel looks at me with questioning eyes that shine like two bright stars.
“Can you really talk to her?”

She’s such a bundle of joy, this one.

“No,” I tell her. “She just loves me that much. Just like you.” I pinch Angel’s cheeks and she starts blushing.

“Are you ready to go?” I give her my hand.
“Yes,” She grabs on with a nod.   
“Bye, Dear!” Her mother sends her off.
“Bye-bye!” Angel waves back.

The bus stop is right around the corner. Mrs. Davis keeps watching until the bus comes and we get on.

My classmate, Sky, welcomes me with a high five from his seat. I indulge him because why not? He’s the only one who is interesting enough in the bus. The others… not so much. It is not a high-five today. Sky grabs hold of my hand, stands up, and blocks my way.

“Don’t do it today. Come sit with me, Adam.” He whispers, sneaking a glance at Rachel two seats back.

“She’s in a ferocious mood today, man. I heard she got caught smoking in the girl’s locker yesterday and the school called her parents.”

No wonder one side of her face is swollen. I think to myself.

“Don’t—” I almost made a mistake there. “I’ll be alright,” I tell Sky and take Angel to her favorite seat, which Rachel is not so coincidently occupying.

Rachel sits there with her feet on the seat and looks straight at me with bloodthirsty eyes, chewing whatever flavored chewing gum girls her age likes. She is older and heavier. She wears make-up, lipstick, and mascara. I don’t know what her style is called but it is definitely not my style. She is a mean girl and looks the part.

Still, I am not afraid of her and she knows it.

Perhaps, this is the reason she occupies our bus seat every day.

Like every day, I tell her again today to go sit with her friends, arousing a groan from Sky.

“You are so done...” Sky murmurs loudly, but I know the truth. I know what’s going to happen.

“Sure,” Rachel says, picks up her bags, and leaves without a hint of resistance. She acts tough on her way to the back of the bus, but her embarrassment is for everyone to see. However, no one comments on it. No one likes to be beaten.  

Two stops later Stacy, one of Angel’s class friends gets on the bus. She ignores Sky on the way and takes a seat with Angel and me. The two little ones then get busy talking about Mr. Poncho, a kid’s show I hate with certainty.

It doesn’t take long for the bus to roll into the school from there.

I get up to walk only for Angel to pull my shirt. She blushes and raises a hand for me to hold. I fulfill her wish.

We are early. The school building looks the same as any other brick building in the area. I sometimes wonder if the mercy hospital, the school, the police station and the fire department are all build by the same contractor. They look the same with minor changes. Perhaps they were, designed to keep the same kind of people there.

I get off the bus only to hear a familiar snobby voice beside me.

“Where is your girlfriend, Adam?” A snicker follows.

I turn and see Kevin Peterson standing with his two friends, their backs on the school bus. He never changes. He usually gets away with it because I try not to suggest anything to anyone. Not this time.

It takes a lot of patience and mental will to have the power to subdue anyone but not use it. The responsibility of a great power lies with the person. I have rules that I follow, but sometimes you just have to let go of the restrains and bully the bullies, give them a taste of their own medicine.

“Fuck off, Kevin.” Sky tells him.
“Or what?” The boys swagger toward us.

I grab Sky’s backpack and pull him back before he does something stupid.

“Are you talking about, Rachel?” I ask the three boys in a questioning tone of voice. These useless brats won’t know what hit them.

“Yeah, we are talking about her. A slob and a blob, you both fit together perfectly.” The second of the three stooges says.

He was the pretty one in the group. Straight golden hair and small blue eyes. Maybe he will develop some brains in the future. As things stand, he is a bit too amateur for me to act personally.

“Rachel,” I call again ignoring the stooges who stare at me snickering and snorting.

Their faces lose all color when Rachel appears at the bus door. They can run but can’t hide from the tornado I am going to unleash upon them.

“Rachel,” I command this time.

Rachel stops beside me, her devilish side all but gone. I can see why the stooges think we are a pair. Anyone with a pair of eyes would think that considering how easily she follows my words.

“These three want to join your group and become your girlfriends.” I tell Rachel and command her, “I want you to show them around for me, give them the best experience.”

The stooges panic.

Rachel smiles, and it is somewhat frightening.

“Gladly,” She says and pounces at the three.

The third stooge, a tracks, and fields athlete, is quick on his feet and manages to run away. The other two are not so fortunate.

Rachel catches them and the rest is omitted for the sake of the younger audience.

Angel tugs on my shirt.

“Yes?” I turn to her and find her staring at me with her big brown eyes.
“Is Rachel really your girlfriend?”
“No, only you are my girlfriend,” I tell her and her frown disappears.

Her friend Stacy rolls her eyes. I just wonder how the two girls could be so different. They both go to the same school, but Stacy is definitely much smarter. Or shall I say she is more experienced?

“Do you want me to take you to your classroom?” I ask Angel. She agrees, but someone doesn’t.

“NO!” Stacy says shaking her head.
She grabs Angel’s hand and pulls her away from me.
“She’s an adult. She can walk to her own class.” Stacy shouts at me.

“Okay,” I answer dubiously.  What did I do? “Anything else you want to say?”

“And Don’t talk to us in the cafeteria,” Stacy says. “We can take care of ourselves.”

“What else?” I ask her crossing my arms.

I don’t forget to smile. Kids, you have to smile to let them know you are not angry. They are sensitive. If they figure you for a hard ass then good luck getting them to listen to you next time.

“And stop lying to her. You are going to break her heart!”

Angel blushes. Well, I might need to stop calling her my girlfriend.

“All right,” I nod. “I’ll send your questionnaires to the human care department. We’ll let you know about the hearing.”
“Dork!”
“STINKY!”
“CHILD!”
“Same to you!” I have a hearty laugh.
 
“Grrr!” Stacy stomps on the ground and pulls angel away. My best girl waves at me and I wave back. I send her a heart, causing her to run away.

“You are so weird.” A girl says to me passing by.
“Hey, Emily,” Sky greets her and she replies with a smile.

I follow her toward the school building. I know her. She’s my classmate, the one who interests me the most.

“And you are beautiful,” I say getting beside her. “Won’t you be my girlfriend, Em? I have many perks, you know.”
“I thought you already had one.” She says without looking at me.

I snort. “Who said one can’t have more than one girlfriend. Besides,” I hold the door handle to stop her from getting inside.

Emily doesn’t get angry. She looks at me patiently with her unwavering green eyes. I control the urge to command her and stare at her tender red lips.

 I could just so easily have her. A command and she would be mine. But what would be the difference between getting her that way and ordering an online girlfriend? Besides, I love it when she ignores me; it brings excitement to my otherwise dull life.

I'm not in love with her or anything. She’s just someone who looks good and knows herself very well. She’s not hot in the traditional sense. She wears jeans and t-shirts. Her chest, I never really cared about. Her personality interests me the most. It goes with the territory, I guess. You lose focus on the mundane when you have everything available at your command.  

Or something like that. I’m just a Teenager. Don’t take my words too highly.

Emily’s eyebrows rise in annoyance. Her cat-like eyes wondering if I’m even going to say something or not.

“Besides,” I say. “You never said no.”

His lips part to make way for words, only they never leave her mind. Someone pushes the door open and Emily slips inside the building, leaving me hanging with my hand on the door handle.

I follow her through the long straight corridor. It’s a madhouse inside, with children everywhere. Teachers and students mingle with eachother like oil and water. A few people watch me with keen eyes. I’m not popular by choice. I have tried to stay low-key, but things rarely go your way. Especially when there is alcohol, drugs, or teenage kids involved.

I get a few nods on the way to the classroom. I give a few nods back. I high-five everyone from the basketball team by the lockers. I had helped their captain get through his trauma. His teammates caught him watching gay porn. I did what I could. He wanted them to forget everything. I made him understand his inner self instead. Now he has officially announced his new identity and become popular.  His teammates still make fun of him sometimes, but they don’t let anyone else do the same.

There are a hundred million doors each leading to a different world of misery. I’m just kidding. The classrooms aren’t that bad. The teachers make them hell.

I stop following Em and make my way toward the bathroom. I need to take care of some business before I go to class. The bells ring in the meantime, but I don’t care about it. It sends everyone else into a mad frenzy, but it doesn’t matter to me. The bell has no effect on me.

The bathroom door swings open with a push, scaring a young soul and causing him to splash a handful of water onto his shirt. 

“Sorry,” I apologize.

The boy pays no heed to me or his wet shirt and rushes out of the bathroom dragging a length of used toilet paper behind him. He was out of luck.

Anyways, I wasn’t there for him. I kick open every stall to see if the Ruffus brothers are around. They aren’t, which comes as a surprise to me. This is where they sell weed or try to sell it before I confiscate it. No drugs in my school.

Perhaps, they changed their spot. Well, I’ll find them one way or another.

I politely ask for their stash and they give it to me without any problems. I’m not lying. I can make anyone do what I want them to do and they do it without any repulsion or resistance.

I have not smoked any of it. I used to, but not anymore. I keep everything I have taken from them in a safe place, said place being my school locker. I am not worried about anyone stealing them or getting in trouble because of them.

Leaving the bathroom, I make my way to my classroom and burst the door into a class full of beady eyes.

“Mr. Adams,” The class teacher glares at me.
“Mr. Sanders,” I say passing him.

I wink at Emily who sits at the front desk of the middle row and take a seat beside her. It’s taken, but no problem.

“Take the back seat,” I tell Jones, and the boy leaves. Picks up his bag and goes to the back of the classroom.

“Mr. Adams,” How many times do I have to tell you the class starts at 9:00 am sharp? Your consistent lack of intent is a mockery of me and everyone else who comes on time.”

“I promise not to be late again. So forgive me this time.” I suggest.

Mr. Sander's face loses all intensity. “All right,” He sighs. “But you can’t be late ever again. You understand me?”
“Yes sir,” I say that every day.

Nodding, Mr. Sanders turns back and pulls out a thick stack of papers from his bag.

“We have a surprise test today.” He says causing everyone in the class to whimper.

“Ah!”
“No way,”
“God damn. I knew it was coming when my knees tingle in the morning.”
“People’s knees hurt when it’s about to rain. Are you sure you are sensing it right?”
“You are both so weird.”

I ignore everyone else and raise my hand.
“Adams,”
“I have a small headache. So can I be exempted from the test?”
“Headaches are indeed very bad.” Mr. Sanders says empathically. “You never know when one might turn into a migraine. You can rest.”

While the rest of the class cried of unfairness, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and stared hard at Emily until she looked back at me.

“You looked,” I tell her with a smirk.
She snorts understandingly. “Pass the papers to the back,” She passes me a bundle of the questionnaires, which I pass to the one behind me. When I turn back she’s still looking at me.
“What?”

She gestures for me to come closer. I do. I lean forward until our faces are right next to eachother. She does not notice it. She’s too into the mystery.

“What do you have on him that he let you skip the test?”

“Can you pay the price?” I say getting closer to her, so closer I can almost taste her lip balm.

I feel her breath on my face and so does mine. I see as her pupils expand. Adrenaline rushes out of her brain and into her chest, raising her heart beat, her temperature, giving her the rush. She blushes, pulls back, and turns around. I hear her heart pounding in her chest. She’s just too cute. If only I could fall in love.

Unfortunately, I have seen too much and done too many things that others will never understand. There was a time when I didn’t have any rules and did whatever my heart desired with my ability.

I sigh and close my eyes. I don’t want to disturb them. They need to work hard to become a part of other's futures. I do not.

The future belongs to me.