Chapter 4: The Electric Shock

I woke up to the morning sun shining through my window. The clock on the bedside table showed that I had a couple of hours to spare. Too excited to continue sleeping, I got up and took a shower, humming to myself as I got ready for the day. Hopefully I would be able to talk more to Cassie today. I struggled to contain my excitement and even though there was still plenty of time before school started, I stepped outside. The warm breeze danced on my skin and a wide grin emerged on my face. I turned into a crow and flew around the neighbourhood before slowly making my way to school. I landed at the far end of the car park and transformed back to my human form behind the shelter of some trees.

I made my way over to the building and walked over to my first class. A few students had already arrived, but none of them were Cassie. I scanned the classroom before sliding down in a chair with an empty seat next to it. I placed my bag on the seat and waited for Cassie to arrive.

My eyes scanned the students trickling into the classroom with a pounding heart. When Cassie turned up, I straightened my back and gave her a wide smile. She met my gaze and returned it. I wiped my hands on my trousers before removing the bag from the empty seat next to me. When I looked up again, Cassie had walked over to an empty seat at the other side of the room. My smile faded and my body slouched in defeat.

I didn’t bother saving her a seat for the next couple of classes. My heart still ached from the rejection this morning. Why did she not want to sit next to me?

When lunchtime came around, I walked out of the building and looked for a deserted area before transforming into a crow. My feelings were in turmoil. Why did I have these strong emotions towards Cassie? It wasn’t like me. I drifted through the sky. I needed to come up with a plan. How could I befriend Cassie? I could do my job without being involved in her life, but it would make things more complicated. I would struggle to help her with her abilities from afar. Maybe I should just approach her and tell her the truth?

I arrived back at school and made my way to my locker to get some books I needed for the next class. My mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Cassie when someone bumped into me from behind. All the books I had been holding, scattered to the floor.

I turned around and came face to face with the person that  slammed into me yesterday. He gave me an intense stare and bared his teeth. “Didn’t I tell you to watch it?” he shouted, as small droplets of his spit landed on my face.

Several students stopped what they were doing and glanced over at us. Heat flushed through my body. I hated bullies. I clenched my hands and took a deep breath. My throat constricted. If I didn’t get the anger under control, my eyes would turn red.

I scanned the floor pretending to look for the books. I hadn’t come here to get humiliated, by a human no less. I could easily shut him up, but people talk and if anyone found out what I was and why I was here, Cassie would be in even more danger. I couldn’t take that risk.

I bent down to pick up the books from the floor, but every time I reached for a book, he kicked them away. The other students laughed again. This was just great. Last time I attended school, I had been one of the popular guys and no one had bothered me. I wonder if Nick felt like this all those years ago before I came to his rescue. Well, I didn't really rescue him in school, but I made sure no one picked on him under my watch.

I patiently waited for the bully to move away so I could retrieve my books from the floor when Cassie came up to me. “I’m sorry about Mark. He got a bit of a temper but if you see past that, he’s a good guy.”

She bent down and picked up the books. When she handed the books to me, our hands touched, and an electric shock went through me. Cassie jumped back and pulled her hand away. She looked up at me with big, frightened eyes before rushing away. I stood there, frozen in place, staring after her. What the hell just happened?

The bell pulled me out of my haze, and I made my way to the classroom. I walked inside and scanned the room. Cassie hadn’t arrived yet. I took a seat and started fidgeting with a pen. Half the class went by without Cassie. Why had she not turned up? Was it because of me? Knots formed in my stomach. I asked the teacher if I could be excused. The need to make sure nothing had happened to her overwhelmed me.

With a pounding heart and shallow breaths, I searched the school without any luck. I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm my erratic heart. Where could she be? Her energy. I could locate her with her energy. Why hadn’t I thought of that earlier?

I closed my eyes and searched for her energy, letting myself drift towards it. It didn’t take long to locate her. I wiped my sweaty palms on my trousers. She had gone home. Technically, she should be safe at home with the warding around the house, but I needed to talk to her. The electric spark between us obviously scared her.

It frightened me too. I had never come across anything like it before, nor had I heard of it happening to anyone else. Could it be related to Cassie’s abilities? But they shouldn’t manifest until she turned seventeen. So why had it happened and what did it mean?

I teleported over to Cassie's neighbourhood and marched up to the front door and rang the doorbell. I shook my hands to relieve some of the tension. My heart raced as I waited for the door to open. I didn’t know what to say to her.

A nervous laugh escaped my lips. It had taken me one day to get involved, even though Nick had asked me to stay in the shadows for as long as possible. Part of me blamed myself, but the other part thought Nick should have known better. He knew how easily I became involved. My intentions had only been to observe him in school, and we both knew how that turned out.

Cassie opened the door and the pain in my stomach eased. She had changed into some comfy trousers and a top, her hair pulled up into a ponytail. I surveyed her with my eyes, and she appeared to be fine.

When she saw me, she tensed up and grabbed hold of the door, ready to close it. Why didn't she trust me? I mentally hit myself. Why would she trust me, she didn’t know me? Maybe if I just explained everything to her?

I ran my hand through my hair. “We need to talk. Can I come in?”

She stared at me in silence for a while, shifting her weight between her feet. “No, I don’t want you to come inside.”

Seeing her in front of me intensified my need to protect her. I wanted to take her away and keep her safe against all the supernatural dangers in the world. I silently cursed Nick for the target he unintentionally put on her. It wasn’t fair. She hadn’t asked for any of this.

I rubbed my neck as I contemplated my next move. She wanted nothing to do with me, but the fact she hadn’t shut the door in my face gave me hope. I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out a paper with the number of a phone I’d just conjured up in my bag. “I really need to talk to you. It’s important. Just pick a time and place where you feel safe, and I will tell you everything.”

She gazed at me with wide eyes and raised eyebrows before slowly taking the paper from my hand while being careful not to touch me. Would we have received another electric shock if she touched me?

“Thanks.” She closed the door.

I stared at the door in front of me. Hopefully she would give me a text and meet up with me. While I walked away from the house, I did a quick sweep of the neighbourhood, to make sure no one was around, before turning into a crow.

I made my way towards my house, but halfway there I changed my mind. Freya might have some answers as to why the electric shock happened when Cassie and I touched.