Infinity Academy

Chapter Seven

The next day I got up early, happy that I remembered to set my alarm last night. I had a quick shower and got dressed. I grabbed my purse and put my shoes on, knowing that if the guys had been up late, I should be able to get out of the apartment without having to see any of them. I let out the breath I had been holding when I pulled the door closed behind me, but managed to stop the scream that nearly escaped me when I came face to face with Serenity. Her arms were crossed and she was sporting a rather deadly stare. “Well look who it is? Sad little Emerald, sneaking out of her own apartment. So, do you want to tell me who it is that you’re hiding from, or should I just go and ask Adryan what he spent the night doing; or should I say who he was doing?” she snickered. For such an attractive girl, she could really look ugly; jealousy didn’t suit her. “I was just on my way out to go shopping. I didn’t want to wake the boys,” I said, refusing to stoop to her level. “Sure you were,” she took a step closer to me, lowering her voice to try and sound intimidating, “I’ll give you this one warning, Emerald. Keep your grubby little hands off of Adryan, he’s mine, and if I so much as see you talking to him, I’ll cut those pretty green eyes straight out of you head. Are we clear?” I was shocked. Did Serenity really see me as competition? “Crystal,” I retorted, moving around her and walking away. I thought back to when Adryan nearly kissed me after class the other day and figured that Serenity probably saw and heard the whole thing. Things were getting out of control. I needed to figure out a way to steer clear of all the guys until I could sort myself out. Maybe I could go and see Headmaster Stevens when I got back from the shops? 

****

It was after noon when I finally got back to the apartment. Walking out of the mall I had decided to stop and get myself some new clothes. I inherited quite a bit of money when my parents passed away, and Liam’s parents refused to have me pay them for taking care of me, so I had very rarely spent anything out of my own pocket. I ended up getting myself a few new pairs of jeans and some tank tops. Although I wasn’t a big fan of dresses, this one little shop had a gorgeous ice-blue dress hanging in the window that I couldn’t leave without buying. The bus ride back to the academy was long, and I dreaded climbing the stairs to my floor with all these bags in tow. I would need to figure out how to get my license and then get my own car to make the trip easier. “Emerald Rose?” a middle-aged man questioned. He was sitting on the seat opposite me and had greying hair, but piercing blue eyes. “Sorry, do I know you?” I asked furrowing my eyebrows. “I knew your parents,” he said, smiling. “Oh ok,” was all I could say. A short time later I was off the bus and glad to be away from the strange man. I was huffing and puffing by the time I managed to get to the apartment, then fumbled with my key until it finally slipped into the lock. Pushing the door open, I’d totally forgotten that I was trying to avoid seeing any of my roommates, but quickly remembered when I saw three of them lounging on the couches, while Adryan was leaning against the kitchen counter, Serenity wrapped around him with her tongue down his throat. I averted my eyes, trying not to blush, then manoeuvred around them to put my food away. Nobody said a word to me, other than Serenity who decided to dangle Adryan in my face, asking me to comment on how good he looked in the clothes she had chosen for him to wear for the day. 

I pretended that I hadn’t heard her, and went to my room, carrying my bags of clothes with me. I unpacked everything and then threw myself on the bed, letting out a huff as I landed. Why did I feel a prick of jealousy when Serenity had her hands all over Adryan? I shouldn’t feel anything for him, we had only known each other for four days. I shouldn’t feel like this, I should feel awkward and nervous, but not jealous. “She’s his girlfriend, Emerald,” I said to myself, covering my face with my hands. I needed to pull myself together and get over whatever this thing was that I was feeling. After five minutes of lying there, I finally mustered enough courage to leave my room. I wasn’t planning on staying, I needed to go and see the headmaster before it got too late. Leaving my room, Adryan and Serenity were nowhere to be seen, but Cerberus, Ansel and Kaiser were all still in the same positions, though now they were focussing on the game that they were playing on the PlayStation. I headed for the front door, grabbing my keys off the counter on my way past. “Where are you off to?” Ansel asked, getting up from the couch. “Just going to talk with Headmaster Stevens,” I answered reaching for the door handle. “I can come with you, if you’d like,” He offered, moving to follow me. “No thanks, I’d rather go alone.” I pulled the door closed and walked off in the direction of the office. 

“I’m sorry, Emerald. We have no other rooms available for you. The elites floor only has the one apartment and I don’t think that it would be wise to place you on the other levels. People with talk,” Mr Stevens commented, refusing my request to move to another room. “With all due respect, sir, but people are already talking about me, so why is it such a big deal to move me to another floor? My friend...” I started, then rethought my words, “The boy I came here with, maybe he will switch rooms with me? Surely there is some way around this?” 

“I’m sorry Miss Rose, but my hands are tied. Lower class Effigy don’t belong on the third floor and Elites would never be caught dead rooming on the first floor,” he sighed, shrugging at me. “So there’s really nothing you can do for me then?” I asked, desperate for him to figure something out. “Unfortunately, there isn’t. Sorry.” I left his office feeling disappointed and depressed. There had to be a way that I could avoid all contact with my roommates, I needed my own space. A thought popped into my head when I was only a few feet from Mr. Stevens’ office and I barged back in, a spark of hope igniting withing me. “There’s a janitor’s room on the third floor, yes?” I asked. “Yes, but…” he began. “And it’s large enough for a bed and other things?” 

“Yes, but Emerald…”

“But nothing, sir. I would be happy to stay there and…” I started but Mr. Stevens’ hand slamming on the top of his desk forced me to stop. “You will be staying where you are, Miss Rose. Have I made myself clear?” he shouted, his face in a scowl. “Yes sir,” I answered, hanging my head. “I think that’s enough for today,” he dismissed me, turning back to his computer, “I expect you to be in class first thing Monday morning.” I walked out with my head hung, the tears very close to spilling over. I regretted coming to this school, for being excited to finally be a normal teenage effigy. I walked painfully slow up to my apartment and ignored everyone, going straight to my room. I wanted to go home, and not to Liam’s house. I wanted to go home to where my parents and I had lived, I wanted to run into their arms and be happy with them. But of course, that was never going to happen.

I was quietly reading a book when I heard fighting coming from the kitchen. I rolled my eyes, thinking that the boys were having another one of their ‘private’ conversations again. It wasn’t until I heard Serenity’s screeching voice that I actually started paying attention to what was being said. “You would choose that b***h over your own girlfriend!” she screamed, and I heard something being throw across the room. “I never said that. I just said that she’s been through a lot, Wren. You can’t expect me to just pretend she doesn’t exist. She’s my roommate for crying out loud!” Adryan yelled back. “Just because she’s an orphan and those humans screwed with her head when they took her; doesn’t mean she needs special treatment. Kaisers daft father already roomed her up here, trying to pretend she is something special when really, she’s just as bad as that stupid scrap she came here with. She doesn’t need you defending her honour!” Choking sounds filtered through apartment, then Adryan growled, “If I hear you talk about her like that again, I’ll kill you.” The front door was opened aggressively, then slammed, making me jump. I should’ve stayed put and ignored what just happened, but I needed to know what she meant when she said that I was taken by humans. I opened the door and stuck my head out, seeing Adryan staring at the closed front door. “Adryan?” I said, worrying that he was going to turn his anger on me now. When his eyes met mine, they softened considerably. He looked like he was on the verge of tears. “What did she mean about the humans taking me?” I asked quickly, watching intently to gauge his reaction. “It was nothing, Emerald. Go back to bed.” I scowled back at him, “I’m not going anywhere until you answer my question, Adryan.” He let out a sigh and walked to the living room, plopping down in the armchair, “It’s a long story, and I don’t want to upset you.” “Well if you don’t tell me then that’s what will make me upset. Just tell me… Please.” 

He leant back I the chair and took a deep breath, clearly contemplating what he was about to say, “What do you remember about your past, Emerald?” I thought for a second, then went to sit on the loveseat, looking at him. “Do you know Liam Green? He started here on the same day as I did,” I asked. Adryan nodded in reply. “Well, when I was six, my parents died in the battle of Poseidon and Liam’s family took me in. When we were eight, we were sent off on a mission. We were told to travel the world and find other effigy like us. We were meant to recruit as many people as we could and send them back here to attend this academy,” I continued, “I don’t really remember my parents, but Mr and Mrs. Green told me that they were good people that loved me very much.” Adryan listened and nodded along, not seeming phased by my memories. “And do you know how powerful you are?” he questioned, when I was finished talking. “Not really. I know I have three powers and Mrs. Green told me that I’m an Elite. I didn’t really understand until I got here and met the four of you. I have been able to read other effigy’s energy auras my whole life and the whole ‘you are an elite’ thing finally sunk in when I realised that the power coming from all of you was similar to my own. I had spent the majority of my life around Liam and his parents, who are all lower-level effigy. I had never experienced feeling auras other than theirs. But as I said, I don’t remember my parents, maybe they were Elites too?”

“Your parents weren’t just Elites, Em. They were the King and Queen of our kind; the most powerful Effigy to walk the earth,” he said quietly, staring at me. “They were what?” I questioned, confused. Mrs Green had never said anything about them being a king and queen, just that they were good, decent people who loved me. “You were kidnapped when you were six, Emerald. The humans have spent years trying to wipe us from the planet. They want to take back what used to be theirs, so when they found out that our King and Queen had had a child, they thought that taking you would give them enough leverage to make us bow down. Your parents tried to stop them but they were ambushed and murdered in cold blood. A lot of the older effigy searched for you for years, but it was strange, your aura and scent had vanished. It was like you were dead. A few weeks ago, my brother and Cerberus’s cousin finally got a trace on your whereabouts. When the extraction team arrived, they found you hidden under a bed, while the man and woman that had taken you, were begging for their lives, claiming they were forced into keeping you hidden. Once you were saved, the board called Kaiser in to alter your memories. They knew that if you remembered what had happened, you would cause a fuss. And with your power, maybe even kill those who were sent to rescue you.” I was in shock at hearing his words, but not really able to comprehend them fully. “So you’re saying that all of my memories are just what Kaiser forced me to believe,” I asked, still trying to get a grasp of reality. “Yes, but he didn’t want to. His parents worked in the Kings court as his close confidants and they assured him that it was best if you didn’t remember. He had no choice. Trust me, he’s been kicking himself for bending to their orders. Apparently, you two were good friends when you were little. You practically grew up together from birth.” “I…”, Truthfully, I didn’t know what to say. “I…,” I could feel my breathing coming in shallow gasps. “I need to go,” I rushed, standing up and running for the door. Once I was in the hallway I didn’t stop, I had to get out of here, and fast. The buses wouldn’t be running now, it was late, so I needed to find some other form of transport. As I descended the last set of stairs, I saw a sign that told me the garage was down one more level. I rushed down the stairs, sometimes taking two at a time. I was in luck, the keys for each car were hung on the wall as I got to the last step. I grabbed the first one my hand touched and pressed the button. Looking up, a small white sedan beeped, and its tail lights flashed. “Perfect,” I thought to myself. There was no time like the present to learn how to drive. I thought back to when Mrs. Green would take me shopping with her, and put the key into the ignition, turning it until the engine roared to life. I pushed my foot down on the brake and then pushed the gear stick to the Drive position. It was slow going at first, trying to avoid hitting any of the other parked cars, but eventually I made it to the garage door. I looked at the keys again and pressed the button on the other black remote hanging beside the key. The metal door began to open and as soon as it was high enough for me to get through, I accelerated. Once I was out of the academy grounds, I turned onto the highway, speeding up until I was going the speed limit. I wanted to get away from there, not get pulled over by the police and end up in jail. 

An hour later, the highway ended and I was now on a dark road in the middle of nowhere. Houses were very few and far between and I actually started panicking that I had gone too far. Looking in my rear-view mirror, I noticed a car was coming up quickly behind me, so I slowed down, thinking they were going to pass me like every other car had done so far. My head was thrown forward as they rammed into the back of me, and my car started to swerve side to side. I gripped the steering wheel and tried to regain control, but the car made contact again, this time hitting the rear right-hand side. Everything started to spin and then the car rolled. Over and over it went, until I came to an abrupt stop, whipping my head sideways, slamming it into the window. Then everything went black.