Gabriella slipped through the tall gates,where the boards stared back at her with a teasing wink.
St. Hallow's Institute… Gabriella's new destiny.
The courtyard looked absolutely deserted which made sense since it was the middle of the day. Everyone was probably in their classrooms.
"Thank God!This is so much better! "
Gabriella's grip tightened around the strap of her bag as she followed the white arrows painted on the walls. The map of the property hanging from the wall indicated she was headed in the right direction - the principal's office.
The quiet of the empty courtyard gave her a moment of relief, but it didn't last long.
A prickling sensation crept up the back of her neck, like icy fingers brushing her spine. Her breath hitched.
"No…no…not here. Gabriella,get a grip. You can't lose control here. Damn!"
Why the hell did they have to burn her Grimoire? Now her own power was starting to feel alien.
She swallowed hard and walked faster, forcing herself to focus on the signs that read 'New Administration- this way.'
The corridor stretched ahead,still silent except for the faint hum of the bulbs overhead. They flickered…just once, barely noticeable by others, but enough to make Gabriella freeze.
Her heart thumped in her chest.
"Keep it together. You promised yourself you'd be normal this time. Invisible…Focus! Focus!"
She ducked her head, quickening her pace, her scuffed shoes squeaking softly against the polished floor… when suddenly…
"Krrring! Krrring!"
The sharp clang of the bell split the silence.
Gabriella flinched, clutching her bag even tighter, as if bracing herself. "Shit!"
Doors burst open on either side of the corridor. Students spilled out like water rushing through a broken dam…laughing, shouting, shoving each other playfully.
The quiet sanctuary Gabriella had seconds ago was gone.
She pressed herself closer to the wall, trying to shrink, to vanish. But bodies kept brushing against her as the crowd thickened.
"Watch it!" a boy barked when she bumped his shoulder.
"So…sorry," Gabriella muttered quickly, eyes down.
Another girl glanced at her with a wrinkle of her nose. "What's this?Another charity case? Damn those shoes! " she whispered to her friend, almost giggling.
Gabriella's cheeks burned.
"Don't react. Don't flare. Just keep moving. Keep breathing.One, two, three… out…repeat!"
Her steps quickened, weaving through the chaos. She tried to focus on the end of the corridor where the office door gleamed with its little golden plaque.
Still, the prickling sensation wouldn't leave.
If anything it only grew sharper, insistent, crawling under her skin as though the magic inside her was restless, pushing, begging to spill out… reacting to something.
"Stay.Put." She muttered under her breath."Just a little more. Almost there. Just… a little,Gabriella.You can do it. "
" Maths was killing. I can't wait to go watch the practice!"
" Oh my gosh, totally! I just want to see Xander sweat! "
A group of girls huddled together, bit their lips and wiggled their tongues.
"Excuse me…sorry…could you…?" Gabriella tried to make her way past them but her words drowned in their laughter and chatter.
That's when the prickling sensation intensified.
Not just on her neck anymore but everywhere.
This was clearly a warning.
Something was coming.
She froze, eyes darting over the crowd.
And then she saw it.
Not "it." Him.
A boy.
No… not a boy…a force.
He charged through the crowd like a bull wrapped in human skin. His steps were too loud…each stride parting the students around him like Moses parting the Red Sea.
"OMG!Xander Hale…"
"Damn, he is here…he looks so hot."
"Move, move…make way…"
"Gosh he is going to get them all at the practice…come on…let's go…"
The corridor seemed to bend away from him. Heads turned, gasps followed. Girls clutched their books to their chests,crossed their legs, wide eyed…boys shoved themselves out of his path without a word. It was as if gravity itself tilted in his favor, demanding space.
But Gabriella didn't quite register the whispers. Didn't see the fangirls tugging at their friends.
Her focus tunneled to him. To the storm rolling off him.
Her pulse hammered. And that pricking…finally found a focal point.
She knew she needed to get out of his way, the way he was ramming forward, but her feet locked and her body went numb as the pricking finally rested.
"Hey, watch out…" someone hissed near her ear, tugging their friend back.
But she was a second too slow.
Xander's shoulder slammed into her, the impact jolting through her entire frame. Her bag slipped from her grasp…the strap snapped against her palm as it fell.
Her breath left her in a sharp gasp.
The world stilled in that instant…her body twisting,her knees buckling…the corridor around them was as if suspended.
But Xander did not even pause to look at her.
He probably didn't even notice.
The collision sent Gabriella sprawling a few steps behind. She finally heaved as she hit the ground with a loud thud.
Heat rushed to her cheeks, but she didn't dare lift her head. Instead, she scrambled on her knees, fingers clawing at the papers, dragging them towards her chest before more feet could trample over them.
Around her, whispers swirled…
"Did he just…"
"Who is that moron? "
"God, she's new, isn't she?"
Xander stormed on, his strides eating the corridor, anger still burning in his chest when suddenly…he froze.
The air shifted.
A whip of something unfamiliar…a sweet sweet scent…caught him mid step.
It slashed through his fury like ice water dousing flame. His body jerked, pupils narrowing, nostrils flaring as though every nerve in him suddenly remembered it had a purpose… as if dragged out of a trance.
His rage evaporated quite suddenly.
Slowly, Xander turned.
His eyes locked onto Gabriella…this girl crouched low on the floor, hands frantic as she clawed back her scattered world.
Before he even realized he was moving, he strode back, dropping into a crouch beside her.
His fingers brushed across the floor, catching the corner of a loose sheet. Then another. A folder. A pen. He stacked them neatly, holding them out…awkwardly, almost cautiously, suspiciously looking at her face.
Gabriella's head snapped up.
Her eyes…bright, guarded, hazel…met his for the briefest flicker of a second.
And then, just as quickly, her hand darted out.
She snatched the papers from his grasp, shoved them into her bag, and yanked the zipper closed with a rough 'zip'.
Not a word.
Not a glance back.
Her breath sharp, she pushed to her feet and huffed away, weaving through the corridor crowd until the air between them snapped like a stretched thread breaking.
That sweet sweet scent was gone.