The ball did not just explode, it was flying!.
Everyone stared and Nara stayed still as though frozen, her outstretched hand hovering motionless.
With the strange boy Rhoan's help, Nara was able to transform back into her human self. It was her first time shift so she couldn't help but be embarrassed that she had turned naked after shifting. Her eyes meeting Rhoan's made her shy away, "Oh so sorry," he said while covering his gaze and then turning around granting her some privacy.
She recalled putting on the jacket and saying, "You can look now." Then in a gentle yet cheeky tone added, "Thank you for your help today, I would have loved to know more about you but it's almost dawn and I wouldn't want to have to explain this situation to someone who wouldn't understand."
"Alright what's your name again?" Rhoan asked while looking at her curiously. "Nara, Nara Grey," She replied with a smile. Rhoan grinned and said: "I will meet you at this same spot tonight,' to which Nara instructed him: 'wait for me or don't miss it' before dashing back home.
Like any other day, Nara prepared for school, but this time she was blushing and smiling the entire time. She could not help but see Rhoan in her head over and over again.
"Whoo someone is in love," Akira teased. "No I am not, I barely know him." Nara stammered while blushing "And you're still blushing huh?" Akira continues "I'm going downstairs for breakfast so be quiet," Nara scolded
Erin was already sitting at the dining table filming her breakfast videos for social media while grandpa had not moved a muscle and still looked as grumpy as usual. "Good morning grandpa, good morning Couz" Nara said cheerfully while sitting down to eat. "You're always late!" Doc Morrow scolded. "Gramps, I am still making a video so she is right on time, don't be too hard on her", Erin defended Nara. "I'll be on my way now, I'll see you when I get back" Nara wrapped up the conversation heading out the door.
At school, Nara was stuck with Lily.
She couldn't find personal space for herself, lily was everywhere. This made her uncomfortable because she wasn't used to it but she didn't want her only friend to leave her, she just had to endure and get used to it she thought to herself.
"Nara! Come quickly! Come join my group!" Lily shouted from the other corner of the room. It was time for PE classes and one of Nara's best periods but with Lily dictating which group to join, which team to play for and whether to play or not was something she was trying so hard not to get angry about. She folded her hands really hard just to suppress the anger in her as she stepped onto the court, her eyes scanning the familiar surroundings as the game began. As she played, she felt a surge of frustration. Lily's voice echoed continuously in her mind, her anger increasing as the voice grew louder. "Throw it to the left! No, wait, throw it to the right! Come on, stop going down! Stop passing it!" Lily's voice rang. The words swirled in her head, her anxiety running wild with each misstep and miscalculation, what used to be the only place she was loved by all was now an arena for her mockery.
How did her best game turn out to be her worst? Was the only question in Nara's mind.
At that moment, the ball was heading toward her at a very high rate of speed. She was lost in thought but managed to reach out in an attempt to catch it. To her surprise, it exploded. Everyone was stunned when they heard the hiss followed by the bang. "Did you see that?" A classmate yelled out puzzled as well, "What just happens under my nose?" After stumbling and sneezing, she realized the ball was now separated into two halves and rolling away while venting air loudly like a jet engine powering down.
"Whoa... what just happened?"
"Did she actually punch it?"
"No, she just… touched it."
"What in heaven's name has happened now?"
"It's not that the ball flew. It exploded" Voices kept repeating 'it exploded' and all the children were expressing their confusion and awe, even some shock. Surrounded by everything happening Nara seemed to have a realization as well for some reason her eyes widened and staring at her hands is when she started noticing things. Her claws which were sharp and silver, peeked past her fingers, if ever her jacket sleeves slipped up for a moment then all of her secrets would have been exposed.
Her claws were out causing the ball to puncture. She was shocked, goosebumps covered her body, her chest tightened and she wondered if anyone had seen her. How could she have lost control like that? She thought to herself as she panicked, putting her hands in her pockets to hide the claws, she apologized and rushed out of the gym. In order to calm everyone down the coach decided to send everyone back to their classrooms, saying it was just an accident.
Nara locked the door to the bathroom and took a deep breath. Her hands were shaking.
She pushed her sleeves up. No claws, just her skin and short nails. Even so, her heart was still racing.
As she filled the sink with cold water, Nara splashed some on her face. The water was cold. She didn't care.
She splashed it anyway too fast, too hard. It dripped down her chin, onto her shirt. Whatever.
Her fingers were shaking. Not a little. Like, bad.
She grabbed the edge of the sink and just… stood there. Breathing weird. Like her chest forgot how air worked.
"You're fine," she said. Quiet.
No one else was there, but it still felt embarrassing to say it out loud.
She tried again. "You're fine. It didn't mean anything. They didn't see."
But her voice cracked a little on the word see.
And that was enough to break the lie.
She looked up. Almost.
Her eyes didn't go all the way to the mirror just stayed stuck on the faucet. The silver. Her own hand.
Her hands.
Still shaking.
Still hers… right?
"No one saw. It was just the ball… just the ball."
She bent down at the sink looking at her face in the mirror one last time hoping everything would go back to normal but…..
What she saw stripped away any strength she had left to hide her fear, 'Her Face'.
Instead of moving alongside Nara who had turned her head just slightly (to look away), her reflection remained completely still, set like stone with wide frozen eyes facing forward meeting hers.
A chill ran down her spine as anxious thoughts replaced rational ones.
Steadying herself by leaning on both hands pressed on the sink, almost breathless as she leaned closer attempting to see what was in the mirror.
Then, a soft whisper echoed calm, but chilling "You're being watched."
Nara flinched, her back colliding with the wall in a dull thud. She opened her mouth to scream….
But no sound came out.
The lights flickered.
Once.
Then again.
And when she looked at the mirror again her reflection was normal. It copied her movements, It blinked when she blinked, Nothing strange. Nothing wrong.
Except for how real it was, she had felt it
A soft knock came from the hallway.
"Nara? Are you okay?" Lily's voice called gently.
Nara didn't answer. She stared into the mirror, frozen, too afraid to move.
That voice wasn't in her head.
It spoke like it knew her.
Like it had been watching for a long time.
But one thing was clear: whatever saw her through the mirror… wasn't done watching.