The Encounter II

I asked casually, my hands in my pocket. She rose her head to look me in the eyes due to my height, a complex look on her face.

"...I'm here about what I saw in your book." She said, her face serious with her sweet voice a little high-pitched.

"Hoh? And tell me Claire, what did you see?" I tilted my head and asked stoically, my tone a little playful.

"I...I saw what you wrote about me, about my powers and what I can do. How do you know that? Have you been spying on me!?" She almost yelled, her grey eyes filled with frustration, anxiousness, anger, and a little fear.

Seeing her reaction brought a chuckle out of my mouth, and this only served to make her anger rise.

"You think it's funny huh? Writing down my personal information in a book is funny to you, isn't it? Let's see how you'll be laughing when the entire school knows you've been spying on me like a creep!" She said angrily and turned to stomp off.

But this only made my smile widen more...

"Now, now, Claire, we both know you wouldn't want that to happen. How do you think the school or even the whole world would react if they found out that our resident cheerleader wouldn't die even if someone stabbed her in the neck?" I commented darkly, and she instantly froze. I could even see her body shaking a little.

I had scared her enough and made her feel small, now it was time to get to business.

"Look, I know all you want right now are answers. Something I can give so just calm down and let's talk. Isn't that why you came here in the first place?" I continued cooly.

She turned back to face me and this time, in her eyes, I could only see hope and a tinge of fear in her eyes and face.

"Do you really have answers?" She asked, sounding unsure, her shoulders a little tense while gripping her bag. I smiled genuinely in response and nodded.

"And how? How do you know all these things about me when I haven't even told my dad about it?" She inched closer and asked, still keeping her distance.

"Well let's just say that like you Claire, I'm special." I smiled mysteriously at her and her eyes widened in surprise.

Yes, I forgot. Almost everyone in this world with powers thought they were the chosen ones, the only ones who were special. Sigh, this was what I had to deal with from now onwards...

"Yes Claire, you aren't the only one special in this world. In fact, there are a lot more people like you than you think. Didn't you see the other names in my book?" I rolled my eyes at her behavior and almost chuckled.

A small sheepish smile came on her face like she didn't know if she should be embarrassed or relieved, but she didn't look tense anymore. Just on guard.

"I see. All this time, I thought I was the only one. The only one different...the only f—"

"The only freak? Yeah, I get that. Well, now you can be relieved that there are people there more freakish than you." I cut her off and finished what she was saying playfully with a shrug, a smile on my face.

She chuckled, her lips stretched into a lovely smile that showed her straight white teeth and pointy fangs. She was no longer on guard. It was nice to know I hadn't lost my charm...

"But personally, I prefer the term special. Freak just makes this whole thing sound inhuman," I continued knowingly. "We are not freaks of nature Claire, we're just a little special that's all. There is no need to be scared of who or what you are, just embrace it and you'll realize everything would be a whole lot easier."

Hearing my words, her eyes lit up and her smile broadened into a thankful smile. She nodded and unconsciously drew closer to me.

"...I didn't realize how much I needed that. Thank you, Xander, you aren't as rude as they say you are. I'm sorry I pegged you for a stalker." She thanked me and apologized genuinely as she came into my reach, looking up into my eyes from below.

I rose an eyebrow in amusement at her words but I only shook my head and sighed.

"It's understandable, no need to apologize. I might not be in your shoes but I can at least sympathize and understand what you're going through. Trust me it'll get easier." I assured her with a smile. At this point, I was just pulling words straight from my ass...

"Well if that's all, I'll see you later Claire. If you have any trouble just look for me in the school." I flashed her one last smile and turned to walk away but she surprisingly, grabbed my arm.

"Wait. Can I get your number? To you know, call in case of anything? You don't have to if you don't want to." She left my arm and asked, a little shy, looking away from my eyes.

"Uhm, the thing is I don't really remember my number so why don't you give me yours so that I call right now?" I smiled and suggested and she nodded with a bright smile, looking relieved I didn't reject her.

I took out my phone from my left pocket and dialed the numbers as she mentioned them. I saved it and called immediately.

Her phone vibrated loudly in her bag so she removed it, swiped the screen up to make it like a monitor, and started typing on the revealed keypad.

"And done. Now we both have each other's number. Thanks again, Xander." She pulled the screen down till it replaced the keypad and remarked gratefully as she placed it inside her bag.

She looked happier than when I saw her in the morning and her grey eyes seemed brighter than I recalled. She must've really needed this...

"No problem, I guess I'll see you around Claire."

"Yeah, hopefully."

We both said with smiles on our faces and waved each other goodbye as she walked off, looking back at me occasionally with a brighter smile each time.

...I had to admit it, Claire was really fine. A solid nine out of ten, and she had everything a guy needed, unlike most American girls...

She looked very similar to the one who played her in the show. The only difference was that she looked more ugh...let's say natural.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket so I removed it and picked up the call when I saw the caller, placing it on my ear.

"Dad?... Yeah, I'm around. Okay, I'll be there in a sec. Bye." I cut the call and put the phone back into my pocket. It was my father and he was about to leave.

Finally, it was time to go home. It was time to start grinding...

•••

Getting down from the car, I closed it with a low bang, my father was still in the car. We just got home.

"Go on inside, I have something to take care of back at the ranch. If I'm not back by eight, have dinner without me." My father leaned towards the passenger's seat, the window, and informed, a gentle smile garnishing his middle-aged face.

On the way, we talked about the library incident. Apparently, the librarian reported, what a snitch. I decided to come clean and explain everything to him and he was surprised and satisfied.

He told me not to do it again and told me he would take care of the guy, in a very cold tone. My father seemed to really care and love the original Xander.

He was definitely a better father than the one I had in my past life so I was starting to warm up to him. He was a good guy....

I nodded with a genuine smile and in no time, he ignited the engine, reversed back to the road, and drove off, waving me as he did. Of course, he'd have a ranch....

I turned back to the fairly large white two-story house with a dark blue oily roofing, and left the garage area, skipping off the green front lawn to the door.

Using the key in my hand, I opened the door and went inside, locking it behind me. I left the key and quickly ascended the stairs into my room.

Smelling and seeing the familiar clean room, I smiled and took off my shoes, putting them beside the right nightstand.

Still, in my heel-length black socks, I went to the desk and placed my bag where it was when I found it.

After that, I looked around the room and went to what was relatively the center of the room if you discounted my bed. It was time to figure out my ability.

A smile blossomed on my face as excitement boiled within me, making me fidgety but I took a deep breath and calmed myself down.

I turned to look at the alarm clock and read the time as five pm, I nodded and closed my eyes. I didn't know how to activate my power so I just settled for the cliche of closing my eyes and concentrating hard.

It wasn't working. Unperturbed, I decided to try another method. I tried remembering the sensation, that alien and eerie sensation that made me feel like I wasn't in the world again like nothing was real...

The next moment, I opened my eyes as I felt the world warping around me, and just like that, I was once again floating and seeing everything in the world as colorless.

Grinning like a child, I moved myself and hovered around the room, going in circles, and stopped where I started. It was exhilarating, the feeling of flight, feeling untethered and unchained to anything.

The rush alone almost made me addicted...

I looked behind me and noted the time. Only a minute and a half had passed. I wasn't feeling any nausea or headache.

I was testing to see if my power had a time constraint or something related to that. Last I checked, the headaches and nausea only came in after seven to eight minutes.

So I had si—no five to six minutes of power time, if I truly had a time constraint.

"Then let's test the other things I can do in this state. I'm kinda immaterial in this form, let's test its limits." I whispered under my breath and looked at my desk, the wall behind it, specifically.

Hovering forwards, I effortlessly passed through the chair, the table, and finally the hard solid wall. I found myself in the bathroom. Everything was also colorless.

It was an odd thing, phasing through solid matter like it was nothing. There was no weird feeling or anything of the sort, it was simply like there was nothing there at all, like when you're walking in an open dry space.

I checked myself and nodded when I saw I was in perfect condition. But then I realized something peculiar when my eyes fell on the mirror.

Usually, I was supposed to see my reflection but there was nothing there. I was staring right in the mirror but it didn't show any mirror image, in fact, it just showed the wall behind me.

"Now this is what I called freaky...."