1 Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“Seven hells!” TJ muttered as she entered her room which did not look like it belonged to her at all. Her room was a mess, not that it wasn’t a mess all the time, but this time, it was a pink mess. She hated pink.

“Mom!” She screamed at the top of her voice, dumping her kit and camper bag on the ground outside the room. It seemed to her as if a tornado struck her room, and left it messy and pink.

There was no way she was going inside willingly. “Mom!” She shouted again.

“How many times do I have to tell you not you shout in the house, Tiffany Josephine?” Her mother came into view with her father in tow.

Her father’s brown hair was messy, and he wore his khaki shorts and Avengers T-shirt which meant he was lazing around at home, and not working. His amber eyes were calm as he took in his daughter’s irritated appearance. Her mother too looked calm in her favorite sundress as her platinum blonde locks were up in a ponytail, but the hesitation in her deep blue eyes betrayed her facial expressions.

“TJ, Mom. It’s TJ. Stop calling me by that disgusting name,” TJ whined.

“It’s a beautiful name, not disgusting you ungrateful child,” Her mother, Arabella sighed.

“Yeah, just like my room right now! What did you do to my room?” TJ asked her parents who shared a look of discomfort and then looked at TJ, confusing her.

“We painted it while you were away,” Her father, Theodore simply said.

“No shit, Sherlock,” TJ muttered, rolling her eyes “Why did you do it? It was perfect before!” She countered.

“It was black, Tiffany,” Her father deadpanned.

“One, it was navy not black, and second, why can’t you call me TJ like everyone. It’s not like TJ is new to you. I have been called TJ since Kindergarten!” She groaned in frustration. She just came back, she was tired, making her cranky.

“Okay, TJ. Can we talk inside?” Theodore asked, making puppy dog eyes at his daughter, and smiled when he heard her sigh. He knew it meant she gave up arguing.

TJ followed her parents inside, but not before cringing at the pinkness of her poor room. She really hated pink.

TJ sat on a bean bag chair that looked like a soccer ball, sitting with her legs wide like boys, while her parents sat at the foot of her bed.

“Talk,” She said, and her parents shared a look of discomfort before looking at TJ and sighed in sync.

“Tiff…” Her mother started, but TJ tilted her head and frowned which stopped her. “TJ, sit properly,” She said, and TJ raised her eyebrows at the attempt of stalling but closed her legs a bit. Arabella cleared her throat and continued, “We painted your room because we are giving to someone else,” She said, and TJ gaped at her parents.

“What the…hell?” She said, remembering to keep her swear words in control. “Why would you do that?” She asked them.

“Uh…” Her mother hesitated.

“Yes, Mom?” She urged her to speak, impatiently.

“We are…You are...” She tried to say but paused, and looked at her husband with a pleading look. Theodore sighed, and held Arabella's hand in his, and looked at TJ.

“You are going to be a sister, TJ. We are pregnant,” Her father said, making TJ’s eyes turn as wide as saucers.

“What the actual fu…” TJ was saying when her father gave her a pointed look, and she bit down her swearing, “You are jesting with me, right?” She asked, unsure.

“I am 7 seven weeks pregnant, TJ, and you are going to be a sister of a baby girl,” Her mother informed TJ and looked at her husband with worry, unable to predict TJ’s reaction.

TJ stood up, walked towards them, and hugged both her parents tightly. “I’m so happy, why didn’t you guys tell me before? We could have painted this room together,” She said with a smile that didn’t look forced like all the other smiles she gave them regularly.

“Really?” Her mother asked, clearly surprised by her reaction.

“Yeah…No…Maybe not. I hate pink” She said scrunching up her nose, making her parents laugh.

“You scared us for a moment,” Her father said, standing up.

“Why, though? It’s not like I would have hated you for making a baby,” TJ shrugged as her parents’ cheeks turned red.

“TJ!” Her mother scolded her, but she grinned at her cheekily.

“Okay, coming to the point, where am I going to shift? The guest room downstairs?” TJ asked her parents who lost their happy smiles and looked uncomfortable again. “What? Don’t tell me you’re going to kick me out because I’m a bad influence on the baby,” TJ tried to joke.

“Uh…no...you're not a bad influence...not exactly...” Her father hesitated, and she looked at him with her mouth open.

“But you guys are kicking me out? Really kicking me out?” She asked with disbelief. How could her own parents do it to her?

“No, it’s not like that,” Her mother said quickly, making TJ turn to her mother, who again looked at her husband for help.

“We are sending you to boarding school,” Her father explained.

“Boarding school? Where?” TJ frowned.

“Aldcoast,” Her mother told her, “It’s not bad at all, your father and I went there too and you can play there too,” She said fast.

“Okay. When do I leave?” TJ asked calmly with no expression on her face.

Her parents gaped at her. This wasn’t what they expected. They expected an argument, a rebel movement, or even running away but not this.

“You are not mad at us for not discussing this with you?” Her father asked her.

“Why would I be? I was away at the camp for 4 weeks, plus I am a pain in your ass. Mom doesn’t need that right now,” TJ shrugged casually.

“Oh no TJ, of course, you are not,” Her mother looked at her with a pained expression, and embraced her in a hug.

TJ was shocked, her mother wasn’t a hugger, just like her. Neither of her parents was, maybe these were pregnancy hormones.

“Yes, we thought it would be good for you since you know…” Her father hesitated as she pulled away from her mother’s embrace.

“If you say so,” She shrugged again. “When do I leave?” She asked again.

“TJ, don’t be like this. You are not a pain, just a bit mischievous. We really think you need a time out since you started… seeing things,” Her mother said, caressing her hand.

“It’s fine, Mom. Tell me, when do I leave?” She told her mother with a fake smile.

“End of summer, when the new session commences,” Her father informed her, and she nodded.

“This means I have 2 weeks left. Alrighty!” She said pulling away from her mother and walking towards the door of her now-pink temporary room.

“Where are you going?” Her mother asked.

“Nat’s,” She told her parents, and they nodded in understanding.

Nat was important to TJ and TJ was important to Nat, everyone knew that.

“Be careful!” Her mother shouted from the top stair as she reached the last one.

“Always am!” She said as she went out of the door of her house.

TJ walked on the same path she was used to walking since she learned how to walk. She turned left to the second house on the row to reach Nat’s house.

Nat or Natalio Ferrero was TJ’s best friend since she was a baby. Nat was Italian and she always wondered why his parents shifted to Riverisle, a small town in West Virginia from Italy.

She rang the doorbell and was greeted by Nat’s mother, Elena Ferrero. She was pretty tall but not taller than TJ’s 5’9”. Her dark mahogany hair was up in a stylish bun, and she wore an apron over her shirt and pants which meant she was cooking. What timing, TJ thought.

“TJ!” Mrs. Ferrero exclaimed and hugged TJ, which she reluctantly returned.

It wasn’t that TJ didn’t like Elena, she loved her just like her own mother. Elena treated TJ like her daughter too, in fact, TJ knew that Elena was partial to her because TJ was like a daughter Elena could not have. Even though TJ was a tomboy, it didn’t matter to Elena. It was just that, TJ wasn’t a hugger like Elena or her husband, Vince or Nat.

“Mrs. F! How are you doing?” TJ asked as she pulled away from her best friend’s mother.

“Oh, I was doing amazing with Natalio gone. I could finally relax! But since he's back...” Elena replied in her lightly accented voice and scrunched up her nose, making TJ snicker.

“Mom!” Nat shouted from his room, and Elena sighed.

“Speak of the devil,” Elena muttered and TJ chuckled lightly.

Within moments Nat was downstairs before Elena could call him and screamed “Tee!” and before she could prepare, TJ was trapped in a tight bear hug by Nat.

“Get off me, you filthy animal!” TJ exclaimed loudly, pushing Nat, and getting out of his embrace. Nat was still in his hockey uniform.

“Says the girl who is still in her uniform!” Nat exclaimed and TJ looked down and remembered that she too didn’t even remember changing from her uniform, or wash her face.

Nat and TJ both were jocks. While TJ played Lacrosse, Nat was an Ice Hockey player. During the summer vacations, their school sent all the teams to different sports camps, so that they could train better for the game season.

“Missed me much?” Nat asked with a smirk wriggling his eyebrows at her and TJ rolled her eyes.

“You bet I did,” She said sarcastically, but Nat grinned. “I’m here to tell you something,” TJ told him.

“What is it? Did you finally realize that you are in love with my son? Are you going to profess your love? Should I get my video camera?” Elena asked, making them realize that she was still there. TJ wanted to gag at Elena’s statement. Nat and her? Ew, never going to happen.

“Mom!” Nat exclaimed wide-eyed at his mother’s words.

“What? Didn’t you say you have a crush on TJ?” Elena asked innocently, and TJ raised her eyebrows at her best friend who was red as a tomato.

“Mom! I said I like Fiona, who is on TJ’s team! She's my brother for god sake!” Nat whined.

“Oops,” Elena gave Nat a sorry look, and TJ chuckled at her friend’s embarrassment.

“Chill Mrs. F, as much as I like your fantasies. I am here to tell you something else,” TJ's voice turning serious.

“What is it, bambina?” Elena said, motioning to the couch. The three of them sat down. TJ sighed before telling them.

“My parents are sending me off to Aldcoast High,” TJ told them.

“What? Why?” The mother and son asked in unison.

“Mom is pregnant, and Dad says that they think I need some space and time out from here because I keep on seeing things," TJ explained, "But, I think that they feel that it would be better if I stay away from my baby sister, and they think that I’m crazy. Not that they said all this,” TJ said, muttering the last part softly.

“Oh my poor bambina, I’m sure they don’t think you are crazy, nobody does,” Elena consoled her, and TJ forced out a smile. “But if they believe you need some time out, maybe they saw something. Parents don’t like to send their kids off,” She said and TJ nodded making her smile. “Oh! I almost forgot. I was baking cupcakes. I should go check them!” Elena said and ran towards the kitchen leaving Nat and TJ in the living room.

“When are you leaving?” Nat inquired seriously.

“In 2 weeks,” TJ answered him with equal seriousness in her voice.

“You think I could apply too?” Nat asked, and TJ felt like smiling and she did. It wasn't rare, Nat made her laugh, even when she didn’t want to.

“I don’t know I heard that Aldcoast only accepts highly talented students. I think they only accepted me because my parents are alumni,” TJ told Nat after thinking for a moment what she had heard about Aldcoast High.

“Huh, you are a freaking Einstein compared to me. No doubt they would accept you,” Nat huffed, and TJ ruffled his hair.

Nat pushed TJ and kept his head on her lap with a sigh. “I’ll miss you, Tee,” Nat said, and TJ looked at Nat and smiled sadly.

“I’ll miss you more,” She said ruffling her best friend’s hair once again. “But, Aldcoast is not that far. I’ll visit you on holiday, and it’s only our last year. We are going to university together,” TJ tried to look on the positive side, and Nat smiled and got up.

“Hell yeah! That we are!” Nat exclaimed.

“And we could Skype and chat every weekend. That is if you would be free from Fiona...” TJ teased Nat about his crush.

“Oh come on! She doesn’t even like me,” Nat stated sadly.

“You never asked her, or talked to her,” TJ pointed out. “Rumor has it, that Fiona Adams has a huge crush on you,” TJ said gaining a groan from her best friend, and then something struck her and she clicked her fingers. “Why don’t I do it for you?” TJ asked Nat excitedly.

“Do what?” He asked in confusion.

“Ask her. Yeah, I can ask her. She’s on my team, even though she sucks at Lacrosse, she’s a team member, and I have her number too!” TJ said taking out her phone.

“No!” Nat tried to stop her.

“Too late,” TJ smirked as Fiona picked up after the third ring. TJ put the call on speaker

“Hello?” A sweet, timid voice answered, and TJ almost swore as she saw Nat with a dreamy look.

“Fiona?” TJ asked.

“Yes, it’s me. Who’s this?” Fiona asked hesitantly.

“It’s your captain who else, Adams,” TJ said, trying to intimidate her. She loved doing this. Nat glared at her and TJ stuck her tongue at him.

“TJ! Oh, my…H...how are you doing?” The poor girl asked nervously.

“I’m good. I wanted a favor, Adams,” TJ said in her captain voice which she knew would work.

“Wh...what favor captain,” Fiona stuttered.

“Can't tell on the phone, can you meet me? In...like an hour....in the...park near my place?” TJ asked raking her brain where she could set up a date for her friend and grinned when she saw Nat’s shocked expression.

“Uh…okay,” She agreed, and TJ fist bumped in the air.

“You know my house right?” She asked Fiona, just to be sure.

“Ye…yeah I know. 2 blocks away,” She said confidently and TJ smiled.

Obviously, she knew, she had seen Fiona pass by more than once and she knew why.

“Alright, see you in an hour,” She said and hung up.

“What the hell was that?” Nat shouted.

“Uh…a phone call?” TJ replied cheekily.

“You are…the best, Tee!” Nat exclaimed and TJ shook her head as her best friend danced around the room.

“I’ll see you in an hour. Meet me in the park,” TJ told her best friend as she stood up and Nat stopped dancing and hugged her again. “And please shower first,” TJ said covering her nose and Nat stuck out his tongue at her. TJ said her goodbyes to Nat and his mother and left for her house, devouring one of the cupcakes Elena made.

As she reached her driveway, she turned around as she thought she saw someone, but no one was there beside her. She shook her head and went inside her house and raced up to her room.

She was unusually happy today. Nat was crushing on Fiona for the past year. She was paired up with him for an impromptu class assignment. They had to read the lines of a play they were studying in the class. 2 lines of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Nat was a goner. They didn’t even speak to each other after but Nat won’t shut up about Fiona’s voice being the most melodic sound ever.

Nat even came to their practice because Fiona would be there. Even in their games, Nat would be there without fail, that too in the first row of the bleachers.

TJ took out her dirty clothes from her bag and put them in the laundry. She then took her fresh clothes which were in the laundry room and kept them in her closet. She took out her usual clothes, tank top, denim shorts, leather jacket, and ankle-length boots, all black in color, and went to take a shower. After coming out, TJ brushed her wavy, shoulder-length, raven hair, and blow-dried them a bit before tying them into a ponytail. She wasn’t Goth, she just liked black more than any other color. Blue, gray, and white were the only colors she liked besides black. She always thought that black was her natural color. Besides, from her pale skin, her hair was jet black, and her eyes were dark gray.

She didn’t look like her parents, her father had brown hair and amber eyes while her mother had deep blue eyes and platinum blonde hair. The thought of her being adopted crossed her mind, but she had too many baby pictures that contradicted the fact. Plus, she never found the adoption papers.

She looked at the clock and saw that it was almost an hour since she called Fiona. She rushed to the park to find Nat pacing back and forth in nervousness. He was surprisingly dressed up in a shirt and jeans. He even wore his lucky Converse. He was so whipped.

Nat continued to amaze TJ, even though they had known each other for their whole lives.

Nat was a typical jock. He was tall, he had a good physique and a handsome face. His figure was a bit leaner than other hockey players but he was quick. Nat was so fast that they named him as 'Ghost' of the team. He could take the puck from anyone, anywhere, and skate away before anyone could realize. There were rumors that big colleges had eyes for Nat, and TJ was proud of that.

Nat ran his hand through his dark brown locks as his dark chocolate brown eyes were filled with excitement and nervousness together.

“Stop it, will you?” TJ said rolling her eyes as she reached Nat. “Don’t you look charming” TJ teased.

Nat was about to say something but TJ’s phone went off and she smirked seeing that it was Fiona.

“Adams,” TJ greeted her.

“I am here, where are you?” Fiona asked her.

“By the benches, near the swings,” TJ told her.

“Okay. I’ll see you in a minute then,” She said timidly and hung up.

“Buckle up Darcy, your Elizabeth is here,” TJ teased her friend who was very much interested in the grass beneath them. “Ooooh, look there she is,” TJ said as she spotted Fiona’s blonde hair and Nat’s face was up in a second. He was practically jumping. “Hold your horses, Mister Darcy, and don’t make her run away,” TJ whispered as Fiona reached them.

“Hi,” A very confused and flushed Fiona greeted TJ.

“Hi, Fiona,” TJ greeted her back, “This is my best friend, Natalio. You know him?” TJ asked innocently.

“Yeah, who doesn’t,” Fiona nodded, and looked down as her cheeks tainted red. TJ smirked.

“Nat? Won’t you say hello?” TJ elbowed Nat who was busy ogling the blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl in front of him.

“Oh, yeah. Hi Fiona,” Nat said and extended his hand for Fiona, who took it shyly.

“Hey, I forgot what I had to give you at home. I’ll be back soon, Nat will keep you company till then,” TJ told Fiona and Nat who now looked at her with wide eyes.

“What?” Nat asked, and TJ wanted to hit her best friend with his own hockey stick. Couldn’t he see she was trying to set them up?

“Oh, just something. I’ll be back,” She said and ran away towards her house before any of them could say anything.

When TJ was out of Nat and Fiona’s visibility, she turned back and took a long route behind the benches where Nat and Fiona now sat.

“Why isn’t he doing anything?” TJ gritted her teeth. After 10 minutes of leaving them alone, there was no sign of a conversation.

TJ took out her cell phone and texted Nat.

TJ: Talk to her, you moron!

Nat: Where are you?

TJ: Somewhere, now TALK!!

Nat: Jeez man, okay!!

TJ sighed in relief when Nat started talking to Fiona who was now smiling at what Nat said.

It was fifteen minutes since she texted Nat, and TJ was feeling proud of herself as Nat and Fiona were now sitting closer and were smiling at each other like whipped couples. Fiona excused herself as she got a call, and TJ texted Nat again.

TJ: Ask her out

Nat: When?

TJ: After I turn the pumpkin into a coach for the ball… Now idiot!

Nat: You watch too many films. This has to stop.

TJ: Will you ask her out or shall I send her your baby pictures?

Nat: Why do you have them?

TJ: Because…

Nat: …

TJ: Ask her out or I’m sending the one where you are crying when I pushed you in the pool…naked.

Nat: I hate you

TJ: I know. She’s coming back. Ask her now!!!!

Fiona came and sat next to a nervous Nat.

Nat was mumbling something and Fiona’s expression changed but she didn’t reply. Nat looked like he would die of embarrassment and waved his hands in the air like he was telling her to forget what he said.

Fiona stood up, and Nat stood up too and gulped. Fiona stepped towards him, and TJ thought that she might slap the poor Nat who looked like he would piss his pants.

But Fiona jumped and hugged Nat, and he sighed in relief then grinned widely, hugging her back. TJ wanted to jump too, but then they would know she was here, and she wasn’t in the mood of third-wheeling today.

Nat extended his hand and Fiona took it. TJ thought it would be the perfect time to click pictures, and so she did. Of Nat and Fiona hugging, of them holding hands, TJ wasn’t much of a romantic but she was sure Nat would want to have this moment stored with him. And she was creepy that way.

As Nat and Fiona walked away, TJ sighed with happiness. Her best friend finally got his crush.

Fiona Adams: Thanks, Captain. I owe you one :)

TJ: You don’t. Have fun :)

It was almost sunset when TJ returned home, and her mother was making dinner. She sat with her father who was watching Nightmare at Elm Street. TJ felt a pang of sadness as the film progressed, it wasn’t a tragedy. The movie was a horror one, why was she feeling sad?

To distract herself, TJ took out her phone and decided to send the pictures she clicked to Nat and Fiona. She opened the one where Nat and Fiona were holding hands, it looked really beautiful but there was someone else in the picture. She zoomed the picture and screamed, throwing her phone on the ground.

“TJ?” Her father looked at her with worry. He knew it wasn’t the movie that scared her daughter.

“H…h…h…” TJ stammered, pointing at her phone.

“TJ, what’s wrong? Is there something on your phone?” Her father asked her, and she nodded, looking frightened as if she saw a ghost.

As her father picked up her phone, her mother came into the living room hearing her daughter's scream. Seeing her daughter so terrified, she went towards her and pulled TJ to herself.

“What did you see?” Her mother asked.

“H…Hi…it wa…was…him in t…the pic…picture,” TJ stammered as tears came out from her eyes. Arabella’s heart pained seeing her daughter like this. What was happening to her?

“TJ?” Her father called, looking keenly into her phone. “There is no one in this picture except for Nat and this girl,” He said, and TJ shook her head.

She extended her hand and her father gave her the phone.

“Look, right here,” TJ said, zooming the picture to the limit where the silhouette got a face.

“There is no one here, sweetie,” Her mother said and her father too shook his head.

“Bu…but he’s right here! I swear I’m not lying!” She wailed as her parents shared a look of distress. They were helpless. Their daughter was seeing things, and they couldn’t do anything about it. Even the doctors said there was nothing wrong with her.

“We believe with you, honey. We believe you,” Her mother said, caressing her daughter's hair.

“But you can’t see him…can you?” TJ asked, wiping her tears.

“We can’t, but we trust you. You are not lying,” Her father said, sitting beside her. He kept his hand on her shoulder making her look up at him. “TJ, you are many things but a liar is not one of them, and neither is crazy, I promise you that,” He said with confidence.

“You think so?” She asked with surprise, and they both nodded.

“We have something to tell you,” Her father sighed, and looked at her mother as they shared a look of agreement. Her father looked at TJ again.

“What?” She asked them.

“Your mother and I…we are not exactly normal,” Her father started. “We had powers which normally people don’t possess. We had supernatural powers,”

***