CHAPTER 5

It's the second week in school. All my friends had started helping Maddison out and have gone from bullies to complete sweet hearts. They even started an organization to help the other bullies become better people. Things were going smoothly. Or I thought it was.

Just when things started to look up I had the most painful experience.

I was coming into the school wondering why my boyfriend, Trace, didn't pick me up. Something that rarely happened. Although, he had been a little distant for a while but I just thought it was the stress of school and football weighing down on him.

Walking into the school, I spotted his black car parked at an isolated spot. I thought it was strange. I walked up to the car and I heard him say 'I love you'. I heard a girl giggle and say 'me too'.

What was going through my head was, What?! I walked closer to the car to get a better look. It was Maddison and Trace holding hands. They were so close, anyone who saw them now would think they were dating.

I felt rising anger and pain. I walked away from them with a sigh and turned to the school. Seriously, how I could control my anger is beyond me. First, my mother is dating a creep and now my boyfriend is cheating on me. I wonder what the universe has planned next for me.

I tried to shove those terrible images to the back of my head but it didn't work. All that was racing through my mind was cheat, hate, why, cheat! School wasn't the same. It dragged on like it was mocking me of my failed attempt of a relationship, with both my mother and my boyfriend.

The Decallions and Maddison held me back trying to get words from my mouth but all I did was look at them especially Maddison not with anger, but with sadness.

"Autumn, come on. Talk to us. What's up?"

"Nothing. I'm fine. I just need rest. That's all."

I excused myself to the bathroom hearing footsteps hot behind me, not relenting. I walked into a stall in the bathroom but the person followed after me. I looked up from my seat on the toilet and found Paulina staring at me.

"Please tell me you're not actually using that thing."

I laughed. "It's closed Pauly."

"Now tell me what is really wrong."

We stood in silence for a while, I contemplating on telling her. The only sound was our breath. Apart from that, there was a comfortable silence hanging in the bathroom. I finally spoke up.

"Trace is cheating on me. I'm not mad about that, it's the fact that he is hitting on Maddison and she could be the next victim and I don't know how to tell her without sounding jealous. She might not even believe me."

"Let me get this straight. You and Trace are or should I say were dating and he's cheating on you? You guys were dating and nobody knew?"

"Wanted to keep it a secret. I can see now that it was a good thing."

"You need a shoulder to cry on?"

"I don't really cry for these type of things. I just need some time alone."

She patted my back and left me to drift to my own world. Words could not explain my feelings; was it pain, anger, sorrow, sadness, the sad feeling of defeat and confusion. Suddenly the room couldn't contain me. Air wasn't going down my lungs, I felt choked, suffocated by the turns of event. I needed to clear my head. 

I walked out heading directly for the garden as empty as I hoped it would be. The green trees stood out from the already fading ones.

Autumn was close, I could feel it, could sense it. It was somewhat strange to know when it was coming  ever since I knew what it was. But that wasn't what bothered me. This cool wind calmed me down, gave me different reasons to let go. My confusion cleared. It felt like someone poured cool water on my burning body.

I touched a green tree, my eyes shut and I felt the energy travel through me. It gave me relief. Suddenly I felt like I was... out of this world. A leaf dropped on my head. I opened my eyes and found the leaves around the tree, not bright green leaves but yellow and orange leaves.

"What the..."

I stepped away from the tree looking at the few leaves on it and the dead ones around it.

"What just happened?"

A quiet voice replied "What you should have known." 

I had never heard the voice before yet it was so familiar.

"Who are you?" More confident than I intended. There was no response.

"I said who are you?" I didn't know where all the authority was coming from.

"I'm Fofo, your spirit guide. I've been waiting for today to come. It's finally here."

"How do you know me?"

"I'm part of you. Ever since you were little I've been with you, ever since you were born. I am you, Arterisa."

"I think you are confused, my name is Autumn."

"She hasn't told you yet that's why you think you are who you claim to be. You are a goddess, born to help Wester land regain it's freedom."

"Wester land is real?" I said leaning on the tree.

"Your mother didn't tell you because she was terrified for me, she has forgotten that what is given by the goddess can be used by the goddess."

"She's not even my real mother?" I said bitterly.

"Hard to take in but she did it for a reason. If Zuka knew you, you'll be dead by now."

The tears were threathening to spill but they didn't come.

"Is that why i'm not a normal teenager?"

"Yes."

"Why are you tell me this?"

"To prepare you. It's your destiny and you can't fight it."

He said with finality and then disappeared. after absorbing what I've been told I went back to class slowly, sadly, with even more anger. I've been lied to, cheated, taken for a fool. Could this day get any worse.