Heritage

There he was, breathless and waiting. Here I was, completely bored and worrying whether I had clicked record for the latest episode of Cheaters. Keep your head in the moment Elle, isn’t that what your father is always telling you?

Blowing out a dramatic puff of air, I clenched my fists and readied myself for this Demon. He was your average sized male with a slight limp in his left leg; an advantage that I didn’t particularly need. However, it would make for a quick fight and hopefully get me home in time to finish my chores. What was he waiting for; he stood in one spot, his dark eyes glaring into me.

“Are you waiting for a bus or something?” I asked in annoyance.

This seemed to switch his power back on as he raced towards me. Dirt and rust from the storage yard rose in a cloud as he picked up speed. Still standing in my own little spot, a metre away from an empty shipping container, I waited until he had reached a couple of feet away from me. Then with a quick swing to his stomach with my clenched fist, he crumbled inwards. His arms wrapped around his stomach as he began spluttering a remark about women and strength.

“Who sent you?” I asked, tapping my foot against the dusty concrete. His silence, as he tried to catch his breath, started to drag.

“I asked you a question”, I repeated, my foot finding the top of his neck as he regained his strength.

He struggled against the weight of my body as it kept his face inches from the ground. I really didn’t have time for this; I have a million and one things to do that didn’t include interrogating a low level Demon. Besides, the innocent girl had been saved and the rest of his flock had either fled or been killed. He had a villain complex apparently and wouldn’t give up. I’m surprised he wasn’t giving me a monologue of his evil plan to take over the world.

Demons. So cliché.

“I am so over this. Any last words... No, didn’t think so.”

He let out one last grunt before I finished him off with a snap of his neck.

“Amateurs.”

With one last look around the empty shipping yard, to check for any witnesses or wandering Demons, I orbed in a burst of light. I reappeared in the Bale’s back garden. Beth had left the wheelbarrow and a spade next to the old shed that stood at the back of their garden. A note pinned to its decaying wooden door.

Remember the pond needs to be deep.

Brilliant, this is where my strength comes back to haunt me.

Throwing the last remaining pile of dirt into an old wheelbarrow, that had not yet collapsed under the weight of it all, surprisingly. I twisted a stray hair back behind my ear and sighed. The sound of rustling leaves filled my head with thoughts of jumping into piles of leaves as a child. This was not something I would have thought I’d be doing on a Thursday night. Funnily enough gardening is not my first choice of activities, but for the purpose of keeping up the pretence of being normal, I thought it would be appropriate. My farce mortal life was becoming unbearable with the fact that I was out all night fighting Demons, and then at college all day, learning things that I know already. My fake parents were not exactly thrilled with my early morning antics either.

Just two nights ago I was chasing monkey men around the streets at two in the morning. That did not go down well with Beth. My father told me that he wanted me to pretend to be normal. Normal was not exactly what my life was. What is normal about creeping out late at night and fighting evil beings from vampires to evil monkeys? I was never going to be normal, even if I tried to pretend.

Lost in thought I did not hear Beth approaching. Looking up from the dirt pile, I noticed Beth watching me, standing in the doorway with a puzzled look on her face.

“I wish you would pay attention to what you’re doing Elle,” she exclaimed looking at the pile of dirt at my feet.

“Oh!” I sighed as I spotted the pile of dirt that had missed the wheelbarrow.

“I’m Sorry Beth, I was just…”

“Just not paying attention,” she interrupted.

She sighed and walked back inside, shutting the door with force behind her. Glancing back through the porch window, she gave a little pitying shake of her head and began to take off into the kitchen. Oh yes, the disapproving headshake. The guilt producing action that made me feel more pathetic and unwanted than any other reaction that she could have had. Being a combination of an angel and Demon was bad enough, but my inability to do anything right sure pushed the car over the cliff.

“Elle! Can you take the wheelbarrow around the front please?” Beth shouted from the backdoor. She still looked at me with a pitiful look on her face.

“Why?” I asked. I did not want to prolong the conversation, but I also didn’t fancy pushing the wheelbarrow around to the front of the house. It required far too much effort.

“The Fosters from four doors down want it for their vegetable patch,” She replied.

“Can’t they use their own dirt?” I asked, wishing after that I hadn’t.

“Elle,” she sighed.

“Fine I’ll take it around the front,” I replied in frustration. She thanked me and shut the door behind her as she left me to it once again.

I moved in with Bale’s when I was ten. My father Eric decided that I needed to spend time with some mortals so I could learn how they lived. Unaware of how dreadfully boring it would be, I followed his orders. Beth and Bruce already had two children, Robin then twelve and Marcus seven. So Eric being the persuasive man that he is persuaded them to take me in and raise me as one of their own. It was not like they had a choice in the matter. Even the Bale’s knew that he was not a person you would like to displease. His royal highness had a way with words or it could have been the physical gestures that went with them that may have helped them make the discussion. My past days of playing in the sunflower fields of Carrey, and swimming in Lake Shemia transformed into playing happy families in boring Black Stoke; a place where the sun only shone for five hours a day. It is not like I do not enjoy living as a normal teenager because I do. It is just that sometimes I wish I could be at home with my real family and friends; rather than hiding my true identity from the people whom I cared about.

As I reminisced about the thought of home, a light sprinkling of water dropped onto my forehead. Of course, it was raining. The weather was not going to lighten my mood. Looking down at my feet I saw the dirt that Beth had seen. I guess I have to move this. Raising my palms above the pile, I looked around to see if anyone would be watching. Glancing back at the dirt I raised my hands and the pile began to levitate. The pile landed in the wheelbarrow with a thud as I flicked my wrists. Why do it the human way when the magic way was so much easier? Picking up the spade that I had been using from the floor and throwing it into the wheelbarrow, I made my way out of the back garden.

A heavy rainfall started to develop as I pushed the wheelbarrow up the drive. Pulling my jacket up to my chin to shelter from the cold wind that had started to pick up, I parked the wheelbarrow in the garage and headed inside. Stepping into the warm hallway I could hear the chatter from the kitchen. I tried to block it out as I undid my jacket and hung it on the banister of the stairs, like always.

“What about Elle?” Bruce muttered without any real interest.

“Maybe we should ask him what we should do.” Beth was worrying again.

“About what.”

“About the sneaking around.”

“Who’s sneaking around?”

Bruce was oblivious to most things that went on in the world that did not involve a ball and a goal. So it did not surprise me that he had not noticed the late night escapes I had been making.

“Bruce! Please listen to me!” She slammed her hand down over the paper he had appeared to be reading.

Stepping into the kitchen I walked nosily to the fridge and pulled out a can of coke. Beth straightened up and began casually walking to the sink and began to wash the same plate over and over again. I sighed and sat down at the table in the chair facing Bruce. Opening the can of coke with my finger, it gave out a crackle. Bruce looked up from his paper and gave me an odd look before going back to reading the sports section.

“I’m sorry,” I sighed as I took a swig of the coke. The cold liquid trickled down my throat and made me shiver.

Beth dropped the clean plate back into the sink with a clatter and came to put her arms around me.

“What are you sorry for dear,” she whispered.

I knew that she was expecting me to say something ridiculous like, oh I’ve just blew a tornado in your front garden so you now no longer have a car. She didn’t understand my nature and thought I was a freak. Taking a deep breath I stared at her with a calm expression.

“I’ll be gone in a year you know that,” I explained

“We don’t want you to go,” she lied as she took a seat next to me. I gritted my teeth before taking another swig of coke.

“I know,” I lied. “But I will be going home to Gracia when I finish college. So you can go back to your normal lives without me.”

“Oh, dear, we don’t want you to feel like you can’t stay here with us. We love having you around…Its just…”

“The sneaking around,” I interrupted, “I heard.”

“We just wish you could tell us when you were out, so we do not have to worry about you,” She sighed.

“I’m sorry Beth, but I don’t know when I have to get up and go. I’m always on the clock, and I go by my father’s orders; when he calls, I go running,” I explained taking another sip of my drink.

“We know child,” Bruce spoke folding up his paper and placing it on the checked tablecloth.

“You have such an extraordinary life. Do you not wish you could be normal and live like us for the rest of your life,” He asked.

“No. Well sometimes, it’s hard to think about it when what I am is so essential to this world. Not to sound big headed or anything but I’m needed,” I replied. It was true. If I ever chose to become human, then the world of good and evil would be unbalanced. Humans would be at risk of being taken over by Demons.

“I’m just not normal” I sighed.

Before they could respond I felt my mobile vibrate. I sprang up to answer it just a little bit faster than human speed; Beth gasped before fleeing to finish the washing up. Ignoring her I answered the phone.

“Hello?” I greeted, quite glad that I had an excuse to avoid the agony of having to be subject to another Bale’s discussion on what is normal and not normal.

“Hey E, how is it going?”

“Alex! I’m glad it’s you!” Alex is my best friend from Gracia. She is also a witch but a different kind. Unlike me, she has only a few gifts. The main one being the ability to teleport herself, which meant she was able to appear and reappear anywhere in the world. This comes in useful when your best friend lives in a different realm.

“What’s up?” She asked, the concern in her voice noticeable.

“The usual,” I groaned. I could hear the movement of chairs coming from the kitchen and decided to brace the weather and go outside. Luckily the rain had begun to slow, so I wouldn’t get too wet.

“You still there?” Alex asked.

“Yes, unfortunately. I just moved outside before I got burned at the stake.”

“Okay. I was ringing to say we are hunting tomorrow night.”

“What! Tomorrow is Friday,” I moaned. “Ok, I suppose I have no choice.”

“Cheer up chuck. You will be home soon. I miss you, bye.”

“Miss you too, bye.” Whilst shutting the phone, I felt the rain pick up and decided to head back into the fire.

As I entered the house I could hear the TV blurring in the front room, deciding that I could not deal with another family night in front of the TV, I headed upstairs to my room. On walking up the stairs, I was greeted by Robin. With a grimace, Robin walked past me and carried on down the stairs, making sure that she banged hard on every step, to emphasise in sound the annoyance she felt towards me. Marcus however was not as bothered by my presence in the family as much as his sister and his parents were. He just disliked me for the attention I had been given by his parents. There were days when we did live as though we were a normal family; ignorant of the fact that I was a teenage witch. Those days were good, but to me they were not real. No matter how much I try and pretend to be normal the outcome will be the same, I’m not human, and I will never be.

As I stepped into my room, I stopped to look at the pictures on my wall. I had a picture of a group of my human friends; friends that I hung out with during the weekdays. Poppy was one of my best friends. I had met her when I was thirteen and we have been friends ever since. She never knew about where I came from, who my parents were, or what my background really was. She thought that the Bale’s had simply adopted me when I was ten. I would never tell her my full story. She may not believe me if I told her the truth and she would probably think that I was a nut case! A more serious reason as to why she should never know is that knowing would put her in danger. Demons would do anything to get to me.

Flopping onto my bed, I looked around my little room. It consisted of a single bed, a desk and a small wardrobe. The wallpaper was pink and had blue stars as a border. The television was on a corner stand above a floor length mirror that faced the bed. It was the smallest room I had ever had called a bedroom. It was one-fifth of the size of my bedroom in Gracia. The bed was tiny compared to my four-poster, queen sized bed at my real home.

As I laid my head on the pillow, I felt my eyes start to droop. An early night was exactly what I needed to get my body back in to full working order I thought as I drifted off into a deep sleep.

***

I woke up to the light shining in through my bedroom window. The rain had cleared from the night before, and the sun was beginning to peek through the clouds.

Jumping out of bed I glanced at my face in the mirror.

“Mirror, Mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all,” I chanted.

I put on the pale yellow dress that I found hanging on one of my bedposts and went to look at it in front of the mirror.

“Well as always, this is the best it is going to get,” I sighed as I slid a golden butterfly clip into my hair.

Grabbing my bag from my desk I raced downstairs.

Stepping into the kitchen, the smell of bacon and eggs greeted my nose. Beth was standing at the cooker preparing what seemed to be a bacon sandwich.

The Bale’s house was extremely old fashioned. The kitchen consisted of a row of cupboards with counter tops cluttered with the essentials like microwave, toaster, kettle and the like. The colour scheme was a combination of greens and yellows. The wallpaper was decorated with pink and yellow birds; very old fashioned but it was Beth’s taste. She looked old fashioned, with long ginger hair that was always tied back in a bun and her face was always made up with a full face of make up. I think that if she let her hair down once in a while and wore some bright clothes she could pass for thirty, instead of her early forties.

Ignoring Robin who was at the kitchen table with her morning coffee, I went to the lower cupboard and took out a cereal bar. Beth looked up from the oven and gave me a smile; I did not have time to strike up meaningless conversation as I was already running late for college. Giving her a quick smile back I reached for my car keys and headed for the door to my awaiting yellow Volkswagen beetle.

As I drove around the corner, I could see a row of police cars stationary in the middle of the road, blocking my way to college. Just what I needed, I wasn’t running late as it was. Parking up near to the closet police car, I tried to see any if there were any remnants or wreckage from a car accident. Why else would four police cars be here if, not for an accident? Stepping out of the car I spotted a police officer perched on his car bonnet.

“Excuse me, what’s gone off?” I asked

“Here lady, you shouldn’t be here. It’s not safe,” He replied rising from his position and gesturing for me to go back to my car.

Following his extremely rude order, I went back to my car and sat behind the wheel staring at him. Across from the sitting officer were two other officers that looked as if they were senior members. They were talking whilst staring at something at their feet. Leaning towards my window and opening it slightly, just enough so that I could use my extra hearing to pick up what their conversation was about. I was never one for prying, but I was too intrigued.

“Have you ever seen marks like this before?” One of the men asked in a slight Scottish accent.

“Never, she was burned to a cinder. Nothing remained apart from her bracelet and a pile of ash.”

The other man handed over the silver charm bracelet to a man who was collecting objects from the floor, most likely for evidence. As I wound the window back up my mind became fixed on what they had said, ‘burned to a cinder’. That has to be the work of a Demon but why would they be around here. It’s not the typical place that Demons hunt. There must have been a reason why they set out for this certain person and why they would risk exposure. This person must have been high up on one of their hit lists. No, I was just jumping to conclusions. It was probably a freak accident. Not fully convincing myself, I decided I’d call Alex during my lunch break, and she could do a paranormal search of the crime scene.

Poor girl, I thought as I drove around the police cars and turned to drive a different route to college.

Before I turned the corner, my eye caught the stone bricked building that had been my refuge in the mortal world. Sainsdun College was one place where I felt normal.

Here I felt normal. Here I could be just like all the other mortals and not have to chase Demons and other mythical creatures. I had a group of friends that knew nothing of my heritage and treated me like any other person.

Pulling into the car park, I parked up next to a purple mini cooper, which was a funky looking car I have to admit. I’d love to know who owned it, most likely it will be one of the popular kids who wouldn’t care what people thought them; you would have to be to drive attention radar like that.

Before I could even reach for the car door handle, the door had already opened and Poppy had began to drag me out of the car, almost making me fall on to the floor in the process.

“What the hell Pops?” I exclaimed.

Ignoring me, she continued to pull me to the back of the mini and there, standing against it, was a man who was at least six feet tall with short dark brown layered hair. He was dressed in a Fred Perry jumper with jeans. He looked like something out of Stepford wives. He was surrounded by a group of girls looking at him like he was a god.

I’ve seen gods, and he was not one of them.

“He is such a babe.”

I had almost forgotten about Poppy, who was now literally drooling next to me.

“You can’t be serious Pops, he’s a total Dweep,” I sighed. What an earth do they see in this, well, boy? I pulled away from Poppy’s grip and locked the car.

As I began to walk towards the entrance, I heard Poppy running up behind me, panting. Entering the building, we were greeted by Harriet and Carrie. At college, I had four close friends. Poppy, who was incredibly naïve for an eighteen year old girl, always drooling over every guy that came within ten feet of her, but she did have a great personality. She was bubbly and bright and was able to talk to anyone for long periods of time without running out of things to say.

Harriet was just like Poppy, but a calmer version, she always had some piece of gossip for everyone she met. I get along really well with Harriet as we both share the same sense of humour. We waste a lot of time laughing together.

Carrie was the complete opposite to all of us. She was extremely quiet, and shy when meeting new people. She is an extremely passionate person and terribly aware of how people are feeling. I am always cautious around her because she always picks up when I am nervous and worried about things; which are nearly always worried thoughts about a Demon hunt.

“Where’s Oscar?” Carrie asked, removing a piece of red hair that was covering her face.

“We are going to be late,” She muttered pushing her glasses back in place on her nose so that her green eyes were ten times bigger.

The dull yellow hallways had started to become full of students as we took the short walk to the third floor for English.

“I heard Mr. Hanno is secretly dating Miss. Derris,” Harriet twittered.

“That’s not true. Is it?” Carrie was extremely gullible; I think this is probably why her and Harriet were best friends. Harriet must love telling all her stories to someone that believed them.

As we approached the classroom, I noticed the same group of girls that were crowded in the car park had made their way up to the third floor. I wondered if they had kept the crowded form all the way up the stairs; I bet that was not easy I chuckled quietly to myself. As we got closer to the group, I could see what had caught their attention. For the second time, the Stepford wife wannabe was there, leaning causally against a wall. He must really believe he is some sort of super model. If he continued to flick his hair like that he is going to cause himself whiplash.

On entering the English classroom I could not help but notice that his eyes were on me, glaring into the back of my head. I’m probably just feeling paranoid. Why would a guy like that have any interest in me and why would I want him to be interested. He seemed bigheaded and extremely vain. I’m sure there is no room in his mind for anything other than his beautifying routine. He gave me the creeps though, there was something about him that I did not like, and I could not put my finger on what it was.

In English class I sat by the window so that I could dream about hunting. Anything I had to study here in college I had already learnt before. My father home-schooled me at young age. Mr. Hanno our English teacher came in and began to write something on the board. His blue and purple vest had a tear in the back, and his brown trousers were stained. If he were dating anyone they would have to be blind to ignore his dress sense, and hygiene routine. His semi baldhead did not scream desirable dating material either.

I felt someone pull the chair out next to me and turned to see that Oscar had finally made an appearance.

“Late again Oscar Green,” I said sternly, giving him a disapproving look.

“Missed the Bus Elle Bale,” He replied with a mocking smile. Oscar was also one of my best friends. He had a heart of gold, but no one noticed it as he kept it hidden with boyish immaturity.

“You always miss the bus. Why not get an earlier one? Or easier than that, why don’t you let me give you a lift?”

“Because that would mean getting up early and I need my beauty sleep. Especially if, I’m going to keep up with the latest talent,” he gestured to the guy from the car park.

I sniggered as the Zac Efron wannabe crossed the classroom past his many adoring fans who were desperate for him to sit next to them. He continued to stare intently towards me as he took his seat, his intense stare made me shiver.

“You are right, the talent just gets better and better,” Poppy sighed dreamily.

“Thanks Pops, that’s boosted my ego,” Oscar laughed.

“I think you have had enough beauty sleep Oscar,” A long fair-haired girl giggled as she sat on our desk in a low cut blue and white dress.

“Thanks… Emma,” Oscar replied trying to look anywhere but at the girl, who had now started batting her eyelids so fast to the extent that I was surprised that she had not started a gale force wind.

“Hey Elle, nice outfit. I think my mum used to have the same one. Didn’t you wear that last week,” she smiled.

“Thanks for that,”

What a bitch. One of these days I will curse her and I will make her hair fall out. Every week she comments on my appearance and, to be honest my patience was wearing thin. Emma was one of my top ten annoying humans that if there was one day where I would be allowed to use my powers to reek havoc with human lives, she would be who Id chose to mess with first. She was a stuck up rich bitch, who dressed as if she was attending a hooker convention every day.

“You’re welcome... So Oliver, I was wondering…”

“Right! In your seats class,” Mr. Hanno interrupted, and she went to sit down unwillingly.

I watched as she sat in the seat on the far side of the room; where I’m guessing she had a lovely view of Oscar. I could see Oscar squirm as he realised where she had sat. Running his hand through his short hair, he slid lower into his seat to hide.

“I think you have an admirer Oz,” Poppy mocked as she waved to Emma across the room.

“She’s cute…In a Barbie doll sort of way,” Carrie whispered.

“Yeah, in a ‘sell your granny for a boob job’ kind of way”, I whispered as Mr. Hanno had started babbling on about Of Mice and Men.

We were sat near the back of the room, as it was easier to talk back there, which was the way Poppy and Harriet like it.

“Shut up. She’s just a girl that’s lives next to me. I swear she looks through my window when I get changed,” Oscar shuddered, and we all burst out laughing which caught the attention from Mr. Hanno, and he gave us his classic disapproving look.

Of course she would be the girl that wanted one of my best friends. She was the type of girl who always wanted what she knew she could not have. Oscar wasn’t her usual type of boy crush, so I honestly do not know why she was always flirting with him. Not to say that Oscar wasn’t a decent looking boy because he was, he was just definitely not her type.

Oscar spent the next two lessons avoiding any contact with Emma, much to our amusement. When it finally came to lunch we had all made plans for their future. When they were getting married, how many children they would have. It’s the simple things like mocking one of our friends that made me feel happy and safe with mortals. I grabbed an egg sandwich from the cafeteria and sat down at our usual table in the middle of the courtyard. Whilst the others were getting their lunch, I decided to call Alex and see if she knew anything about the incident on Rover road.

“Hey.”

“Hey Elle, are you not at College?” She asked.

“Yeah I’m just calling about something that I saw on the way here. I need you to check something out for me. There was an incident on Rover road, a girl was burnt to a cinder, and I don’t know whether it is a D or just a normal thing.”

“Well, there is nothing normal about that. I’ll check it out for you and let you know.”

“Thanks Alex, I owe you one.”

“What are friends for?”

She hung up just as Harriet came to sit next to me closely followed by Carrie and Poppy. Looking around I spotted Oscar by the drinks machine talking to Emma. The look on his face suggested that he would much rather have the earth swallow him up than continue the conversation.

“Shouldn’t someone rescue him,” Carrie suggested. We all looked at her and began to laugh.

“Nah!” We laughed together just as Oscar came to the table with a flustered face. We continued to laugh as Emma walked past our table and gave Oscar a cheeky wink. Poppy fell off her chair from laughing so hard as Oscars face went as bright as his shirt.

“That girl has issues,” he said as he looked down into his lunch.

“What was she saying to you up there? What colour boxers are you wearing,” Poppy laughed.

“Har Har, very funny. No, she was asking who I was taking to the college dance,” he sighed.

“What did you say,” I asked.

“I said I didn’t know yet,” he spoke almost to his sandwich.

“Who are you going with Pops?” I asked taking a bite out of my own.

“I don’t know yet. I’ve had loads of offers,” She sighed as if that was a terrible thing. This girl truly baffles me sometimes.

“How about Brian Samuels, I heard he asked you out Last week,” Harriet asked braiding her brown hair into tiny plaits.

“As if, he is such a loser. He plays the tuba in the college orchestra,” She groaned with a matter of fact look on her face. Oh yes, the shallowness of Poppy is rearing its ugly head. Poor Brian Samuels, he was not that bad, even if he was a grade A band geek. If I was Poppy I would not say no, however I did not like mortal boys, they are just too normal for my liking.

“Poppy, he isn’t a loser. Don’t be so shallow,” I muttered opening my bottle of water and taking a large sip.

“I hear Adam Huddleby has a huge crush on you Elle,” Harriet sniffed taking a bite out of her foot long sub.

“What?” I asked choking as the water went down my throat the wrong way.

“Where did you hear that?” I choked. Patting me on the back, Oscar attempted to stop my chocking. It helped a little, but my breathing was still uneven.

Adam Huddleby was undoubtedly the most beautiful human I had ever met. He was the leader of our college performing arts class and was charming, sweet and practically everything a girl could want in a guy. However, him being human meant that I wasn’t attracted to him as a mate at all. Well, ok that is a lie. I would gladly date a mortal if it had to be Adam.

“Well that has to be the most interest you have shown in a guy at this place. I was beginning to think you were… You know,” Poppy mumbled.

“Gay?” I asked. Awesome, not being attracted to mortal boys makes me inevitably gay. I wonder what it is like in Poppy’s mind. All boys and nothing else; it is surprising how she can function in day to day activities like, breathing.

“Just because I’m not totally boy crazy like someone we know,” I smiled throwing a piece of my sandwich in her direction. Squealing as it landed on her hand, She scowled at me as the rest of us giggled.

I heard it from Mary J in my performing arts class last Monday,” Harriet continued slightly annoyed that she had been interrupted for so long.

“What did she say?” Carrie asked before I could, but that was fine. It would now seem like I did not care when secretly I did.

“Just that he thought Elle is a great girl and that he is a bit miffed that she won’t be attending the dance,” She explained removing the braid in her hair with her fingers.

You don’t care Elle, come on he’s a human. Full on brown haired, brown eyed, one hundred percent pure human. No, I’m not convincing myself that well. The bell rang before anyone could say anything else. The words saved by the bell had full effect in this situation.

The last two hours went by so slowly that I could have sworn time had stopped. Our head teacher Mr. Fannygin went on and on about some sort of charity event his church were hosting on Bank holiday Monday; inviting us all to join in and contribute.

“Just remember to come down on Monday,” he shouted as our class began to run for the door.

“Just remember to come down on Monday,” Oscar mimicked. “I swear that man is bonkers.”

“I heard he sleeps in his car!” Harriet exclaimed.

“Nah, he obviously has a caravan parked at the back of the college,” Carrie giggled.

I must admit Mr. Fannygin was not the most, well-dressed or even clean person on the planet. He did look as if he had crawled through a bush or two every morning. As they say each to their own, maybe he liked being environmentally friendly, and that is the reason why he tends to shower just once a month. I had always wondered who lived in the caravan behind the college. I had always thought that it would be someone like my maths teacher Miss Pristen. She was someone who dressed like a full on hippy with daisy chains wrapped around her head, and tulips in her buttonholes. The teachers in this college were pulled out of a weirdest teacher’s line up. Each of them has a unique personality, and an even more unique dress sense.

Pushing through the other students, we made it out to the car park. We had been let out early, so the car park was still full of cars and had only a couple of students here and there.

“So plans for tonight girls and boys,” Poppy asked.

“I can’t go out tonight. I have err…. Chores,” I lied. Much to my dismay, I had a hunt on and I wouldn’t, or more likely couldn’t, miss it.

“Oh Elle, you always have chores!” Carrie moaned.

“Cinderelly, Cinderelly, night and day it’s Cinderelly. Make the fire, fix the breakfast, wash the dishes, do the mopping,” Oscar sang as we finally reached my car.

“I don’t know if I’m more worried about the fact you know the words to that song or the fact that you just sang it completely out of tune,” I laughed.

“Katie makes me watch it ok, that is the down fall of having a four year old sister,” He objected awkwardly.

“Guys I’m sorry, but I can’t”, I sighed.

“Monday? We can go to the event at the church. Yeah? ” I questioned.

“Fine,” they sighed. The girls gave me a group hug and then headed in the direction of Carrie’s car.

“Fancy a lift bus boy,” I smiled. Oscar let out a small laugh and lightly punched me in the arm.

“Love one, but there’s one problem,” He pointed towards the mini that was now parked directly in front of my beetle. There standing by it was Zac Efron wannabe with a gaggle of girls swooning around him. Oh please, I thought, trying to resist a laugh as I glanced at him checking himself out in his wing mirror. This guy was one shallow boy and vain at that; now I know why Poppy was attracted to him.

Glancing my way he smirked at me and put his foot upon the bonnet of my car.

“What the hell is he playing at?” I moaned. Walking up to him was like walking through an over grown garden but instead of grass, it was a field of girls. Seriously, do they have no dignity at all? Approaching him I pushed his foot off my car.

“Err hello? It may have escaped your notice but this is not a parking space. You park your car in the white boxes. You know the lines painted on the floor,” I mocked. He smirked at me and shoed the girls crowding him.

“Hello Gabriel!” The name shot threw me like a bullet. How did he know my real last name? Then I saw it, the pupil of his eyes expanded until his eyes were full of darkness. It only lasted a millisecond and so no human would have noticed it. I did, he was a Demon and a suicidal one at that. My body went straight into battle mode and I stood face-to-face expressionless looking at him. I knew then that, just like his eyes changed, mine would switch to the bright pink colour that is known as the royal angel trait.

“Just move the car!” I hissed. He started to walk towards me, my body tightened. Was he genuinely that suicidal? Did he want me to break his neck and set his body alight? He was smart though I’d give him that. He knew I would not attack him around humans, especially ones that I saw every day.

“This is the only way you will talk to me,” he smirked as he stopped less than half a metre away from me. I was aware that Oscar was standing a few feet behind me, so I began to whisper.

“I don’t care who or what you are. Get the hell out of my college and my town. You have no right to be here.”

“Now Elle, that’s no way to talk to an old family friend,” he chimed through clenched teeth. Old family friend, he barely looked seventeen there was nothing old about him.

“If you don’t go now, I will make you! Understand?!” I replied calmly even though my insides were screaming for me to ring his neck.

He grinned and closed the gap between us with one step. Putting his lips to my ear, I could hear the girls gasping around me, but I did not have time to care.

“What you going to do,” He whispered. “Throw me across the car park with all these people watching. Even I know that you’re not that stupid.”

His words blew through my head, and something inside of me flipped. I grabbed him by his jumper, ignoring the gasps of onlookers; I threw him against his mini.

“Listen scum,” I said so low that I knew only he could hear me.

“Leave now! Or I will personally give you a one-way ticket to the pit! Got it!” I shouted the last bit and removed my grip from his neck.

“If you wanted me to move all you had to do was ask,” He winked and straightened himself out.

As he walked away, I turned around to see the shock and delight on my friend’s face. A whole crowd had gathered to see what was going on between me and the Demon. Completely humiliated and slightly nauseous I opened my beetle and slid in before turning my attention to Oscar, who was approaching the car. Taking my phone from my bag, I sent a quick text to Alex to find out who this idiotic suicidal Demon was. How did he find me, no Demon had ever come to my college before. None of them knew about my second life. This Demon was going to cause some trouble. I can feel it in my gut.

“Wow! So I guess he pissed you off,” Oscar huffed as he slid in next to me.

I sighed and placed my head on the steering wheel, why was he here? Was he connected to the incident with the girl? I did not have time to process my thoughts, I had to get home before Beth began to worry, not that she ever did. She may say she that she wants to know where I am, but I know that she would rather be kept in the dark. Lifting my head from the wheel, I turned and watched the mini drive away but not before the driver gave me one last grin.

“What did he say? I’ve never seen you so pissed!” Oscar turned in his seat, to talk to me. Great. What was I going to say to him? Oh you know, just a Demon that was going to attack you all or possibly kill me because of some stupid reason that at this moment in time I cannot quite understand.

“Nothing, I...I need to get home.”

“Ok if you don’t want to talk about it.”

“I don’t.”

Oscar turned back in his chair and looked out of the window, I could see the smirk on

his face and could not help but let out a slight laugh.

“He’s someone from my mother’s side of the family,” I explained. Technically that was true, she was evil and so was he. Somewhere in the twisted world of Demons they may be connected on some twisted family tree. I shuddered at the thought of being in any way related to the Zac Efron wannabe.

“I thought you didn’t know your mother?” He asked. Damn I forgot that I had told my human friends I didn’t know who my mother was. Why, oh why do I not keep a diary of my lies; sometimes even I can’t keep up with them.

“I don’t, he just said he was... You know what I have no idea. Let me get back to you on that,” I sighed starting up the car.

“The life you lead Elle Bale,” He smiled.

“You have no idea,” I whispered pulling out of the college car park.