Ending is Another Beginning

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Nyra

My class is in the room on the backside of the building. It took me 10 minutes to find the room and I literally roamed around the halls finding the correct number. But it was not all that difficult and I was able to find it in time for it to start, so it was all good. I enter the room to find that it is nothing like other classes. It does not have chairs and desks to begin with. Instead, it is a semi dark room with all the students standing in a group in one corner. The room has a huge pool stretched in the middle of the room with walking space on the sides. The reflection of the water is casting shadows on the walls. The classroom doesn’t seem like a regular classroom and I am suddenly more excited to attend the class. 

I take a deep breath to calm myself and then join the rest of the students in the corner. They are busy talking to each other about a plethora of subjects that I have no knowledge of. So, instead of even thinking of joining them, I walk to the back of the group to avoid any social interaction. The human language has always been foriegn to me. Actually, the humans have always been an alien species to me. They are complicated to understand, and I never had the energy to try. The people who are simple and straightforward are the best kind. They say what is on their minds and not play games. But, unfortunately these people are hard to find. So, I try to keep to myself as much as possible and avoid indulging in the complicated games they all play.

Teacher enters not long after and a silence follows her entrance. Professor Quinn is of average height with chestnut brown hair that reaches the middle of the back. Her eyes are sapphire coloured and there is nothing kind or soft in them. Her eyes are sharp and they reflect her strength. She is a middle-aged woman and is wearing knee-length grey coloured dress with black coat and is wearing black stilettos with it. Her magic is so powerful that I can feel it on my skin. 

She approaches us in the corner and her stilettos click and clack on the hardwood floor. None of us speak a word as she walks... or more appropriately elegantly glides towards us.

“Good Morning, class. I hope you all are fine enough to start today’s lesson. Today, we will revise the basics because I believe we have a new addition to our class. Then we will try to make different shapes by the water.” Her voice echoes in the room. “ So let’s start by pairing up. Make the pairs fast and then gather around the pool.” 

I am so glad that she did not make me do the whole ‘ introduce yourself’ thingy. The group instantly breaks into pairs and goes to stand by the pool after dropping their bags along the wall and I am left alone in the corner. Just my f*****g luck! The group was in an odd number. 

I too drop my bag with the rest and then stand alone in the corner trying to figure out what the hell I should do now. Should I go and stand by the pool by myself? I start walking towards the pool and then suddenly the class door opens with a loud bang and a boy enters the classroom. The whole classroom turns towards the door to see who entered. I do too but the darkness makes it difficult to see him properly. I can make out his silhouette and tell that he is tall. Well, everyone is tall to my 5 4” height.

“ It is awesome that you decided to join us, Mr.Rafael. Better late than never, right?” Professor Quinn’s voice drips of sarcasm and I can’t help but chuckle lightly. His head jerks in my direction instantly. Oops! He heard it. Then, he mumbles something in response without turning his head that I don’t think anyone understands. 

“ Well, don’t waste my time anymore than you already have. Pair with that girl there and join us at the pool.” She points towards me. He has not stopped looking at me since he heard me laugh, and at Quinn’s instructions, he starts walking toward me.

As he approaches me, he comes into light and I can clearly see his features. He is... gorgeous. I know it's not the usual word to describe a guy but that is the first word I can think of when I see him. His eyes are bluish-grey almost silver in colour and are beautiful, and I can’t figure out the emotion behind them. They are like a storm- intense yet stunning. His eyes are like grey clouds in the sky just before the rain falls and I am in love with those clouds. I hate that his eyes are of that colour.

His lips are bow shaped and the colour of his lips is perfect. His black hair is long and tousled like he just came after getting up from bed. His features are all… perfect. I keep staring at his perfect features trying to find a flaw in his features. But, he is perfect. I hate that he has a perfect face.

He is still staring at me and his face shows no expression that would tell me what he was thinking. Why the hell is he affecting me so much? Boys don’t affect me like this. I have always been able to keep a safe distance from boys and their drama, but right now, I can’t even describe what I am feeling. I absolutely detest this feeling. 

 He is dressed in a tight fitting black coloured t-shirt that shows off his obvious abs and a pair of blue coloured jeans. He looks sexy as hell in this outfit. I am obviously checking him out and I can’t stop myself from doing it.

“ Hey. I am Rafael, but everyone calls me Rafe.” He says with a wide smile and brings his one hand forward. His voice is deep and manly. It takes me a moment to come back from the la la land and respond to what he says.

“ Um..Hi Rafe. My name is Nyra.” I reply and take his hand. I gasp at the first contact. I swear I feel an electric current when our hands touch and travel through my body. I bite my lower lip to stop myself from shivering and Rafe’s eyes immediately go to my lips. I see some emotion pass in his eyes but it passes so quickly that it makes me wonder if I have started imagining stuff as well.

“Nyra.” He whispers my name slowly like trying it out on his tongue. I have always liked my name but now, I love it, especially in his voice. I hate that I love my name like this

“ Are you two gonna join us or what?” Professor’s voice suddenly echoes around the room and makes me jump. We both pull our hands apart, immediately, and awkwardly walk and stand by the pool like the rest of the class. I need to have a grip on myself so that I can learn something in this class. It is gonna be difficult because with my luck, I got paired with the hottest boy in the class who affects me like no one ever has. But, I have to try and focus. So, I put aside all my thoughts about the boy standing next to me, so close that our arms are practically touching and focus on Professor. 

“ Okay, so we will start by pulling the water above and gaining control over it. So, one of you will start and the other one will provide help if and when required and then vice-versa.” The Professor speaks as she walks around the pool. One student from each pair starts pulling out water from the pool. In no time, every pair has a blob of water  in the air above the pool and they start converting it into different shapes. It’s awesome.

“I take it from your open mouth, that you are new here.” He says. I turn my head towards him to see that he is smiling teasingly. I close my mouth immediately and say, “ Yeah, I am. This is my first class.”

“ That’s why.” He says in a very low voice and I think I was not meant to hear it. But still I ask, “ What?” 

“ Nothing. So you wanna watch first or try it?” Odd but I go along with it.

“ Watch first.” I answer instantly.

“ Sure.” He shrugs and then puts both his hands in front of him, above the pool and then effortlessly, the water comes up and moulds between his hands. I stare in awe at the changing shapes of the water between his hands. He turns the water into various shapes and makes it look like a piece of cake. I turn my face to see his and see that there is an expression of calmness all over his face. His eyes are sparkling and his lips are curved into a smile. He is focused and obviously enjoying this. 

Then he turns his head to my direction and catches me watching him. Normally, I would have looked away as soon as something like this happens, but right now, the intensity in his eyes is so much that I can’t look away. Loud splash of water near us, makes both of us jump and the stare breaks off. I turn my head back to the pool to see that he lost control and water went back in the pool. 

I clear my throat and try to deflect the topic “ That was awesome. Will you teach me?” 

“ Yeah, sure. Okay, all you need to do is reach out to the pool of magic inside you and then direct it towards water and imagine it coming up to you.” I try to do as he instructs. So for the second time in today, I close my eyes and reach out to the magic inside of me. I easily access it and then imagine that water is coming up to me. Suddenly, I feel a bucket-full of cold water falling on me. I shriek and open my eyes to find that I pulled too much water and it fell on me. I turn to see that even Rafe is totally drowned and he is looking at me with his mouth open and water dripping from everywhere. I look at his wide eyes and mouth hanging and then erupt into fits of laughter. He looks at me like I am crazy and then he starts laughing too. 

“ Oh god! The water was too cold.” I say when I am finally able to stop laughing.

“Damn right, it was.” He says. “ God! I am f*****g wet.” He looks down at himself and I do too. My mouth goes dry. His already tight t-shirt is sticking to his stomach and he is looking damn sexy. I realize my mouth is open, so I shut it close and clear my throat. 

“ Yeah, well I am too. So, we are even.” I say to lighten my mood. 

“Are you kidding me! We are so not even.” He says and he raises his one hand to pull some water out of the pool and directs it towards me. The cold water falls on me before I can even move and once again I shriek and he laughs as I shudder.

“ You” I say as I point my finger on his chest. “ Are dead meat.” I start to pull water out but am interrupted by Professor Quinn,” We are having fun, aren’t we?” She says in a sarcastic tone. I immediately  drop whatever amount of water I pulled out back into the pool and turn around to face her.

Her eyebrows are scrunched together and her eyes radiate anger and her arms are crossed together. Out of the corner of my eye, I see that Rafe is too turned towards her and is standing casually with his hands in pockets like he doesn’t care. 

“ If you two can’t be serious in  this class, then you are most welcome to leave my class and continue your shenanigans outside of this class. But do not disturb my class again.” She says sternly and all I am able to do is nod. She looks towards Rafe and I turn too to find him smiling as if he is controlling his laughter. Professor Quinn tsks him and then moves forward without saying a word. That is odd but I don’t think much about it because as soon as she goes away, Rafe starts to laugh. I look at him with an odd expression but then his laughter catches on to me and I start laughing as well. 

We are holding our stomachs as we try to control our laughter and then our eyes meet and everything stops. The intensity in his eyes once again catches my attention and as much as I try to look away, I just can’t. Our laughter stops and the world around me dissolves till only he exists besides me. I hate that he his gorgeous. I hate that he is funny. I hate that we keep having these moments where all I wanna do is get lost in his stormy eyes. I wanna hate him but he is making it very difficult. 

I clear my throat when I am finally able to avert my eyes and say, “ We should try again.”  

“ Yeah, we should. And this time with more concentration.” I feel his eyes on me as I try to reach out to that well of magic inside me again. I easily tap into it and then imagine to pull a small blob of water into the air.  A big smile appears on my face as the water comes up in the air and directly between my outstretched hands. I control in between my hands and then turn my hands to try and turn it as well. 

“ Well done! Now try to imagine a shape for it and try to make it with water.” He says and I follow his instructions. I try to imagine something easy and something awesome at the same time. It takes me a few moments, but I get the perfect idea. I don’t know if it will work or not but I move my hands in all directions, trying to shape the water into a dreamcatcher I used to own when I was alive.

 I first saw it at my first foster home, hanging in the room I was given, just above the headboard of the bed. It was of white and blue colours and consisted of one huge circle and three small circles attached to it. The two coloured threads were interwoven inside the circles and the woven design had a few beads in it. The white coloured feathers hung off the circles. 

It was beautiful and the first night there, I stared at it all night and then the night after that and the night after that. It kinda became a friend to the nine-year old me. When I had to leave the home, I packed the dreamcatcher with all my stuff and since then, it was always there with me. I don’t know what was in that dreamcatcher but I just loved it and it provided me the comfort I needed. I shape the water into that dreamcatcher. It takes me a few minutes to make it but when I am complete, I am pretty satisfied with my handiwork.

“ Woah! It’s beautiful.” Rafe whispers next to me. I nod without taking my eyes off of the dreamcatcher. Seeing it still provides me the same comforting feeling. Just then the bell rings to indicate the end of the class. I lose my focus and the water dreamcatcher disintegrates and falls back into the pool.

“ Alright, class, that’s it for today. We will continue the lesson from next class.” With this she dismisses the class and walks out of the room. The whole class follows her out, until it is only me and Rafe inside. 

“ Well, thank you for your help.” I turn to him and say to break the awkward silence. “ And thanks to you, now I have to go and change my clothes.”

He laughs and takes a step towards me and then one more step till he is just one inch away from me. I stand frozen at one place unable to do anything except breathe. He softly cups my chin with one of his hands, without breaking our eye contact. I am astonished that I let this happen and my reaction is more surprising. He studies my face for a few moments like he is learning all my features, and then he wipes away the wet strand of hair sticking to cheek. 

I think he is about to kiss me. I attempt to calm my breathing while I stare at him and wait for his next move.

“ Nyra! Let’s go.” Autumn’s voice echoes in the empty classroom and breaks the moment. Rafe immediately withdraws his hand and backs off. His face shows the expression of confusion at first and then it morphs into anger. He turns around without even glancing at me, and leaves the room.