Unchained

Chapter Seventeen

The next day was when I started to use the Force.

Well, I wouldn't call it that. Well, maybe I will. Anyway.

I was in the kitchen, making breakfast, when I realized my phone was ringing (Sean). I was stirring eggs, and my hands were covered in gooey goodness to grab the phone. Remembering what David had done, and how he said we were alike, I reached out with my hand, which dripped with egg yolks, and pointed it at the ringing phone.

And then...

It flew into my palm. Well, it flew into my slimy palm, but then I dropped the phone because I realized what I had just done.

When I got to school, I purposely threw my pencil on the ground in the hall and grabbed it - without using my hands. Without touching it. It just flew to me. 

It was... 

Amazing.

And strangely, the power  came so easy to me. In the bathroom, I grabbed the paper towels like David did without using my hands. In PE, I was able to steal the basketball from my opponents and shock everyone. I snatched back a paper from a teacher when I realized I forgot to put my name on it.

And as fun as it was, Tamara and Shayline ignored me.  David didn't show up, for some reason, so I was all alone throughout the day...

No worries. I enjoyed the... Force, or whatever it was.

After 6th, I was heading to my locker when my teacher, Mr. Hauge, called to me, "Avaley?"

I turned around, clutching my hands in my pockets so I wouldn't be tempted to grab people's wallets or phones or valuable possessions from their pockets. "Yes?" I asked, a bit unsure as to why my science teacher was calling out to me.

"Can I have a word with you, please?" he asked, then stuck his head back in the doorway of the class.

Normally I would have asked Shayline and Tamara to come with me, but I looked and they were halfway down the hall, chins held high, not even bothering to look back at me. 

I headed into the classroom, worried about maybe if I failed a test or flunked an assignment or maybe he just needed to talk to me? Whatever it was, hopefully it wouldn't take long, because Sean was waiting for me, and with a guy like Sean...

Mr. Hauge was sitting on top of his desk, legs crossed, leaning back on his elbows as I walked in. I had never seen him sitting like that, so it was really weird. I stood in the doorway, staring at him, and he said, "Shut the door, please."

I must be in really big trouble, gulp.

I shut the door and turned around. Mr. Hauge stayed there, across his desk, and stared at me, for a long period of time that made me start to worry. Was something wrong or something?

"How are you, Avaley?" he asked in a low, voice I had never heard him say before.

"Um... Good?" I replied quickly.

He nodded, licking his lips and still staring at me. Now I was really starting to get scared. What was his problem or something? "That's good, that's good," he murmured, still staring at me... I squinted at him, till I realized his eyes weren't looking at my own eyes. They were somewhere else. 

I quickly stepped one step to my left, hoping to lose his gaze. But his eyes followed, but they finally met mine. Mr. Hauge stood up and walked over to me, and I took a step back but hit a bookshelf. He stopped, like a foot in front of me, and looked me over again. My heart started to pound. What was he... Was he... What was going on?

"Do you need something?" I stammered out, slithering over to the door.

"I was going to ask you that same question, Avaley," he murmured, and reached out and touched my shoulder. His hand caressed it softly and then I really started to panic.

"I should be going, Mr. Hauge," I said loudly and placed my hand on the doorknob but his hand tightened on my shoulder.

"I've been worried about you, Avaley," he said. "About what happened to you. I hope you're doing all right." the way he spoke it... It was disgusting.

"I'm fine. Really," I stammered. "I have to go, my ride - " and then he turned me around, so quick that I was facing him, and both his hands were on my shoulders.

"I want to make you better," he said and started to lean in.

I screamed.

And then, like instinct, I reached out with my hand towards his desk. And then before I knew it, a sharpened pencil flew into my hands and I hurled it into Mr. Hauge's shoulder. He roared in agony and fell backwards, his eyes wide and terrified.

"You... You... You bi - " he roared but I turned and therw myself out the door and ran down the hall, terrified and screaming and just all around... Disguted!

What did he want to do to me? He was my teacher! GROSS!

I ran to the front of the school, looking around in panic for Sean's car. I found it, and scrambled to the doors, crying as I sat down.

"How was... Avaley, what's wrong?" Sean asked, facing me towards him. I would have flinched at his touch but I was in too much shock. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Mr... Mr... Hauge... he... he..." I blubbered, but what would I say? How could I explain to Sean what just happened to me? I mean, what did?

But I realized that I had defended myself. If I hadn't grabbed the pencil with the Force, or whatever it was, I might still be in the classroom, engaged in whatever he wanted to do with me. If it hadn't been for this random talent I've suddenly developed, I might be... In danger.

"Avaley, Avaley, what's wrong?" Sean asked, holding me close to him. "Did someone hurt you?"

I let out a breath, suddenly. I felt very calm, and confident at what I had just survived. Mr. Hauge, a grown man, hadn't been able to hurt me. He tried, but I didn't let him.

"No, no one did," I said. "I'm safe now."