Everything was the way it was supposed to be; without the supernatural interfering, taking four Honor courses would be a snap. In addition to English, Physics, PreCalculus and American History, he also picked Public Speaking and Mythology. Mythology seemed like a good idea; he thought that looking up other myths and legends would just be interesting. Of course, his own legend might not be covered, but there’s no need to when you’ve lived it. Public Speaking was at Nina and Peter’s suggestion. It would help a little with his fear of crowds as well as develop the skill of ‘thinking on his feet.’ His social anxieties weren’t quite as bad as they used to be, but they still needed a little bit of polishing.
To pass the time, Jonas just compared the room numbers of his schedule with his map to figure out the different routes and such between classes. That’s when the bell rang and the morning announcements came on. Jonas listened in, especially about when the first class meeting would be for our community service. The first meeting was going to be Thursday, a half day for students. According to the PA system, they’d be going to the auditorium for a presentation, an example of what a senior did for his or her project last year.
After the announcements, the talking level increased, so Jonas took a moment to get used to it. He just took two deep breaths and he was fine again. He also wiped the rest of the sweat off his face.
He was ready to drift back into his thoughts when the girl in front of him spoke, “Hey, are you that psychic kid?” He looked up, his eyes glowing slightly with annoyance. He shrugged, “Yeah, if that’s what you prefer…”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…” He put a hand to his forehead and let out an exhale of frustration. He sighed, “It’s all right. Even though it has lessened, I’m pretty much used to it.”
“I’ve just… heard rumors…” She shrugged, “I really didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”
He groaned. “Look. Lots of people here have their oddities, but you don’t hear me broadcasting them. I’m psychic, but more on the lines of telekinesis and premonition. I can’t see the future or predict it, but I do have a sixth sense about some people.“
“I’m sorry, Jonas, I didn’t mean to come off so rude. I’m Raquel.” They shook hands. “I’ve also heard that you’re really smart.”
“Really?” He started to smile. “What have you heard?”
“That you’re taking all of these advanced classes this year.” She smiled sneakily, “Ok, I read your schedule upside down.”
“What’s your schedule like?”
“Well, I’m taking regular Physics and English, but I’m in your History and PreCalculus class. I’m kind of a science wiz.”
He smiled even more. “I’m more of a math wiz, not so good at science.” He paused, “Where have you heard so-called ‘rumors’ from?”
“Mostly from the cheerleaders. Mai used to talk about you all the time, but I didn’t know what was true. Lately, she’s taken back everything she’s said about you.”
“That’s because my girlfriend, Nina and I got to her. We make sure she sticks to the truth.”
“You know, I pictured you a lot differently. You seem like such a nice guy.”
“Thank you.” He looked aside, completely amazed over what happened. They just stared talking about school and the awkwardness seemed to have disappeared. He laughed, “Look, I’m sorry about before. I just… get like that sometimes. I mean, I spent the first 13 years of my life or so putting barriers around myself. My peers haven’t exactly been kind to me; more so, I’m very self-conscious.”
“Yeah. I’m in peer mediation too, so if you ever need…”
“No thanks,” he laughed, “I get enough of that at home. Plus, I always have the support of my girlfriend, Nina.”
“Nina? The cheerleader who just moved a couple of years ago?”
“Yeah, that’s her. You know her?”
“Actually yeah, we had a few classes together last year. She’s a nice girl.” Jonas felt himself blush, “I won’t argue with you there. She’s…” He laughed, “I can’t even begin.”
“You’re that close, huh? That’s so sweet.” She smiled and Jonas could only smile back. That’s when the bell rang. “Well Jonas, I’ll see you in History. It was great meeting you.”
“Yeah, right back at you.” He picked up his books and headed out into the hall.
The school day went by as it usually did. Jonas just soaked everything in, taking lots of notes and asking plenty of questions. He was the kind of people who liked to learn new things and exercise his brain. Without friends, it became his way of life at school; academics was all that he had that he felt separated him from the other students in a good way. In the breaks between instructions, his mind drifted off to Nina. He wondered how her first day was going, how different it was from his and how she was in general. He wanted nothing more than to catch up with her after school.
In general, his school life in the past and at present wasn’t that much different as far as academics went. As for the social aspect, it has improved a bit since Nina moved there. A few more people have waved to him in the halls and he just waved back. It was a little weird at first, but he easily got used to it. Most of the people commented on his academic achievements. Raquel was the first one to bring up the ‘psychic aspect’ in nearly a year so it was a bit of shock, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle.
He and Raquel sat next to each other in History and PreCalculus and were getting along really well. She told him all about herself. She’s on the school newspaper as well as the drama club. Jonas studied her for a moment and just laughed. He thought she was pretty, but not just on the outside. After taking the time to get to know her, he felt that he could really trust her. That feeling was something pretty new to him; he wasn’t one to trust so quickly, but it felt good to take that barrier down.
When they met at lunch, Raquel and Nina had one of their girl hugs. Nina laughed, “I was thinking of introducing you two.”
Jonas just shrugged, “Sure, the first impression wasn’t perfect, but once we got talking, we almost couldn’t stop. We just have a lot in common; academically, I mean. With me being the math whiz and her being the science whiz, we could learn a lot from each other.” He laughed, but tried to hide his smile. It was weird feeling this happy and relaxed, but it also made him feel like a normal 16-year old high school junior.
When Raquel left for the snack line, Nina started laughing and rubbing Jonas’s shoulders. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve seen you this happy in a long time.”
He shrugged, “I admit, it feels good to loosen up, lower the barriers I’ve put around myself all these years. And I have to thank you for that.”
“Well, I don’t pretend to take all the credit. I just had to hit the right pressure points; the rest, you’ve been doing on your own. Give yourself more credit, Jonas, that way you won’t be so hard on yourself all the time. Besides,” she whispered in his ear, “you’re more handsome when you smile.”
The conversation continued when Raquel returned. Jonas had nearly forgotten about the nightmare he woke to that morning; it was all thanks to Nina and Raquel. While walking back home, hand in hand, Nina rested her head on Jonas’s shoulder. “Jonas, there’s something different about you. I can’t place what it is, but I know there’s something different.”
“Well, we did spend quite some time apart. Maybe we just need some time to get to know each other again. How about coming out back to see the horses? I’m sure they’ve been missing you too.”
“Yeah, especially since we won’t have as much time together this year. I mean with the community service and everything.” Jonas paused, “Oh yeah, I almost forgot. We might as well take advantage of the time we have free of our academic responsibilities.”
“It’s weird. Last year, we were inseparable, but I guess, yeah, it feels different to have so much time away from each other. I’ve forgotten how you can be sometimes. Like, how you’re so mature for your age and…” She laughed, “I don’t know. This morning, I saw the same ‘shy guy’ I met two years ago. At lunch, it was like you were a completely different person. Not that I have a problem with that…”
“Nah… I didn’t think so. You, on the other hand, haven’t changed at all. You make me feel… so secure and relaxed. Raquel was the only other person I’ve met that gave me that kind of feeling. It feels good being able to trust people.”
“You see? I told you that you should open up more to people. It’ll make you feel that much better and give you that much more confidence. You can never have enough of that because your self-esteem is just so low at times. It’s discouraging to see you like that, you know?” He laughed, embracing her tighter.
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