“How dare you say that to our princess? Apologize now, you idiot.” Sandy was practically vibrating, she was so angry, and a small bolt of electricity left her fingers and gave Ruby a mild shock.
“Ouch! Let go of me!” she shouted. Tiny flames licked over the surface of Ruby’s skin and burned Sandy’s hand, and Sandy dropped her grip instantly. Her palm blistered for a second before the dream catcher around her neck healed it.
“You little witch. That hurt!” Sandy cried and balled her fist in order to blast Ruby.
“Stop it!” Aspen shouted. “Stop it right now, both of you. I’ve had enough of everyone today.” Wisps of hair stood up on her neck as power spiked up and down her body in strong currents.
The two girls stopped fighting and turned to stare at her in disbelief.
“Okay, Aspen, we aren’t fighting now. Just relax.” Sandy spoke in a calming voice and watched Aspen anxiously.
“You started this,” Ruby cried out. “I just said she needed more practice, now look what you’ve done.” She stared at Aspen for a second longer and then stormed out of the bathroom as fast as she could.
“Calm down, Princess, don’t get so upset. You can come back down again.”
Sandy’s voice rang in the distance in Aspen’s head as waves of anger crashed through her body. She was mad at Ruby for being so close to Dylan, the only guy she liked in the whole world, and she was livid that her friend had been burned. The power running through her veins fizzled and popped, and she cursed Ruby in her mind. She was so angry that she barely heard Sandy speaking.
“Come down, Aspen. You need to calm down.”
It was then that she glanced at the mirror and saw the strangest sight. A blue light flickered around her body like a neon sign, and she hovered in the air about two feet above the ground. Her eyes were silver, and swirled like rough seas. With a cry, she exhaled and dropped to the floor.
“Sandy,” she cried. “What’s happening to me?”
The sound of the bathroom door slamming against the wall made her squeal as Dylan burst into the room.
“Aspen, are you all right?” He dropped to the floor next to her and pulled her into his arms. The excess electricity that itched up and down her skin arced into his body, and he winced for a second before smiling and closing his eyes.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s going on. This hasn’t happened to me before.” She tried to crawl away from him to avoid shocking him.
Dylan’s grip tightened on her arm. “No, don’t move. It’s fine.” He kept his eyes closed and drew her closer. “Don’t worry. You’ve just had an overload of power. It can be scary, but you’ll learn to control it. Let me absorb it for you.”
The heat that radiated between them intensified, and she could feel the tension leave her body as a current buzzed between their arms. After a few minutes, Dylan opened his eyes. A neon glow burned around his pupils momentarily before the color switched back to blue.
“Let me take you home. I don’t think it’s smart to stay at school.” He helped her up from the floor.
“That’s a good idea,” Sandy said. She’d kept quiet while Dylan was holding Aspen, but now she held up her hand to wave at her friend. “See you later.”
Before Aspen could answer, Dylan touched his dream catcher and they were transported instantly to the driveway of her house.
She took a step back and steadied herself. “How did you do that?”
“You can do it too. I’ll teach you tomorrow. Come on, you need some food and a nice sugary drink.” He walked with her along the driveway.
Her mom’s head peered out of the kitchen window. “Aspen, what’s wrong?” she called.
“Nothing, Mom. I just felt faint at school, that’s all.”
“Oh, my darling.” Norma’s blond bob whipped up as she rushed to open the door and let them in.
Dylan took a second to look around the room, and Aspen looked around to try to see it through his eyes. A big clock hung on the wall above the white fridge, and a small wooden table stood in the middle of the floor with four chairs that were tucked neatly underneath it. Although the kitchen was spotlessly clean, the cabinets were in desperate need of attention; they were clean but unvarnished, and the walls needed a new coat of paint. He probably wondered why Aspen’s stepfather hadn’t tried to modernize the room.
“Come inside, honey. I’ll make you both a glass of sweet tea.” Norma seated her daughter and pulled a pitcher of tea from the fridge.
“What happened? Are you okay?” she asked as she removed glasses from the cabinet.
“It’s all right, Mom,” Aspen replied. “It happened a while ago, and I feel a lot better now, thanks. This is Dylan, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” He greeted her with an outstretched hand. “I think Aspen needs a sandwich with that tea, if you don’t mind. It’ll build up her strength.”