10. Imagine the sound of rushing water of a pond on a bright sunny day with a mountainous view, and sitting there with a white dress on, is a young girl, whose face is not seen, but Maximus sits next to her as she plays with ducks who swim happily in said pond. 

Maximus picks up a book that is lying beside him, and he starts reading it. Then suddenly, letting the ducks go, she says, “how do you feel right now?” But the tone of her voice is quite muffled.

“I don’t know what you are saying to me, I never do, why do you still talk if I can’t hear you?” 

“That’s how it always is for me, I sound muffled when I speak to people. But with myself, I can hear.” 

“I’m sorry…” 

Maximus continues reading as if forced to do so, but everything starts fading around him afterwards, causing him to wake up from his dream.

…

“Victor, what are you doing up so late, it’s almost three?” Valencia says this, making her way into the kitchen.

“What are you doing up?” He counters.

“I don’t know, I can’t sleep, I haven’t been able to ever since this stab wound came along, it still hurts every now and then.” 

Walking up to him, Victor says to her, “what does it look like now?”

“I’ll show you.” Valencia shows Victor her wound, but as they do so, Maximus shows up suddenly saying, “what are you guys doing?” 

Valencia pulls her shirt down saying, “I was just showing him my wound, now what are you doing up?” 

“I have to talk to you guys, I woke everyone else up already.” 

“Tell us what?” Victor questions.

They all walk in the kitchen, tired, except Melodie who seems the most energetic, saying, “what are the deits, brother,” with a smile on her face.

“How are you not tired?” Valencia says. 

"Well, I’m always awake for some drama.” Melodie replies.

Celsius replies with, “I'm literally going to forget all this in the morning, but, go ahead and talk Max."

Maximus finishes drinking some water, then he says, “alright, I need you guys to really listen, okay," he turns to Celsius saying, "as much as possible, so as I was asleep…Wait, let me go back cause it’s about the party, so at the party when I was looking out the balcony window upstairs because of its beautiful view, I saw a young girl about my age or yours Melodie, and she had on green gloves, a black dress, with grayish leggings and dark blue flat shoes I think, could have been black. Her hair was long, dark, and curly, but I couldn’t make out her face. She had this watering can in her right hand and some packet on her left, I’m guessing seeds as she looked like she was going to plant something in Jinn’s yard."

He takes a deep breath and then he continues saying, "she planted something, waved at it, and left in the trees across from his yard, and I didn’t see her after that, now mind you I’m trying not to be seen, and she didn’t see me, that’s when you guys saw me looking flustered, because she looks like the girl in my dreams.” 

“The girl of your dreams would be a talking book, Max.” 

“See," he puts his hands up, "that’s why I didn’t tell you guys about my dreams that I’ve been having since June.”

Everybody stops talking, with Arrow saying, “dreams, what dreams?” Clearly intrigued.

“Okay, well ever since our schooling ended, every night since then I’ve been having these dreams about a girl and I, we met during the first dream, and every dream after that, we were together, like friends…And she always has something with her in her right hand, either a book, glasses, and animals, like a puppy, bunny, or kitten, and she always has a white dress on, and whenever she talks, I can’t understand her, as if someone was trying to talk with water in their mouth.”

“Like, bubbly..?” Astrid replies.

“Yeah, like that.”

Victor starts saying, “you think the girl has something to do with our powers..?” 

“Well, maybe, since it's been, it’s been…Different, she seems more…Sad by her body aura, but honestly I don’t know, I never seen her face, her smile, eyes, nothing, she’s always beside me, behind me, or just her strange muffled voice, and…That girl at Jinn’s house seems like that girl from my dreams…I think she is a real person, and that the girl at his house was her, I know it, she looks the same by the body and hair. I know I sound like a perv explaining this but I’m telling the truth, you have to believe me, you have to, it’s the reason why I never talk to you guys because these dreams bother me, and I also don’t want to forget them, nor her, and I know she is a real girl with a certain message relating to our abilities, and one day, I’m going to look her in the face, and say," he looks off...

“I know you...”

Celsius replies with, “wow.” 

“So, do you guys believe me?” Max says back, hoping they do.  

“Of course,” Valencia replies. 

“Yes, with these powers we have, anything is possible now,” Arrow walks up to him saying, “you will find her one day, I’m sure it will or she will come to you.” Then he goes back to bed, as well as all of them.

In the morning, as they are all eating breakfast together, Melissa takes a phone call, but afterwards she comes back with a shaken look on her face. Victor starts saying, “what’s wrong?” 

“Well, Mrs. Vandova has called to say that she is no longer going to be teaching you guys and is quitting her job due to her son Nehemiah and the stabbing incident, and with you guys having powers, she feels bad about her son being in juvie and all that, and she is too shaken to continue teaching, but as this, so is school in two weeks, so, neither I nor James can look for a teacher, it is too late now, so…”

“Are you saying we have to go to school?!” 

“Victor, calm down, we have no choice, we don’t want you guys in school with these powers you can barely control either.” 

“Excuse me, I’m trying.” Victor frowns.

“Wait, Xavier did say that gloves help us maintain our powers?” Melodie remembers this clearly, hoping Arrow, Astrid, and Celsius remember too.

“Yes, I can get gloves made for you guys, good thinking Melodie.”   

Melodie puts on a cheesy smile and continues eating.

“So mother, are you saying that I have to spend my senior year in high school instead?” 

“Well, in a private school, you guys are too much for regular high school, so we are forced to put you in the Academy of Halavall, everyone I know is putting their kid in that school, Mrs. Vandova herself used to teach there, the atmosphere is great she says and you guys will be perfect there, sadly, and you three will be going to a middle school, since the academy is high school and pre-college, while Cora goes to elementary school.” 

“Well, I’m going to go to my room and scream.” Celsius says, clearly bothered and upset.

“I’m coming too, Celsius.” Maximus agrees with him for once, not reading to face that type of anxiety.

“I know it’s hard for you guys, but it’s hard for us too, so don’t worry.” Melissa tries to cheer them up, but they all keep eating, upset about it. 

“Just great…” Melissa ponders before heading to her office.

Aw…you look so good and rich, don’t worry, I got all your gloves for you, so the b on the gloves with the color of your eyes is yours, Arrow’s red, Astrid’s black, Victor’s yellow, Valencia’s orange, Maximus’s brown, Melodie’s pink, Celsius’s blue, and Cora’s gray, looks good on you guys, now promise me to not overthrow your powers, please.” 

“Can’t promise, but I’ll try.” Astrid assures.

“Especially you four at the academy, please don’t use them." 

“I hate the fact we have to constantly wear gloves.” Valencia complains about it, "how am I supposed to wear my rings and bracelets?”

“Yeah, my hands will get all sweaty and hot, it's hot as hell here?” Victor says.

“Doesn’t matter, oh and also don’t try and make friends, it can be very dangerous, seriously, don’t do it, we will talk more about this later.” 

“Alright, we will try.” Arrow says back.

“At least you four are getting education from an upper class academy, anyways let’s take a group picture so you can get a move on, Dack’s waiting.” 

The kids walk out for school with Melissa saying as they head out of the door, “keep your powers stored and locked away!”

"We will!" Celsius shouts to her.

After dealing with school for at least four hours now, Valencia, talking with someone she just met, already found a way to complain about it. But then as her phone rang, Valencia said to her new friend, “I’ll be back, Astrid has been blowing up my phone lately," Valencia sneaks out of the classroom where she was, saying, "Astrid what’s wrong, you made me leave class?” 

Valencia runs in the bathroom of the academy seeing Astrid curled up on the floor with gloves on the floor with Astrid looking shaken. “What happened, Astrid!?” 

Valencia runs to her saying, “put your gloves back on, what happened?” 

“I embarrassed myself in class, in front of all these weird kids and strange red uniforms, I thought blood and suddenly my hands were shaking because I took my gloves off so I could write easier, but…I started shaking and ran out of the classroom so I could go to the bathroom, it felt awful, like I was going to throw up.” 

Valencia hugs her saying, “we’ll get through it, here’s some water.” She reaches in her backpack, handing the water to Astrid as Astrid thanks her and then drinks from the bottle.

Then Valencia's phone rings again, she looks at it and answers seeing that it's Maximus calling. 

“Hold on, Max? Did something happen?” 

“Just wanted to call and say that everything is going good so far, I avoided as many people as possible, so don’t worry about me if you are, what about you guys?” 

Valencia looks at Astrid, then says, “I’ll tell you when we get home.” 

“Oh, alright then, bye, enjoy the day.” 

“We will Max, Bye.” 

“That was weird,” Maximus says this after hanging up, then he continues walking outside until someone from behind him taps his shoulder saying with a light and raspy tone of voice, “excuse me, is this your book?”

He turns around and sees a young beautiful girl, standing behind him, with a light green book bag, with seeds in the pocket, a light green blouse, white jeans, and orange flats. 

She starts to smile with the brightest smile as her face shines with the sun due to her tannish skin, long dark curly hair holding up with a big pretty scarf, and her most notable appearance is her bright and big purple eyes.

“You...You are the girl…You’re real…I knew it.”

“Huh? Of course I’m real.” She chuckles, hoping he's not weird if anything.

“Well, you look like someone…Um sorry...I'm not really good at talking..."

"I see..." She lets out, although still being positive.

"Um...Thank you for returning my book, I didn’t know I had left it.” 

“My pleasure, you left it on the floor," she keeps smiling as Maximus puts the book in his bag.

"My name's Claree Diveren.” She shakes his hand.

“I’m Maximus, Maximus Barderson.” 

She lifts a brow, “you are one of the famous Barderson children?” 

“Famous, wow.” 

“Are they not big entrepreneurs and involved in science?” 

“Yes, my mother is a model or was, she works with my father now, and my father is a businessman/scientist.” 

“That must be exciting.” 

“Kind of.” 

“Why kind of?” She tilts her head, still smiling although not as big as before. 

“Well because they’re never home, always leaving us with the maid and butler, and with seven other siblings, it can be a lot.”

“My parents do that to me too, but as an only child, for me that sounds fun.” 

“Yeah, sometimes, depending on how everyone is feeling, usually I just sit back and read on my own.” 

“I love reading too for alone time, we have something in common I see.” 

“I see.” 

“Well, I better get back to class, see you around.” 

“Wait, are you an eighth grader?” 

“No, seventh.” 

“Oh, then you’ll probably meet my sister Melodie.” 

“All one year apart?” 

“Yup.” 

“Wow, well how about we meet at the park after school sometime." 

"How about tomorrow?" 

“Sure, see you then.”

Maximus watches the girl leave, wondering if she is truly that girl, because if she is, then why was she at Jinn's house?

*Bell Rings* 

"Alright, everyone, today you guys are being assigned with partners for our first science experiment.” Suddenly Claree walks in all quirky like saying, “sorry, I’m late Mr. Teramo.” 

“No, worries, just take a seat with your partner.” 

“Who’s my partner?” 

“Melodie Barderson.” 

Melodie looks up at her as she smiles her way over, while everyone watches Claree as she takes a seat next to Melodie. 

“Hi.” 

Noticing how she looks, Melodie just says to her, "hey..." As if jealous already.

They begin their experiment, but Melodie starts saying, “I don’t know any of this biology stuff, it’s so hard to understand.” 

“Not really, you just got to look at everything from its core.” 

“What does that mean?” 

“It means that you need to look at the depths of it, learn its origin, and keep climbing to its truth."

Claree looks dead in Melodie's eyes, "seriously, if mankind thinks life is only rough for us, then those selfish thoughts are because of your blind and deafness to the real pain of the plants, animals, and creeping creatures of this earth. Think, humans eat animals, but animals never want to eat us unless we provoke their territory, guess what, to eat them and expect love back. They don’t find us annoyingly satisfying so do the same for them. Life is ten times harder for creatures than any human being.” 

Melodie just looks at her as she speaks while doing the experiment. “Um…Yeah I guess.” 

“This isn’t even the fun part, dissecting is...” 

“Uh…” 

“So, you are Maximus’s sister, I talked to him outside, I hope we can be friends, you know, best friends.”  

“Yeah good luck, it'll be cool for him, but he can barely hold a conversation."

"I don't mind his awkwardness." Claree smiles again, with Melodie forcefully smiling back to her.