It’s terribly easy for people to make assumptions for the way someone is the way they are. So, let me set this straight: I did not have a troubled childhood that impacted me greatly. Looking through the days of my youth will not bring up memories of abuse, trauma, or any life-altering moments that could link to what I am. Some things just happen, okay? One moment I was sitting in class, wishing with all my might to disappear into thin air and leave the godforsaken place, the next, I was running down the hallways with a stranger like a bat out of hell. Let me explain it better…
 
It was a warm afternoon, the kind that made me wish I had the power to alter the temperature dramatically in my favor. Everyone in class had beads of sweat on their foreheads, glistening in the rays of sun that could not be sealed away by blinds. Marcus High School was so outdated I always felt like I should be wearing long skirts and oversized glasses with my hair in a stiff perm. We lacked the glorious technology required to keep us alive in such a heat. That’s right, not a single fan or air conditioner to keep us from dying from heatstroke.
 
Just when I thought I was going to melt into a puddle like the wicked witch in The Wizard of Oz (“I’m melting!” dialogue included), everything stopped. The power went out and everyone around me was motionless. I looked around me in awe. I saw that two well-liked girls, Ashley and Nina, both had their hands on a note that they were exchanging, one with a hand covering her mouth to suppress a giggle. I walked around the room, peeking over Joanne’s shoulder to see that she was drawing some sort of mystical scene, pulled down Leah’s way too short shirt, saw that Eddie really read books during class and found out that the teacher was actually drinking vodka from her mug, not coffee. That explained quite a lot…and I thought she was just the kooky type.
 
Everything was so strange; it was if the world clicked ‘pause’ and forgot about me. I had seconds to choose whether to freak out or do something about it; I had spent too long dawdling. Before I could inquire more and found out an answer, I spotted Tyler, a freckled boy that I have had a crush on for years. I walked over to him then whispered into his ear the things I’ve always wanted to tell him, but was too afraid to. I squatted down so that I could look into the depths of his hazel eyes, loving the way his chin rested in his palm and thick bangs covered one eye, giving him that mysterious look that drove me crazy.
 
“Having fun?” a voice interrupted the silence, which I had not noticed how eerie it was until broken. I spun around and saw a figure standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame nonchalantly. His hair and clothing were billowing around him hypnotically, even though the air was motionless all around. “Excuse me?” I asked, looking him up and down, slightly annoyed at how at ease he was with time being frozen. His outfit was peculiar and consisted of a heavy, long jacket with some sort of work uniform underneath paired with grimy boots. He strode over to where I was standing and grabbed me by the crook of my arm and started to drag me out of the room.
 
“Hey!” I shouted, struggling against his iron grasp and quickly finding that I could not break from his hold. I resigned, but still spat curses as he progressively pulled me down the hallway while he ran at a dizzying speed. The door of the school entrance opened before him and he finally let me loose. “You know, I have legs too,” I said, rubbing my arm moodily, trying to regain my balance. I did not like being handled like so.
 
He was weirdly quiet, the kind that was not comfortable, but instead, made me feel uneasy. I looked at him and followed his gaze up into the sky and saw how its color had drastically changed. An optimist would say that it looked like a ripe peach. A pessimist, on the other hand, would say it looked as if the sky was on fire, being eaten by flames that licked the clouds that were now turning a deep shade of purple. “What’s going on?” I asked, and saw that he beneath his jacket he wore a name tag that read ‘Marcus’ in a large print. I looked at the Marcus High school sign behind him and furrowed my eyebrows at him in suspicion. As if sensing me, he looked at me, then shrugged, turning his back to me while the sky grew violent, painting the world in various shades of orange.
 
“Wait! Don’t you go anywhere, Mister!” I pointed at him accusingly, but he still had his back turned, and his ignorance was making me testy. I caught up to where he was and jumped in front of him, placing my hands on his arms as if to stop him from moving. He stopped, but his face still displayed no real emotion. I was getting desperate for answers. “Tell me what’s going on RIGHT NOW, Marcus,” I demanded, feeling in charge and quite sly by showing that I knew his name. He looked down at me, and simply said, “You’re making it worse, you know.” He pointed to the sky and I saw a tunnel funneling, the sign of a tornado, doubtless. “I’m doing that?” I asked, not sure if I should be impressed or scared. He looked at me, bored, then raised his right arm up so that it was facing the sky, hand open while he focused upon the tragic scene above. A few seconds later, the sky came crashing down, like a failed backdrop for a play and then rolled away like fog into the distance. “Yeah,” I said sarcastically, “You’re going to have to do some BIG explaining.” He closed his fist and brought it back to his side before saying, “Follow me.”