Rules Aren't Made to be Broken

Amy

Arda Folen.

That was her name. The new girl. The one that everyone knew was a little off. Her eyes were pure gold, and her hair was flaming red with golden streaks. She acted normal, but her grades weren't. Amy had never seen her get less than a one hundred.

If Amy had been a few years younger, she wouldn't pay any attention.

But she was different.

Sophie was the reason. Her sister who wasn't her sister. Who was there but also was not.

Sophie, who wasn't human.

Amy knew something was up. And she wanted to know what.

~~~

Arda

Arda glanced behind her. There was Mrs. Dayton. Watching. Waiting.

Arda sighed and ran as fast as she could down the hallway. Arda's teachers always looked at her like that. She supposed it was her grades, which she would be surprised about too. However, it had been a while since she came to this school, and the staring was reaching a creepy level.

Watching.

Waiting.

She caught a glimpse of a pair of vibrant green eyes watching her. It wasn't a teacher; it was Natalie Freeman.

Natalie was probably the only girl in the school that was about as strange as Arda. She seemed to be confused about her own name; once, Mrs. Dayton held up a paper and asked, "Who is Amy Foster?" while Natalie flushed bright scarlet and grabbed the paper.

No matter how much like her Natalie was, Arda was sick of the stares and wanted to crawl in a locker to hide. Would they ever stop?

Watching.

Waiting.

The next class went by, and Arda felt Natalie's eyes on her for the whole time. She tried to keep to herself, to not look suspicious, but they soon got their tests back. Mr. Emerson, one of the teachers that stared, began to write on the board.

One test perfect in the history of my teaching

Arda felt a sinking feeling as Mr. Emerson handed back her test. She flipped it and sighed.

100%. Arda, you are quite the prodigy.

The whole class's eyes were on her. Arda Folen had the only perfect test, and everyone knew it.

Because they were watching.

Waiting.

~~~

Biana

Biana Vacker stood in the halls of Foxfire. She waved to her best friend, Linh, and leaned against her locker.

Linh was her best friend... right?

The past few days seemed blurred together, and there was obviously a piece missing. Sometimes, she caught a view of brown eyes, or blonde hair, in her memories. Her brother, Fitz, seemed to be always wondering something. Biana remembered a best friend after Maruca and before Linh. She remembered Fitz's crush on someone, and a reason that Keefe had rejected her. Most of all, there was the blank spot in her memory where she remembered cheering up Dex. She knew why, but now she didn't. Why was he sad? What was wrong with everyone?

What was wrong with her?

"Hey," said a quiet voice behind her. Biana turned around to face Keefe, Fitz's best friend and the boy that she had once had a crush on.

"Hi Keefe," Biana frowned, noticing the usually happy boy's expression. "What's wrong?"

Keefe sighed. "That's the thing. I don't know. Biana, I'm worried. My memory is... blank. I try to remember something, and it's like I remember something and then I hit a wall. I have a photographic memory!" His eyes widened. "Someone else has a photographic memory. Named... so... moonlark? No, that's not it. Her hair is brown... or gold... or blonde..."

"That's what's happening to me!" Biana yelled. She grimaced and brought her voice down as people stared at her. "Moonlark is somehow associated with her. And the Black Swan, too."

A bell rang. Keefe locked eyes with Biana. "Let's talk later. I think we're really close." His expression softened. "Please think about it, Biana. I think... I-I think she mattered to me. A lot."

And as Biana ran away down the hall, she knew it was true.