"No, please, not them! NO!"

Gasping, I woke up, a thin layer of sweat clinging to my forehead. Sitting up, heart racing I could hear my sisters laughing downstairs and kitchen chairs scraping against the floor. The sounds of normality calmed me, and I flopped into my pillows.

What even was that nightmare about? I'd had it for the last few weeks, almost consecutively. It was a weird jumble of strained images-screams, a woman with red hair and flashing green light heading towards me.

I highly doubted those crappy 'dream meaning' books could help me explain what was happening in my head.

Mustering the strength to get up for my final day of school (which was pretty stupid, considering I should have broken up two weeks ago, if it wasn't for the stupid local council) I swung my legs from my covers into my childish rabbit slippers.

"Rory, are you dressed yet? The bus is coming soon!" Mum's voice traveled from downstairs in a yell. I grimace. No wonder I beat my alarm, living in a house this loud.

"Almost, keep your hair on!" I shout, sliding across the wooden floor to my dressing table. Fumbling around for my half-broken brush, I tug it through my messy mane of hair.

My eye catches my Warped Tour calendar, and I see the aggressive circles around today's date. "Holy shit," I whisper excitedly. "How could I forget?"

Today was my thirteenth birthday.

I fluff up my hair in the mirror as if I'm somebody important, my emerald eyes seeming brighter with my inner joy. Today will be the start of a new Aurora Oswin. A cooler, more grown-up girl who doesn't put up with anybody's B.S.

"Don't play up today, today is important." I mutter to my wrist as I put my special cream on it. Ever since I could remember, I'd had a lightning bolt scar on my wrist.

My older sister, Lacey pushed me onto a glass coffee table out of spite, causing the scar I loved-despite the burning sensation I'd had for the last couple of years.

But some scars can be cool, like mine would be without the burning. A girl in my year, Yvonne Zang, has a scar shaped vaguely like a dragon on her back. I only know that because, our changing rooms for P.E aren't exactly private, as we change.

Next year I'll get more respect for being a teenager, everybody always calls me the baby of the year group. But the only frustrating thing was I had longer until I could legally watch 15 rated films with Kayley-my best friend.

Kayley's older brother got us fake I.D's from one of his many dodgy friends, so we have seen some horror films a few times, which always gave me such a rush. Until a snitch-I suspected Adeline Fitzgerald-told the cinema staff of course.

Reluctantly, I pull on my rubbish school uniform for the last time in a while. I loathed it, but everybody did. This is the reason why everybody loathes the school council and members of it (and why I hid in the bathrooms with Kayley when form classes started class nominations).

We have been forced to wear mud brown and murky grey ties over our blouses, with bulky brown blazers over it. Teamed with pleated skirts below our knees, and flat shoes, we all look boring and meek.

Of course, Kayley rebelled in Year Seven, wearing red Doc Martens. After threatened with suspension she took them off, but up until this day she was still respected by the majority of the school.

We attended a snooty all-girls school-Oxford Girl's Academy-which may suck, but if I did well on my exams my applications would be looked at first for art courses.

"RORY, COME ON YOU IDIOT GET DOWNSTAIRS!" Lacey shouted, and I rolled my eyes. She was so annoying on times.

Grabbing my thick framed glasses and shoving them into my pocket, I skipped down the stairs, anticipating some sort of birthday surprise. I poked my head around the door, and beamed. Green and red balloons were strewn across the kitchen and a small pile of presents were waiting on the crowded table

"Happy birthday, Rory!" my family chorus at once, Hollie's muffled as she rubbed a balloon against her hair.

"Who would have guessed it?" I teased, taking my seat next to Hollie, my little sister.

"Not me, you look about ten." Lacey snorted, throwing a present into my lap. At fifteen, my sister was an intimidating girl with her hairspray stiff waves, heavy eyeliner and constant scent of weed and cigarettes.

However, she was a softie at heart, not that she'd admit it (she was in the stage of hating the world).

"Well you look eight with all that eyeliner." I teased, and Lacey shoved my shoulder as I opened a new sketchbook and paints-that I'd been lusting over in town for ages. "I take it all back, you look eighteen and gorgeous, I love you!"

I flung myself on her, and she rolled her eyes, patting my hair in the affectionate way she did.

"I even made pancakes for your special day," Mum beams, sliding a small stack of pancakes in front of me. They have my name written on in maple syrup, and my mouth waters just looking at them.

The next present is from Hollie. It's poorly wrapped, but her clumsiness makes me smile. Inside the wrapping paper is a fluffy toy tiger, with shining green eyes. I already know this is one of Hollie's toys wrapped up, but I don't care.

"Thank you, Princess Hollie." I wink at my little sister, who giggles, holding Minnie-the family cat-closer to her chest.

She's only seven but acts much younger, still believing in Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny, and imagining herself as a Disney Princess. But her innocence is something adorable, everybody loves Hollie.

"That one is from us," Dad points to a large package which takes up most of the table. "Sorry to disappoint, Rory."

"You tie yourself to the stables one time..." I scoff, turning red. My obsession with horses turned intense when I was six, but now was something my family loved to bring up at random times.

I curiously rip it open, and I gasp. It's beautiful. A large photo frame, with hundreds of photos from my childhood stuck on as a collage. In the center, was my full name: Aurora Lily Oswin with my birthday underneath in different colours.

Just from a glance I can pick out toddler pictures of me and Kayley, and six year old me holding new-born Hollie. There's even an amusing photo of Lacey and I throwing cake at each other at her tenth birthday party.

"This is cute as hell, I love it!" I grin, hugging the collage to my chest.

"No problem, honey." Mum said, kissing the top of my head. Mum was always most affectionate with me for some reason, her constant side-glances reminding me of somebody staring at a mirage.

I start to open my cards, and soon there's only one left. It's written in emerald green ink, on a weird, thick yellow paper. Not a sunny yellow, but more like a tea-bag stained yellow.

It read;

Aurora Oswin

The second smallest bedroom

7, Pond Close

Oxfordshire

I flip it over, to see a purple wax seal. A lion, snake, badger and eagle intricately pressed into the seal. Who even uses seals any more on letters? They were meant for royalty, which I clearly wasn't. The main question was, who was using such fancy stationary to write to simple 'ole me?

As I snap open the wax seal, I notice how quiet Lacey and my parents were. They were looking at me with bated breath, as if their futures depend on the letter. Hollie however carried on trying to make Minnie's fur stand up with a balloon.

"Why so quiet?" I muse out loud.

"No reason," Dad says with a forced smile. "Just open it."

Feeling curiosity rise in me, I pull three sheets of paper from the envelope. Everything is blurred, but I can just about make out a logo of some sort. I reach for my glasses to read it, but then a strained beep comes from outside.

The bus is here, it's time to go. "Oh well, I'll read it later!" I grin, jumping to my feet. I run over to the cupboard under the stairs, and pick up my tattered messenger bag.

I dash into the kitchen, and give Hollie a hug and ruffle of the hair. "Rory, don't forget your extra eyes!" She exclaims, pressing them into my hand.

"Damn it Hollie, I could have gotten out of work." I shake my head playfully.

"Rory," Dad said, oddly stern. "Be careful."

Looking at him strangely, I pull my hair into a more secure ponytail. "It's only school Dad, don't stress. Love you all! See you later!"

Dashing after Lacey, we exit the house and make our way up the front drive. Lacey is extraordinarily quiet, which makes worry pull at the back of my mind. Usually Lacey is talking like a maniac as we walk to the bus, or we're arguing about something stupid.

Silence makes me worry. "Are you okay, Lacey?" I ask, nudging at her side.

"It's nothing." She snorts. "You wouldn't understand."

"Is it about that letter?" I asked slowly. "What is it?"

I pull at her shoulder, and spin her around to face me. She stares at me stonily. "We're going to be late, you moron. Stop being a little whiny bitch, you're practically a grown up now."

"You're avoiding the subject!" I say in a sing-song voice

"Oh, piss off." Lacey says, but a smile twitches at her lip. We reach the bus, and show the driver our bus passes. Lacey heads to the back without another word. Her friends are considering the 'cool' ones in the school, so of course she sacrifices talking to me for their friendship.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY AURORA OSWIN, YOU NUTCASE!" Kayley Hopkirk shouts with a grin on her face as I walk down the bus aisle, her red hair stuck up in a bun resembling a satellite.

"Oh shut up, you traffic light." I roll my eyes, sitting next to her. Teasing and low-key humiliating each other is the key to our friendship; it has been since we met in nursery, ten years ago. "Do I have the honour of having a birthday present?"

"You have my friendship, what else could you need?" Kayley says seriously, placing a hand on her flat chest. "Nah, of course I did, Rory. Who do you think I am, Laurence Howard?"

"Wow, how original." I scoff, glaring out of the window as the Oxford Boy's Academy bus passes us.

Laurence Howard was my sleazy ex-boyfriend, who once was my everything (as close to everything you could get when you were twelve). In conclusion we met at Wendy Fitzgerald's birthday party last summer and soon started dating.

I say, 'dating' very loosely. We held hands hugged and kissed each other's cheeks but it didn't progress any further on from that. Only being twelve, I wanted to take things slowly, but Laurence didn't like that one bit.

So we fought a lot, and just before Christmas (Christmas Eve to be exact) he broke up with me. And it was over the phone, without an explanation only 'I'm breaking up with you, bye, Merry Christmas'. It added to the bitterness that he'd been bragging for the last few months about what present he was getting me.

So of course, for the past six months I've decided to swear off boys until I meet somebody I know I really like. But I don't care, I have Kayley, and Wendy and an assortment of acquaintances to keep me company.

"It's not much sorry; my brother took most of the money on drink." Kayley said breezily, handing me a small box. Kayley had a rough home-life with her alcoholic brother and mostly-absent mother, but she usually just brushed over it whenever I brought it up.

"Its fine, I understand." I told her honestly, and opened the box to find a small charm bracelet. It was from one of those homemade kits, with the letters BFF hanging from it, next to a star charm. "Kayley, I love it so much!"

"If that impresses you, wait until we turn eighteen, I'll buy you a box of shots." Kayley said excitedly, her face lighting up at the approval. Giggling, I hugged her quickly; grateful she was in my life.

We blabber on for the rest of the journey about what we're going to do over the summer holidays, and inside jokes we weren't letting go forever (the top ones being 'Purple Paint' and 'Gut you like a fish').

Soon the bus parked outside the school and all fifty of us girls leapt off, struggling against the tides of teen girls to reach my locker. Kayley stored all her stuff in there too, because we were that close that sharing that much space didn't matter.

"I swear, them making us do work on the last day, its child abuse." Kayley said, grabbing her Chemistry text book from under my hockey stick. "I'm calling the NSPCC."

"Just faint from stress, then we'll all riot." I giggled, and glanced over her shoulder, just in time to see Adeline Fitzgerald sashay down the hall.

"Aw that'd be great though, they'd bring police dogs in the school."

Adeline Fitzgerald was the only person I would consider my arch enemy, she was the Sauron to my Frodo. She'd hated me ever since we were six, and I got the part in the Christmas concert she wanted-and considering she still held the grudge I knew she wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

"Speaking of dogs, here comes another one." I said, tapping her arm as Adeline approached with a gaggle of girls.

"Ew now, that one has fleas." Kayley giggled, and she grabbed my hand, pulling me towards what was going to be the craziest day of my life so far.

* * * * * *

Surprisingly, the teachers did give us a break-at least for the morning. The Maths and Geography teachers just left us to do 'revision' so they could just read magazines and dream about the summer just like us.

Mrs Wilde, our art teacher just had us finishing our summer pieces off and as always she loved mine. I'd painted one of my nightmares; the green light, the skinny boy with wide eyes and the man with the purple turban.

But things went sour quickly when I left my glasses on my desk and Adeline took her time to scrawl what I'll refer to as 'male genitals' on them. Of course, it was in permanent marker, too.

"I hate, hate, hate, hate her!" I growled to Kayley and Wendy as we fought through the crowds to go to Chemistry, Kayley still clinging to my arm to restrain me from bitch-slapping Adeline in art.

"She enjoys the attention," Wendy said, being her usual two-sided self. "She's nice when you get to know her."

"So are pit bulls, but after a bitch trains them they maul kid's faces off." Kayley muttered, and Wendy glared at her. Kayley and Wendy had a love-hate relationship, mostly because Wendy always tried to convert Kayley into being Christian, when she was a hard-core atheist.

I didn't mind Wendy, but she was annoying as hell on times.

"Ugh, let's just hope Mr Matthews lets us end the year on a high note." I grumbled as we entered the Chemistry class.

But of course, irony was a bitch.

Twenty Bunsen burners, measuring jugs and various elements were organised around individual sticky notes on each desk. This meant one thing-he was hand-picking partners.

"Welcome, girls, welcome!" Mr Matthews, the overly enthusiastic balding teacher called as a herd of us entered. "I thought we'd do something fun for the last day, interact with people outside our friendship groups!"

"But Sir, we don't interact with them for a reason." I pointed out, and a few people nodded in agreement.

Mr Matthews glared at me. "Just find your sticky note, Miss Oswin."

Soon I found my name on a sticky note at the very back of the room, where Kayley and I would usually sit. It was so far back you could talk without people hearing you. It was a perfect spot for bitching about people.

I just hoped whoever I was paired with knew what the hell to do for the experiment.

But five minutes later, none other than Adeline Fitzgerald sat next to me. I grimaced to myself. If you looked in the dictionary for the definition of mean girl, Adeline Fitzgerald would be written there.

She was really pretty, even I had to admit. She did used to look like some sort of Disney Princess with her natural olive skin tone and short brown wavy hair. But once we hit Year Seven she began dying her hair bottle blonde and wearing clip-on extensions which looked really fake.

Her personality was a contrast to her pretty face-rude, slyer than a snake and a tongue sharper and blunter than a kitchen knife.

"Of course, I end up with the runt of the litter." She muttered not so-subtly under her breath.

I rolled my eyes. That nickname was cute in Year Seven when I was the tallest in the year (still am) and the youngest, but now it just sounded outdated.

"Who said I wanted to work with a dog?" I sneered, surprising myself and pulling the stupid goggles on. I noticed the clips in her extensions falling slightly as she tied her hair. "Watch out, Adeline, extensions are flammable!"

"Just get the splint, Oswin." She glares, pointing with her perfect French tipped nails. I stare at them with envy. It's weird to be jealous of nails, but my nails are bitten down stubs.

I nervously get the splint, and dip it into the main Bunsen burner. I've never gotten one before, Kayley usually got it. Guarding the flame with my hand, I almost made it back to the desk with no catastrophe. But out of nowhere, Adeline stuck her leg out and I tripped the flame dropping onto my hand.

I howled with pain as I dropped the splint and waved my hand widely as it throbbed. Mr Matthews sighed, and told me to put water on it. Muttering all the swear words under my breath I let the water sooth the angry red skin, wishing it would just go back to normal.

As if by magic, the pain seemed to evaporate away. I wasn't surprised, considering I healed really quickly when I thought about it, as crazy as it sounded.

Scowling, I headed back over to the desk, where Adeline was busy testing the metals, Bunsen Burner lit happily.

"See, not so hard, is it?" She said acidly.

"Oh shut up," I snap. "Let's test these bloody things."

We test the first two in silence, writing our notes down, when suddenly, I hear a rustle of paper. Adeline is reading a sheet of paper that was partially crumpled from all the times it'd been unfolded. I caught a phrase at the end of it: Love you loads, babycakes.

I almost gagged. "Got yourself a boyfriend, have you?"

"I do." She said with a shark like grin. "You know him well."

"Who is he, one of the losers behind the smoking corner at Oxford Boy's?" I scoffed.

"Nope!" Adeline laughed. "I believe you know Laurence Howard?"

I almost choke on my own surprise. No, it couldn't be the boy who was once so sweet to me; buying me skittles in the corner shop and Lord of the Rings merchandise?

But it sure as hell could be the boy who tried pressuring me into kissing him, purposely made fun of my sisters and dumped me via a phone call.

"Right okay and why would he want to go out with you?"

"We bonded over a mutual hatred of you." She sighed dreamily. "We met at Doreen Finnigan's house party over Easter and discovered we hated you equally as much. And after a few kisses, I couldn't help like him. Plus he said he was only dating you to get to me!"

"I think you're a bit deluded, writing yourself love notes to be honest..."

"Look at the paper, Oswin, look at it!"

I squinted at the paper to see a few timely phrases: you are the best girl I've ever gone out with. Wow you're so funny, Ady! I love you so much! We'll be together forever!

Betrayal seeped into my veins. A boy, who I trusted, told secrets turned out to be using me, for none other than the girl who'd hated my guts for almost a decade. Anger burnt deep inside me in a way it hadn't before, a glow, sparks lighting, a caged bird finally released....

It all happened very quickly.

Fire seemed to shoot through my fingers, hitting Adeline directly in the extensions, catching it alight.

"MY HAIR IS ON FIRE!" Adeline screams, stating the obvious, running around like a headless chicken.

I glance at my hands, a strange glow emitting off them. No, I couldn't have done that.... No, it was like something from a film, a Marvel comic.... No, it was impossible. It had to be!

With my heart racing I grabbed my backpack from the floor and darted from the class, ignoring Kayley's scream after me. She either thought I was crazy or a freak. And neither option sounded very good.

I ran through the endless labyrinth corridors, before I made it to the main entrance, ignoring the receptionist's shout at me it's lesson time. They could call my parents, I didn't care.

The doors burst open of their own accord and I carried on running, even though I had a stich and I could feel blisters burn through the soles of my shoes.

When I start feeling dizzy in the park, I know it's time to stop. Leaning against a broad Willow tree, I finally allow myself to cry out of despair. Either I threw a Bunsen burner at Adeline and am crazy, or I shot fire out of my fingers and am a freak. There's no good side to this.

A bark brought me out of my deep thoughts. Sitting beside me was a large shaggy black dog, eyes too intelligent for a dog. I stared at him, and he stared back. He cocked his head at me with an inquisitive look that said 'Who are you?'

"Hi there, dog." I said, feeling both awkward and weird for talking to a dog. "Hey, I'm Aurora Oswin, but I go by Rory, I have my whole life."

The dog barked and it sounded like he was laughing. Smiling, I patted the dog's head, and he sat next to me an interested look on his face.

"Do you have a name?" I asked him as if he could reply, searching for a collar which was non-existent. Frowning, I remembered an astrology lesson we had before. One star I remembered was the Dog Star-Sirius. "That's it; you're Sirius, after the Dog Star."

"I'm not having a good day, Sirius." I told the dog, as if he could understand. "I found out this boy I dated last year was using me to get to this bitchy girl.... So I got really angry, and I might have set her hair on fire-with my hands. Like how impossible is that?"

For a while I sat with Sirius, stroking his fur and putting off the inevitable fact of going home, facing up to what I'd done. It wasn't until I heard the town centre clock chime four times that I panicked.

I was meant to be off the bus with Lacey and Kayley almost half-an-hour ago, and my parents were going to know I had bunked off by now. Not to mention the damage I'd inflicted on Adeline....

"I hope I'll see you around." I said to the dog, ruffling his fur one last time. "But my parents are going to be pissed at me. They'll probably think that murderer kidnapped me..."

Last week on the news, it was reported that a prisoner going by the name of Black had escaped from prison, serving a sentence for killing thirteen people. It was terrifying to think about, especially considering he had a gun, and was considered dangerous.

Taking one last look at the dog I turned on my heel, and started on my way home. It took me ages, blisters rubbing against my feet and my fear of what my parents would think eating at me. The sun was starting to hang lower in the sky by the time I turned onto my street.

Trying to stay calm, I jammed my key into the door and let myself in. Dumping my jacket and bag on the floor, I was surprised to see Hollie sat on the stairs, watching me.

"Hey Hollie, what's up?" I said casually. I couldn't hear any noise from the kitchen or living room. "Where's everyone?"

"Lacey's crying in her room, she won't let me in." Hollie said in a matter-of-fact tone. "But mum and dad are in the living room with some weird guy. They want to speak to you."

She captured Minnie from the stairs and ran up the stairs towards Lacey's room, leaving me alone in the hall. Anticipation and fear eating at me, I opened the door.

Mum and dad were on the sofa, arms around each other, looking agitated.

And sat in my chair, was the most extraordinary man I had ever seen.