Chapter 4: New Meetings & New Questions

Two hours passed before Violet opened her eyes. The scene around her was blurry, and her whole body felt limp and weak. All around her were fuzzy blobs. Violet heard these blobs whisper in a language that she guessed was dead, because she had never heard it being spoken. But even though she could not understand the language, Violet had a feeling that the blobs, whoever or whatever they were, were talking about her.

"What...where..." gasped Violet.

As soon as she uttered these words, the blobs surrounding her began to whisper more frantically in that same strange language. Soon, one of these blobs grew larger as it approached Violet and lowered itself down beside her. Too weak to say anything else, Violet closed her eyes and slipped into darkness once more.
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Four more hours passed before Violet opened her eyes again. This time, the scene around her was no longer blurred, and she felt stronger, allowing her to sit up with ease. Her family, who was at her bedside, saw her sitting up, and surrounded her in a group hug.

As Violet recovered, Helen tried to question Violet about what had happened and why she ran away from them, but got no answers. Knowing that her daughter had been through a lot, Helen's questions eventually ceased.
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A month had passed and not much had changed. Violet was now fully recovered, but things at Capta Jr./Sr. High were no better. Allie, Bria, and Jamie continued to mock her for her appearance. On some occasions, the trio would even push Violet against a wall or a row of lockers, where she would slide down and eventually fall to the ground with tears welling in her eyes as they tormented her.

Hope for Violet seemed to be a long way off until one day, when Violet opened her locker, and discovered a folded-up sheet of paper that someone had slipped inside. Violet guessed that it was another upsetting note from Allie, Bria, and Jamie. But when Violet turned the note over to open it, she discovered a wax seal of glittering golden-yellow with a three-dimensional, eight-pointed star (like that of a compass rose) shape embedded into it on the flap. The paper was a beige color and was thick and heavy, almost like parchment. Violet knew from these clues that this note was not from the evil trio that continued to make her days hell; their notes had no seals and they were always written on binder paper.

Checking the time from the clock in the hallway, Violet quickly grabbed her books, slammed the locker, dashed into the bathroom, went into the nearest available stall, slammed the door, locked it, and sat down on the toilet, the note in her hands. Careful not to break the seal, Violet slowly unfolded the note. The writing on the note was done in a flowing cursive that was elaborate but still easily read, and was written in golden ink that glittered in a way similar to the seal. Still trembling from the surprise of the note, Violet began to read its contents:
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To the Student by the Name of Violet Parr:

I have heard from my most trusted guardian and healer that you have helped me in a time when I was greatly in need of aid. For this act, I give you my sincere appreciation and gratefulness. Although I have not seen you in person, you appear to me as a girl with amazing courage and great inner strength; both are qualities that I admire in a person. Even though you are reluctant to use these traits when you are not in combat, as I've been told by other students who reside with my group and its members, I still believe that you possess such qualities.

Because of these qualities, as well as the good deed that you have done to help me, I wish to meet you in person. When you complete your day at Capta Jr./Sr. High School, go out to the main entrance. You will find two students that are in my group, who will be waiting for you at the foot of the stairway to this entrance. They will escort you to the grounds where we live and handle the matters of contacting your family and getting you acquainted with the grounds and those who inhabit them. I look forward to meeting you once you arrive and wish you luck.

-Amelia
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As soon as Violet finished reading the note, the first bell rang. Quickly, Violet stuffed the note into her backpack and left the bathroom, her mind brimming with questions.
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The final bell rang, signaling the dismissal of classes--and the end of the school day. After getting what she needed from her locker, Violet went out of the main entrance of the school, just as the note had instructed. At the foot of the stairs, Violet noticed a teenage boy and teenage girl, both obviously Sr. High students, waiting there. She guessed that they were the students she was supposed to be looking for because both of them wore white jumpsuits with glowing neon blue fabric lining their sleeves and collars.

As she approached, Violet noticed that the boy had somewhat messy blond hair with a cowlick in the back, brown eyes, and had a strange animal on his shoulder. The girl, on the other hand, was pretty, with long red-orange hair that was full in body and luster, neutral green eyes, and a well-proportioned figure, which Violet envied.

The animal on the boy's shoulder immediately recognized Violet and ran towards her. As the animal came closer, Violet also recognized the animal, because it was the hairless rodent that she had  found eating away at her sandwich! The animal scurried up Violet and perched itself on her shoulder. The boy followed the rodent, the girl following close behind.

"Rufus!" the boy said, taking the rodent off of Violet's shoulder.

"Wait a minute," said Violet. "That...THING...is yours?"

"Hey, he's not a thing," the boy replied, somewhat insulted. "He's a naked mole rat. And his name is Rufus."

"Well, keep him away from my food. He got into my lunch a month ago."

Hearing this, the girl immediately stepped into the conversation.

"Ron! Haven't you learned to keep Rufus away from other people's food?"

"Sorry Kim, but Rufus still can't help himself; he likes to eat, is that such a crime?"

"Yeah," Rufus squeaked.

"It is if he gets into food that isn't meant for him."

Rufus looked up at Kim with those same innocent, beady eyes that Violet had seen, and smiled.

Kim turned to face Violet. "Sorry about that. I'm Kim Possible, and this is my boyfriend, Ron Stoppable. We've been asked by Amelia to bring you to her."

"First of all, Kim, who is Amelia? And what does she want from me?"

"Amelia is our leader. I don't know what she wants from you, but it must be important, seeing as you helped her."

"But I don't know anyone named Amelia, so how could I--"

As she said this, Allie, Bria, and Jamie approached. Immediately, Kim's eyes seemed to glow dangerously as the trio moved forward.

"Well, look who we've found," said Allie, in a rather mocking tone. "It's the freak. And she's with Possible."

"Why are you with Possible, freak?" asked Jamie. "You are so stupid to go to Possible and hope some of her popularity will rub off on you and make you popular too."

"What do you want with her?" said Kim, anger rising in her voice.

"Why do you want to know, Possible?" said Bria. "This is our business. So stay out of it."

"Like it or not, this is my business," Kim replied. "Leave Violet alone. Now."

"That's her name?" said Jamie. "Well, she doesn't look like that; she looks more like a freak who is so desperate that she goes to you, the Captain of the Cheerleaders, hoping to become instantly popular."

"That's not true!" Violet shouted at the trio. "I was told to meet Kim here after school!"

"By whom?" Bria spat back.

At this, Violet remained silent; she couldn't tell the trio about the note in her locker. Who knew what kind of things they would do to her because of it?

Fortunately, Kim rescued Violet.

"Violet was just told to meet me here after school," said Kim. "It doesn't matter who told her to do it. So leave her alone!"

"So be it, Possible. But we'll be back!" said Allie. And with that, the girls turned and left.

By now, Violet was letting her tears fall from her eyes. Kim seemed to notice this, because she knelt beside Violet and put her hands on Violet's shoulders, causing Violet to look up.

"Violet, what's wrong?"

Violet hung her head once more, her long hair covering her face even more as she did so.

"They think I'm weak and strange," Violet said. "I hate them."

"Violet, you are not weak. What makes you think that you are weak?"

"My powers," Violet said softly. "What's the point of them being useful when all they are good for is defense? And what's the point of using them when all they do is make me more depressed or cause me to loose energy?"

"What are your powers?" asked Kim.

"I can turn invisible and I can create force fields," said Violet. "Not really what you would consider powerful."

"I think they are pretty cool," Ron chimed in. "I mean, being invisible? That has got to be the coolest power ever! And force fields--"

"They're lousy. End of story," said Violet.

"No, they're not," said Ron.

"Ron does have a point," said Kim. "And even if your powers do have a downside to them, we can help you with that."

"They'll still make me a laughing stock to Allie, Bria, and Jamie."

"Don't let their teasing get to you," said Kim. "They only do it because they don't know you and they are afraid that you will make them unpopular."

"I have done nothing to make them unpopular," said Violet. "I was just trying to stay out of trouble and they came over and started picking on me."

"Still, do not let them hurt you. Nothing that they say about you is true. Amelia can help you get past that; we can all help you get past that."

"How can Amelia do that?" said Violet angrily. "I don't know her! In fact, I don't even remember seeing her on any of my missions!"

"The only way to answer that is to come with us," said Kim. "We need to get going anyway; we should have been at the grounds by now. Follow us."

With that, Violet followed Kim, Ron, and Rufus with feelings of anxiety, wonder, and curiousity.