Wind. It can be as calm as a still sea, or it can be as fierce as a raging hurricane. There was a time when the world was about to be lost. The wind at one time, almost consumed us. It no longer wanted to hold back. It no longer wanted to be restrained. The skies exploded as the winds, North, South, East, and West, revolted against humanity. So, the people came together. They asked the heavens for the needed instruments to calm such wind. Four people were chosen. Four people would create a line of offspring, each responsible for one of these winds. South was calm, gentle, warm. North was harsh, out of control, cold. West and East were in between. At times, at rest and easy. But otherwise fierce and difficult to handle. The West and the East had hard times getting along. Fighting over room. North and South were separated by a border. They were not. So the people had them brought up in completely opposite domains. Knowing that one day, inevitably, they would meet each other and would have to end their quarrels. And when that day occurred, all of them would meet, North, Vóreios, South, Nótos, East, Anatolí, and West, Dysi....

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He was crouching. Upside down. On the ceiling. I screamed.

"Shhh," he said, holding his finger to his mouth. "Okay, kid, the thing is, most people can't see me. You can. Because you're special."

"I'm not-"

"Shh. People will be coming soon, right? It's a school. That means, if they hear you talking to the ceiling, they'll think you went a little, you know..."

"Right. Well. I'm used to the feeling," I shot back. "No one in my class likes me. And why should they? I'm-" I stopped myself. That was a secret no one could know.

"A monster? A freak?" He tried to answer my statement. My eyes widened as it seemed he'd read my mind. I looked away. Not wanting to show any sign that he was right.

"You shouldn't be here. Go flirt with some other girl," I said turning away. If I had any guy friends, they'd probably say, "Buuurn!" or something and walk away with me. But I didn't. I didn't have anyone to share my feelings with. Anyone to laugh or cry with. Because of what I was, I had nothing.

"You know, that's why," he said.

"What?"

"Why people don't want to approach you. You don't seem to WANT to be approached. Everyone assumes you want to be alone. As long as you keep clamming up, no one will be there for you."

I was dumbfounded. For one thing, he didn't seem that deep a guy. But mostly because he hit the nail on the head. I was afraid of being approached. I was afraid of other's opinions. I was afraid of myself.

"I know what you are, Eva." My gaze shot back to him. He just smiled quietly. It wasn't the innocent smile I hated. It was an honest, sincere smile. One used by someone who you could lean on. Someone to trust. My heart beat once, loudly. The second time.

Suddenly, I heard voices. Footsteps. I looked out the door, then back at the boy. He gave me a thumbs up, then snapped his fingers, and he was gone.
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All throughout class, I was either sleeping, or completely zoned, thinking.

"-ifth time Eva! Are you listening? Eva!"

"Oh! Um, yes. Sorry."

Lunch came and I brought out my food. I sat alone at my desk, like always. But it wasn't necessarily like always. I heard murmurs and felt stares in my direction the whole time.

I tried listening. "-rying to get negative attention? I mean sure, no one pays attention to her, but is that how she tried to get people to notice her?" I moved to the roof.

I sat down, looking out on the city I lived in. Out here, I heard no voices, felt no eyes on my back. I began to feel better almost instantly. I ate my lunch and decided to wait the rest of the time up here. But as I put away the rest of my containers, I heard a ka-chunk. Someone else would be joining me. My first instinct was to hide. I looked around frantically.

"Eva?" I heard. "I didn't know you'd be up here. Hi."

I turned around slowly. It was Kana, from our class. I remembered. She had always tried to be nice to me, but I'd always run away. "Kana? Oh! Sorry. Did I take your usual spot?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. I just heard everyone talking about you. I never heard exactly what they said. Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yes, it's... fine," I answered.

"I see. Well, mind if I join you?"

"No! Uh-" I remembered.

"As long as you keep clamming up, no one will be there for you," his voice rang in my head.

I shook my head. "No I don't mind. Go ahead."

She sat down next to me and began to stare at clouds. "Ah! That one looks like a kitten!" She pointed and my eyes widened.

"It does. A lot," I answered.

She was twirling her finger. A thing I'd seen her do before a thousand times in class. I wondered what she must be doing. "Um!" I burst, without thinking.

"Yes?" she answered sweetly.

"Oh. Uh. Do you like our class?" I persevered.

"Hmm. Weird question..."

"You don't have to answer! I'm sorry, I didn't know what I was saying."

"No, not really, actually," she answered, ignoring me. "All they do is get into cliques and if you're different, BAM you're excluded from everything. And I just so happen to be one of those different people."

I was shocked. She seemed like a popular girl. I thought she was in with the big groups. "I don't think it's a matter of difference." She looked at me. "It's a matter of standing out. Some of us just do it better than others, and are considered different or strange. To me, I think it's a shame there aren't more like us. They're probably too afraid to stand out because of what people will think. People that are all the same squash the rest of us. Because of that, I want to shine as brightly as I can, so the ones who are afraid to shine will see me and get rid of their fear." When she finished, I stared at her. She just did her job. I wanted to get rid of my fear right then and there, but I knew it wasn't so easy. It's as though I was sinking and she reached out her hand to grab me.

"I!"

She looked at me intently.

"I'm about to tell you something that will probably make you leave right now."

She grabbed my hand. "No. I won't leave. Since I have a secret too."

I looked up then looked down again. I took a deep breath and could feel panic rising. "I... I..."

"Shh." She held her finger up to my mouth. "I'll go first. Would that be easier?" I nodded, looking down. She breathed deeply and exhaled. As she did, her breath showed. It was soft, but strong. "I," she said. "Am the South wind, Nótos."

I lost all words. She turned to me, smiling. "Must be easier for you now. You're probably nowhere near as strange as me."

"No! I!" I tried. I really did. But after what she said, I didn't know what to say.

"You probably don't know exactly what I mean when I say that." She laughed quietly. "There's a legend. No, not a legend, because it's true. The winds revolted against humanity. Seems like that's not possible. But it happened. Four people were chosen to contain them. One person for each wind. At first, they thought the chosen would just have to have powers to contain. But, it turned out that they BECAME the wind. I just happen to come from one of those lines," she explained.

"I know that legend," I said, trying to form the words with which to say my next sentence. I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to say it.

"I feel a strong power within you, Eva. You may not know it. I may be wrong. But... I'm pretty sure I'm not."

She said it. Just like him. "It's okay. You don't have to take it all in, right now. There'll come a time. Don't worry about it." She smiled softly. That same, meaningful smile. Maybe he was one too... She opened the door and I heard it close behind her. I took a deep breath. Someday I would be able to say it. Someday...