Strings

Chapter 1
Sadie had an ability. She could see the strings that connected the hearts of soul mates.

She discovered she had the ability when she was 13. No one knew she saw strings, except her best friend.

Seeing strings no one else could see took some adjustments. She couldn't tell anyone about her ability, because they would want to know who there soul mate was. It was like looking into the future. If one knew what will happen, it's puts to much power in their hands. That's why Sadie's friend, Ellie, didn't know who her soul mate was. Sadie didn't know either, since she hadn't taken the time to follow Ellie's string.

Whenever Sadie walked around outside, there were strings everywhere. Unsuspecting people walked about their daily business, without a clue that there were strings from one heart to another.

In Sadie's house, there were even more strings. A string connected her parents, and her older brother Jack had his own string also. Her cat, Mittens, didn't have a string, and neither did any other animals.

Sadie saw lots of strings everyday.

Including her own.

Chapter 2
Sadie had tried to cut the strings before. But whenever she took a pair of scissors and tried to cut her string, it would break, but snap back together. Eventually she gave up trying to break the strings, because they would always reform, and she looked ridiculous cutting strings no one else could see.

She was also too nervous to follow her own string, and she tried not to look at it.

Since there were strings everywhere she went, one of her pastimes was to sit in her room with her cat, Mittens and read or draw. She was doing just that, when she heard voices downstairs. She walked to her door and cracked it open, averting her eyes from her string that winded down the stairs and out the front door.

"Mom, we're going to the pool," Jack's voice carried up the stairs.

"Be back for dinner," Sadie heard her mom reply.. There were thuds of footsteps, then the front door shut. Sadie closed her own door.

It was summer break, and there was one week left of it before school started up again. Everyone was hitting the pool, before it closed for the year.

Sadie grabbed her phone from her bedside table and texted Ellie, asking her to come over, and to bring her suit. It wasn't long before Ellie replied, saying she would be over soon.

Ten minutes later, they were riding their to the pool. Once they arrived, they parked their bikes, unlocked the pool gate, and walked in. Sadie looked around the pool for two open seats, ignoring the strings that crisscrossed the pool. Even though the strings crossed over and under others, they never got tangled, or tugged on the people.

Sadie saw a couple of seats nest to one of her brother's friends, and she made a beeline for them, Ellie close behind. As they set down their towels, Sadie got a closer look at her brother's friend. Sadie's heart picked up the pace, thumping wildly out of control.

Just then, he looked up, and, noticing Sadie's eyes on him, smiled up at her. She instinctively looked at his tan, bare chest. His string went out the gate of the pool. Sadie's stomach plummeted. She realized she had a huge crush on Jack's friend, and yet he wasn't her soul mate.

Chapter 3
"Sadie, come on," Ellie's voice shook Sadie out of her reverie.

"Yeah, I'm coming..." Sadie replied, walking to the edge of the pool. She jumped in to the water, letting it cover her head. She popped back up, blinking the water out of her eyes.

"What was that all about?" Ellie asked. Sadie shrugged.

"I think I like him," she whispered.

Ellie smiled. "Is he your soul mate?"

Sadie sighed. "No,"

Suddenly, Jack called to his friend.

"Hey Liam, get in!" Sadie and Ellie watched as the boy, Liam, got up and took a running start to jump into the pool, splashing the girls.

Sadie stared at his retreating back. I wonder what it would be like to kiss him, she thought.

All of a sudden, her chest ached, as if punishing her for even thinking about kissing him.

She gripped her chest, her string sifting through her fingers.

"Are you okay?" Ellie asked. Sadie nodded, the pain now gone.

As she and Ellie talked, Sophie's mind was elsewhere.

Why had her chest hurt that bad?