Dark Fire

by Bethany Wicker

  “Are you guys ready to meet my family?” I questioned and waggled my eyebrows as we neared the house.

  They both blanched. Nova shook her head violently.

  “Meeting one supernatural being is enough for today. Maybe some other time.” Her face tightened. “Like never time in never land.”

  Remy swallowed hard. “I don’t know if I’m ready to meet your parents yet. We haven’t even gone on a real date.”

  “Date?” It was my turn to pale. “What do you mean by that? We aren’t dating. I don’t date so we don’t date.”

  He chuckled lightly. “I date and I want to date you.”

  “You just found out I’m not human and your first thought is that you want to date me? What’s wrong with you?”

  “I think it’d be awesome to have a girlfriend with superpowers.” His eyes went spacey, like he’d gone to a different world in his imagination.

  “Awesome? You’re so strange. Anyway, it’s going to be getting dark soon so I’ll walk you guys back to school. You can meet the family some other time.”

  They walked beside me on the way back. Remy was still asking questions and Nova was remaining quiet. I threw them a parting wave when we reached the school and made my way back to the house. That was the weirdest outcome. These humans kept surprising me and I wondered if all humans weren’t as bad as I anticipated or if these two were just strange.

  Mom hounded me for answers as soon as I got home. I hadn’t even had the chance to take my shoes off before she cornered me. There was a lot of finger pointing in my face and annoyed words spoken. Once Mom got that out of her system, she was excited to hear that I shared our secret with two humans and that they were okay with it. Pregnancy hormones were a crazy thing. One minute she was seething and the next she was practically jumping for joy. She quickly forgot about me slipping up and getting in trouble at school and only had ears for information about my human friends.

  Realizing mom was in a good mood now, I took the chance to admit to her and Dad about my third element.

  “What do you mean you can control earth?” Mom asked with a hitch in her voice.

  “Exactly as it sounds. I discovered that I can control earth when I was walking home from school.”

  “So, that makes three elements then,” Dad mused.

  I nodded my head. “Crazy, huh?”

  “It’s more than just crazy. It’s completely unbelievable. It would be best to keep this on the down low for now. People don’t need to know about it yet and it’ll give us a chance to come to terms with this revelation,” Dad reasoned.

  “Things would get hectic if others found out and interrupt your assimilation into the human school too,” Mom added.

  I refrained from reminding her that my element probably ruined that already.

  Ben and Finn joined us for dinner. They had been avoiding the storm our conversations almost started so they didn’t know about my third element. Mom wanted to keep it like that too. I think it was more for her to come to terms with my elements. The added stress of it wasn’t needed so I was regretting telling her now.

  Dinner was brutally silent. Mom, Dad, and I were lost in our own thoughts. The tension was tangible so Ben and Finn kept quiet. They finished their food in record timing before jetting out of the room.

  Sleep was even worse. It evaded me completely until half the night had passed.

  Chapter Nineteen: Remy

  It was impossible to sleep that night. The wheels in my brain kept turning and it was causing my head to pound. Kyler was so comfortable with talking about what she was and I wished some of that confidence would rub off on me. I’d been hiding my secret for so many years that it was easier to continue to do so.

  Realizing that sleep was hopeless, I got up for a midnight snack that consisted of cereal and milk. All the tossing and turning had made me hungry. I also took some medicine for my head, but my mind continued to go back to Kyler’s confession.

  Looking at my phone, I saw a text from Ethan. It read, ‘I’m moving in on her tomorrow’. What an ass. He knew I liked her. Sometimes I wondered why we were friends. He only cared about one thing in life and it was sad that he was missing out on so much because of it.

  ‘Good luck with that,’ I texted back.

  I didn’t get a response and he was probably already sleeping. I wasn’t worried about Ethan hitting on Kyler because I had a better chance now that she opened up to me. Granted, it was only because she blew it when she lost control, but it was still a step up that Ethan didn’t have. That guy was such an idiot.

  When I finished my bowl of cereal, I tried to get some rest again. My brain was still going a mile a minute, so sleep continued to evade me. Instead, I rested my eyes until the sun broke through the window and the alarm on my phone went off. It was time for class.

  I was slow to get ready for school now that I was running on fumes. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it through the day but knew Kyler’s presence would make it a little easier. She wouldn’t be able to talk about her elements at school, but that was why I would ask her out on a date. Before Ethan had the chance to. I looked like crap from the lack of sleep, but hopefully, that wouldn’t deter her from saying yes.

  I rushed to school, but to my disappointment, Kyler wasn’t even there. Mrs. Hildebrand made her stay home today while she decided what to do for her punishment. Word on the street was that she was going to be expelled, but that was probably only a rumor. Kyler really didn’t do anything wrong so she didn’t deserve to be expelled.

  On the way to second hour, Ethan stopped me. “Hey, man. Your luck’s all out. The new girl is so popular now that I can’t wait any longer. You understand, right?”

  “That you’re a terrible friend? Yeah, I understand that.” My gaze hardened on him.

  “Oh, come on, man. Don’t be like that. You know I always have to go for the most talked about girl. It’s all just a part of my reputation I have to keep up.”

  “I get it. Keeping up your reputation is more important than your friend.”

  “Dude, stop acting like a chick. Oscar thinks I should go for it too.”

  “Oscar also made the decision to sleep with Isabelle last year.”

  “Isabelle isn’t all that bad once you see past her annoying side.”

  “Sort of like you?”

  He scoffed. “I don’t have an annoying side.”

  “What I’m seeing now tells me otherwise.”

  He shook his head. “Whatever, man. Call me when you start acting like a dude again and not some lovesick chick.”

  “I am not a chick because I care about someone.”

  “You sure are acting like one.”

  With that, Ethan left and I went into my second hour. I didn’t hear a word that was spoken and I bailed halfway through to go home and sleep. Thankfully, I knocked out this time and didn’t wake up until the next morning.

  Not even Ethan’s accusations could keep me up.

  Chapter Twenty: Kyler

  The next day, I was forced to stay home while Mom spoke to Mrs. Hildebrand and tried to do some damage control. Apparently, she was trying to ‘expel me’, which meant I wasn’t allowed to go back to the school. I hoped she wouldn’t succeed and then I could go back to Westville.

  A twinge of sadness went through me. I’d miss both Remy and Nova. No matter how annoying they were, they’d grown on me. Especially since I spilled my secret to them. I was more surprised on how well they’d taken it. They didn’t classify me as crazy and run away like I’d anticipated.

  Twiddling my thumbs was all I was allowed to do according to Mom. She believed some type of punishment was required and that would be it. It didn’t matter that I technically did nothing wrong, but she was upset about having to go and talk to the principal when she didn’t know how to go about pleading my case.

  The minutes ticked slowly and Ben and Finn’s teasing didn’t help any. They thought it was funny when I got into trouble and would tattle on me if I was to d
o something. So, there I sat twiddling my thumbs on the couch. The clock mesmerized me with each tick and seemed to be slowing rather than speeding up.

  After a few chimes, Mom returned looking furious and despondent. “I hope you’re happy,” she grumbled. “You aren’t allowed back at the human school, which means this experiment failed and you get to go back to Westville.” She sunk into the sofa next to me and put her face in her hands. “I don’t know why I thought this would work, especially with someone as stubborn as you.”

  My heart clenched and my stomach tightened into knots. “Mom, don’t be like that. I’m sorry I don’t have the same beliefs as you, but at least I tried. I made two human friends. They’ve changed my outlook on them. Just a notch but that’s still something. It wasn’t for nothing.”

  A sob erupted from her and it caught me off guard. I didn’t anticipate that she would be this upset. I moved closer and pulled her into a hug. Ben and Finn had conveniently vanished like usual. They were no help in these type of situations.

  We sat like that for a while and I awkwardly rubbed soothing circles on her back. It was odd to have the roles reversed, but it was my fault this was happening. I’d let her down.

  A frantic banging sounded at the door making us both jump. Dad was in the next town over with Uncle Maddox, but at least Ben and Finn were here in case it was a robber. I’d heard about them from the humans and couldn’t believe that they would openly attack and rob from each other without cause. Then again, I could barbecue any unwanted visitors though and with that thought, the uneasiness dissipated.

  My hand steadily swung the door open as my muscles tensed to go on defense. A panting Coach Black fell into the doorway and I moved aside to let him in. His green shirt was soaked with sweat.

  “What’s going on, Coach Black?” I asked once he sat down at our dining table.

  Mom joined us and she hastily wiped at her tears when she noticed we had company. She smiled wobbly at him and introduced herself.

  “Hello, I’m Ava, Kyler’s mother. You’re a coach at her school?”

  “Yeah, and I have some good news.” He took another breath. “When I caught wind of what happened, I went straight to Mrs. Hildebrand. I managed to convince her to give you another shot since you’re going to lead our track team to the championships. She agreed, but there are certain terms. She wants you to keep your grades up and no more incidents like yesterday. She actually wants you to try in your classes.”

  “She accepts those terms,” Mom answered excitedly for me.

  I rose my eyebrows at her and she gave me a pointed look. “Of course I do.” I smiled at Coach Black.

  “Awesome. So, I will see you there tomorrow for practice?”

  “You sure will.”

  “Alright, now that I’ve caught my breath after rushing over here, I guess I’ll be off.”

  Mom stopped him before he could leave.

  “How about you stay for dinner? It’s the least I can do since you saved my little girl from being expelled.”

  “I’m not little,” I muttered the same time Coach Black agreed to dine with us.

  Mom took him on the tour of the house while I went to take a shower. When I rejoined them, Dad had returned and was talking to Coach Black while Mom cooked. Ben and Finn were watching from a corner like he was a new species or a science experiment. They probably hadn't been this close to a human outside of the diner. There certainly hadn't been one in this house before.

  As I got closer to them, I realized that Coach Black was discussing how excited he was to have me on his track team.

  “She’s a natural runner and I’ve never seen anyone as fast as her before. At this school at least,” he went on. “I’m so glad she’s on the team and can’t wait to see her in action.”

  “Well, my wife and I are thankful she can still attend school. I hope she proves you right as a thank you,” Dad replied.

  “I know she will,” Coach Black cheered.

  “I’ll do my best at least,” I stated, entering the conversation since it was about me anyway.

  Mom announced that dinner was ready before placing the trays of food on the table in front of us. Ben and Finn were quick to sit down in their chairs. There were mounds of mashed potatoes, baked chicken, green beans, and bread rolls. It was a feast and my stomach rumbled at the sight.

  We filled our plates as soon as Mom handed them out and took her seat. She was using the fancy glass dishes for tonight instead of the usual paper ones. I noticed Ben and Finn watching Coach Black as he ate. It was as if they were expecting him to sprout a second head to gobble it all down.

  We finished eating without much conversation and Coach Black left not too long after with a sincere thanks.

  “Did you see those muscles?” Ben exclaimed once he was gone.

  “Holy crap, did I!” Finn whistled.

  “You two be nice,” Mom scolded.

  They both apologized but started snickering again once she turned her back.

  “He did us a huge favor by getting your sister a second chance,” Mom added and turned to give them a hard look. She’d heard them laughing and it wasn’t appreciated.

  Ben, Finn, and I messed around with our elements before settling for bedtime. I made sure not to show them earth since Mom wasn’t ready for anyone to know.

  Chapter Twenty-One: Remy

  Since there was no food in the house, I grabbed breakfast at school. Ethan was there too, but he didn’t say anything to me. He was still pissed about yesterday even though he was the one out of line.

  While eating, my eyes scanned the students and my ears picked up some of their conversations. The name that left everyone’s lips was Kyler’s. She’d become the talk of the school overnight. I didn't really pay attention to what they were discussing yesterday. I’d been too tired, but today was another story.

  Two members of the track team were telling their friends that Coach Black had cancelled practice yesterday to appeal Kyler’s case. He’d succeeded on saving her from expulsion and my mood perked up.

  After finishing my pancakes and eggs, I decided to wait for Kyler at the front door. It seemed like everyone else had the same idea. The other students were sharing more rumors about Kyler and the whispers were spreading like wildfire.

  Nova approached me hesitantly and my lips formed a small smile. She took it as the invitation it was supposed to be and stood by me.

  “So, I heard Kyler’s coming to school today,” Nova commented.

  It was strained since this was the first time we’d really spoken to each other without Kyler present.

  “Yeah, I heard the same thing.”

  “I still can’t believe everything that happened.”

  “Me either,” I replied and it was the truth.

  I would’ve thought that Kyler should’ve had complete control of her element since she was raised by elementals. It was hard to believe that I had more control than she did.

  “Looks like everyone else has the same idea as us,” Nova pointed out the obvious.

  There was excited chatter from the other students and Kyler had become a small town celebrity. Ethan was among the group and stood towards the front. He had his game face on that he only used when he was about to try to pick up a girl. Kyler was his target this time.

  Ethan was competitive and Kyler was just another challenge. It was why he was on the football team too. It was also the reason why I wasn’t on the team. I wasn’t very competitive and it felt odd to be going head-to-head against Ethan, but that didn't mean I was going to back down. Instead, it made the fire within me burn stronger.

  My thoughts were stunned into silence when Kyler broke through the trees that led to her house. I wasn’t the only one to notice her either. Just about all of the eyes turned in her direction and if we were in one of those eighties movies my dad used to watch, then music would be playing in the background.

  Her eyes landed on me first and then shifted to Nova. Ethan tried to cut her off, but she didn
’t even notice. Her full attention was on us as she approached. Kyler was wearing black leggings with a red long-sleeved shirt that was loose around the top and tight around the bottom. She looked good and I moved towards her like gravity was pulling us together. It would’ve meant more if Nova wasn’t next to me too, but I would take what I could get.

  There she was. My soulmate. Whether she knew it or not, she would be mine one day and it would be one day soon.

  People started pushing by us and surrounded Kyler within seconds. They were throwing question after question at her about the fire she started. Her annoyance was clearly written on her face and she pretty much growled at all of them in response. She shoved one person roughly out of the way and that was all it took for people to part so she had a clear path to us.

  “Someone’s popular,” I teased and bumped shoulders with her.

  The glare she was firing at others was now shifted towards me. “Yeah, I noticed. What’s wrong with you people?”

  “You people?” I gasped. “Did you hear that, Nova?”

  Nova didn’t say anything and ducked her head. She was obviously uncomfortable with the amount of attention that was directed our way.

  Kyler slapped my shoulder playfully. “You know what I mean. They get excited over the littlest things, don't they?”

  My shoulders pulled upwards. “It’s a small town and not much out of the ordinary happens, so it’s a big deal when it does. You made these people’s week, probably even year.”

  “If starting a fire is so amazing then why doesn't one of them do it.”

  I chuckled. “Too chicken I guess. Worried they’re going to get in trouble.”