Disclaimer: Total Drama series doesn't belong to me but to Jennifer Perth and Tom McGill. I write for fun, not for money and blah, blah, blah ...

Summary: Scarlett had a unique power that made her different and special. She thought she would never meet anyone like her. Until she met Max, and with him, a world she never imagined. / AU. Scax (Scarlett / Max)

Warning: English isn't my first language. It's Spanish. If you notice any grammatical error or something like that, please let me know. Thank you!

Prologue

It was typical.

It seemed that her parents would agree among themselves to move to another city, right when she increasingly beginning to get used to the present one.

There was no other explanation. Why otherwise would this be her second moving of the year, and the eleventh of her life?

She sighed heavily, snuggling at the bus seat, almost in the fetal position. She could not say she was nervous, because after being at the same situation so many times, she was used to it.

It was always the same feeling, the feeling of not belonging. She was also used to that, but that didn't make it bother her any less.

She lazily watched the raindrops sliding down the window, almost playing a race, which was won by the plumper one.

Scarlett hated rainy days. In them, she felt terribly weak. Not wanting to move. Not wanting anything.

Her parents and older brother believed that this was because the rain had a negative effect on her mood. They were wrong, but not much.

No, she didn't like rain. The only good thing it had was the delicious smell of wet earth that left when it stopped. Scarlett loved that smell, almost as much as he loved the smell of a new book, or a strawberry-scented shampoo.

Rain didn't affect her mood that much. It affected her vitality, and took it all away.

And it was difficult for someone who can create fire with her hands supporting thousands of droplets spreading through every crevice of skin that was found.

At first, Scarlett thought everyone was like her. She thought everyone could turn a mountain of autumn leaves into fire. She thought she was normal.

But over the years, she realized that she wasn't. She realized that this would be frowned upon by others, the result of envy or fear. Over the years, Scarlett grew.

And growing up, she learned to hide what made her different. She never thought about bringing out flames from her fingers, as if they were tiny and delicate torches. Because if she thought about it, it happened. And if it happened... she was lost.

She focused on things that could distract her. She discovered the pleasure of reading, and the ability of a book transport her to other worlds, worlds that she would never meet if it weren't for them.

She also devoted her time to her studies, desperate to excel in anything but her strange condition. A silent way to hide further into the depths of her soul, that which tormented her.

She straightened a bit to realize that she was reaching her destination. Pahkitew High. According to her mother, it had the best recommendations, the study programs were promising... and they couldn't get any better so quickly.

She got off the bus after pushing several people along the way. She had kindly requested permission several times, and nobody turned away, so she prepared to deliver some pushing. She simply didn't care about the complaints and insults she received.

She barely touched the pavement with her black flat shoes, and she looked up to admire the huge building that stood before her.

"Pahkitew High.

Education, education, and nothing but education. "

That was what prayed the ornate marble wall at the entrance. Scarlett pursed her lips. With that motto, she honestly expected the opposite.

She leaned her backpack on her shoulder and sighed. After hiding a rebellious lock of red hair behind her right ear, she walked to the front door, rejecting the idea to turn around and run away, as far as her legs would allow her.

She stretched her arm to push the door and enter, but someone pulled it before. A couple of teenagers ran off, one of them pushing her in the process, probably unintentionally. Scarlett struggled to maintain balance, and when she did, she refrained from shouting a couple of expletives to enter once.

The place looked even more spacious inside. Elegantly lined lockers in continuous rows, and several students were distributed around the hall.

Scarlett knew she had to find her locker, so she took out of her backpack a little map of that gigantic place. She started walking, pretty sure that she looked like a dizzy duck, searching everywhere all the time, looking for its mother.

She walked through a few corridors, doubling in some corners, and retreating in others. She frowned, mentally blaming her silly map. Shouldn't it be simple and easy to read? More than a guide through a high school, it looked like a treasure map.

"Huh... excuse me?"

Scarlett jumped a little and turned sharply. She saw a girl in front of her, a small conciliatory smile on her lips. Her features were oriental, but her skin was a little bit darker. Her beautiful red feather earrings caught her attention.

"Hey," greeted the girl softly, tilting her head slightly to the right. "You're new here, right?"

The redhead nodded slightly, making her interlocutor' smile widen.

"I figured. My name is Sky," she said, holding out a hand she shook briefly. "And you are...?"

"Scarlett."

"Oh. Nice name. Will you let me help you?"

Scarlett hesitated a moment, but handed her the map, where indicated with blue ink from her pen where it was supposed to be her locker. Sky smiled.

"It's the other way around... Come with me, I'll guide you," she offered, and without saying anything else she started walking in the right direction

The redhead decided to follow her, adjusting her glasses, which were sliding down her nose. Silently, she returned through corridors recognizing some of them.

Sky finally stopped, facing the locker she recognized as hers for a black number painted on copper.

"Here it is."

"Thank you" she kindly replied, taking back the map that the girl returned to her, and prepared to open her locker

While putting her books on place within the limited space, she couldn't help feeling observed. She could almost swear that Sky hadn't moved from there and it was confirmed she saw her change her position, or, to be visible.

"So, what is your classroom?" she asked, watching her finish their work

"It's the classroom 5-B" she whispered, finally closing the locker

"Oh, no way. It's also mine!"

Scarlett struggled to form a smile, but she felt that she had only managed to show a face. Sky, meanwhile, laughed a little.

She made a slight sign with her hand, indicating tacitly to follow. Scarlett wasn't very used to follow strangers, but knowing that she would never reach the room on her own, she had no choice.

She followed her elegant steps, fiddling with the sleeves of her yellow sweater. With surprise, she saw her stop in front of an open door, and depart to let her pass first in a slightly mocking gesture.

Upon entering, Scarlett saw that the atmosphere inside that room was relaxed and laid back. The chairs scattered everywhere, and students were happy to sit wherever they wanted. Scarlett had never seen such a display of disorder in a classroom.

Timidly she sought a seat, but Sky took her arm gently to guide her to a seat next to hers. Scarlett suppressed a grin, but finally sat there. 'So what?' she thought.

She looked around, watching without much interest the picturesque variety of students around.

There were twin blondes, who despite being identical, they looked different in their cheerleading uniforms, but when trying to identify more people she heard the door opened suddenly, and she saw a smiling man entering, capturing her attention.

He was dressed casually, nor had shaved. He had an incipient beard, and his raven hair was somewhat disheveled.

"Good morning, good morning" he said in the form of a cheerful tune, receiving greetings from his regular students

He laughed at their enthusiasm, and sat casually on his mahogany desk. Scarlett could feel his gaze on her, and looked away, embarrassed.

"Why, it seems we have a new student" he announced, and as it was a trigger, all eyes turned toward her. "I'm Chris McLean, professor of this group. Your group."

The redhead nodded once, still embarrassed and uncomfortable being the center of attention. She could feel all the eyes on her, scrutinizing, like hundreds of needles piercing her skin. She didn't like that feeling.

"Why don't you stand up, and tell us a little about yourself?"

And that question, rather acted as an order from her teacher didn't improve her mood. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, even before those watchful eyes that followed her movements.

She stood up, fixing her eyes on a nonexistent point in front of her.

"My name is Scarlett, and this is the third... wait, no, the fourth high school to which I attend" she summed dully, concentrating her efforts on not begin to wring her hands. "Most likely I'll have to move in a few months, but if I have luck, I will finish this course here. Depends on my parents. So... don't get used to my presence."

"Wind, earth, water or fire?"

Hearing that voice, something scratchy and contemptuous, her gaze sought the author of that question. She found a boy sitting at the back of the room, completely away from others. What most struck her, besides his pale skin, was his strident purple hair. No one was born with that hair color, she told herself. It was a dye, and a quality one.

She watched him questioningly, receiving from him a blank stare, and still waiting for a response from her.

Scarlett hesitated. She didn't know what he meant by that question. Or she didn't want to know. Still, what were the chances that plump and short boy knew her secret, which not even her family could imagine? Absolutely none.

"Fire" she said then, sure enough, and just to give an answer

She saw the boy into a crooked little smile, and nodded once.

"I thought so."

After that, she heard some murmurs among their peers, and assumed that they were wondering what the hell they were talking about. She then heard the deafening sound of a horn, and turned her eyes forward, toward the professor holding the object in his hand with a small smile.

"Take a seat, Scarlett" he granted, nodding in her direction. "And don't listen to Max. He's weird."

She obeyed, listening to the boy named Max snort, as disproving the words of his teacher. Sky gave a gentle squeeze to her arm, calling attention, so she could see the friendly smile she offered.

She struggled to return the gesture as best as she could.

"Well, guys, get your Algebra books" ordered Professor McLean, leaving the horn on his desk and standing, taking a black marker. "We will review equations, nothing too difficult, but according to the last month's test, you are terrible in this..."

Scarlett took her book from her backpack slowly, and her fellow classmate showed the indicated page. While trying to pay attention, she heard some murmurs nearby.

"Fire ..." whispered one of the blonde twins, with a little smile

"Calm down, Samey" ordered her sister with an authoritative tone. "Surely she's better than you."

The redhead frowned a little frown upon hearing that, but decided not to pay more attention. She had to concentrate in class, to get excellent grades from the very first day.

However, her gaze couldn't help looking back to the guy that asked that disturbing question.

She noticed that he was also looking at her with the same intensity as before, inquisitor and curious. She looked away, embarrassed.

Max was weird.

Hi!

Yep, new fic.

Now, let's clarify some important points. This story shares its main idea with El Tesoro Perdido de Pahkitew (The Lost Treasure of Pahkitew), by the great Umeki-Nara, but both have completely different plots. Some characters have some similarities (?), you'll understand when reading, and that is because we planned some things together.

You'll see that the stories have almost no connection between them. Still, read El Tesoro Perdido de Pahkitew, if you understand Spanish, because it promises a lot. And it's fantastic as everything Umeki-sama writes *O*

Those who know me know that I need to answer every review I receive. Those who don't know me, well now you know.

If you liked it, you can leave a review. And if you didn't like, you can leave a review too. Constructive criticism is highly accepted and encouraged.

I think that's it.

Read you soon!

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