(10)

Warren and I eventually made it to the nurse's office; after Speed and Lash did. Warren was fine with only a few bruises but everyone else had a few burn marks.

"What the hell did you two do?" Lash asked after the longest pause in time.

I glanced up at Warren. He shrugged shaking his head.

"It had to have been all you," I said. "I can only blow water bubbles."

"But it sounded like explosives going off," Warren added leaning up against a nearby wall.

"Warren, I don't make explosive bubbles," I said as the nurse looked over my arms.

"I should be able to answer that question soon," Nurse Spex said removing a large piece of skin.

I shuddered, "Ew."

"How?" Speed and Lash asked.

"Well, if it was only fire, I won't find any residue on her skin," she said turning to her desk.

I looked down at my arms wishing I didn't. The skin on my inner arms was distorted and deformed as the second degree burns covered them. A few cracks in my skin let some red liquid out but I couldn't feel anything below my elbows.

Of course, I got the worse case scenario when it came to the ending results. Speed and Lash only had a few minor burn marks but nothing like a whole arm or leg. Lash was already able to extend and retract his arms without pain.

And Warren, no doubt, was burn free.

I glanced over at Warren, "You wouldn't happen to be able to heal burns, would you?"

Warren shook his head looking a little disappointed.

"It's fine," I said. "I'll heal the natural way."

"There's carbon in your skin," Nurse Spex said.

"What?" the entire room asked in unison.

Nurse Spex turned removing her glasses as she stared at me, "You blew out carbon bubbles."

"Not likely," I answered shaking my head.

Everyone else was silent from the shock.

"It's in your skin," Spex said waving the piece of skin around. "Proof."

"What do your parents do, again?" Speed asked turning his head towards me.

My mother is a water elemental. I blow water bubbles because she is a water element. Just because she has the word "element" in her powers doesn't mean I get the elements on the periodic table.

My father hears the future. Why haven't I gotten anything from him yet?

"I'm not so sure anymore," I answered truthfully.

I mean someone had to be hiding something from me! Maybe my mom was an all around elementalist and just water. It could be true since no one ever talks about her.

"Wait," I said perking up. "Carbon is a gas right? Water is a liquid, so it couldn't have been me that made the carbon."

Nurse Spex shrugged.

I turned to Warren, "Practice any new tricks lately?"

God I was so desperate for someone else to take the blame.

"As cool as it would be, no I didn't make the carbon," Warren answered leaving the room after he finished.

It wasn't me, I thought. It didn't make any sense.

My mom was a water element. Water is a liquid. Carbon is a gas. Sure she was an "element" but elements have boundaries and rules too. Once could only have on element at a time… from what I knew.

And how could carbon become a bubble? It's a freaking gas just like the air is hovered in. From what I remembered in basic science, carbon was lighter than oxygen… so that meant it couldn't hang in the air. Supposedly. Maybe.

It's still a gas okay, I thought furiously. I can only make liquid bubbles. Water bubbles. Period!

I stayed late with the nurse. Lash and Speed eventually got up to go. Lash made it clear that Warren and I would lose to him and Speed at Homecoming. Speed just tried to give me a hopeful smile.

"I'm afraid there is nothing more I can do for you right now," Nurse Spex said as the ointment dried on my skin.

"It's fine," I said hopping down from the table. "I'm sure someone in this school is a healer."

Or maybe my father knows one, I thought.

"Your father he… didn't happen to mention any of this to you, did he?" Spex asked with her bug eyes staring at me.

"Nope," I said walking to the door. "He never tells me the future."

I walked out of the nurse's office trying not to swing my arms as I did. I walked like a robot with my elbows bent and my palms facing each other as they remained ahead of me. My walk had absolutely no bounce to it otherwise I'd scream out in pain

I took the stairs slowly making sure my arms stayed at the level they were at. It was a little dark out as I made my way down and there were definitely no busses left.

An engine rumbled when I stepped off the stairs. I glanced over at the edge of Sky High seeing a spiffed up sports car. It was all black with two huge mufflers at the end of it. It still had it's usual four wheels but it only had two doors.

Someone waved at me from the driver's seat. I walked over recognizing the car with a little shock.

"Father?" I asked seeing him in the driver's seat.

He laughed, "Now you know why we don't drive this car as often."

"Because it flies?" I asked.

I thought for a moment, "Why are you in the driver's seat?"

Father pointed to the music system, "Auto pilot."

I rolled my eyes and headed around the car to get in. Father opened the door for me already knowing the condition I was in. I slid in carefully trying not to bump my elbow on the rest in between us.

"Time to head home," father spoke to the car.

It started driving on it's own which freaked me out. I had to close my eyes as it drifted off the edge of Sky High.

"It flies, sweetheart," father said. "Don't be scared."

My eyes remained shut for the entire trip down. I wasn't afraid of heights but the technology he was using was so out of my league. I clutched onto the door handle as the car seemed to levitate down to the ground. My muscles beneath my badly burned skin twitched as my grip remained tight.

"Coming in for the landing," my father quoted with a chuckle at the end.

I opened my eyes and released my grasp as I felt the car land rather nicely on the ground that didn't hover.

"I think I'll take the bus next time," I said bring my arms back in front of me.

"Flying scares you?" father asked staring straight forward.

"No," I answered. "Just the fact that cars don't fly quiet yet, my father is a blind man at the wheel, and the car has an auto pilot."

He smirked.

"Do we know any healers?" I asked after a moment of silence. "I don't think sleeping will be very comfortable with my current skin condition."

"She can heal you tonight," father started. "But you'll have to wear bandages for a few days at school."

"Why?" I asked. "If I'm healed why do I need them."

"I thought you didn't want everyone knowing about your place in society," father said. "If you tell them you hired a healer people might get curious."

"Are they really that expensive?" I asked.

"Not necessarily expensive," father said turning into Bear Path. "Just rare; hard to find nowadays."

"So you found her by listening for her?" I asked.

Father nodded as the car steadily drove to our house.

"Fine, I'll wear them," I said.

It would turn a few heads if I suddenly came to school with fully healed arms. Then my powers would really be in question or my stature.

"Do you think I blew carbon bubbles?" I asked as the car stopped in our driveway.

"It's hard to say since I can't see them but hear them," father said. "What do you think?"

I thought for a moment sorting my thoughts. Warren didn't do it. Lash and Speed sure didn't do it either. Boomer would have called a foul if someone in the crowd did it. So it must have been me. But I didn't try to blow out carbon; it just happened.

"Doubtful," I said exiting the car.

I walked my father inside the house and guided him to his favorite chair in the living room.

"Was mom anything else besides a water elemental?" I asked.

"No," father answered. "But, somewhere in her family lineage, there was an elementalist."

"An elementalist?" I repeated.

Father nodded. "Someone with the power of all six elements."

"Six? I thought there were four?" I said hearing footsteps from the kitchen.

"Light and Dark, sweetheart," father answered.

"The healer is ready," Mrs. Finch said peering into the living room.