Chapter Five: Spirit Meets Fire
Siobhan was racing down the halls toward the cafeteria. She had been held up by her Science teacher, Mr. Medulla. He had spent some "extra" time explaining to her how to make a freeze ray. Siobhan shook her head as she ran. When was she ever going to need to build one of those? She started to slow down her feet as she reached the cafeteria. She strolled across the room to the outdoor patio where she froze.
"What are doing just standing there?" asked Casey
Siobhan walked slowly to their designated green picnic table in mild confusion. Layla Williams and Warren Peace were sitting with Casey and Ashling. Siobhan felt like her tiny High School world had just blown its top off.
"Sorry" mumbled Siobhan to Casey as she sat down.
"What are Layla and Warren doing here?" Siobhan sent mentally to Casey
Casey grinned, in what Siobhan assumed was amusement, and began to write in her notebook. Siobhan listened to Ashling talk about the girl's day out to Layla and ask if she wanted to go while Casey continued writing.
"Layla noticed we had the same lunch today. She dragged Warren over. Apparently they don't share the same lunch with Will and some other friends she mentioned that they usually eat with. She asked if they could sit with us and we welcomed them. They are both lost ones so it seems best to befriend them and then tell them who they are. Layla can manipulate plants so Earth clan. Ashling is very happy. "Wrote Casey
Siobhan quickly read Casey's explanation and smiled at the end. She was happy that Ashling had found someone to connect with and that they had found another lost one. Though she wasn't sure how they were going to tell them who they were. Her thoughts would have trailed down more mind trails if she didn't feel eyes burning into her. She turned and saw Warren glaring at her. She glared back in response.
"Do you have a problem Warren?" asked Siobhan
She suddenly felt crabby and in the mood to fight with someone. She continued to glare at him and daring him to give her an excuse.
"My problem is you didn't answer my question" said Warren
Siobhan had not realized that she had zoned out while reading Casey's note. Today, between Mr. Medulla and this weird lunch, was just not her day.
"Sorry" she bit off and continued, "What did you ask me?"
"How do you plan to win today's Save the Citizen?" re-asked Warren
"I don't plan to win" said Siobhan
"What? Are you doing it to make a statement? I would understand that." Said Layla
Warren didn't reply but his eyes seemed intense as he waited to hear more. Siobhan could swear she almost smelled fire from Warren. Casey and Ashling were not stunned as the other two were but then they were her kinsmen. She shrugged as she replied:"No statement, but it would simply be unfair for the other students."
"That sounds egoistical to me" said Warren
"That sounds egoistical to me" repeated Warren
Siobhan grinned at her use of her power. It had been so easy to slip into his thoughts and cause him to repeat himself. "Too bad he had not been taught to guard his mind" thought Siobhan. The look of confusion and downright anger seemed to amuse Siobhan even more.
"That is kind of scary" said Layla
"Thus, I would rather lose then win" said Siobhan
"Don't ever do that again" Warren glared and growled at the same time
"Anyway, so Layla do you want to come to the girl's day out?" asked Ashling again. Siobhan appreciated Ashling's efforts at diverting the conversation.
"Yeah, it sounds fun. Did you say that you control plants, too?" asked Layla
"I do and also the earth" said Ashling
"The earth?" questioned Layla
"I will show you on Saturday" said Ashling
"OK, and Casey what are your powers?" asked Layla
"I control water in all of its forms" said Casey
"You mean ice, right?" asked Warren who's interest seemed piqued by Casey's reply
"Yes ice and when water becomes a gas" said Casey
"Mmph" was Warren's reply and his interest seemed lost as quickly as it was found.
Siobhan didn't much feel like adding to the conversation as it died down. She focused on eating and reviewing her mad Science textbook. "Why am I doing this? When will I use 'mad science' as a Shaman? Maybe I like good grades?" thought Siobhan as she finished a paragraph on Magic Rings. "They don't even know the half of that" continued Siobhan's thoughts.
"Hello, studious student" Casey said as she used her knuckles to tap on Siobhan's head
"What? "Asked Siobhan
"Layla just invited us and the boys to a study session tomorrow night" said Casey
"OK. "Said Siobhan
"Do you want to go?" asked Casey
"Yeah" said Siobhan
"Then save the studying for tomorrow" said Casey
Ashling and Layla seemed to find this exchange funny and they were letting out smirks and giggles. Warren was just glaring once again. Siobhan began to think he had a serious problem such as something stuck up his rear end.
"Is everyone ready for save the Citizen?" asked Siobhan as she closed her textbook
"I can't wait to see how you plan to lose" said Casey
"I could black out or purposely let someone hit me with their powers" said Siobhan
"I think Coach Boomer would call you out on that" said Layla
"He does seem to be stickler" said Casey
"I will figure something out" said Siobhan
777777777777777777777
As it turned out Siobhan and Allen were pitted against Casey and some guy named John. Siobhan felt much more relaxed about faking a lost with Casey. She knew Casey would play along.
"I will take Casey" said Siobhan
"She is your friend, right?" asked Allen
"Yeah, so I know her weak spots. It will be fine" reassured Siobhan
"OK, do you know what powers John has?" asked Allen
"Mmmm, I think he shape-shifts" Siobhan said. She remembered Crystal telling her about other freshmen who also shaped shifted. She thought she recalled John's name coming up.
Allen didn't seem to know for sure either and they talked mostly strategy while waiting for Casey and John to come out of the locker rooms.
John and Casey entered the arena with confident strides. Casey walked toward Siobhan and grinned as water began to spurt up from the ground and twist toward Siobhan. She used her telekinesis to block the water and started pushing the water back toward Casey.
"Make a small water sprout behind me and keep it small before you attack. It will seem real and I can gracefully lose" Said Siobhan into Casey's mind
A small trickle of water began to trail behind Siobhan. She felt it drawing closer but chose to ignore it. Instead, she focused on trying to trap Casey into a telekinetic box, as she had done with Warren.
The water slowly grew into a swirling tunnel then came crashing down on Siobhan. Her shocked expression, she hoped, didn't seem too practiced. She pretended to be knocked out and using her telepathy she sensed that Casey used her water powers to rescue the dummy while John, who did have shape shifting abilities, sat on Allen in a tiger form.
"Heroes Win" yelled out Mr. Boomer with his powers. Siobhan acted as though Mr. Boomer's extra loud voice had woken her up. She held her ears and shook her head trying to pretend to be affected by the aftershock of the battle.
"Sorry, Allen" Siobhan said as they exited the arena
"It's OK. We can't win them all, right?" Said Allen
"Right" said Siobhan
She soon lost Allen, Casey, and John in the crowd. It seemed that everyone was in a hurry to get home today. "It isn't even Friday, yet" thought Siobhan. She mildly shook her head in amusement, but what could she say, she wanted very much to be home, too. She felt like she was pretending to be some one she wasn't in school but at home, she was free.
"Well, that was interesting" said Warren as he caught up with Siobhan.
"Interesting, how?" asked Siobhan
"Don't play dumb, it doesn't suit you" said Warren
"It worked didn't it?" asked Siobhan
"Yes, it did the trick. Speaking of tricks, do you remember the day we met?" asked Warren
Siobhan's heart plummeted in her chest as she answered, "Yes, I remember"
"What happened when you squeezed my hand?" asked Warren
"I hiccuped" Siobhan lied quickly
"Is that all?" asked Warren
Siobhan sensed that Warren's eyes squinted in suspicion. She hoped to lead his thoughts off this path, but how?
"What else do you think happened?" asked Siobhan with what she hoped sounded like curiosity.
"Nothing" said Warren
"Hey, I was looking for you" Casey said to Siobhan, "Hi Warren", she added as an afterthought
"That was fun, wasn't it?" continued Casey
"It was different. I usually win against you" said Siobhan
"That is only because I let you" pouted Casey
"You usually win?" questioned Warren
"At home we train with our other friends" said Casey
Siobhan knew she should add something. She knew Casey was slowly giving Warren information to get him interested and to slowly let him know who he was. However, their earlier conversation seemed to make her feel guilty and yet her cheeks were burning. It almost felt like she was blushing. "What is going on with me?" wondered Siobhan
"So, let me get this straight, in your trailer park there is a field and the adults don't think it is crazy to let a bunch of teenagers attack each other with various elemental powers in this field?" asked Warren
It sounded like Casey had given Warren a run-down of their usual training sessions while she had been trailing around in her head.
"The adults encourage us to learn how to properly use our powers" said Casey
"That is the most unusual thing I have ever heard" said Warren
"I am sure she didn't give you all the details. Did she mention that pretty much everyone in the trailer park has powers? That these training sessions are monitored for fair play and such?" asked Siobhan
"No, she didn't mention those things at all" said Warren
"Well, you need to leave some mystery to life" said Casey
"I don't mind mysteries, as long as I evidently solve them" said Warren and Siobhan could have sworn he was talking about her.
"Well then Sherlock, one mystery solved. Hey, I need to go my locker" said Casey, turning to Siobhan she added, "I will meet you at the bus".
Siobhan nodded her head toward her best friend and turned to go toward her locker, as well. The crowds were thinning and she didn't want to keep the bus waiting too long. She almost hummed to herself before she realized Warren had not left her side.
"Are you going to come with me to my locker?" she asked
"Why not?" said Warren
She was mystified but decided to pretend that Warren was acting like her personal body guard. He certainly did have a way of parting the crowd. With Warren, it didn't take her long to reach her locker. "Good ole' number 465" thought Siobhan as she slowly began to twist her lock. She was still getting the hang of how to use a locker. Casey had showed her twice how to do it. She felt like an idiot but it was just difficult for her. She sighed in victory as she opened her locker and placed her books inside. She grabbed her English book remembering that she hadn't finished the reading for the next day. Closing her locker and slinging her bag over her shoulder Siobhan turned toward Warren, who had simply stood and watched her.
"Well, goodbye. See you tomorrow, I guess" said Siobhan
"Actually, I was going to walk you to your bus" said Warren
"Really? Is that necessary?" asked Siobhan
"Probably not" Said Warren
Siobhan didn't know what to make of that and hoped Warren would decide to leave. She turned around and started walking quickly to her bus. She was hoping to speed walk and lose him. She even zig-zagged and went around a couple people in an attempt to lose Warren. She noticed Warren was keeping pace with her and this made her uneasy.
"What do you want?" asked Siobhan
"You lied" said Warren
"What? When?" said Siobhan
"Don't play dumb, it doesn't suit you" said Warren repeating his words from earlier
"This is one mystery that you are not solving today Sherlock" said Siobhan
She couldn't believe he had noticed and called her out. Somehow, it made her very pissed off. She stomped out of the school and down the steps toward her bus. Warren was no longer behind her and for that she was grateful.
77777777777777777777777777777777
I am sorry for the delay in updating. The past week and this week too has been super busy for me. I just found out I am pregnant with my second child. It has been very exciting around my home lately! Also, I am sorry it is a short chapter! I will work on a longer chapter for next time, till then R&R!
~ GottesBlume
P.S. ReadingLily, I have also had the same thought. But, for now, I am keeping in the fanfiction arena. Thanks for the compliment!