Elements #Wattys2015

Chapter TwentyTwo

I walk into the room still aware that I kissed Asher. I wonder if it shows. Of course I'm not going to regret me saying that it was a great kiss. Am do I'm not going to take back the fact that I did seem to enjoy it. Neither will I forget that Asher has kissed many girls. Compared to my kiss it's probably ranged a 3 out of the rest of the girls. But for me the kiss was amazing. I should try to forget about the kiss. But both my mind and my heart knows that I won't.

"Your alive." Cindy says. She's reading a book and yes, I'm surprised she is. I don't think she would be caught Dead reading one. At one point I think I'm beginning to wonder if she doesn't have a device behind the book. I don't bother asking her why she's reading instead I just answer her question. " I seem to be breathing." I say. Though about 10 minuets ago I was grasping for oxygen.

"Good. Now, you Americans have impossible English." She complains. I don't seem to understand her. I know she has an Australian accent but it's not that noticeable. In fact when I first met her I thought she was all American.

"What?" I ask. She throws the book she was reading in my face. I look at it confused and a smile formed. "Your reading the Webster's Dictionary? That's not going to help." I didn't want to point out that the book was English. Not American. But I didn't want to kill her mood. "What's going to help. I'm sick of standing out."

"Your not the only Aussie you do know?" I point out. The Elements are from all different countries. So her being the only Aussie is rare.

"I know. But out of our group I am. You are all American." She says.

I look at the back of the book and immediately my eyes catch a sticker.

Banned.

It reads. I look up at Cindy. I can feel the color of my face leave. "Where did you get this?" I care to ask.

"It was in the ceiling. I found it when we hid your picture. Why?"

"It's banned, Cindy. Why? I know this book it has nothing bad." It's a fucking dictionary for crying out loud. How can it possibly be banned when the only thing it does is define words.

"I don't know. It was too boring. No one liked it. It was a waste of paper. So many reasons Skylar. We just don't have to tell Mrs. Gravel and other people. We'll stay alive."

There was a myth before that was told in the ordinary world. I didn't believe myths but now that I am an element I do believe them. A man decided to carry a banned book and he was caught. They didn't specify what book. Some people say it was an arithmetic book. Or something about a revolution. Or books that go against the government. Or a book of nursery rhymes. We all know what they are, it's just we never saw them. If we wanted to learn something we had computers. We had people who can tell us. Many people had different ideas of what the book was-When they caught the man the chastised him until he died. Some people said it was lack of food. Of course I would die like that. Some people say he was pulled into pieces and the punishments go on. After the story people always read the back of every book. Afraid if it was banned.

"Okay." I say smiling. I hand back the book hoping I don't see it in my hands ever again. I've heard of the Webster's dictionary. I've seen them before it's just I never knew they were banned. I never knew why.

"Of course you where to busy hiding you didn't get the announcement. Next week is ordinary week. We get to go out in the ordinary world. And since Element is located in America I didn't want to be the one with the weird speaking." She says. Ordinary week? What the hell is that. I understand we get to go to the ordinary world for a week but what will I do there? Sit down and eat chips. Taste the cakes? "Do we get to meet out families?" I ask. Hoping she says yes. I would rather stay with my mom and dad. I would tell them the screwed up life I have and how torturous it is to be under a dome.

" I don't know but I hope not." She mumbles. I give her a look asking her why. If she does not want to tell I won't force it out of her. I'll wait to let it slip. But she says anyway: "they hate me. I made mistakes. A lot... My mom died in a car accident and my father got married again. His wife hates me and so do their children. Being far away from the hell hole means a lot." I look at her. She says this with out any emotions therefore it either a lie and there's a different reason or she's hiding something. But I just nod like I was never wondering.

"There going to talk about it soon." Cindy says. She grabs her book and las down leaving me there to wonder about three things.

What is Cindy hiding?
And about the kiss.

"Cindy." I whisper. If she doesn't hear me I don't need to tell her. "Yeah." She heard me.
"I'm going to tell you something. You cannot tell anyone." I whisper again. She gets up and sits next to me. "Secret!" She squeals. I laugh.

"What if I told you someone kissed me." Here we begin. Now I regret bringing it up. "I wouldn't believe it. You don't like doing those smoochy stuff." She says and I agree I don't "wait! You kissed someone." Finally the brick hits her. I tell her to lower her voice.

"It wasn't really something. Well, I don't know. I think I liked it. But I don't know what to feel." I say.

"Who?" Is all she asked.

"That. Im not telling."

"I'll figure it out." She mumbles.  "Okay. Did you kiss him back?" I nod blushing. The scene is brought back into my mind and all I want to do is erase it.

"Then you like him?" She says. It sounded more of a question as a statement. I wanted it to be a statement. So at least someone will tell me what to feel. So I won't be confused. What if he doesn't like me.

"I don't know." I shrug.

"You're difficult. I thought you don't do relationships."

"We're not in a relationship." That I'm sure of. I don't recall any relationship being brought up. It was just... A kiss. Many people kiss. Some people just kiss to make up for there feelings. Maybe Asher kissed me to go with the act. Like, if they came in they would only ask for Asher's mark. Once they know he's a fire it would be obvious that I'm not a water...

"Okay..." She slowly says. "You're just confused because it was the first time. Maybe if it happens again then it's a feeling for you two. I wouldn't let it slide. Maybe ask him about the kiss. Is it Cameron!" She says.

"No!" I quickly add. "He has a girl friend."

"They broke up." She says.

"Why?" I say. Hoping that it moves the topic off me.

"I don't know but she doesn't want to talk to any of us." Cindy says laughing.

"Talk to him about it." She then adds and goes off to finish her book.

Maybe I will talk to him about it. When I get the opportunity.