Elements

18. lone wolf

I was to the normal bang, it doesn't scare me like it use to. After last night I'm honestly surprised I was even able to fall asleep. I step out of bed and change into fresh clothes, opting for my cropped t shirt and sweats. My usual.

I walk out of my room and out to the table to join everyone as I'm the last one up. I sit down and begin eating with them as I try catching up in what ever story Jesses telling about back home.

I look up across the table and Malek catches eye contact with me for a second before he looks back down at his food, grinning as he shakes his head slightly to himself. A small part of me was worried he would go back to not acknowledging me again

After breakfast Aaron went for testing while Jesse decided to take a shower leaving me and Malek out in the common room alone.

I sit down on the couch, resting my legs crossed out infront of me on the coffee table as he lays out on the opposite couch reading.

"You're staring" Malek says after a few quiet moments pass before looking away from his book over at me.

My cheeks go red as I quickly look away from him, scrambling to find something to look at. I can't help it.

I find my eyes slowly wondering back to him as he continues reading, staring at his chest and arms.

I slowly concentrate and forming a vine that runs up his arm to his fingers.

I watch and he lowers the book and holds his hand out infront of him, watching it grow. I notice how the leaves aren't wilting and actually look green?

"Why aren't they brown?" I say confused

"Why would they be?" He says looking over at me

"Because" I say confused "with Dr Martin-"

And suddenly it clicks, He was messing up his study

"Why do you fight testing?" I say looking up at him

"You can't trust them, they will use what they know against you" he says looking back at me

"But they hurt you" I say confused why anyone would chose pain

"I'd rather this pain then the pain they could inflict if they really knew how" he says and it kind of makes sense. "We shouldn't be here"

Just then Jesse walks out into the common room with her hair done up in a towel as she comes and sits with me.

"We should have a party" Jesse says looking over at me, Malek looks up from his book listening

"Ynow with all the people we have" I say rolling my eyes

"Okay well I still want to do it sometime" she grins "Ivy over here can bring the weed" she grins at Malek

"That's an idea" he says still reading his book

"Seriously though" she says looking at me

"What? You want me to grow you weed, where would you smoke it?" I say confused

"I'm creative" she smiles. "We're definitely having a party one of these nights".

A while or so passes as we talk more about highschool as Jesse tells me she was quite the hipster stoner, I can really see it.

Aaron eventually comes out of testing around dinner as we all circle around the table eating as Aaron tells us about his new sets of tests. Dr Martin is getting him to use force to try and lift himself off the ground and it's actually starting to work well.

After dinner Malek is called into testing and he doesn't go without at least a little hesitation. The guards come out wearing fire retardant gear.

I watch as the guard grabs Maleks arm as he gets up off the couch and that's all it took for Malek to start swinging as he punches the guard, landing him on the ground.

The other guard then tasers Malek making him flinch down into the couch.

"Jesse" the guard yells and I watch as Jesse shuts her eyes, seconds later Malek appears to faint?

The two men then take him out of the room and into testing, I wish he wouldn't fight them, they always hurt him.

I decided to sketch with Jesse for a while as we wait for Malek to get out of testing. I managed to draw a tree, kind of a good one too. I use to really like art but I never had the time. Maybe I did but I never put in the time.

Jesse has been working on an oil painting of a forrest for a while now, she a lot better especially with paint than me.

•

I swing around in my chair as I hear the metal doors open. I watch as Malek is allowed out as he immediately walks past the common room towards the showers. Hes not covered in ash this time but I notice his face is red on his cheekbone?

"Hey I'll be right back" I say to Jesse, standing from my chair

I follow Malek back as I watch him enter into the bathroom. I open the door and see him running water onto a small white cloth at the sink. He looks up at me as I enter and I can see they hit him in the face, it looks red and swollen as some blood streams down his cheek from a cut?

"What happened?" I say moving towards him

He stands up straight and backs off from me as I move towards him?

"I'm fine" he says almost crudely?

"I can help" I say going to grab the wet cloth he dropped in the sink

"I don't need your help" he says before walking past me, I go to grab his hand but he pulls away and leaves the washroom without a word?

What did I do? What did they do? Why is he acting like this? Does he just not want me to see him like that or does he just not like me like that and I misread him?

I stop the water in the sink before slowly ringing out the cold cloth before hanging it to dry. I leave the washroom again and instead of walking back to the common room I enter my bedroom, laying down on my bed and staring at the ceiling.