Elementalia is Burning down

Chapter 9

"What?" Bianca said after they left using their mapmakers. These 'elementals' apparently liked to pile information on people like her because today had been nothing but jaw dropping and fist clenching news.

"Your... friend is here!" Mr. Burch called from downstairs.

"So, whassup?!" Keith said as soon as he stepped through the doorway.

"Nothing, let's just get this over with," Bianca replied.

"Oh, relax, you'll be fine," he said as he picked up the heaviest book.

"Yeah, sure."

"No really, look closer!" Keith said as she picked up the book he was holding. It had an elegant title that said, "Fighting Fire," and she turned the pages to see diagrams and pictures, and text with words so big that it looked like they could barely fit a sentence on the page.

"Wow, this could be easier than I thought," she said.

"Well, duh!" Keith said, putting emphasis on the last word, "that's what I've been trying to tell you!"

"Whatever," she said. And then they began studying.

"The Great Chicago fire was caused by a former fire prodigy?!" Bianca shouted at Keith.

"What are you talking about?" he said as she showed him the page, "oh, well that was more of an incident, you see, while the elementals where looking for more people like you, hiding amongst the humans, one of the searchers, a fire prodigy, took shelter in a barn whenever he wasn't working, but one day as he woke up, the barn had been engulfed in flames, so he used his mapmaker to teleport away from the barn, leaving the world to think it was a cow who did it!" then he smiled and said, "see, was this that bad?"

"No," she mumbled quietly.

"Great because I had a wonderful time," Keith said as he stood.

"Me too."

He then put on his game show host voice and said, "and that was our show, until next time when we can tackle more books!"

"Ridiculous," she said.

"Yeah right, it's awesome, oh and by the way, kinda hurt you didn't want to live with me," he then collapsed on the floor and said, "my heart will never be whole again!"

"Drama queen!"

"I'm just messing with you, and honestly I think you dodged a bullet," he said.

"See you!" she said as he walked out. He then saluted and her heart skipped a beat as he smiled warmly a her, his emerald eyes softening as he said,

"See you too, Bianca."