The Elementals Project

Raina

I returned to work the day after my conversation with Taylor, it had been about a week since then and everything was starting to get all too real.  The news was spreading fast about the blonde-haired boy who’d burnt up two towns so far and heading this direction. Taylor kept checking up on me, she knew she couldn’t say anything in front of the guys just yet until I had told them myself, which she was urging me to do. Things were starting to get complicated and I had no way of sorting it until he arrived at our town. The only thing that didn’t make sense was that Adam wasn’t blonde, or at least he wasn’t when I knew him. He had brown hair, that was always well cut, but I also knew what EP was like; I had been there after all. Anything could have happened in the past three years and just the thought of that scared me.

“Raina?” I could hear Shane calling my name behind me, but sat at this desk I felt as if I couldn’t move, I had tab after tab up trying to find a name for the boy who was released and It was like he was completely off records, just Blank. In fact everyone had named him Blank due to the lack of name, and there were no photos either so I couldn’t even confirm it that way. I could feel the sweat on my hands and I had got completely side tracked but I needed to know if it really was him and if it was, I needed to prepare myself for what came. “Hello? Earth to Raina” I could hear him drone.

“What?” I snapped, I took a deep breath “Sorry I didn’t mean to snap, I’m just …. Don’t worry” I looked up to see his face flushed and shocked.

“Look, I want to be here for you, you’re like a little sister to me but you need to open up to us, me and Jedd and Taylor, how can we help you if we don’t know what’s wrong?” I looked down at the floor to mask my embarrassment “Wait is that about that fire kid?” Shit. My computer still had tab after tab open, he must have looked over my shoulder. I spin round in my chair to close all the tabs but he reaches out and stops me “What the fuck Raina? What the hell is all this” I can hear the anger in his voice and in a way, it scares me more than Adam showing up at this moment.

“Look I can explain it all-”

“Then do” He yells, cutting me off, and at that we have more or less the entire office looking at us. I see Taylor and Jedd start to rush over, Taylor shielding me and Jedd pushing Shane back.

“Look she’ll explain everything tonight but not here Shane, it isn’t something she can explain easy” Taylor begs, and at that Shane sits back in his chair and sighs.

“Fine, but it better be good” He grunts, anger still in his voice, and just at that I realised what I had to do. Before I knew it eight o’clock had rolled round and I was panicking. Shane taps my shoulder, beckons to the others and I reluctantly lift myself from my chair and gather my stuff. The walk back to mine was silent, not even Taylor tried to make conversation. As I unlocked my door, Taylor looked at us all.

“No matter what happens here tonight, whether either of you like it or not, it doesn’t leave this room, do you understand?” both of the boys realised how serious she was and nodded in agreement before all four of us entered my apartment, everyone left the bags at the door and me and Taylor took our shoes off. There was still left-over Chinese boxes on the table from the night before and I felt bad that I hadn’t really cleaned up. We all sat down on the beanbags scattered in a corner of my living room and I thought back to Taylor’s reaction, the boys might not take this too bad. “Go on then, show them” Taylor said sympathetically.

“Wait shouldn’t I explain anything?” I said panic seeping through into my voice.

“No. Just show them” I look at the boys who look equally confused as they do intrigued. I take a deep breath and shut my eyes, focusing all my energy once again on controlling my fire, so none of them get hurt, I can feel Taylors warm hand on the base of my back and that itself calms me. I open my eyes to see once again, a lotus flower in bloom, then slowly turn to look at the boys, who both look like they’re about to start laughing. Now I’m the one who looks confused. First to go is Jedd, holding his stomach as he rolls about in laughter, then Shane goes, into the exact same state and I look at Taylor to confirm that she is in the same confusion as me, however she’s sat there trying not to laugh herself.

“What’s so funny” my voice came out quieter than I realised it would and they both sat up to look at me.

“The fact you have to concentrate so hard, most of us can just do it” and at that he opens his hand to reveal a ball of water, I look at Jedd to see him do the same however he’s holding a ball of earth vines winding into each other. This time I’m the one who looks shocked and just like that everyone is laughing again, I turn to Taylor.

“Are you like us too?” I know I sound hurt and I know she hears it and she pulls me in and hugs me as tight as she can.

“No, I’m still Taylor” her voice soft as she pulls back and looks me in the eyes “As human as they come” she grins and at that I smile too, looking round at the boys who are now sat there smiling too.

“So, who are you really?” Shane says, his voice calm and composed.

“Who am I really?” I ask, pure confusion in my voice.

I look round at both of the boys, Shane looks like he’s about to laugh, where Jedd is shocked “You never changed your name?” Jedd asks

“No, I’ve always been just Raina” I say and once again I feel a warm comforting feeling, I know I have friends, true friends... no. I have a family.