Guardians of the Elements: The Lightning Guardian

The New Formation - Part II

The loud sounding of the alarm caused Narel to jump awake, falling off the bed. Still asleep, she climbed the sheets until she reached her cell phone, which was left on the nightstand on the other side of the bed. She took it to see the time, 8:30, the vet would open in thirty minutes, she had to get ready... but... that bed was so... comfortable... NO! She had to get up. She would have time to enjoy the softness of sleeping on a mattress again, instead of that hard couch at her grandmother's house. Her beloved grandmother... A tear slid down her cheek.

The phone rang again, but it wasn't the alarm. A message... from Eren !: "Wake up sleepyhead, we'll open in half an hour" Another message: "We're waiting for you downstairs." Narel jumped to her feet. He was already here. And she was still half asleep, wearing the same clothes she had been wearing for two days. She ran to her backpack. Yes! That old habit of always carrying an extra change of clothes was paying off; she would take a bath and then...

- Narel - Eren was knocking on the door. Why was he at the door? - Narel, are you awake?

The blue-haired girl looked at her cell phone; she had not answered him. She ran to the door.

- H-hi, Eren - She had ajar the door, she didn't want him to see her as she was. "he"? No, "she didn't want to be seen." Yes, that - What are you doing here? - what a stupid question.

- In case you forgot, I work here; just like you - Narel looked him up and down, he was wearing a twin - So you better go down, we open in twenty.

- O-okay - she answered - I'll go down in a moment - she closed the door in his face.

She waited a bit until she heard Eren's footsteps coming down the stairs. Then she grabbed the clothes that had thrown on the bed and went to the bathroom.

***

A message made Eren's phone ring; Raymond: "See you at the lair after closing. I already told Frank." Eren gave a quick "Ok" and continued his descent down the stairs. Then he would let Narel know; he couldn't wait to present her to his friends... sorry, to present his discovery to his partners, that, that.

***

Raymond took his coat, which he had thrown on the couch the night before, and reached the door with a couple of steps. Breeze was sitting at the kitchen counter enjoying her morning cup of coffee.

- Me voy al Laburo

- What? - asked the Danish girl as he opened the stylized metal door.

- I'm going to work - he explained when remembering that not all people speak Spanish, even less someone from another country - Feel free to do whatever you want. There's a spare key in the cat on the bookshelf - he added, pointing to a bookcase in the living room - in case you want to go for a walk.

- Ok, I'll keep it in mind - she answered, following with her gaze where he was pointing: a small plastic kitten, thrown into a basket, on one of the shelves in the middle.

- Good - Ray paused checking to not forget anything - Oh, and I called a meeting of Guardians for the afternoon. Then I will send you the meeting point in case you are not there for when I return.

- Okay.

The Air Guardian felt that Raymond didn't want to leave her alone, although she could see that it wasn't because he was worried about her, so she gave him a confident smile. This reassured him. In fact, he was the one who wanted to stay with her and enjoy her company; mesmerized by her ever-bright brown eyes, which took away his self-confidence every time their gazes met. He returned her smile and left.

***

- Service - a woman's voice was heard at the door of the hotel room.

- Go ahead - answered Aileen who, despite having just gotten up, seemed ready for a photo shoot.