Embers

Amber

I'd been staring at the roof for hours. It felt like lifetimes, actually. I turned over in my bed to clock the clock on my bedside table. 2:00 am. I let out a huge sigh. I was so tired, but my mind was too active to let me sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about today. Noah doesn't have powers? Why was he here? And why do I care? I shot up in bed. This was hopeless. With another huge sigh a flipped my legs around the side and slid across the floor in my socks. A hit the wardrobe softly as I came into contact. I opened a drawer and pulled out a grey hoodie, throwing it over my singlet and leggings. My hair was in a messy bun and the hood shaped around it to look like a lump on my head, I sighed yet again and pulled the hood down. I stumbled in the dark to my door, contemplating putting on shoes but deciding against it, after all I didn't want to wake anyone up.
Quietly slipping out into the hall I made my way to the kitchen. There was a whole lunch room with school tables to walk through before I even made it there. I looked back constantly to make sure I hadn't woken anyone up and tripped over a table leg whilst I wasn't paying attention. I fell on the cold steel floor and landed on my back. I pulled my shin up to my chest and rocked in pain silently. I heard a sound of a light switch being flicked on and from my peripheral vision I could see it was coming from the kitchen. Damn, someone had beaten me to it. Forgetting the pain in my leg I stood up and hobbled closer, trying to get a better look. And then I saw it, dark blond hair.

"Noah," I involuntary whispered. I covered my hand with my mouth and regretted my actions immediately.

"Hello?" He turned around and oh gosh, he was shirtless. My heart skipped a beat for a moment and then the pain returned to my leg. It buckled and I fell to the ground again. For a moment I lay on my chest in the dark, before turning onto my back. I let out a huge breath. What was I doing? I hadn't actually ever seen a shirtless boy before. I crawled back up and stood in the dark for a second longer before deciding that it was kind of creepy. I took in a huge gulp of air and walked into the light of the kitchen.

"Amber," Noah gave a smirk. Suddenly his cheeks turned a light pink and I think he realised he was shirtless.

"Couldn't sleep?" I asked shyly. I looked at the ground to avoid making him feel uncomfortable, but I couldn't stop my eyes from drifting up to his. He was lean, and although he wasn't muscly he was toned, and tanned. I quickly shot my eyes back down to the floor, hating myself a tiny bit for intruding so much.

"Yeah, nightmares actually."

I met his eyes again. I was surprised at his honesty. Usually he was cryptic and sarcastic but he just told me he had nightmares. I was more then confused but too caught up in the moment to care. I felt totally strange, I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about him, and here he was.

"Oh. I was getting a drink of water," I walked past him and filled up a glass. I stood at the sink with my back turned to him for a moment, waiting to see if he would talk. When he didn't say anything I turned back around. I almost dropped my glass, he was standing closer to me but not too close. I felt shy all over again, almost as if I'd forgotten he was shirtless, as if I ever could.

"Goodnight," I smiled. I swear he could hear my heartbeat in the words, it was beating faster as I walked closer to him to exit the kitchen.

"Goodnight," he smiled and his green eyes shone a little.

When I was back in the safety of my room I fell onto my bed. I winced when my leg hit the mattress but didn't care. Oh my god. I'll never be able to sleep again, if only one conversation with him kept me up for one night, seeing him shirtless would keep me up forever.

My eyes shot open and I looked at my clock. 4:00am. When had I fallen asleep? I closed my eyes slowly and it all came back to me, starting with the pain in my leg and finishes with Noah. I fluttered my eyes open and wondered if it would be awkward the next time I saw him, whenever that might be.
I was lost in this thought when I heard loud footsteps coming to my doorway. It swung open and I sat up in bed when I saw an unfamiliar face. Her name was Liesel, I think. She panted and we stared at each other for a second before something snapped in her mind and she begun talking.

"Elizabeth needs you now. It's urgent," she waited for me at the door and I sprung to life. Luckily I was still in my hoodie but I was regretting the decision to not wear shoes, and by the look on Liesels face, there wasn't anytime to grab a pair.
Once I was out of bed Liesel ran from my door and I followed her as closely behind as I could, and she was fast.
All around me I could see everyone else evacuating their own bedrooms, but as we reached a forked corridor they all ran in the opposite direction to Liesel and I.

"Hey," I panted, "why aren't we going with them?" I could hardly breath but I had to know.

"Because," she seemed out of breath too, "they're going to safety."
And that was all she said. Sure I was concerned, but I had to trust this stranger. Finally we arrived at Elizabeth's room and Liesel ran in with out knocking. I looked around and there was paper scattered everywhere along with some furniture that had been tipped over.

"This isn't right," Liesel said breathlessly. Then she turned and ran and I followed. What was going on?