The Sun Weilders

9

My ringtone woke me up at three thirty in the morning. It was set to "In Da Club" by Fifty Cent. I groaned loudly and sat up. Crimson's radiant smile was on the screen, and I pushed the "Answer" button.

"Are you in Europe?" I asked.

"You don't have long distance calling. You can't afford it," he replied sadly.

I sighed and thought, Was he trying to torture me?

"I know you think talking to me at three-thirty is awesome and all, but seriously, why are you doing this?" I inquired.

I could hear Crimson on the other line trying to suppress a laugh. After a long and awkward minute he said, "I want you to look out your window and tell me what you see."

I did as he told me to, and looked out the miniscule window in my bedroom. The night sky was dark, which reminded my of Slater's hair. The stars shown in all their radiance, and the moon looked like their keeper.

Crimson's strained voice caught me off guard. "You see a dark sky and a billion stars. Same as I. But what we don't see is the rest of the world. That is why you are to meet me in exactly three and a half minutes outside your bedroom window."

And he hung up. I shook my head and said, aloud, to no one in particular, "Does this boy want to ruin my life?!"

I threw on a dark green hoodie and grey sweatpants. I figured if Crimson wanted to see me, he would get the least organized me. I went over to my window to unlatch it. With a few grunts and some profanity, I got the window open.

I wrote a short note to my grandmother that consisted of "Gone to help out Crimson, Love Em" and put it on my bed.

I crawled out onto the roof, and stubbed my toe on some loose shingles. I used to always come on my roof when I was younger, but had stopped for some reason.

Standing ten feet below me was my knight in...black jeans and a tee. I swore I could see his truly radiant smile from down there.

"Emry, Emry. My friend so sweet. Come and meet me, you're in for a treat," he said in a sing-song voice, and I rolled my eyes. I climbed onto the edge of the roof and sat down, my legs dangling off the side.

"Hey Crimson?" I asked in a shaky voice.

He jerked his head up. "What? For I but have no time to waste, so come with no haste."

"I'm afraid to jump."

Crimson shook his head and gave me an incredulous look. "Use your fire powers," he said calmly, and pretended to chop an imaginary block of wood in half.

I concentrated, trying to make myself and the ground the only things on Earth. I put my hands down at my sides, and fire exploded out of my hands in a burst of light, and I closed my eyes and imagined me landing safely on the ground.

I did, fortunately. I opened my eyes to charred grass and a flabbergasted best friend. Crimson's eyes took in the flames on my legs and in my hands.

"Ironically," he commented, "that was really cool."

I smiled weakly. A headache was starting to pound in my head, and as we walked toward his truck, I tripped on the sidewalk. Crimson was instantaneously by my side, sweeping me into his arms.

"If you can't walk, then I guess I'll just have to carry you," he said, and I nodded against my will. He set me in the passenger seat, and asked if I was okay.

"I'm fine, Chill. Tell me where we're going."

"My aunt Iris has a lake house she's not using. She asked me to check on the place just to make sure there's no homeless dude living in there or something. Just thought if I had you with me, I wouldn't be so scared," he said and playfully tapped my cheek.