Elemental High

1 - Just Another Day

PLAY WITH FIRE
I've always liked to play with fire

LYLA

It's just another day at Elemental high. At The start of a new year I suppose, I didn't really have a break over the summer. I was working in my sister Georgia's cafe. She is always in need of more staff and so I jump in whenever I can. She's good at making sure I'm well paid. I don't mind working for her, it's a nice way to forget about the shit storm that is my life. I have multiple gifts.

I should explain. In the world there are humans and there are Elementals. I am an elemental. Usually an elemental will have one gift as we call them, that connects us to nature. All of us can connect to the elements and manipulate them in certain ways when trained, which is what Elemental high is for. However, each of us is born with our own specific gift. Usually people only get one. I, on the other hand, have two. I can control the weather and essentially burst into flames. Even in Elemental high I'm an outcast because of this. Everyone is scared of me because of how closely our gifts are linked to our emotions. If I were to lose control, even for a second, it could destroy the school. It has meant people kept their distance. I'm not bullied or anything, just avoided. I have a singular friend and she was away all summer leaving me more than happy to work in the cafe.

I watch as all the friendship groups reconnect as if they haven't seen each other in years. I can't help but feel envious. I have never really had that kind of connection. Since that one incident 3 years ago, in my first year at Elemental High, I've been outcasted and labelled as a lost cause. Nobody has really built that connection with me. Even Elizabeth, my one friend, and I don't have that connection. Really I think she hangs out with me for protection. She would be a rather easy target for bullies and arseholes looking for a target. It gets lonely sometimes. I can only spill my heart to my sister and most of the time she is too busy for that. We get one movie night a week and I rarely want to burden her with my issues. She has much too much going on for my petty high school drama. While I know she doesn't mind, I know she has so much going on.

"Lyla!" Elizabeth, or as I call her Lizzy, calls to me. Lizzy has blazing red hair and glasses that are much too big for her face. Her nose is slightly crooked which is something I have never had the confidence to ask her about. I know there must be a story there, but we aren't close enough to bare our souls. Lizzy is a fire elemental which is something we can connect on. We can both shoot fire from our hands and even sometimes fly if we try hard enough. We're both still learning, but she is slightly less skilled than me. It seems to come more naturally to me which is another reason I think she just wants protection.

"How was your summer?" I ask as she appears next to me. Lizzy is rather fast, I think it's because of the time she has spent running from our 'peers'.

"It was amazing, we went to Alaska. Wish we could've hung out, but I've got tons of pictures to show you," Lizzy is so excited it makes me happy for her. I'm glad I have such a sweet, happy friend. She and her parents tend to go on these extravagant holidays during breaks. While I would love to see the world, I always make the effort not to envy Lizzy. Georgia gives me everything she can with what she has and I always make sure I appreciate that before I dwell in my wants and wishes.

"That would be amazing, I bet you had the best time!" I exclaim, matching her own excitement. Lizzy's eyes light up and she nods enthusiastically.

"How was your summer? Anything scandalous happened when I was away?" Lizzy asks, she always likes to be up to date on all the drama around town. We live in a small town and word always spreads fast. It's something I hate about living in Livington. Livington in a small town in central England. There's nothing really around us, we don't get visitors other than the odd passer by driving through often heading to Cornwall or somewhere like that. Nothing much happens and so almost everything is a scandal.

"No scandals this summer. Except apparently Josh Fry didn't go to any parties at all during the summer. As for me, just working in the cafe, I had the privilege of free coffee every day for two months." I fill her in. I suspect the Josh Fry thing is a bunch of bull. Josh has never missed a party. Josh Fry is the typical popular asshole who everyone loves for some reason. He has had so many scandals it has been hard to keep up, but if even half of it is true he's a top party guy who is the typical fuckboy. I've never been too interested in him. Everyone is so captivated by him which is why I'm not surprised by Lizzy's excited face.

"No parties at all?" Lizzy sounds shocked and then distressed. "Do you think he's okay?" I shake my head. One of Lizzy's best qualities is she cares for everybody. Even those she doesn't know and by all accounts doesn't deserve it.

"I'm sure he's fine. I doubt it's even true," I reassure her. I cannot think of a single reason Josh would miss a party, from all the rumours parties are what he lives for.

"Well, I guess we'll find out today," Lizzy seems so excited and I'm so over this topic that I'm sure I'll hear about for days.

"I guess we will." I agree and then together we walk into the school. Lizzy back on the topic of Alaska thankfully.