(The New) Power of the 8 Elements: Part Two

Chapter One: It Starts

*TRIGGER WARNING*
CONTAINS MENTIONS OF SEX

"Love has nothing to do with what you're expecting to get—only with what you are expecting to give—which is everything." - Katharine Hepburn
PRESENT DAY
CELESTE

"See you tomorrow!" Terry says, waving as she walks into Amaya's mom's car.

I wave back as I get into Lucifer's car. A lot has happened since the Evil Angel's defeat. Well, not exactly. But enough. I'm sixteen now, and so is most of the team except for Amaya whose birthday is June, but that's pretty irrelevant since we were in early March. I can't wait for spring; I'm sure most if not all of us were excited.

Some of us look a little different, too. Both Lucifer and I cut our hair, and we both had shoulder-length hair. Not to mention, Lucifer's hair got a little more purple, and it's a really dark indigo at the tips. Terry is now in her demigod form pretty much all the time, and everybody is fine with it. Mama resigned her position as principal and became a lawyer (which was what she always wanted), but I don't have any beef with our current principal, she's just as fine.

The team still stayed together. We still keep in contact with Xan, but we found that we didn't have to carry around our weapons like we used to, so they sit in the back of our closets waiting to be put into use. Xan and Bellroc found a way to bring Ava back home. Through a long "going-away" party, and several tears (not shed by me of course...), Ava went back to the human world but promised she would come back if we needed her help. I have a hunch that we'll see her again. At least, I hope we do.

"What's that smile on your face?" Lucifer asks.

"No, no, nothing..." I say.

"You usually don't look that happy. What happened?"

"I was just thinking. Can you believe that in almost two months we're going to be juniors?"

"Wow...what a surprise."

"Oh, come on! Don't tell me you aren't the least bit excited about graduating."

"Eh, I have mixed feelings."

"How can you have mixed feelings when we're this close to graduating?"

"Well, let's be honest here. Have you ever heard someone talk about how happy adulting is?"

"Good point."

"But I'm only interested in finding a job."

"I'll probably be a lawyer," I say, thinking of Mama. "How 'bout you?"

"We'll see."

To get back to our house, we have to drive on the highway. There is usually very little traffic, but today it was blocked up heavily.

"Do you think it's a crash?" I ask.

"Hmm...I don't think so. There are an awful lot of police officers here."

"Maybe it was a big collision."

"I doubt it." As we drive past the police officers, out of the corner of my eye, I see a body—strapped to a gurney—being wheeled into an ambulance.

"Holy sh*t!" I exclaim.

"What? What?"

"I think I saw a body."

"Are you kidding...?"

"No, there was a gurney. Do you think someone was murdered?"

"Hopefully not. Geez, I can't imagine a murderer on the loose."