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

Chapter Five: Finding Emotion

*TRIGGER WARNING*
CONTAINS DEPICTIONS OF AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
"Music is indeed the mediator between the spiritual and sensual life." - Ludwig van Beethoven
PRESENT DAY
THRAX

"Yes...?" I say, swallowing hard before answering the phone.

"Oh, praise the Lord!" Lawrence exclaims. "I thought you weren't going to answer."

"Were you worried? You sound worried," I say, hoping that he hadn't attempted to call or text.

"Worried?! No! I was just calling to test you. A+, Thrax-y."

"Thank you...babe."

Lawrence laughs. "I know, I know. I'm so generous. I expect to see you at the house no later than five thirty. I mean to talk with you."

"Yes...Lawrence." I say, knowing that there's no way he can or will take no for an answer.

"Alright, I love you."

"Love you, too..." He hung up before I could finish. "Uh! Sh*t!"

"What's wrong?" Celeste asks. I can hear her voice sounding nasally from crying.

She can never know about Lawrence. I would kill myself if she found out about him. I already have so much on my plate right now that I just could add her to something else.

"Nothing! I just...lost something..."

"Okay..."

I enter her room and sigh. When I check my phone, I realize that it's already 5:00. "I should, uh, probably go now."

"Yeah. I-I guess you should."

"It's gonna be okay. Hopefully your mom will understand. Lucifer, too. He may seem cruel, but he's actually a real softie on the inside."

"I'll take your word for it," Celeste says, laughing a little.

I wave goodbye, walking down her hallway. After I leave her house, tendrils stabbing into tree trunks, lifting me off the ground and swinging me through the air, thoughts swirl in my head. Had I literally just been singing in front of her? Had I shown my weak side? That's something that Lucifer has only seen! It can't get out anymore. Yet, now "Alejandro" is stuck in my head for good, and I begin to hum a little.

But does Celeste like me? As a friend? As more? She can't. I'm...

I hate what the viral community has made of it. I hate that I had to live this huge f*cking lie while everyone else got to live their life to the fullest, shooting people in the head in the most crime-infested city of all time: Pentagram City. I had to end up getting stuck in this stupid*ss town. Why can't I pull the trigger?

It makes me wonder whether E and Rona have found something of themselves already? Or maybe they're stuck like me. At least, not stuck the way I am. After all, what good can an effeminate virus trying to retake high school do?! I land at the front door of the mansion. It's 5:20. I would say right on time, but Lawrence already seems pretty p*ssed when I enter the room. 10 minutes early, and he already has something to fight with me about. I brace myself to get slapped, trying to summon up the little courage I have when Lawrence is in the room. I turn to the right to see him yelling at...CC?

"It's this stupid vegetarian sh*t! I can't deal with it anymore!"

"Sorry, you don't appreciate the changes I've been trying to make to my lifestyle."

"Changes?! Excuse me? But other people like steak, and it's not my fault that you're too much of a p*ssy to eat meat."

"Lawrence..." I say.