Elemental Academy

Chapter 22 - The Well

Riley sat alone in her's and Skylah's dorm room. After everything that had happened between herself, Slayzes and Skylah, Riley still chose to share a room with Skylah.

Making Riley jump, Skylah bursted into the room with tears rolling down her face and red stains covered in her hands and clothes. She slammed the door shut and ran for her bed and then collapsed on top of it. She was sobbing loudly and Riley knew that the red stains on Skylah's hands were blood.

Riley, confused and slightly frightened, approached Skylah and kneeled down next to her. "Skylah ... is everything OK?"

"It's gone!" Skylah cried. "I had a miscarriage! The baby ... it's - it's gone!" Riley felt a wave of guilt rush over her. How could this of happened? Had all those detentions with Professor Auburn made Skylah stressed and overworked? Riley had so many questions but they were not to be asked at this moment.

Instead, Riley wrapped her arms around Skylah and said, "It'll be OK ... It's going to be OK." Riley patted Skylah's back and then wondered if Slayzes knew. 

Even if they broke up a few weeks ago, Riley still had feelings for Slayzes. But nothing would work; she could not seem to communicate with Slayzes when seeing him, but somehow, she could speak to Skylah without any problems. 

Riley stayed with Skylah for the rest of the day and comforted her as much as she could. She brought her food, even though Skylah said she wasn't hungry. She gave Skylah a box of tissues and asked if she wanted to watch some movies all night. 

Skylah was getting better over the next few days, but with special permission from Headmaster Kralo she was allowed to have the next few days off at the academy and spend them at the dorms to clear her mind from everything that has happened. Riley still made sure that Skylah was OK before going to classes at the academy. And when she had a break after the first two periods, she would visit Skylah and see how she was doing.

During a Water class, Riley asked Slayzes how Drake was. "Not so good," Slayzes answered during a trust exercise. "He won't really talk anymore. What about Skylah?"

"Slowly adjusting. I've caught her wandering the woods a few miles north from the academy once. She likes it there." Riley had nothing else to say to Slayzes; she still found it hard to communicate with Slayzes even if they were partners in Water and Earth classes. 

The end of the lesson came quickly, but before everyone could leave for lunch, Professor Volane had an announcement. "I have an assignment for each and everyone of you. It involves your trust partner so that means Arty and Tim will be doing the same thing, Mikayla and Jasmine, Riley and Slayzes, it goes for every duo here."

She held out a black top hat that had many pieces of paper inside of it. Riley waited for Slayzes to grab a piece of paper and then when he returned they both read it. Stay in the same room as your partner for 24 hours. Riley felt mental pain hit her; how could she stay in the same room as Slayzes for 24 hours if she could barely talk to him these days? If only they received something else, they would of been much better off.

"This will happen tomorrow, so you all have the day off," the professor added as people read it and cheered, sighed or groaned. "If you don't do it tomorrow, you will receive a detention with me on Sunday. 

When Riley and Slayzes were outside she said, "Twenty-four hours in the same room as each other? Yeah we'll take the detention." Slayzes came to a halt and put a hand on Riley's shoulder. "What?" she asked as she shook his hand off her. 

"I have had quite enough detentions this term, we're doing the assignment." he crossed his arms and looked at Riley. 

"No way! We can barely talk to each other! How will we stand twenty-four hours alone in the same room?" Riley asked. She didn't want to spend twenty-four hours in the same room as Slayzes and she wasn't going to.