𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 | 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐳

𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

She's been sitting on the porch since the sun started to rise, and still, she can't wrap her mind around her newly founded ability. She snaps her fingers over and over, shining light on her face before taking it away just as quickly. She hates the curiosity that fills her, wanting to know how far she can go.

Soon, after a long period of concentration, she was able to make her palm blaze with fire. She closes her hand into a fist just as quickly, smothering the fire away. She looks behind her, afraid the light from the fire may have awakened the boys. She doesn't hear or see any movement. Regardless, as a precaution, she decides to walk down the small hill to sit on the dock. The loud sounds of the river water help her clear her mind. She pulls off her hoodie, tossing it behind her, afraid she may destroy it.

After another long period of concentration, she's able to will the fire to her palms again. The flames almost tickle. Cherry isn't sure if she's laughing because of that or the insanity of all that has happened. Slowly, her forearms become swallowed in flames. She forces her breathing to slow, feeling her heart beat so fast she's afraid it'll explode from her chest.

"It's not hurting you," she whispers to herself. "It's just... a little warm."

"Do you have insomnia or something?" The flames dissipate immediately, leaving only light from the barely risen sun.

"I-um-"

"You're never asleep, Cher." He sits down beside her, watching her rub her hands together. They still glow softly, as do parts of her forearms. "What's on your mind, chiqui?" She glances at him before looking down at her hands. She rubs her fingers together, almost craving the feeling of the fire on them.

"I feel kind of like an idiot. And also scared."

"Why?" He throws an arm around her. He can feel her warmth through his hoodie.

"The signs of me being a freak seem pretty obvious now, you know? Never cold, never getting burnt, fucking playing with fire." She leans into him, laying her head on his shoulder. She lets out a sigh. "And now I wonder how this will even help me, let alone change me."

"You'll be fine. Besides, you're not a freak."

"'With great power comes great responsibility.'"

"Why are you quoting Spiderman?"

"Just think about it." She moves to sit across from him, wanting to talk to him face-to-face. "I could come out like Peter Parker as a hero, or I could be him in Spiderman 3 and become an evil Peter Parker who has terrible dance moves." He tries to hold in a laugh, biting his lip.

"You're worried about the dance moves?" She pauses before shrugging.

"A little bit. The point is I'm scared I'm going to become a fucking terrible person. On top of that, I'm literally a walking flare. But..." she looks at her hands again, "I don't know. It just feels different."

"Do I need to repeat what I said last night?" Her eyes widen slightly at the memory before she shakes her head. Her face warms up quickly. It's just due to her new ability. Yeah, that's it for sure. "Then relax, chiqui. You have me and Daniel by your side. We'll help you just as much as you've helped us. Okay?"

"Okay."

"We'll tell Daniel about all this before we leave. Is that cool?" She nods her head. Still, she feels like it's hard to breathe.

"Hey, Sean?" He hums in response. She feels the warmth travel down her neck, embarrassed she's asking. "Can I get another hug?" His brows raise instantly, a soft chuckle leaving his lips.

"You know you don't have to ask me, right?"

"I probably will, though." He rolls his eyes before opening his arms to her.