The Sisters of Flame and Frost.

Chapter 13 (Sarah)

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Sarah was a shy person by nature. She couldn't help it. So, when Victoria brought her entire friend group to the infirmary to visit Sarah, she couldn't help but be intimidated.

"EEEE!" shrieked a girl with long dark hair and white and gray mage flame, "I've been dying to meet you!"

Victoria chuckled, "That's Alice. She's been bugging me about seeing you these days."

"Look!" gasped the eccentric Alice, "You even have a little bit of mage flare! Oh, this is so exciting!"

"Calm down Alice," smiled the blonde-haired boy from combat class. His name was Luke. 

Sarah smirked. He was the one with the biggest crush on Victoria. 

"Let's get to introductions. These are my friends Sarah. Alice, Luke, Ethan, and Florin," said Victoria, pointing at her friends in turn.

"Hello, Sarah. I'm Florin. My pronouns are they/them," Florin greeted. They held out their hand for a handshake.

Sarah took it in stride and smiled back.

"It's nice to meet you."

Sarah looked at the group curiously.

"What type of mage are you guys?" she asked.

"I bet you can guess," Luke offered.

Sarah scrunched her eyebrows in thought and swept her gaze across each person's mage flare.

"I have my guesses, but I don't want to say in case I get it wrong. Can you tell me and I'll check my answers?"

Luke chuckled.

"Okay," he replied, "I'm a hydromancer."

"I'm an aeromancer," Alice supplied.

"I am a geomancer," Ethan shared.

"And I am a floramancer," Florin finished, "But my name suggested that anyway."

"Yes!" Sarah exclaimed, pumping her fist. She had got it all right. 

Ethan chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"We should get going now. We're going to be late for class," he said, "Get well soon, Sarah."

"Thanks," she replied as they filed out of the room. The room was left empty except for Victoria and Sarah.

"Did my mom visit?" Sarah asked, "while I was out?"

"Yeah," Victoria affirmed, "but she'd give me weird looks while she was here."

"Odd," Sarah observed, "That doesn't sound like my mom at all."

Victoria shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. You're fine, and that's what matters"

"Yeah, I guess..."

Victoria stood.

"I should go to class," she said, "but maybe I'll take a quick shower first."

Sarah laughed.

"That's probably a good idea," she replied.

Victoria waved goodbye and walked off, leaving Sarah alone with her thoughts.

It took another two days before the healer deemed Sarah fit to return to normal life, and she was still skeptical. Sarah, however, felt fine and was itching to go outside. She had done all her schoolwork while in bed and now, since it was the weekend, she wanted nothing more than to run away into the forest and practice magic.

"Be careful," Willa scolded, "I don't want to see you back in here."

"I will, I will," Sarah replied hastily, "Can I please go now?

Willa rolled her eyes.

"Okay, just don't do anything stupid."

"Yes!" Sarah cried and almost ran out the door.

She dashed into the trees, ready to get as far away from the academy as possible. She was finally free. She managed to reach a spot far enough away that no one would hear her (unless she screamed really loud) and she could practice in peace.

"Here we go," she mumbled.

Half an hour. Half an hour is how long she spent making and destroying ice and snow. It was exhilarating. She could even simply drop the temperature so low only she wasn't bothered by it. Victoria probably wouldn't be bothered either, her being a pyromancer, but who cared? Sarah leaned back on a tree, huffing and puffing from the effort. She'd have to get better at this.

Reaching down into her pocket, Sarah grabbed her phone and put on some music.

I don't wanna die or fade away

I just wanna be someone.

I just wanna be someone.

Dive and disappear without a trace

I just wanna be someone

Well, doesn't everyone?

Ah, Sarah knew this song. "Someone to You" by BANNERS. She enjoyed this one.

And if you feel the great dividing

I wanna be the one you're guiding

'Cause I believe that you could lead the way

Here it comes.

I just wanna be somebody to someone, oh

I wanna be somebody to someone, oh

I never had nobody and no road home

I wanna be somebody to someone

Sarah opened her mouth and words flowed out.

"And if the sun's upset and the sky goes cold. Then if the clouds get heavy and start to fall. I really need somebody to call my own. I wanna be somebody to someone,"

She breathed sharply and stopped. She hadn't sung in a long time. She wouldn't start now, just because she was in a new environment. No. She had lost the joy of singing long ago. She clicked off the song and sat in silence. 

Sarah sighed, blowing her long hair out of her eyes. She should go, but she didn't feel like it. She wanted to escape; to go somewhere no one would find her. But she couldn't. Not now, not ever.

"Why is my life like this," she whispered, "Why is it so confusing?"

Of course, no one answered.

Sarah stood up and began her trek back to the academy. Maybe one day she would sing again.