Riptide Academy

The Truth

Alexandra's POV

Charli is able to stand on her own. But she is still recovering, and sometimes she almost losses her balance. But in a few minuets her equilibrium will be back- it's hard to balance when your centre of gravity is out of wack after laying down for too long.

"I'm okay..." she mutters, standing beside Howards desk, hands poised to grab it.

"You should take another day of school. That conflagration drained you faster than an icecube melting in summer." Howards stands out of her chair, moving to the end of her desk.

"No. Howie, I'm okay. I've just been laying down too long."

"Maybe you should rest at home for today." Charli glares at me. "I mean you can go to classes but maybe stay away from training this afternoon and tonight."

"I agree with Alex." Howdy says, guiding Charli to her chair and brushing the stray strands away from her cheeks.

"You've been overworking yourself. First classes and studying. Then sports and training. Doing everything you could to help the school, like setting up for the centenary. Charli, you've always beeen working hard for others and your future. You need to work hard for yourself now. Take. A. Break."

I sigh. Charli is quite stuborn.

"I've imformed your teachers. They know how hard you work and have told me theh don't care if I lock you up here."

"Howie! That seems illegal." Charli protsets.

"It's not when I agree." Someone amcounces from behind us.

"Kyia!" Charli cries.

I chuckle and Howards smiles. She must of had a key to unlock the door. Either she unlocked it st the perfect time or had been standing there and waiting.

"They all know that your ahead of the class. The teachers can barely have one lesson before you've caught up to them. You're so far ahead missing two lessons will bring you into tune with everyone- not behind." Kyia says, shutting Howards door.

"Fine." Charli grumbles.

She pouts and crosses her arms across her chest like a child.

"Cute." I huff amused.

After debating with Howards and Kyia how Charli is going to listen to us, we leave Howdy's office. The staircase clings as Charli slowly descends it. She can now walk on her own but I wouldn't trust her to set a pace she can't keep. So I set the pace, walking beside her- ready to catch her if she stumbles. As we reach the door to our house it flings open and our friends come rushing out.

"What the hell!"

"Where the hell have you been?"

"We haven't seen you since the new superhero and Alex took you somewhere!" Jaimie cries.

"I- heh...I have my Aunt to blame for that." Charli mumbles."

"What?" Ember shrieks.

"Howards had her resting in her own room on campus." I state.

Jaimie, Ember and Elijah stare at me confused.

"WAIT!" Jaimie shouts. "Then who's the mystery superhero?" she adds  a low whisper.

"My  Aunty." Charli states.

"That's...C-razy." Ember shakes her head as she speaks.

"They don't get it, Charli."

"I know," she whispers. "I think we better head inside before it clicks."

Just as I slide into my seat at the table after grabbing my two-minute noodles, there's nock on the door.

"I'll get it I sigh." I was closest to the door and it'd been standing just a second ago anyway.

Whoever it is, is very patient. Unlike the other students and or staff we have; they always have a hard knock or knock repeatedly. As I open the door a sigh escapes my lips.

"Hello, Howards."

"Hello, Alexandra." She smiles.

But I can see the nerves in her grey eyes.

"Charli, your Aunt's here!" I call.

I can hear the chairs screech along the tiles and the sounds of shuffling feet rushing along the tiles. I step to the side just as Charli appears around the corner.

"You left these in my room." Howdy holds up a pair of field hockey boots, one of our teams school coloured socks stuffed in each gel peaked black and lime/yellow shoe.

"Dam it!" Charli mutters.

Where as Jaimie, Elijah and Ember are all staring.

"And Rose. Please wash your socks, they stink." Howards says with a smirk.

"They do not!" Charli snaps but Howards is already gone. "Howie!" She grumbles.

"I-What did I just witness?" Ember stutters, her mouth is opening and closing like a fish.

"You knew." Eli turns to me.

"I've known since Marcus. I was waiting until both of them felt comfortable with sharing it."

"Well, even though we are slightly mad at you for not telling us. We all can say that you did the right thing." Jaimie sighs.

"Mhmm." the two cousins agree.

Walking back to the table silence envelopes us. I can't help the slurping sounds that comes from me eating my noodle's, Elijah has a pen in his hand and the sound of ink being scratched onto paper blends with my slurping, but other than that there's no sounds within the house.

"Does that mean I can grab more food from the canteen now?" a voice randomly asks.

"ELIJAH!" we all shout. 

"What?" he chuckles, "With me now knowing our principal is our best friends aunt, surely I'll be able to get more food at lunch and dinner!"

"'Don't you ever think for a second that your exploiting my aunts' status to get more food Elijah!" Charli snarks.

"I didn't mean it like that! the ladies who cook the food always end up dumping the left over food. And they start to get rid of it all before I can get seconds! I have to fill my plate up otherwise I know I won't get any next time."

"Th-That actually makes sense..." I say.

"I can talk to Howie about it? after all we do produce a lot- a shit tone of waste." Charli proposes.

"The only thing your doing is talking to us while you rest on the couch." almost all of us say in unison.

"You guys are no fun." she huffs.

Laughter echoes throughout the house.

"Alex! We're going to be late for Miss Walters class!" Eli shouts, silencing an alarm on his watch.

My watch starts to buzz with my own alarm, "Shit!" I curse.

As we rush out the door Eli is swinging his bag over his shoulder and almost hits me in the head.

"Hey! Idiot!" I cry, stepping away from him as I lift up the flap of my satchel bag, reaching for the papers Jack gave me. "And these are for you." I say as I shove them into his hands and chest.

"A present from Jack."

Sooooo..uh. I know not many ppl are reading this anymore. But I will say we are closing in on the end. The end of this story and me having to deal with exams and newfound freedom, leaving me with nothing to do.

I've been either busy with not sleeping too much or sleeping in, studying and exams and just flat out enjoying freedom now that my routine has vanished. But since that routine is  gone I don't have that mental reminder to publish on time TvT..... ';'