The Four - Book 2

Chapter 2

Aira

Seeing my parents..it changed me.

Well, no. This whole test has changed me. I feel like I'm back to normal. In my parents arms, knowing that this is going to be okay.

"Are we going home?" I ask.

"Honey, you need to stay here. To help. You're one of the idols," my father says.

"You're going to be okay?" I ask.

"Just fine." My mother smiles.

I'm upset I won't be leaving, but it's what I expected. I can't just go back home. Plus, my parents are alive. I didn't know where they were and if I would ever be able to see them again.

I look over at Lana, who's holding her brothers hand while talking to her parents. Juris is talking to his older brother, and they all laugh. I look at Paytah.

"Hold on." I tell my parents. I walk over to Paytah, who's sitting down on the bench. He's leaning against the wall, crossing his arms, eyes fixed ahead.

"Hey." I say.

"Hey." He says.

"You can tell me." I blurt out. Paytah looks me right in the eyes, and sighs a little.

"I had a foster family, but," Paytah sits up, twiddling his thumbs. "they gave me up. I mean, who wants a murderer as a son."

"Don't say that." I say, but I feel numb. We are murderers.

"I get it, though." He says, nodding like he's trying to convince himself that it's true. I've never seen him so-desperate. He's trying to tell himself that it's okay, but it's really not.

"That's not okay. They are your family-"

"Well, they aren't." Paytah says.

"Will you tell me what happened to your real family?" I ask. His noise twitches, but he nods slightly.

"I had a family. They could still be alive. But I wouldn't know."

"Where are they?" I ask.

"With the other water elements."

I freeze, not quite getting it at first. Why would his parents be there? But then it clicks. I've heard stuff about transfer kids. They have it rough, with their families giving them away and never quite having a home, never feeling like they belong in their true element.

Paytah was supposed to be the water element.

"How did-"

"I was four," Paytah says. "My parents just, I don't know, didn't care."

"That.." I don't know what to say. "It-"

"Sucks. But I was young, got over it." He says casually. He glances over at my parents. "I'm gonna be seeing you for a long time, go spend some time with your parents." He says, forcing a smile.

I force one back.

"If you want to talk, feel free to rage to me," I say, and he smiles, for real.

    I talk to my parents for a bit, but it turns out we have to go through some more stuff again. Our family is staying in rooms here, to keep them safe. But we can't see them much.