Fire

Chapter One

I readied my stance. Right foot back, left foot dug into the ground. I locked my eyes onto the target and kicked my right foot into the air, shooting out a deep red fireball at my target. In the middle of the target was the scorch marks caused by my fireball.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mr. Ozai shaking his head and I knew I'd failed him once again. I continued to stare at my metal target board, but I could see that he was walking towards me.

"You never fail to get the bullseye, Elizabeth," Mr. Ozai stated, "But your flames aren't powerful enough. This is your last year. You must learn how to make a flame as white as the clouds above us."

I nodded. It was all I could do around him. I hadn't been able to achieve the desired fire power needed to pass for last year, but all of my other classes were perfect enough to let my lack of being able to produce a hotter fire were "forgotten" as they put it. But this year, I had to produce much hotter fire or else I wouldn't be able to graduate, no matter what my other grades were.

"Watch me." Mr. Ozai said, pulling his black hair into a high ponytail. Whether it was up or down, somehow his hair always reached to the bottom of his back.

He took his stance, which looked much more professional than I did. As quickly as he had taken his stance, his foot was in the air and the fireball he produced was as blue as the sky and hit the bullseye straight on.

"Do that next time." He said. Before I could reply, he was off to spectate another student.

I sighed in defeat. There was absolutely no way I was going to be able to a produce fire that hot and Mr. Ozai knew that but he still had some amount of faith left in me.

"Why do you look so down in the dumps?" Hannah came up behind me, her green eyes sparkling as always.

"My fire isn't hot enough, I might not graduate with you guys this year." I sat on the grass.

Hannah sat down beside me and lifted the ground beneath us, making two solid dirt chairs for us to sit on. "You still have this year and I know you'll make it." She put her hand over mine.

"That's easy for you to say, you've been in all the advanced Earth bending classes since elementary school. You could probably make a solid mansion with mud if you had to."

Hannah giggled and shook her head, "Yeah but you've always been in the advanced combat classes which is probably much more useful. And you have your dad to help you out! I have an Air mom and a Fire dad, along with two more Air siblings."

I felt a sudden hand on my shoulder which caused me to stiffen. "Shouldn't you be practicing, Elizabeth?" Mr. Ozai said from behind me, stern as ever.

Hannah bended our wood seats back to the ground, hers first to warn me she was doing it. She bowed her head and apologized, quickly leaving the scene and running back off to her class.

When Hannah was out of ear shot, Mr. Ozai said, "You should be befriending Waters, not Earths. Getting closer to the Waters will get you higher up in the ranks later on in life."

I nodded, but I wasn't paying much attention. I don't really like the Waters and Fires don't like Waters. Everyone pretended the Waters are perfect, and they are expected to be. But they're rude to anyone else who isn't a water because their abilities are superior and they can do more than the elements.

"I'll work on my heat, Mr. Ozai." I nodded towards him.

"Good.' He turned towards the rest of the class, "You're all dismissed for the day."

At once, we all bowed our heads to Mr. Ozai and walked off. I headed straight for home, hoping that Elias would be there too.

Down the street from my house, I saw a group of Waters walking together. I spotted Elias' blonde hair in the back of the group, walking straight towards the house. Dammit. Instead of going home, I now had to go someplace else.