Elemental

5. THE ELUSIVE ELEMENTS

"Joe, stop being a pain and get your sorry butt here this instant!" Laverne exclaimed, when, for the umpteenth time, Joe upset Laverne's sand bowl and tried to get away with it. She clicked her fingers and the sand flew back into the bowl.
She, Joe and Tori had the afternoon free and were sitting in their corner of the living room trying to get some homework done. Well, not Joe; Joe was just fulfilling his endeavours of being a public nuisance.

"I didn't do anything," Joe raised his arms up defensively when Laverne glared at him.
"Yeah, and I'm the queen of England." Strong sarcasm dripped off her words.
"Will you calm down? It's just a bit of sand."
"Just a bit of sand?" Laverne laughed mirthlessly. "Wait until Dr Greyfrond gets you to turn molehills to mountains. Just sand, he says."

Tori looked up from the book she was reading. "Oh will you stop it, you two?" She snapped, massaging her pounding head.
Both Laverne and Joe stared at her, surprised at her outburst. "Sorry," she mumbled, trying to get herself under control. Joe plopped down on the sofa beside her. "Something wrong?"

"I still can't work with water. It's so annoying!" She moaned, flipping the 'Handbook on Water Works' shut. "I can't even make water balls, while everyone else will be learning how to breathe underwater."
She had been here two weeks now, and she was still having trouble working with water. It was, in her opinion, the most stubborn and elusive of the four Elements, even though it was working fine with everyone else.

"Why don't you get McKay to help you?" Laverne piped up.
"Well…"
"Because the guy can't, for the life of him, keep a conversation running. That's why." Joe rolled his eyes.
"Shut up, Joe," Laverne started. "He helped you."
"I'm just stating the obvious." Joe shrugged, putting his feet up on the coffee table.
"Hmm, I guess maybe I will." Tori sighed.
"Yeah, he's not as cold as pretends to be." Laverne added helpfully.
"And I'm a marshmallow." Joe commented sarcastically, leaning into the back of the sofa and closing his eyes.
Tori threw a pillow at him. "Do you have nothing to do?"
"Nope!"
"Good, let's go outside, I need to practice air bending." Tori said miserably.

The truth was that she hadn't managed to make much headway with the other Elements as she had with fire, with which she had managed to successfully build a bonfire from scratch, while her classmates had sweated and struggled.

As for the other Elements, her teachers had only advised her to keep practising constantly and learning from her Group. She had, luckily, been put in a Group with McKay, Joe and Laverne, who had been quite helpful.

"Later," she called to Laverne who waved back, as she and Joe headed down.
They walked out into the backyard and headed for a secluded stretch by the pool.
Joe settled down under a huge oak tree, leaning his back against it. Tori dumped her backpack beside him.

"Okay, clear your mind first." He instructed Tori.
She closed her eyes and tried to empty her brain.
"Now, slow deep breaths, feel the air inside you."
Tori did as he instructed.
"Good, now say the words. Whisper them to yourself."
"Raging wind be still
Clear my mind of ill
But one thing I demand
Bend at my command"
She whispered them over and over, getting impatient and frustrated. After struggling for a good two minutes, she threw her arms our in exasperation, her blue hair flying about her, and growled. "Urghhh!"

"Woah, easy there, tiger." Joe stood up easily. "Just like this."
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and muttered the words to himself. Before the could even open his eyes, the air around them became still, and instead, flew across the pool, causing it to ripple wildly.
"Easy peasy." Joe grinned at the frowning Tori.
"You make it look so simple!" She exclaimed.
"That's because it is. Now try again." Joe suggested.
"Fine," Tori huffed, getting her air out of her eyes and taking deep breaths.