Fire & Water & Earth & Air

11: Fire

Juliette

           "We need to talk," Edward says in a serious voice.

           I roll my eyes. "I don't want to talk."

           Before this morning, I thought we could be friends. Then he arrives to school, ignores me, and now he wants to talk?

           Yeah, right.

           He huffs and tells me again that we need to talk. I shake my head as the bell rings. "I need to get to class," I tell him. Edward bites the inside of his cheek then opens his mouth to speak.

           "No."

           I narrow my eyes at him, willing myself to keep my temper in check.

           So much for not getting angry for a while. "What do you mean, no?"

           He grabs hold of my wrist again. "I mean you can't just kill a man and get away with it! We need to-!"

           I rip my wrist from his hand and punch him in the nose. "How dare you?" I hiss. "You think I did it? Is it because I'm different from you? I thought you'd know how it feels for people to jump to conclusions about you, yet here you are. Assuming the worst of those who accept you."

           Edward looks shocked, then angry. "Well what the hell am I supposed to think?!" he says, rubbing his nose. As he yells, I feel a throbbing pain in my wrist. I guess punching him was a bad idea.

           "You can't give me the benefit of the doubt?"

           "Well, it's kind of hard to do that when there's a burnt body lying out in the courtyard! Did I mention he's burnt? And-and then I confront you and you punch me? What else am I supposed to assume?"

           I bite my lip and shake my head at him. "Fine. You wanna know the truth? I went on a rampage the day that man died and killed him."

           Edward gives me a look and says, "No you didn't."

           I throw my hands up then bring them back to my sides. "Then why did you ask if you already knew I was innocent?"

           He looks away and shrugs, his face staying angry.

           I sigh and just shake my head. "I.... you were supposed to be different from them." He looks at me confused and I continue. "From my parents," I clarify.

           For just a split second, it looks like he's about to apologize.

           But he doesn't.

           That'd just be too easy, wouldn't it?

           Instead, he moves to the side and nods to the now easily accessible door. "You should go."

           And I do.

>>><<<

           I grip my schedule to my chest, trying to find my first period: calculus with Ms. Hernandez. I look at all the class numbers, looking for D171. The late bell rang about seventeen minutes ago, which just means I'm very late to my class. After wandering around the halls for a while longer, wishing someone would ask me if I need any help, I finally find D171.

           I look at the schedule then back at the door number, making sure it's the right one. As my fingers graze the doorknob, I realize that it wouldn't make much of a difference if I go in now.

           Plus, it would be completely humiliating.

           I take two steps away from the door, turn, and run aimlessly. Eventually, I stumble into the main doors. I walk out, lay down on the grass, and just take deep breaths. In, out. Inhale, exhale. Air goes in, air goes out.

           I use this time to think. I think about Edward being self-righteous; about my parents hating me; about the group of people that surrounded my car this morning because I was asking for Edward; about the dead body they hauled away earlier this morning; about the weird encounter I had with the two strangers yesterday.

          When the bell rings and the end of first period is signaled, I sigh and wish I could just walk away from all this. I wish I could walk away from my thoughts. I wish I didn't have to pretend I had everything under control.

           Most importantly, I wish I wasn't a freak of nature.

           This time, I get smart and actually ask someone for directions. The girl seems nice enough as she points out my next classroom. I thank her and walk in.

           It soon becomes evident that I'm the first student in class. The teacher -a round lady with glasses- smiles awkwardly at me.

           All day long, it's the same thing, over and over. The only time anything changes is when I walk into last period.

           "Oh my God, you're here!" I hear someone squeal behind me.

           I turn around too late and Ruby already has her arms around me. "We have a class together!" she says excitedly. I laugh and look over her shoulder. The first thing I see is Emily. She is way quieter than Ruby is, so she's standing a few feet behind us. I pull away from Ruby's death grip and give Emily a wave. She smiles and waves back.

           The second thing I see, as I look past Emily, is the girl from yesterday. She's standing by the doorway with wide eyes. The third and final thing I see is Edward, who is already walking towards a seat, not even bothering to glance at me.

           Ruby and Emily are leading me to a seat across the room from where Edward is sitting and away from the stranger in the door. The teacher has stepped outside and is saying good afternoon to everyone walking by.

           Ruby sits in front of me; Emily to my right. To my left is a window and behind me is a wall. I'm not particularly fond of this spot as it keeps me hidden. And, truth be told, I like the limelight.

           The room falls into an uncomfortable silence as the stranger eyeballs us. We obviously took her spot but Ruby and Emily are too entertained by their phones to do anything about it. Eventually, she makes her silent way to the other corner in the class, which sits her right behind Edward.

           I try to not let this bother me.

           After a while, the class begins to fill in. A group of boys walk in, sit in the seats surrounding the stranger, and immediately start teasing her. She genuinely seems annoyed, obviously not aware that they're just flirting.

           I turn my attention to a pair of girls that walk in. They walk up to Edward, then one of them whispers something in his ear.

           He pulls back, whispers something in her ear, and then into the ear of the other one. The girls share a glance and walk out of the room giggling.

            So they aren't even in this class? They walked in here for the sole purpose of sharing a secret with Edward? Luckily, the teacher walks in before I have the chance to go out there and sock them in the face.

           When she begins talking and showing us slides on the board, I zone out and pray for shrill ring of the bell.

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A/N

It's official: my least favorite character is Fire. But maybe it's only because I already know everything about her.

Which one is do ya'll like?