The Elemental Book 1: Earth (***UNDER SEVERE EDITING***)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I Meet Some Crazy Dude Named Dr. Darius Holt

We walked to a café to order some lunch, and we made a new plan.

"Okay, we need to leave London. Again," I said.

"Yeah, we really need to leave. We keep wrecking the city," Jake said.

"At least it wasn't anything big like Big Ben or Buckingham Palace," I said.

"So? We still destroyed a public school, a house, a motel room, three cars, and now we've destroyed a whole other place," Jake said.

"At least we didn't blow anything up," I pointed out.

"Yes, we did. You blew up a man's house with a flaming barrel!"

"Oh. Right." I had forgotten that incident with the hydra.

"I vote we blow up something else," Brendon said, and I smiled.

"Now isn't the time for jokes, Brendon," Jake snapped.

I looked at him, getting seriously mad. "What is your problem?"

"You people! You're acting like everything's okay when you're a fugitive!"

"Did I say everything was okay? And Marcus put up those flyers so he'd have extra look-outs!"

"You're still not seeing the problem! We are being attacked every freaking day!"

"Oh, and that's my fault? How am I supposed to stop it? Give myself up?"

"Our lives are at risk!"

"You think I don't know that! I've been trying to keep us all alive while all you've done is sit around feeling sorry for yourself because you haven't seen your mom!"

"So? I've done more than you! It's hard controlling stone!"

"God, you're such a little girl!"

"Guys, stop it," Brendon said, but we ignored him.

"I don't cry when I miss my mom like you!" Jake yelled.

"I haven't seen her in six years! I thought she was dead!" I screamed.

"At least I'm not power-crazy like you!"

"I can't control it! It's not my fault I'm dangerous! You try having the power!"

"Well, at least I was supposed to be born, and my parents care about me and love me, unlike yours. Your own mom even faked her death to get away from you!"

His words pierced my heart like a thousand knives, and my breath caught in my throat. Tears formed in my eyes and made my vision blurry slightly.

"Jake!" Brendon yelled.

Jake looked at me, slowly realizing what he'd just said.

"I can't believe you just said that," I said. I looked at him, my eyes full of pain, and I stood up.

"Ari, I'm so sorry," Jake said. "I didn't mean-"

"Don't! Don't talk to me!" I yelled and began walking away.

"Where are you going?" Jake called after me.

"Away from you!" I yelled and broke into a run.

"Ari, wait!" Brendon yelled after me, but I didn't stop.

Tears streamed down my face, and I stopped at a park. It began to rain, and I sat down on a bench. I hugged my knees to my chest and started sobbing.