Orchid

Barely In Time

"Sounds like that's true." I keep my eyes stubborn and motionless. I've always been kinda selfish. Started since I was in preschool. I kept the toy ball to myself and didn't share with anyone. My best friend, Zoey, wasn't an exception. I can remember the children around me crying.

 "But that's bad," Airilia says. "Chances are you'll keep your own life preserved than the Orb's."

 I throw my hands up. "I never asked for this. I just want a nice guy to be with, a good job, and a sweet life. But now I have no guy, no job, and anything but a sweet life. Jason probably hates me now."

 "But you have to get rid of your trait. One life seems like a small price for millions of lives. Once Lycaeon clears all of us, she'll start destroying Earth and expanding her land."

 "Forget about it." I turn away. "Just send me back to Earth. Oh, and here's my number." I pull out a piece of paper pre-written with my cell(in case of emergencies for cute boys)

 "Learn to be selfless, Orchid." Airilia's eyes are tragic as she conjures  up a brisk wind. "Or it will mean the deaths of everyone that you care about." The world starts spinning. As it grows steady again, I find myself standing in a dark alley. The full moon is glowing up in the black liquid sky, which is dotted with cold and glaring stars. Two shadows are making their way down toward me.

 I duck behind a trash can, which reeks of foul garbage and smelly food. It's very dark, but in the shining light of the moon I see Xander. I can recognize him by his unusually tall form. I can't believe I actually believed Lycaeon's mind trick. But I'm ready now. 

 As Xander and the other person pass me, I peer at his pants. His gun is ready in his pocket and easy to grab and fire. There's no doubt Lucy is the other person. 

 Xander and Lucy pause in their walking and Lucy hooks a leg around him. Xander coos softly to her, lifting his feet. I can see the knife blade hidden in his shoe, the glint of silver metal shifting. 

 "I've waited my whole life to do this," Lucy whispers softly to him, her braids swishing over his shoulder. Xander presses against her tank top. Isn't she cold?

 "So have I," he murmurs back, throwing back his head and laughing, showing his even teeth. "Ever since I've seen you in the halls, my amour, my love, I've wanted to do this."

 "But you loved Orchid better than I," Lucy says, a twinge of jealousy in her voice. "Now that she's been scared away by your attack on the girls who wooed you, we can be alone and love alone."

 "Yes." Xander leans in and pecks her on the cheek.

 "Xander," she whispers. "I've been so alone. I have a secret. I can control the Earth with a single touch. Make a flower bloom with a smile. I don't know why, and I'm scared."

 "Hush." Xander places a finger on her lips. "There is nothing to be scared for." He pushes her against the wall and gives her a hungering kiss. Lucy pushes back. That's the moment that Xander's hand creeps toward his pocket. And that's when I jump and shove him out.

 "You!" Lucy shouts. "Xander is mine! You ran away!"

 Xander's eyes are filled with great fury that Lucy doesn't know. "Get out of this, Evergreen. I love her. Get over it." He pushes me back with a square palm in my chest. But I'm not a helpless weakling anymore. In my rage, I lift my hand and jut my chin out. I want Xander to burn for his crimes. In the old days, he would had been burned or hanged for treason.

 A lick of flame starts at his shirt and starts making its way up. Xander yelps, and so does Lucy, whose eyes are even more angered than mine. A sharp, knifelike breeze of air cuts through the flames, though, and it extinguishes.

 "You plan to stop me, Evergreen?" he snarls. "I'll crush you." He brings out his gun and whips it straight at my throat. But Hero said he wouldn't kill me.

 Well, that doesn't mean he won't hurt me.

 I raise my hands, and a spout of water jams out of it and blasts into him. Xander wipes it off his face, eyes glowing. "I'm going to kill you, Evergreen. Hero is preferable than you." He fires.

 A sharp pain shoots through my arm. Tears leak out of the corners of my eyes. Lucy stands still, her jaw tight. Her expression is not as I thought. It's one of terror and disgust at Xander, not one that's satisfied.

 With a raw yell in her throat, the earth shudders and shakes. Xander loses his balance and I touch the wound on my arm and bring it up. Blood is red and thick. I press my mouth to it.

 "Curse you, Fitzgerald!" he howls. The air swirls around him and he floats off, making his desperate escape.

 Lucy helps me up as I brush my pants off. "Why did you save me?"  I ask.

 Lucy snorts. "No f-ing clue. You trashed my date."

 "Seriously, Lucy. Why did you save me?" My arm is hurting so much, I can't bear it. I spit on it to prevent possible infections.

 Lucy's eyes grow wistful. "I wasn't about to step in...before he pulled out his gun. I realized that my sweet Xander had turned into the cold-hearted murderer again and he intended to add you onto his casualty list."

 I touch her arm, ignoring the pain that nearly immediately spirals up. "You can get another guy, Lucy. You don't need that crappy excuse for a guy."

 A sarcastic, thin-lipped smile spreads on Lucy's face. "So, why are you here?"

 "I'm here to take you and Jason to Vidalia. Where you can be safe from Lycaeon--Xander's puppet master--and learn to harness your element."

 Excitement sparks in Lucy's eyes. "Are you kidding? Let's get Jason and go." She tugs at her tank top and frowns. "I'm so cold, though. Xander insisted I wear this."

 "Here." I toss off my jacket. "Wear this for the time being."

 My phone rings in my jacket as I hand it to Lucy. "Sorry," I say as I fish it out. It's an unknown number, but I answer it anyway. "Hello?"

 "Orchid," a voice hisses on the other side. It's Hero. "I need you to tag a few more others down." She rattles some names. "I need you to get Alybea Grace, Aurora Evergreen, and Zetah Daley."

 I nearly drop my phone. "Say what? Aurora?"

 "Yes, Aurora. What's wrong?"

 "Hero," I mutter, "that's my sister."