Chapter 4-- Electric
Rikki Chadwick quickly steam-dried herself until her orange scales turned into skin. She didn’t stick around to help the others dry off. She wanted to be alone.
For whatever reason, she felt best when she was alone but also in a crowd. The Cairns campus café was the best place to do that, because Rikki didn’t know anyone at uni so far. Except her roommate, Tasha, who she had nothing in common with. And of course, the friends she was leaving on the beach.
She sat alone at a table for two and ordered a coffee, vaguely listening to the people around her. A group of annoying girls gossiped about someone Rikki didn’t know. Two guys made a bet on a footy game.
Then she heard it; a very, very familiar voice saying, “I can’t hang out tomorrow, I’ve got plans.”
Rikki turned around slowly. She couldn’t believe it. Zane Bennett was here.
Zane was taking to a girl she’d never seen before. She was blonde, tan, and pretty. Rikki felt a sudden pang of jealousy but kept watching them.
Zane put his hand on her shoulder, said something to her, and kissed her on the cheek. He turned away and locked eyes with Rikki. Rikki looked quickly down at her coffee.
She heard his footsteps until Zane sat down across from her. He looked starstruck, like he’d never expected to see her again.
“Rikki….hey.” he said.
“Go away.” Rikki told him fiercely. He didn’t budge.
“I just want to talk.” Zane pleaded firmly.
“I don’t want to listen.” She shot back at him. Why did Zane always make her a complete mess of feelings? She was hurt, angry, and sad all at the same time, yet still very attracted to him. “So if you want to talk to someone, go find that girl you were just with. Or anyone else but me.”
“I can’t stop thinking about you, Rikki.” Zane said earnestly. He sounded truthful. “I tried going out with other girls, like the one I was just with…but truth is none of them are like you.”
“You hurt me so badly.” She admitted, biting her lip to keep from crying. She found a bit of inner strength. Rikki would never, ever cry in front of someone without trying to control it.
She stood up angrily. “You’re a jerk, Zane. You’re toxic. You act sweet sometimes but then treat me horribly…and I keep falling for it. Not this time. Stay away from me.”
Wiping her eyes a little, she stormed away. Her emotions were so out of control, she was going to expl—
With a flash of sparks, every light bulb in the café exploded. Rikki looked with horror at the scene, but no one was hurt. Zane’s eyes met hers again. She glared at him accusatorily, as if to say “you see what you made me do?” Not only were her feelings out of control, so were her powers.
She ran out of the café and bumped into someone. In the dim light from the sunset she recognized the curvy redhead. It was Charlotte Watsford.
Charlotte gaped at her. “Rikki? Is that you?”
Rikki could not deal with this right now. She ignored Charlotte and brushed past her, running to the dorms.
Not only did she have friend drama and her ex-boyfriend to deal with, her old enemy had also returned.
