The Storm of Elements

Saltwood and Exhale

The day that Jake rescued me and my friends helped us blow up the Rave facility is constantly on my mind. I know that it's something I'll never forget, and should never forget. It's the day the Elementals rose up from the ashes and came roaring back with vengeance to defeat Goodwin. We are the only people so far who have done that.

I don't mind remembering it. It's the pain I get from remembering it that tears me apart.

I shake away the memory and walk out of the elevator.

We walk down a hall to the lobby, where the Saltwood restaurant immediately greets us. Music echoes towards us, and laughter and talking soon follow. I watch waiters and waitresses walking around balancing black trays on their palms, smiling and calm as ever. The smell of something spicy that's cooking makes my mouth water.

Alex and Peter are practically drooling.

Alex whips around towards the rest of us. "Can we please try it? Please? It smells SO good."

"Can we?" Peter pleads.

Us responsible girls all share a look. We don't want to spend all our money in one night (though I doubt that will happen), and this place seems pretty fancy. Fancy being another word for expensive, that is. It's 7:40 now, a little late for a meal, but I guess it can't really hurt to try just a little.

"Are you sure, guys?" Lenae asks them reasonably. "We'll probably have to eat here almost every day for as long as we stay here."

"Oh they're sure, alright," Myria laughs, looking at the boys' big puppy-dog eyes.

Raina and I shrug, and she says, "Why not try at least something?"

Our minds made up, we walk into the restaurant.

It really does smell good.

We find a booth and sit down, looking around the room almost in awe. A few moments later, a young brown-haired waitress in her early twenties stands in front of our table, a pen and pad of paper in her hand. After she sets down seven menus, she smiles. "Hello, and welcome to Saltwood. My name is Carol, and I'll be your waitress today. Can I start you guys off with some drinks? Or appetizers?"

We all look at each other. Apparently, we are eating here.

"No appetizers, but yeah," Alex says, "do you have hot chocolate?"

The waitress laughs. "I'm sorry, we don't have hot chocolate here. I wish we did, though. It would make my job a whole lot more fun, and I'd rather get paid with that than money." She winks at us.

I immediately like her.

"Oh." Alex is crestfallen. All he wanted was hot chocolate.

"But we do have both Pepsi and Coke products. Also some different flavored lemonades you could have instead. I know it doesn't compare to hot chocolate, but it might be better than water."

"I guess I'll have a Coke." I'd almost feel bad for him, if the situation wasn't so funny.

I mean, we're at a fine-dining restaurant. Did he really expect them to have something like hot chocolate?

She scribbles his order down onto her pad, then looks at Lenae sitting next to him. "And for you, ma'am?"

"I'd like a strawberry lemonade, please."

Carol's pen moves furiously. "And for you, monseur?" She grins at me. "My tenth-grade French paid off."

"A Pepsi, please," Peter says, not taking his eyes off of her. She is pretty, and it's no secret now that Peter noticed. I smother a smile when Myria looks at him, her brow furrowed.