Fire, Earth, Water, and Storm

Chapter 2 - Behind the Cafeteria

"God, he's hot," said Wynn as we stood in the cafeteria doorway, looking at an admittedly super hot guy lurking behind the ugly green salad bar.

"C'mon," said Titania as she strode towards him.

We scampered to follow her (or at least I did; Wynn would never "scamper").

"Hey, F."

The dude turned. He was even sexier/hotter from the front. Gorgeous green eyes, and I remembered how totally underrated "tall, dark, and handsome" was.

"Flemington," he said in a sexy deep voice, extending his hand to Titania.

They shook and Flemington stopped leaning on the wall. (I'd been so absorbed by his gaze - on me! - that I hadn't noticed.)

"Follow me," he said, and I almost fell into heaven.

He took us behind the cafeteria to the Dumpster. Or more correctly, Dumpsters.

There are really two, but the lid on one of them is stuck and no one's ever been able to open it before so the school only uses one.

Now, normally, I wouldn't go back there with a boy - especially an ultra super hot one - but again, the vibe thing.

In one smooth movement, Flemington pressed a button and half of the (stuck) Dumpster slid open without a sound, and I went into at least seven states of freak-outed-ness.

Partially the oh-my-god-Flemington's-got-huge-muscles freaking out, but also there's-a-secret-lab-under-the-Dumpster, what-is-going-on, how-come-I've-never-found-the-secret-button, and about three other kinds.

"Ladies first," said Flemington, bowing slightly with the most obnoxious smirk ever.

Tentatively (and attractively as possible), we walked in.

"ID, please," said a robotic female voice. I jumped. High. And banged my head on the door frame. (You try fitting four junior girls and one senior boy in a Dumpster!)

"I'll go first," said Wynn, producing her student ID card and wriggling towards the card swipe next to a blank TV screen in the corner.

"No." Flemington placed a hand on her shoulder, eyes as unforgiving as a snake's, daring us to contradict him.

Suddenly he seemed less hot and more dangerous.

He turned toward the flatscreen in the corner.

"Flemington, requesting access to Level 1, Room B-1."

The screen crackled on, showing a dark-haired woman with a pair of headphones in a booth.

"Flemington, access permitted. ID, please."

"Aeris, um, requesting access?" I forced the words out. This felt really weird, and I wondered what would happen if someone showed up.

"Was that a request or a question?" countered the woman.

I bit back a smile. Attitude! "Aeris, requesting access," I said, stronger.

"Titania, requesting access."

"Wynn, requesting access."

"Fiona, requesting access."

"Access permitted," she said as the screen died and the door clanged shut, trapping us in a void of black.

And the floor dropped out from under my feet and we plummented sixty feet underground, my stomach jumping into my throat.

The smooth gray wall in the back of the elevator slid open as we slid to a stop.