Fight With Fire

14

A few more groups came through the waiting room. Most were very similar to the first group and I tested the best way to break the news to them. Some I just said that testing wasn't over. Some I spent my time teasing them to see each persons' reaction. One time there was a girl named Alex who is an Oari. She figured out what was happening before I could say anything.

There were already 5 other people sitting around me discussing when Alex entered the room. "Am I the only one that is a little suspicious about this whole thing?" I keep my face neutral as she walks towards the group.

"That was kind of weird. It was so short." Someone agrees.

Alex keeps the same look of concentration on her face. "Of course it is very short. Most years where there is individual testing, it takes days to go through everyone." She takes a seat. "But that's not it. They used our teacher for the testing. She is very biased towards us. She has favourites and she could make them look better. And not just that!" She seems to be building on every point. "She had a list of a few questions and she didn't really seem interested in the answers. The answers are not for her but I think it's more than that. Knowing her, she would be listening trying to figure out who had the best answers. She acted like the answers didn't even matter!" She gets up and starts pacing. "Why? Why would she do that?"

Everyone is following Alex with their eyes as she paces. Someone replies even though it was a rhetorical question. "I think that you're overthinking this. Maybe testing was just easy this year. We should be happy." The poor girl tries to smile but the only reaction she gets is a cringe from me and wave of the hand from Alex.

"No. I think-" Alex stops pacing and her face brightens in sudden understanding. She comes closer to everyone. "I think that wasn't the real testing." She looks around the room and her eyes land on John. She continues addressing the crowd and John keeps his facial expression neutral. She points to him. "We are in a room with the doors closed and a guy that looks like a security guard. Testing isn't over. I think it could be far from it. Maybe we need to escape this room or something but there is no way it is over." She looks frantic like she could knock the walls down.

John steps forward saying his signature line. "It is now."

Alex calms a little bit and everyone looks shocked. John escorts everyone from the room explaining the situation. Everyone is pale from embarrassment but Alex just looks relieved.

John takes his post again and I recognize the next person to walk into the room. Adrian's curly brown hair sits on his head in knots. I am about to greet him when I look into his eyes. His blue eyes are pained and seem a shade darker than normal. The devastating part is you can see the regret more than the tears. I start to reach for him and tears escape his eyes. I wrap my arms around him putting my head against his chest. It is similar to how we were after he pulled me through the window out of the rain but it feels wrong how similar the situations are.

"What happened?" I've never said anything so genuinely. Adrian shakes his head as more tears flow from his eyes. I ignore John's eyes watching us and give Adrian all my attention. "Please." I am whispering so quietly that I am surprised he hears me. He shakes his head again letting more tears fall. He takes a deep breath before answering, his voice barely a whisper.

"Every day it's the same. I think it's going to be different and then..." I look into those eyes. Those deep dark blue eyes...

I shake my head. "I don't understand."

He points back to the room he came from. "There is no one out there. No one. No one left! My Aerdell is a curse. I can't see anything worthy in anyone anymore."