UN-MELTABLE! Pt 1

Fire and Ice

"Hey Kiro!"

Kasey raced up the stairs after Kiro, hoping to reach him before he disappeared. Something about this fire boy really ticked him off, like a predatory instinct. Like this kid was some sort of challenger or rival, and if Kasey wanted to make sure his life at the academy went as smoothly as possible, then he'd have to put this kid in his place.

"OI, DON'T IGNORE ME!!"

This usually got a response at the orphanage, and was the perfect way to see what the hothead was made of. But he simply walked round the corner, to the next flight of steps, either ignoring or completely oblivious to Kasey's exclamation. This got Kasey thoroughly pissed, as he was only used to this kind of ignorance from the bullies at the orphanage, which was what Kasey had now labelled this boy as. 

"GODDAMMIT, LOOK AT ME!"

And to Kasey's obvious surprise, Kiro finally turned to face him ( having finally reached the door to the rooftop). 

"I thought I warned you that I'd roast you like a Sunday dinner if you got in my way"

"Well technically speaking- OOWWW !"

Kasey looked, appalled, at his hand, which had turned charred and black, just as the last of the flames which had danced upon it rushed back to Kiro's outstretched hand, which he then pocketed after extinguishing the fire. As the last of the flames left it, Kasey's hand was suddenly enveloped in a thin sheet of ice, which cooled and miraculously healed his burned hand.

"Number 1 : I care nothing for your technicalities. Number 2 : I did warn you. And number 3 : I need to go to sleep so leave me BE!" Was all Kiro seemed to have to say, because without so much as a " Goodnight" or even possibly a "Sorry", he turned to the door, opened it and walked onto the roof, slamming the door into Kasey's face.

"OOWWW !!!!!" 

                                                                                              ~~~

Kasey woke the next day to find Ashley sitting on the end of his bed, frowning openly at him, as though he were a five year old who had just gotten into trouble and should have known better.

"What!" He snarled, the memories of last night rushing back to him, as he pulled his covers over his head, embarrassed, but also fairly conscious of the lack of clothes he was wearing.

 But it seemed as though Ashley didn't seem to care that he was nearly naked or the fact that she was invading his personal space on a level Kasey believed to be simply unacceptable. And so the longest lecture Kasey had ever heard, but he was hardly paying attention and so only heard snatches of it. 

"Really thought you'd know better"

"Kiro is... an unsociable child"

"Chased him through the building"

And so on...

"Yeah yeah I know goddammit! But its really annoying when he just walks away, and ignores me. It just annoys me when anyone ignores me okay. You wouldn't understand okay. I lived in a place where it was  kill or be killed. Have your head smashed into a plate or make sure that everyone was afraid of you. Be the odd one out and be excluded from everything. And the way that guy just ignored me, just kept on walking, it just... You wouldn't understand."

Ashley stared at him, a pitying look on her face, like she felt so sorry for him. She thought to herself, I've felt like this before, like I needed to prove to people that I'm strong, to keep myself from being targeted. To keep myself alive.

"Actually, you'd be surprised," was her reply. Kasey thought he heard a tint of malice in her words, as though a long distant memory had awoken a primal hatred within her. "Hurry up and get changed, you have class, and combat training today."

"Combat training?"

"Yes doofus, combat training, where they teach how to wield your element. What do you think they would teach you to do with it? Then again, there are the General Use Classes, (Or G.U.C), where you get taught how to wield them for...well...general use. But mostly you're taught how to fight."

Okay, but where exactly do I go? Thought Kasey, as he slowly got out of bed, once Ashley had left. And as though it were an answer to his though, an quiet beep began to sound from a small device on his bedside table. It looked like a Duel Gazer from Yu-Gi-Oh, but without the actual eyepiece, or maybe one of those wireless single earbuds. The second he put it on, however, a virtual trail popped into view, as well as a mini timetable in the corner. 

"Well I guess that's where I go." He said, and began following the trail. It eventually took him to a classroom filled with other students, all of which, he'd yet to have seen. All bar one.

"Not you!"

Because there at the back of the class, engaged in what appeared to be some sort of handheld gaming device, was Kiro.

"COUGH COUGH"

Turning, Kasey saw to his dismay, a small white haired woman, who appeared to be in her 30's. Kasey looked in curiosity as he questioned himself on whether or not this newcomer had actually just said the word "cough".

"Good Morning class... 9 F"

And so came the response from the other students.

"Good morning Mrs Fetney"

"I see we have a new student today, and what is your name?"

And suddenly Kasey saw them all clearly, every face turned towards him, some smiling kindly, others smiling in that way that screams "Fresh meat". It was like those nightmares, and Kasey resisted the urge to look down, to check if he was wearing any clothes. Only Kiro seemed to take no notice.

"I'm Kasey... and I'm-"

"I asked for your name, not your personal information...Kasey."Interrupted Mrs Fetney, who then proceeded to sit at her desk, before pointing at the empty space next to Kiro."Sit there"

And suddenly, out of nowhere, appeared a chair, a desk and a pencil case. But the second Kasey began to venture towards the seat, it went up in flames, along with everything else. Kiro was staring at him now, daring Kasey to speak, daring him to challenge or argue. And he did.

"Mrs Fetney, it seems as though Kiro is unwilling to share the space at the back of the classroom. I believe that he is being very childish, however because I am the bigger person, I think I'll simply sit here."

And so, with the rest of the class laughing at Kiro's humiliation, Kasey sat next to a dark haired girl, who was sporting a far away expression, as though she were far away, a different world to the rest of the class. It weirded him out and he instantly regretted his seating choice, however if he got up again now, he would most likely lose the upper hand against Kiro, so he stayed where he was.

Lost in thought, it was pure instinct, that brought Kasey's arm up, fingers splayed towards the back of the room. Pure instinct that caused a blast of ice to shoot from it, engulfing and freezing a ball of fire which had been hurtling in his direction. And yet again pure instinct that made him force the ice/flame ball safely into his outstretched palm, before he turned it to vapour and just as Kiro had done on the roof, absorbed the ice into his hand.

Kasey himself spent the whole time staring in awe at his display of power, as did the rest of the class. Including, to Kasey's well hidden contempt, was Kiro. But there was something else in Kiro's expression. A sort of satisfaction, as though Kasey had just confirmed something he already knew. And with that he stood, pressed a button on his console, transforming it into a small square, before turning to Kasey.

"Roof. Five Minutes."

It was a command not a request. And from the way Mrs Fetney was staring expectantly at him, as though waiting for him to leave. It seemed as though this was the norm in class, and so Kasey, stood and followed Kiro out of the room.