Smoke

43: Okay

My stomach turned when I walked into the auditorium with the rest of the students. I could feel the smoke swirling in my lungs, thick and expanding, as I sat, as I waited.

Danny was watching me, glancing over often. I met his eyes sometimes, sometimes I didn't.

"We'll be practicing using our- our powers again," Danny looked around at us, at me. My stomach was turning as he continued talking, as the seconds got closer to when I would have to use these powers.

"But now we'll be f- focusing more on the performance part of it. Since our show is coming up, we'll be using the powers in more realistic ways. For example," he turned to the girl who had lights in her hands, "you'll be our spotlights. And Cecil," My heart stuttered when he put the focus on me, when he said my name, "you'll be our- our theatrical smoke and smoke machine." He nodded at me, and I stared back at him, knowing I couldn't do it, knowing I would mess up and set everything on fire.

"Anyway," Danny said, looking at me, breaking me out of my thoughts. "Let's get going. Ask me any- any questions if you need something." He nodded to all of us, turning away, letting us practice.

But I sat there, watching everyone. I felt the fire in my stomach, burning through my body, through my skin. I could feel the heat as I breathed, waiting for it to end. I shouldn't have come today.

Danny came over, and I convinced myself I didn't care anymore, even with my heart beating fast, the smoke curling up through my throat.

"Are you okay?" Danny asked me, his voice quiet.

"Yeah, uh," I paused, breathing. As long as I didn't freak out then nothing would happen. "I'm alright." I answered, meeting his eyes. The green in them made my stomach swirl again, and I looked away.

"Okay, well, I--" He paused, exhaling, trying to meet my eyes again. "So what you want to do is just blow some smoke out and- and try to make a fast stream," he moved hair out of his eyes, "so that it goes out like fog." He nodded at me, and I nodded back slowly. "The other thing would be getting a- a bunch of smoke out so it makes the room kind of foggy, and then we can use it with- with her spotlights." He motioned to the girl with lights out of her hands, and I nodded. "Anyway... yeah. Any questions?"

I looked at him, meeting his eyes for a few seconds. His eyes were sharp and green and concerned, and I shook my head.
"No." I said quietly. He waited for another second, doubt apparent on his face. He knew, somehow, that I wasn't as fine as I said I was, but he left it alone.
"Okay." He replied, nodding slightly and walking away.

I felt my heart beating fast, and I looked at the ground, exhaling. I needed to get it under control. I would be fine to use my power as long as I didn't use it for too long. When the smoke got dark, I would have to stop.

Feeling the cold air against my hot skin, I blew out a thin stream of air. If I only had smoke, this would be so much simpler.

The smoke coiled out of my mouth, up through the air, and I quickened the stream. I heard the hiss of my pressurized breath, felt the smoke go quickly out of my lungs, up my throat, pulling through the air. It flicked thickened, turning darker the more I pulled it out of my body. Then I saw the glow of the fire, and my body flashed cold, flashed heat. I shut my mouth tight, feeling the heat flick against my tongue, warm against the roof of my mouth. I looked down at my hand, still red and burned. I balled my fist, hiding the sensitive skin, the burn.

My heart was beating fast. I felt light, shaky, and I could feel the smoke, rough against my lungs. I could feel the burn in my stomach, could feel the fire, hot, burning up to my skin.

I looked around, but no one was looking at me. My heart was fast, I could feel it moving my body, pulsing. Someone must've seen me. But no one did.

I smiled. I was okay. I had kept it under control, at least enough that I didn't burn anything down. At least enough that no one saw.