Element

✯ Chapter 30

“Kaelie! Ramaya! Gavin! Brooke! How were Battle Team tryouts today?” Alanna asks excitedly.

        I wish I could telepathically communicate with her. Kaelie’s been down in the dumps all afternoon, ever since she’s convinced herself she can’t make it. I bite my lip, and silently shake my head behind Kaelie. Kaelie lets out a heavy sigh.

“I don’t think I’ll make it.” she says sadly. “But Ramaya and Gavin will.” Brooke looks at her apologetically.

“Are you sure? I wish there was something I could do!” She says sincerely.

“There is something you can do. Leave me the heck alone!” With that she storms off. But I catch a glimpse of tears in her eyes. Gavin tries to run after her, but I grab hold of his shirt.

“Gavin, leave her alone for a bit. It’s what she wants.” His expression drops.

“I just want to comfort her!” he complains.

“She doesn’t need comfort. She needs to be away from us for a bit. She’ll be fine.” I explain. Brooke and Alanna nod.

“The last thing you want to is annoy her.” Alanna says.

“Maybe if you weren’t also trying out for the team she wouldn’t feel so upset.” Brooke adds.

“She shouldn’t feel upset because of me! I really like her!” He interjects.

“We know you do, but please listen to us! All she needs is space!” I plead.

“Trust me, by tomorrow, she’ll have forgotten all about this.”

“And what if she hasn’t Ramaya? What kind of boyfriend would it make me if I didn’t go comfort her?”

“She’s only mad because we’re more likely to get into Battle Team!”

“Well, she doesn’t have to be mad at me anymore.” My eyebrows furrow.

“What? Why?” I’m truly confused.

“Because I quit. I’m not coming for tryouts tomorrow.”

“But-”

“No! I’ve made my decision, and that’s that! If this is what it takes to prove to Kaelie I like her, I'll do it. See you later.” He storms off. Brooke and Alanna look bewildered by what had just happened.

“Did that just-”

“Yes.”

“And he just-”

“Yup.” I sigh heavily.

Since when did my life become such a drama?

     We eat dinner in almost complete silence, then Brooke and I take off for our dorms, completely exhausted. And we still have another day of tryouts, supposedly the most important one of all. As I’m walking down the empty hallway, Rhodes bursts out of a nearby hallway, looking really angry. He stops in his tracks.

“Oh, Ramaya. Hi,” he says. I hug him without saying anything. My mixed feelings run away and are replaced with a bit of comfort and clearness as his hands wrap around my waist. He looks at me.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, I…” He changes his arms from around me to holding my hands in his. I smile at the gesture. “I just had an interesting dinner with Kaelie and Gavin. And Brooke and Alanna, but, well,” I don’t know how to explain this.

“Let’s go to my dorm,” he suggests kindly.

“Alright.”

    We walk quietly through the cold night air to the dorms and up the stairs. He unlocks his door and we step inside. It’s nice and warm, and actually very neat for a guy’s room. We sit down on his bed side by side, and his arm wraps around my waist again. I lean my head on his shoulder.