Elements

Chapter 4

"Jackson kissed you on the cheek!?" Alyssa exclaimed as she devoured her sandwich. It was lunchtime, yet Ira wasn't hungry.

"Yep," Ira nibbled at her cheese stick. "But this is the weirdest part. Some tall boy shows up, and we both connect. It was so weird!"

Alyssa looked up from her lunch, her mouth covered in crumbs. Ira laughed, and Alyssa shrugged. "What do you mean, connect?"

Ira put her cheese stick to the side. "I don't know how to explain it."

"Who cares?" Alyssa wiped the crumbs off her face. "

Ira sighed. "Yeah...I guess..."

Suddenly, Alyssa fell silent. Ira stared at her, "What?" 

But Ira already knew. She turned around, and standing right behind her was Jackson.

"Um, hey Ira." Jackson shifted on his feet. "Could...could we talk? In private?"

Ira blushed. "Um, sure..."

Out of nowhere, the biggest boy Ira had ever seen gives Jackson a noogie, and laughed, "Hey, noogie-boy. Talking to your girlfriend?"

"Uhh...never mind, Ira." Jack stutters, turning a dark red. He and the tall boy run back to their table.

"Wow." Alyssa snickers. "Leaves you just to save his dignity." 

Ira shrugged. "Whatever...I get it. He's just trying to avoid embarrassment, since he's dating a weirdo."

Alyssa gasps. "Dating!?"

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The sun beamed down on them as Ira and Alyssa walked home.

"I'm so glad that we're neighbors," Ira grinned. "It makes the way home WAY easier."

Alyssa was about to respond, but cocked her head to one side and said, "Who's THAT?"

Ira turned around and saw a girl watering her plants. Her lips moved as if she was singing to them, lovingly. Her long, blond hair billowed in the light breeze. Her emerald green eyes matched her cute, green outfit. She wore a ring, with a plant symbol on it. Ira had never seen her before, yet she seemed familiar...

"I have no clue..." Ira walked over to her and waved to get her attention. She looked up, and they locked eyes. Her eyes bloomed with flowers, and Ira's eyes twirled with snowflakes that had so recently caused her confusion.

Ira shook her head.

Again? she thought.

"Hello," the girl set her watering can down and turned to face Ira. "May I help you?"

"Oh," Ira blushed. "Sorry...are you new here?"

The girl shook her head. "No," she answered. "I just, I barely interact with anyone. I'm Jane, by the way." she put her hand out and Ira shook it.

"I'm Ira." 

"Ira..." the girl's eyes stared into nothingness, which gave Ira a weird feeling. "Such a pretty name."

Alyssa had now joined them, standing to the right of Ira, her eyes glancing from Ira to Jane, and back again. 

"I think I've seen you in school before," Ira said.

"Yeah...I used to be in eighth grade. Now I'm in ninth, at the high school."

"Oh...that makes sense." 

As Ira and Jane talked on and on, the sun started to set. Alyssa tugged on Ira's shirt, and Ira sighed.

"Well...I guess it's time to go. Bye, Jane!" Ira waved as she started to walk home, Alyssa at her side.

"It's her, alright. Fury was right." Jane thought, and strolled inside, rummaging for the special stone.