The Hidden | ✅

Chapter Five

The park was pretty vacant for a Friday evening. The only people present were a few joggers. I at least expected to see some high school stoners.

Not that I LIKED seeing high school stoners. I just expected to see them.

I shoved my hands in my hoodie pockets and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and soaking in the sunlight. I didn't get out enough. In fact, most of my time was devoted towards my studies, or researching Elementalists. So standing here now with the wind blowing through my hair and the sun stroking my face, I felt really relaxed.

Suddenly, a pair of hands covered my eyes. My heart jumped and I opened my mouth to scream for help, only to have my assailant them placed a hand over my mouth to silence me.

I began to struggle violently, to no avail.

Without any other options left, I lifted up my foot and slammed it down on my attacker's foot, making sure to use my heel.

"SHIT!"

I knew that voice. I knew this PERSON! I whipped around. "Alex?"

The green eyed boy looked up at me from his now crouched position on the ground. "Um...Hello..."

I gawked at him. "What the hell?!"

He winced. "Well, I was trying to go for a "guess who" type of thing."

I glared at him as he stood up and kind of stumbled on his now injured foot. "Well, you obviously have failed."

"Ya think?"

My glare slowly softened and I looked him over again and began to laugh, shaking my head. "Alexander Hollestelle, you are perhaps one of the most idiotic people I have ever met."

He then smirked at me as if I'd complemented him. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

"I can tell" I smiled. Alex merely rolled his eyes.

"Anyway," He began, trying to change the subject, I um, I saw a swing set on my walk over here. You interested?"

I shrugged.

_ _ _ _

Alex stood on his swing while it swayed as he asked me his next question. "So, what got you interested in the Elementalist?"

We'd been doing this for a while. He'd ask a question, I'd respond and ask him a question in return. It was quite fun, actually. Especially considering that Alex would change swinging positions every once in a while.

"It's a pretty boring story." I chuckled, as I continued to swing. Normally, might I add.

Alex sat down on his swing the correct way at last before stopping right beside me with a smirk. "Well then, humor me." He asked, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pockets.

I let out a soft chuckle. "Well, it started as a child. My parents practically indoctrinated me with stories and lessons on how dangerous Elementalists were and how I should stay out of their affairs and etcetera. But, if you know anything about kids, it's that telling them not to do something, only wants to make them do it more. So every time I got the chance I researched about them. I checked out books, read blogs ad websites, watched documentaries, anything I could get my hands on."

"Like a nerd." Alex interrupted. I punched his shoulder with a grin.

"Let me finish, you dick." I smiled. "Anyway, it's a pretty stupid hobby to have, but it is what it is." Alex opened his mouth to disagree, but I quickly shut him up with a glare. "You know, I remember being younger and even imagining that I was an Elementalist too. A Nubikenetic to be exact, because to a kid, there's nothing cooler than being able to control clouds." Alex and I chuckled at that.

"You know, my uncle was a cop. He specialized in the EH division. Whenever he'd visit, he'd tell me stories of how he faced off with all these dangerous Elementalists and how he always took them down, no matter what their powers were. I used to think that he was so cool. And there was nothing that I wanted more than to be just like him when I grew up."

My reminiscent smile soon melted however as horrible memories started to flow into my mind.

"He was uh...he was in the middle of stopping a robbery one day. He thought the guy was a Normal, but...he...he wasn't." I could see Alex's eyebrows creasing in sympathy as I continued."He was a Haemokenetic."

"Someone who can control blood." Alex stated.

I nodded. "He..." I paused for a second, trying to compose myself. "The guy boiled my uncle's blood while it was still in his veins. He made it...he made it too hot for the human body to sustain and practically...practically burned him alive from the inside-out."

My eyes started to water and I took a shaky breath. I quickly wiped at my eyes, brushing away the stray tears that were falling. "I'm so sorry. You didn't want to hear that. It was...it was stupid of me to spill that story."

Alex looked away from me and turned his attention towards his feet. "I'm, uh...I'm sorry for your loss." He mumbled

It was an awkward silence between us for a few seconds before I decided to break it with a chuckle."Geez, I'm such a downer. I didn't mean for our hangout to turn into a pity-party."

Alex looked over at me and gently took my hand. "Hey," He began. "It's fine. It's okay to vent sometimes. You can't just keep everything in, Circe."

I glanced at him smiled as he released my hand.

"Also, if you saw my real pity face, you wouldn't be able to resist me." Alex smirked.

Looked up at him with a raised eyebrow before chucking a fistful of dirt at him. "You wish." I grinned.

He shoved me playfully and we both began to laugh, all the sadness of our previous conversation drifting away.

As our laughter died down, Alex's phone buzzed. He looked down at it and replied to a text before continuing to swing as if nothing happened.

"I don't mean to be nosy, but, might I ask who that was?" I asked.

Alex smirked. "Why do you wanna know? Jealous, Snow White?"

I scoffed and rolled my eyes at him. "Not a chance. But I pity anyone who ever falls for an Edward Cullen rip-off like you." I sassed

Alex playfully winced. "Wow, way to hurt my feelings, Circe. And to think, I always thought of myself as more of a Jacob guy."

We both laughed before Alex began to talk again. "Actually, it's just one of my friends asking if I'm going to be at Blair's party tomorrow night." He admitted.

I'd completely forgotten about that. And the statement Alex had made in order to get me said invitation. "So," I began, "Are you going?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. It depends on who'll be there." He looked over at me. "Are you going?"

I brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I mean, yeah. I assume that Diana and Mac are going and my weekend is practically a blank slate, so I have nothing better to do."

Alex chuckled. "You say that like you don't want to go."

"Well, sorry to break it to you Alex, but spending my night with a bunch of drunk and hormonal teenagers fighting, grinding on each other, and having sex, is not the ideal way to spend a weekend for me." I said.

Alex snapped his fingers sarcastically. "Oh darn! And here I was thinking I had you pegged!"

"Well you have a lot more learning to do, Hollestelle." I smirked.

Alex's green eyes seemed to shine a little brighter. "And you'd best believe that I'm willing to learn, Lewis."