Unstable

Chapter 34

--- Xander's POV ---

The sudden light from the fire billowing upwards made me squint. A wave of heat scorched my face. My mother's apartment building imploded, glass shattering and flying outwards.

I was about 30, 40 feet away from the building. A second ago, I was inside it.

A medical worker rushed over to me. "She looks hurt, let's get her to the hospital."

I let them take her, carefully placing my mom in his arms. She was put on a gurney and loaded into an ambulance.

My hands spasmed. I lifted them up to my face, grimacing at a splinter in my palm. I turned them over, frowning.

The tattoos on the back of my hands, the black diamonds, pain still seemed to echo in only in that area.

Otherwise, I felt fine. Exhausted, but more or less okay. I trudged to my car, too tired to think about what just happened.

I shook off the ash before I got into my BMW. I drove behind the ambulance carrying my mother, and we soon arrived at the hospital.

My mom stayed in the hospital for two days, but she was okay. I had several burns, but nothing too severe.

Word of my courageous deed had spread around school. Kids approached me and asked if it was really true.

I showed them the burns to prove it.

Although I was a hero, the popularity faded after a week.

It was nice while it lasted.

Halfway through May, Aither started looking depressed. He would come to school with dark circles under his eyes and a large thermos overflowing with coffee.

"Are you still not sleeping?" Raiden asked, fulfilling his role as concerned boyfriend.

I couldn't care less, at least until Aither told us why he was feeling so crappy.

"Today's Fox's birthday."

Raiden and I gaped at him.

"T-today?" I stuttered.

"Yeah. Shit, I miss him so bad," Aither sobbed.

Raiden hugged him, earning himself extra points on the boyfriend scale.

The whole day I was plagued with thoughts of what it would be like if Fox was here.

He would be overexcited, and drop not so subtle hints that today was his birthday. All day he would brag about how we should all bow down to him and treat him like a queen.

I laughed just thinking about it. Swallowing the sadness, I scribbled my last answer onto the worksheet.

I relaxed, looking at the clock. Just 15 minutes before I could go home.

I surveyed the classroom. The low murmur of confused students was music to my ears.

I noticed one of the teacher's plants was dead. Probably because the teacher kept pouring the last dregs of her coffee into the pot when she thought no one was paying attention.

"Ms, can I go to the bathroom?" I raised my hand.

She nodded, and continued chewing her sandwich.

I speed walked out of the classroom, and once I was in the clear, I ran to the bathrooms.

Some kid was vaping at the sink.

"Get out," I ordered, waving away the smoke.

He swallowed anxiously and left.