Amy Flemming | After the Flames

5

The school day went by pretty fast. Our last subject English has approached. Mrs. West welcomes us before starting her class. After a lengthy explanation, she concludes the topic. "So that is what makes it active and passive." She explains as she writes it on the board. When she looks up at us into the class, her eyes land on Elijah who is in the far back with his head on the table. "Elijah!" She says rather loudly to get him awake. His head shoots up as he frantically looks around. "Elijah, can you please focus on the class?" She tells him. "Maybe it is a good idea to go to bed early." Mrs. West advises him before turning her back to us again. He nods his head before focusing on the topic and copies the notes that are written on the board. I take the books that I need for the homework. 

Brooke, Paige and I walk home together from school. We enter the living room and sit down on the couch. Kate walks out of the kitchen with some drinks for us. "Elijah, do you want anything?" Kate asks Elijah before he disappears through the back door to enter the garden. Brooke looks at us. "Clearing the mind with nature is the best way to clear the mind." She says before taking a sip of her drink. I take one of the brownies, which Kate just finished baking, from the tray before taking a bite. "These are delicious." I compliment her baking skills before she smiles at me. I decide to make some homework in my bedroom. 

The homework is spread out on my desk, as I work on the English homework that we got today. A knock is heard on the door. Chester walks in and gives me a kiss on the cheek when he has walked in. "How is it going?" He asks me as he looks at the homework. "I guess English is one of the easier subjects that we are getting, so it is going okay." I tell him before he sits down on my bed. I turn my chair around so I am facing him. We talk a little bit about school and things before Valerie comes walking in. "Hello!" She says with a smile as she sits down on her bed. "How are you two doing?" She asks me. We look at her. "How was your detention?" Chester asks her. "It was horrible." Valerie tells as she gives us a groan. 

"I had to write down all of Mr. Carters rules for his Economy class." Valerie tells us. "Now he sort of needed to improvise since he is new to the class and didn't even have rules yet, so I had to stay longer." Valerie adds. Chester chuckles before receiving a glare from Valerie which makes him quiet. Ethan walks in with a bright smile on his face as he holds something behind is back. "Why are you smiling so scary." Valerie asks him. "Stop it is really creepy."  She says as Ethan ignores her comments. "Are you alright?" I ask him before he stops the creepy smile.  "Look what I just found in the back of my wardrobe." Ethan says as he pulls out a box from behind his back and shows it to us. "I found my Harry Potter films again. He says as he shoves the box with the full collection into our faces before swinging his arm back and hitting the glass with orange juice which tips over and spills over my homework. 

"Oh god!" He says as he quickly takes some tissues, trying to stop the drink from ruining my homework. "Stop, you will ruin my Biology assignment." I tell him. "Uhm. Sorry." He tells me as he looks at the project. "Did you already finish that thing?" Valerie tells me as she looks at me with wide eyes. "Well, now I have to start over so no. Not anymore." I answer her. "I am very sorry for ruining the assignment." Ethan apologizes with an embarrassed look on his face. "It is fine." I tell him. "But you found your movie collection so that is good I guess." I tell him with a smile.. "Yes, that is very good because we can have a marathon tonight." He says as he shows us the box again. "Deal." Chester replies before he waits for our answers. "Let's do it." Valerie says. After talking about Harry Potter, I decide to clean up my desk before Valerie and Ethan leaves to help with the chores downstairs. "I am going to work on some things so we can start rehearsing again with Lights & Dreams." Chester tells me after helping me clean up. "Good luck." I tell him before he leaves my bedroom. 

Dinner is ready. Tonight we are eating Sunday roast. Kate's cooking skills make everything tasty and so is this dinner. During the dinner, the main subject is Lights & Dreams and what they will be doing when they will be rehearsing again. Valerie, Ethan, Chester and I also talk about our movie marathon which we will be holding tonight. "Are you okay, Elijah?" Kate asks him with a worried expression. "Yes. I'm fine." Heather looks over at him and begins to laugh. "It is better than being a sleep in Mrs. West's English class." She comments. "Did you fall asleep during English?" Kate asks him. "Yes." Elijah answers her. Kate looks at him with a worried expression. "Maybe it is good to go to bed early tonight." Kate tells him. "After everything that has happened, everybody has to get back into their usual rhythm which means that it is important to get back into our usual routines. So tonight we will be having lights out at nine." Kate tells us all. "But we were having a movie marathon tonight." Ethan tells her. "School is something you have to focus on now you have the chance to. Movie nights can always be held at a different time." Kate tells us with a strict expression. "Tonight lights out at nine O' clock." Kate tells us before Ethan wants to speak up again. "No discussions." She tells us before she stands up from the table and leaves the room. 

"That was odd." Ethan speaks up as we start the chores to clean up the dishes and the table. "Very. Why would she want us in our rooms that early?" I agree with him before setting the dishes into the dishwasher. "Who knows." Ethan says. "Looks like we will have to do hold our movie marathon another time." Ethan comments with an irritated look on his face. 

The chores are finished as I head upstairs. I frown at the ruined biology project. The drawers to my dresser are opened so I can take the things I need for a shower. The bathroom is empty as I enter and lock the door behind me.

The shower takes a while to heat up before I step underneath the streaming water. After a few minutes, I hear a very front singing sound in the bathroom. I don't think too much off it since singing is a common thing on the girls corridor. The volume of the female voice becomes louder but I can't recognize the voice. It almost sounds not human as it sees to come closer to me. I pull back the shower curtain with trembling hands before it reveals an empty bathroom. I am done showering and scared so decide to turn off the shower before drying myself off. After putting on my pajamas, I brush my teeth and wrap my hair into the towel. 

I quickly walk towards our bedroom. Valerie is reading some random magazine. "Look at him!" She exclaims as she turns the page to show me. "Isn't he nice?" She says with a big smile as she shows me a poster of Tom Holland. I smile at her. "Yes, he is." I answer her before letting my hair out of the towel to let it air dry. "What is with you?" Valerie asks me as I sit down on my bed and look around. "Were you singing earlier when I was in the shower?" I ask her. "No. I was drooling over Tom Holland." She says as she hangs up the poster on her side of the room. "Why?" Valerie asks me as she sits back down again on her bed. "Well, I heard singing when I was in the shower." I tell her. "Maybe it was Brooke, Lucy, Paige or Heather." I sigh at her answer before she joins me on my bed. "Why?" She asks me. "I heard singing inside of the bathroom and it didn't sound like any of you. It was weird." I tell her. "That is very odd." I can see that she is having a hard time believing me. 

I read from my book, well I try since Valerie is talking about the best Tom Holland movies. After 15 minutes, she goes to bed which gives me enough time to read another chapter before going to bed myself.