Chapter 105

Chapter 105
Elly's POV

I thought something was fishy when Aidan walked out with Dunn, and then some of his teammates slipped out afterwards. It just didn't seem right.

The freshmen party was toast - I can't tell why I couldn't feel at ease despite having my friends with me. And Dunn? I never liked him, but why did I giggle when he whispered into my ears? Why did Aidan appear almost immediately?

“What the fuck?” I cursed, gritting my teeth together as comprehension hit.

That had been an impulsive choice of words and I would've liked it if the others didn't hear me, but they did.

I turned to Ophelia and Maggie, ignoring the looks of surprise they shot at me. “Give me a second, I'll be right back.” I said, and hurried out, right behind the boys.

I walked past swarms of bodies towards the entrance of the cabin just when Mr. Grump was brisking in, and stopped.

Didn't I hear Dunn mention a surprise from Mr. Grump? Why would he send a present to Aidan through the clotpole if he was going to attend the party himself? Besides, this was strictly a student’s party - not the teachers weren't welcomed, it just wasn't necessary.

“Excuse me, Sir?” I said, walking towards the old man.

“Oh hi, Elly, what's up? Enjoying the party?” He said in his usual burly voice which he'd toned down to sound friendly.

“That would've been a given if someone didn't try to ruin my spirit.” I answered, wondering what he was hiding.

“Hoopsy! That sucks.” He said causally, then scanned the faces of students in the cabin. “Where's Aidan? Can't find him here, he better not be scheming some trouble. Tell him I said so.”

Well, since we'd both gone public, everyone knew about us, including the teachers. I had to resist the urge to reminisce on Rockwell's face when we broke the news to him. He'd giggled so much that he’d snorted too. He'd known all along.

“About that,” I started, brushing my tongue against my lips. “Did you send a present to Aidan via Dunn?”

Mr. Grump frowned in surprise, shook his head and answered, “Why would I do that? Am I trying to burn down the school?”

Exactly, he wouldn't. He might not know it, but Aidan would never start a fight, and unless Dunn was trying to instigate trouble and blame it on Aidan, why did he lie?

Mr. Grump gave me a thorough stare when I didn't respond for a while. Then he went, “Elly…” but I interrupted him, seeing how urgent this was becoming.

“I need your help, if you don't want to see the school burn down soon.” I said, grabbing his hand desperately.

He softened, and took a deep breath. “What is this about?”

I shifted closer to him on my feet. “I think Dunn took Aidan out to have his revenge.”

Mr. Grump’s face hardened. “Where did they go?”



It was a good thing we hurried out of the cabin or we would've packed the school in ashes just like the gym Jimmy brought to the ground.

While that's not exactly a good example, it's a bold and direct reference to what would've happened if we'd gone a second late.

The rain had begun when we slipped out of the cabin and into the open. It was splattering on the ground, deterring my chances of picking up his scent on the ground as we went.

It couldn't be the woods, I thought, stopping and marking out where I lost his scent. The noise of each stroke of rain beating in the canvas roof of the farm house soaked my mind with an unwanted symphony. Just when I'd resigned to coming out with the truth, a mighty wind swept past us, almost knocking down old man Grump.

Ryan. That was the signature of his presence.

"I reckon first you're lost," he said light heartedly and old man Grump chuckled. "They're in the tent." Ryan revealed, and I gritted my teeth and shut my eyes. Why didn't I think about that?

"Thanks," I whispered, sidling close to Ryan as old Grump took a detour.

"You're welcome, hippie. Next time, don't go without me." He instructed playfully and I smiled.

I thought about Jimmy and Adrian, then decided it was unwise to bother them. We trudged towards the tent in the dark illuminated only by the light of the moon.

Why the school had chosen black out on a night like this was something I couldn't understand. But I guess their intention was to give students the opportunity to shine.

I thought about the newbies, it would take a while but they would soon find home here especially with Professor Rockwell. But, no matter how much I thought about it, to some extent, I would always prefer to be free. That means that this would never be home entirely.

We heard the sound of a heavy object crashing into something heavier. The sound echoed even through the rain. We stopped, and exchanged glances, the three of us thinking the same thing. Then, as if we were under control, we sprinted towards the tent with a desperation that befitted the scene.

There, at the center of the tent was Aidan and four boys, but that was not all. There were crates of fireworks and combustible materials hidden under straws. Where did it come from? It looked like a staged plan. This was a snare indeed. They were going to excite Aidan, and make him use his powers. If he did, he would be burning down the tent, with himself in it.

As if I'd perfectly predicted their move, Aidan's hands suddenly started crackling with orange fire and his face hardened. “You want to play? I can play too.” he snarled, the fire glowing even brighter around his hands.

Some of the boys started shifting backwards towards the crates, just as I'd predicted. Right there, I knew my moment had come. I had to stop Aidan, or like a phoenix, he was going to set himself ablaze.

"Aidan, stop!" I yelled from the entrance.

The boys turned to me - angry that I'd ruined their fun, but not Aidan. He was gone.

I lunged forward, my hands stretched out as if trying to grab a ball coming at me with the speed of light. Ryan lunged forward too. He wasn't about to take chances, I guess.

A wicked smile appeared on Aidan's face as the fire on his hand glowed even brighter and more deadly. Ryan and I stepped forward and grabbed his wrist just in time and twisted it hard enough to make the sparks sputter out.

It took a while, but when Aidan came back to his senses and narrated the scene to us, even old man Grump knew he had an apology to make. It was never Aidan's fault entirely.

There was a cut on his forehead, just beneath strands of stray hair. I helped him clean the blood, and watched it heal on its own as I tried applying a bandage on it. I guess I keep forgetting that our bodies can heal instantly unlike the others.

“Are you okay?” I asked as Aidan walked me back to my room.

“I can say I am, and that's all thanks to you and Ryan.” Aidan answered honestly, but I could tell that there was something on his mind.

I wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled him into a hug. Bear tight.
“Don't lose it, please.”