Chapter 21 Meeting Cara

Chapter 21 Meeting Cara
THE FIFTH ELEMENT 🌊🔥🌪️⛰️☯️

~Cassie’s POV~

“Start… talking…” Stacy said the second I shut the door, blocking it with her body.

“Hi, guys. Stacy, what are you doing here?” I asked. She was perched on my bed like she’d been waiting hours.

“We’ve been looking for you! Thought you got lost or worse — kidnapped!” Madeline snapped, arms crossed, foot tapping.

“Okay, I get you’re worried about me and all, but you don’t have to raise your voice. I’m not a kid,” I said, dropping my bag.

“You’re new here and you don’t know anyone. So forgive me if I’m a little annoyed that you couldn’t tell someone where you were going,” Madeline shot back. Her jaw was tight.

“Okay, okay. That’s enough. She’s safe. That’s all that matters,” Stacy cut in, hands up like she was separating wolves.

“As I was saying…” Stacy turned to me, eyes gleaming. “Are you going to tell us why Damon, of all people, was walking you to your dorm? Ohhhhh, have you been with him this whole time???? Cassie! You are so bad!”

“Um, I’m not sure what you’re insinuating, but yeah, I was with him. In the library. It got late and he decided to walk me here,” I said, keeping my face blank.

“Wait, so you both have been in the library? What exactly were you guys doing?” Stacy wiggled her eyebrows so hard I thought they’d fall off.

“Reading, duh. That’s what people do in a library,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Mm-hmm, reading you say. So what were you both 'reading'?” Stacy air-quoted reading and leaned in.

“History. About this whole place. About my powers,” I said, too fast.

“Well, did you learn anything? About your powers. Do you know what it is now?” Madeline asked, voice sharp. She wasn’t buying it.

Mr. Ken’s “don’t tell anyone yet” rang in my head.

“No. I didn’t learn anything that I didn’t already know, so…” I shrugged, walked past them to my closet. Busy hands, busy lie.

“Right. So you and Damon, huh?” Madeline’s tone could’ve frozen water.

“Why are you guys acting weird about it? There’s nothing there. Today was just a coincidence,” I said, yanking out clean PJs.

“Okay. If you say so. There’s nothing there,” Stacy said, but her grin said _liar.

“Thank you for getting on the same page with me. I am going to take a shower and have a good sleep. Bye, Stacy,” I said and bolted for the bathroom.

When I came out, hair dripping, Stacy was already gone. Just me and Madeline now. Room quiet except the AC.

“So what really happened today? Why were you with Damon?” Madeline asked again. She was sitting on her bed, legs crossed, staring at me. Not blinking.

“Eh, I thought I already told you guys. I was in the library and I met him there. He helped me with some books that were locked away in some private area or something. And then he walked me here because it was late,” I said, flopping onto my bed.

“So you want me to believe that’s just it?” Madeline said.

“Yeah. Because that’s just it. Why do you keep insisting that something else happened? Do you have a problem with Damon?” I asked, propping up on my elbow.

“If you say that’s it, then okay. I believe you. But I’m just trying to look out for you. Damon isn’t a very nice person, just like Sage. So be careful,” Madeline said before turning to her side of the bed. End of discussion.

I furrowed my eyebrows at her back.

Damon seemed nice to me. I don’t know why they keep insisting he isn’t.

I decided not to think about it and just closed my eyes.

🔥🔥🔥

Morning hit like a truck. Madeline was already dressed, bed made, hair perfect. I was still fighting toothpaste. It was on my chin. Again.

I don’t know how she does it. Robot, maybe.

“Would you hurry up? You’re such a drag,” Madeline said, tapping her foot by the door.

I spit, rinsed, grabbed my bag. “Sorry,” I mumbled. It wasn’t fair to her that I was wrecking her punctual schedule.

🔥🔥🔥

When we got to class, everyone was already seated.

The teacher wasn’t here yet, so everyone was chatting with their own element tribe. Air kids near the windows. Fire kids taking up too much space. Water kids whispering.

David tapped me on my shoulder and I turned.

“Hey you,” I said.

“Hey youuuu. I heard about your little adventure with a certain dark-haired, very attractive, water boy,” David said, grinning like he’d won something.

I turned to look at Stacy across the room and she just gave me a thumbs-up and mouthed _sorry not sorry_.

Seriously…

~~
“It wasn’t an adventure. Just two people reading. That’s all,” I said to him and he just smiled knowingly and nodded, like he was humoring a toddler.

“I’m telling the truth,” I said, defensive now.

“Of course you are,” he replied, patting my desk.

I gave up. No point.

“Hi there,” someone called from above me.

I looked up from where I was sitting.

A beautiful blonde girl was standing right in front of me. Cara. Sharp blue eyes. Red uniform pressed sharp. She had Jake’s eyes. Jake’s hair, but longer.

“Hi!” I said, and my voice went a whole octave higher. Great.

I cleared my throat immediately. Cool, Cassie. Real cool.

“You must be Cassidy. I’m Cara. We haven’t met. Just wanted to introduce myself,” Cara said and smiled. It didn’t reach her eyes.

“Okay. Nice to meet you, Cara,” I said and glanced at Madeline beside me.

Madeline looked furious. Jaw locked. Hands fists on the desk. Knuckles white.

“Likewise. You know, if you need anything, I’m ten seats away. Just holler and I’ll be there,” Cara said, still smiling at me.

“She doesn’t need anything from you. So just move along…” Madeline said, not looking at her. Looking straight ahead like Cara was a ghost.

“I wasn’t talking to you, sweetheart. I was talking to her. A very important person, unlike yourself,” Cara said to Madeline, but her eyes never left me.

I just smiled awkwardly. Stuck between them. Sweating.

\~~~