Chapter 22 Dirt In your Eye
The Fifth Element 🔥 🌊 🌪️⛰️🌀
~Cassie's POV ~
“Well, she doesn’t want to talk to you or have anything to do with you. So don’t bother trying to make an impression,” Madeline said.
“Aww, Maddie, don’t tell me you’re still bearing grudges about the past. I thought we’d grown out of that. We’re eighteen, you know. Why are you still stuck at twelve?” Cara’s tone was syrup over razors.
Madeline’s chair screeched against the floor as she stood up to face Cara. Everyone went quiet.
“I think it’s time for you to walk away,” Madeline said, voice low. Dangerous.
“Maddie, you know me too well to know that I don’t take orders and I don’t like being ordered. So you better watch it,” Cara said, and her smile vanished. Warm to sub-zero in one second.
“You think you scare me? You’re such a joke. You see, I’m no longer the Maddie you used to know when we were kids. If you try anything with me, I will bury you alive,” Madeline said, stepping closer. Toe to toe.
“Look who’s acting all grown up. Your threats even got cornier than before. I thought I taught you better. You should get meaner and not lesser. Honestly, I’m disappointed,” Cara said, laughing now. Mean.
“You! I’m going to put some dirt in your eye,” Madeline snarled.
“What?” Cara’s amusement dropped.
Madeline’s hand shot up. Particles of sand and dust ripped from the corners of the room, from people’s shoes, from the chalk tray. They swirled in midair, a tiny brown cloud, and shot straight at Cara’s face.
Cara squeezed her eyes shut too late. The sand hit her with a soft ffft. She coughed, hands flying to her face.
“Ugh, you little dirt bag! You actually put sand on my face!” Cara sputtered, blinking hard, eyes watering. Mascara running.
“Told you so,” Madeline said and smirked. First time I’d seen her smile all day.
“I’m gonna kill you,” Cara hissed and grabbed Madeline’s wrist blindly.
Madeline screamed. High. Pained.
Everyone jumped up to separate them.
Cara’s hands were blazing fire. Actual fire. Orange flames licking up her fingers, up her forearm. The air smelled like singed hair and ozone. Kids scrambled back.
“You burned me!” Madeline gasped, staring at her wrist. Skin was already red, blistering, angry. Tears in her eyes.
“Sorry I couldn’t tell you so. I was busy getting some dirt out of my eyes,” Cara said, her voice sweet again. Psychotic.
Madeline lunged at her again but the teacher stormed in right at that moment, door slamming open.
It’s about damn time.
“What is going on here!? Cara and Madeline! You both come with me, right now!” the teacher barked, and Madeline obeyed instantly, cradling her wrist to her chest.
Cara took her sweet time, flicking sand off her cheek, smoothing her hair. She winked at me before she followed them out.
“Now that was intense,” I said to David and Stacy, my heart still hammering.
“Yeah. This is bad. Madeline’s mom would be furious at her for picking a fight in school again,” David said, running a hand through his hair.
“Again? Like this isn’t the first time they’re fighting?” I asked them.
“Yeah. They fought a lot back when we were kids. Then they just started tolerating and ignoring each other. That’s until today,” Stacy said, biting her lip.
“Wow. I haven’t seen Madeline that angry before,” I said.
“Yeah. Hopefully you won’t get used to it,” Stacy said and gave me a weak smile.
I nodded and we all went back to our seats when the main class teacher came in, looking stressed already.
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During lunch time that day, I joined Madeleine’s friends at their table. Madeleine was absent because of the fight earlier.
They all had their food with them and I didn’t, so I decided to go get mine from the lunch lady at the counter.
After I got my food, mystery meat, limp carrots, a juice box, I was about to make my way back to my table but almost collided with someone.
“That was close,” I said to myself after balancing my tray in my hands again. Gravy sloshed but stayed on.
“I didn’t think pretty girls were allowed to be clumsy,” the boy I almost ran into said.
I looked up.
Jake.
His blonde hair was radiant under the fluorescents, almost white. He looked handsome as ever. Annoyingly handsome. Like he knew it.
“Sorry. I’m not usually this clumsy. Must be something about this school. Wait a minute, did you just call me pretty?” I said to him, smiling before I could stop myself.
“Did I?” he replied and gave me a look — half amused, half blank — before walking past me to the counter to get his own food.
I waited for him to finish up getting his food so I could follow him. Stupid. I knew it was stupid.
“You done?” I asked him when he came back with his own tray. Burger. No veggies.
“Why are you still standing here?” he asked me, not mean. Just… empty.
“Waiting for you. Where are you sitting?” I asked him, looking forward to sitting with him. My face was hot.
“None of your business,” he said.
“Come on, don’t be mean,” I said to him.
Why was he being cold to me, just after calling me pretty? Emotional whiplash.
“Mean? this is literally me being nice. I’ve told you to stay away from me for your own good. I’d listen if I were you,” he said to me and walked away. No looking back.
I watched him sit at the furthest table at the back with two other guys and a girl. All red uniforms. All fire clan. They laughed when he sat down. He didn’t.
I shamelessly, with my head bent, went back to my table. Food tasted like cardboard now.
“Um, what was that all about?” David asked me, fork paused midair.
“What?” I asked him innocently. Too innocently.
“You were talking to the most hottest guy I can think of in this school. How did that happen?” Monique said to me, leaning in.
Great, even Monique is interested in the subject. She never cares about anything.
“Actually, to object, I think the hottest guy is Damon. Whom you also have a thing with!” Stacy said excitedly, pointing her spoon at me.
“She has a thing with Damon too?” Monique asked Stacy, eyes wide.
“Yep. I saw them with my own eyes. They were really close to each other. At the Library. Alone,” Stacy said to her friends like she was reporting news and I rolled my eyes.
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