Chapter 26 The Fight
The Fifth Element 🔥 🌊 🌪️ ⛰️ 🌀
~Cassie's POV ~
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When I got back to my dorm, it was empty.
Madeline wasn’t back yet. Her side of the room was too neat. Mine was not.
I freshened up and got some food to eat while waiting for her. Cup noodles. The steam fogged my glasses. I planned on telling her about my powers today. She’s my roommate and friend, and I thought she should know.
Also I was too excited, I needed to tell someone what I could do. The purple haze. The slap. The clang.
After some hours, Madeline finally got back. Door opened. Closed. No hello.
“Hey, what kept you so long? Are you okay? Did something happen?” I asked her once she closed the door.
She just sighed heavily and went directly to take her shower. Didn’t look at me. Her bandaged wrist stayed hidden.
I waited for her to finish up so I could talk to her. Picked at my noodles. Cold now.
“Madeline, you seem pissed. Did your mom do something you didn’t like? Are you still angry about Cara?” I asked her when she finished up, hair wet, face scrubbed red.
“I’m not talking to you,” she said to me. Flat.
“What did I do? Are you mad at me?” I asked her.
“Yes! I’m mad at you. I thought you were my friend, but you go behind my back and say things to my mom about me! What gives you that right? Who do you think you are!?” Madeline said angrily to me. Her voice shook the air.
“Wait a minute, I didn’t do anything wrong. I thought she already knew about your fight with Cara, that’s why I said anything in the first place and I’m sorry. But she was going to find out about it anyway. So what’s all the fuss about?” I said to her, getting annoyed myself. My voice went up.
“You snitched on me! That’s what the fuss is about! You don’t have any right to talk to my mom, not about anything, and especially not about me!” she kept yelling at me. Her eyes were glassy. Angry-tears.
“What is your problem? You’re angry that I had a conversation with your mom? Do you even know why I went to see her?” I asked her and she rolled her eyes at me. Hard.
“Do I look like I care? You know what, I’m done talking about this with you! I’m going to bed,” Madeline said and went straight to her bed to lie down. Yanked the blanket up. Back to me.
I couldn’t believe this… I don’t get why she’s so upset with me. All I did was talk to her mom. And I didn’t mean to tell her mom about her fight.
I sighed heavily and went to my bed to take a pillow. Fingers shaking.
I decided not to sleep in this room with her for tonight.
It’s better I give her some space to cool off.
“I never asked you to leave just so you know, but if you insist, then be my guest,” Madeline said lastly before turning her back to me. Voice muffled by pillow.
I quietly took the pillow and went out of the room. Door clicked. Too loud.
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I was roaming the school, not sure of where exactly to go get a nap.
I thought about somewhere and decided to go there.
I got to the building where I ate lunch the other time. It was always empty so I decided to spend the night there.
I found a good spot and placed my pillow down. Corner. By the wall. Felt safer.
I went out to take a quick view at the outside from the balcony.
There were streetlights all over and it was bright enough. Crickets. Wind. No people.
After staying there for some minutes, I decided to go back and lay down.
It was quite uncomfortable sleeping on the floor but I endured it till morning. Tile hard against my hip. Pillow too thin.
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I kept turning and tossing, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in, but it was fruitless. There is no comfort in sleeping on the bare floor. Tile bit into my hip. My shoulder. My cheek. The pillow was too thin and smelled like dust.
I managed to close my eyes and forced myself to sleep. Counted ceiling tiles I couldn’t see. Pretended the hum of the AC was waves.
After some hours, I opened my eyes and everywhere was suddenly bright. Morning light sliced through the high windows, turning dust motes into gold.
I guess it was morning already.
I took my time stretching out my legs before deciding to get up and head back to my dorm. Everything cracked. Knees. Back. Pride.
I just hope Madeleine isn’t angry anymore. I really don’t want her to hate me. I don’t know anyone here but her. That thought sat heavy in my chest.
I stood up with my pillow in my hands and went to the balcony to look at everywhere one more time before leaving. The courtyard was empty. Dew on the grass. Birds arguing somewhere.
After some time of breathing in the early morning fresh air — cold, clean, smelling like wet stone — I decided it was time to leave.
I was caught off guard by someone standing close to the door near the balcony when I turned back.
I shrieked in fear, which made me almost throw my pillow off from my hands, but luckily I hustled to catch it before it fell to the ground. Heart slammed against my chest.
That was close.
“Gosh Why do you keep doing that?” I say, exasperated, to Jake who was leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed while looking at me. Blonde hair messy. Eyes too blue for this early.
“Doing what?” he replied with a cheeky smile on his face. Like he knew exactly what.
“Appearing out of nowhere like some sort of ghost or something,” I say to him, still recovering from the shock. Hand on my chest. Stupid.
“It’s not my intention to scare you,” he said to me, and I finally looked up at him. Really looked. No smirk now. Just… watching him.
“What are you doing here anyway?” I asked him and he suddenly furrowed his eyebrows. Line between them.
“I could ask you the same thing,” he said to me.
In the short moment of silence, I noticed him assessing me up and down with his brows still furrowed. Pajama pants. Oversized tee. Bedhead. Pillow clutched to my chest like armor.
“Did you sleep here?” he asked me after assessin
g what I was putting on. Voice lower now.
I didn't know whether to lie to him or tell him the truth.
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