Chapter 20 CHAPTER: 020
Asher lets Rase drag him into a large stadium, heavily crowded with students screaming ear-deafening cheers.
The academy is having a basketball match today; it's Ice vs. Lightning. Asher realizes the Ice Elemental students sit across the stadium, mixed with Lightning Elemental students and separating themselves from where Fire elementals sit with water and Earth elementals.
“I'm rooting for lightning boys,” Rase grins as he pulls Asher to an empty spot on the bench and sits down.
Asher realizes he rarely sees the lightning Elementals. It's like they're forbidden from interacting with other elementals other than Ice elementals. Asher is sure there's no such rule, yet they shove to isolate themselves.
Soon, both teams step out, ice students in blue while lightning elementals wear silver. Asher roams his eyes while the cheers in the stadium get stronger, and finally, his gaze lands on whom he seeks: Xavi, waving at the crowd and blowing kisses, knowing he's the star of the show, enjoying and loving all the attention he gets.
“LET THE MATCH BEGIN!” A loud voice announces from the loudspeaker, and the match starts, and Asher doesn't blink once as his gaze stays glued on the blue-haired boy and the way he runs across the court, stealing the ball from his opponent, and in barely a minute, he shoots the first ball.
"He's such a show off,” Rase scoffs beside him.
“He's good,” Asher murmurs without thinking, a look of admiration swimming in his eyes. He isn't just good at wielding his ice; he's also perfect at sports. He's perfect.
Asher wishes he could play and wishes he could be good at everything just the way Xavi is.
Rase hisses loudly, crossing his arms over his chest. “He's not that good, and besides, it's just the beginning. I still believe the lightning elementals will win. Just watch and see."
And Asher watches, watching as Xavi and his team shoot more basketball while the lightning elementals have barely touched the ball, and on his fourth basketball, Xavi faces the crowd, spinning with his arms spread wide, basking in the loud cheers, but suddenly, his gaze lands on Asher amidst the crowd, and their eyes meet almost instantly.
Asher’s eyes widen, and his heart beats loudly in his ears. Immediately, he looks away, blood flushing to his face in an instant.
“He's looking this way.” Rase tsks in annoyance and raises his two middle fingers. Xavi scoffs and returns to the match.
Asher only looks back at the match when someone yells about the lightning boys shooting their first basket.
Asher tilts his head as he continues to watch Xavi with the naughtiest smirk, as if he's barely started the match, while his opponents are already blazing with anger and fervor in their eyes.
And the new minutes pass in a blur as the matches conclude with Ice teams winning.
Xavi accepts the trophy, lifting it high above his head as his land dances around the crowd again till his gaze lands on Asher, and then he winks, small yet beautiful.
Asher’s heart skips a beat, and abruptly he stands to his feet. He doesn't like the way his heart pounds restlessly while his inside churns; he doesn't like the way the butterflies in his stomach sing. He doesn't like how he wants to keep looking at the ice elemental.
It's forbidden. Whatever these feelings are, Asher needs to get rid of them, and he needs to do it fast.
“The match is over. I'm leaving,” he tells Rase, and he doesn't wait for the other boy's response as he immediately leaves.
“Wait up!” Rase yells, immediately chasing after him like a dog going after its owner, while Asher walks without looking back.
~
The next day, Asher finds himself working at the library, shoving books onto the shelves and getting rid of dust with a little brush, but that's when his path is blocked. He whips his head sharply to find a pair of blue eyes staring back at him, and he's close, so close that Asher immediately gets a whiff of his scent, the awful stink of cigarettes on him.
In an instant, Asher jumps back, creating distance between them.
"Have you been avoiding me?” Xavi suddenly inquires, and Asher looks away, refusing to meet his gaze. Xavi scoffs and rolls his eyes. “So you really are avoiding me? Is it because of Principal Selene? The woman is nosy and a bitch."
They rarely see each other, and it's been since the last time they met at the rooftop, so why is he making a big deal out of nothing?
“There's no reason to see each other. We can pretend we never met." Asher gives him a blank look, and then he turns to leave, but suddenly, Ice wraps around his ankle, stopping his movement, and seconds later, Asher appears in front of him, an uncanny look in his eyes that suddenly doesn't sit well with Asher. It causes a shiver to run down his spine, and he hates how much he reacts to the boy's mere presence.
“What do you want?” Asher asks, keeping his voice as calm as he can while his eyes stare blankly as always.
“I want you,” Xavi blurts out without warning, and Asher’s eyes widen while his heart runs wild, and the pool in his stomach intensifies. His hand grips hard around the brush without him realizing.
“You can't just say things like that,” Asher scolds, but Xavi sneers and steps closer and closer until he's only two feet away, just like the night they met, while Asher can't move from the ice around his ankle. Asher can melt it if he wants, but for some reason, he doesn't want to.
“Why can't I, pretty boy?” Xavi tilts his head, a look of playfulness taking over his eyes. “I want us to be friends; what's wrong with that?”
Asher can point out a hundred and one things that are wrong with that statement but Principal Selene is right; Xavi is reckless and Asher has to be the rational one. “You could pick someone else from another elemental to be your friend; why does it have to be me?”
Xavi's eyes twinkle, like he's having all the fun in the world invading Asher’s space. “I thought I already made myself clear that I like you. Since I can't have you as my boyfriend, I want to make you my friend, and I'm not asking for your permission, pretty boy. I always get what I want."
“You're sick,”
Xavi lets out a short laugh and nods, agreeing to being sick in the head. “Tonight, I'll be waiting on the rooftop. You don't have to worry about being caught; I'll take care of it. Hope to see you soon, Friend,” he smirks and then turns to leave.
“I'm not coming,” Asher blunts, jaw clenched hair and eyes piercing cold, to hide the feelings surging through his veins.
“Oh, you will,” Xavi throws over his shoulder without looking back before leaving Asher’s line of sight while the ice trapping him in place melts away.
Asher has never seen someone so reckless yet thrilling.
He exhales a sigh.