Ember

by Madison Daniel

  “Spooky huh!” He disappeared into his class and I managed a worried smile, and then walked slowly into my class.

  I was in no mood to go through the whole class introduction thing again, so I handed Ms. Snyder my schedule and ran for a desk. I did everything I could to not make eye contact with any of my fellow classmates as I walked toward an empty desk in the middle of the room. I sat down and slid my head into my hands, to help hide my sudden shyness and could feel my hands had already warmed from my fluctuating emotions. Controlling my emotions was the hardest part of having my particular abilities. But unless I wanted the schools emergency sprinklers kicking on from the new guys freak show hair do of flames, I needed to relax. Easier said than done. That’s when I felt the tap on my left shoulder from behind me.

  “Not so cool now, are we Valentine?”

  I recognized the sarcasm instantly. Samantha, my morning therapist. As I sank into my chair she gathered her stuff and slid into the empty desk next to me before I could respond.

  “Is this all right?” she asked but the look in her eyes already told me that she knew the answer.

  “Does the confidence come from somewhere deep down or are you just making up for the lack of height?” I didn’t realize at first but I was smiling when I said it. Her eyes flashed with shock and then back to their calm jade hue and she giggled softly.

  “There’s that smile again.” She nudged me with her elbow. She seemed to be taking credit for my new found happiness. “If you plan on sitting by me the rest of the semester, you better get used to it,” she teased. And just like that, I was completely calm again.

  “And why should you be so lucky?”

  “Because, I will be the one that you’ll want to copy off of when this course becomes too difficult for you,” she teased back.

  “That wont be necessary Sam…I can make my own way.”

  “Oh really, is that so?” she asked with an eyebrow raised. She was so confident.

  “Yes…but if you ask me nicely, maybe I’ll let you cheat off of me.” I knew I sounded cocky but it felt almost natural around her. She seemed to make my confidence bloom. Part of me took a liking to her immediately and then we were snapped back to reality when Ms. Snyder stepped into our view.

  “That will not be necessary Mr. Valentine,” she said loud enough for the whole class to hear. I thought to myself, “How long had she been standing there?” but she continued on. “I am assigning biology partners first thing this year and you two have made my choices that much easier this time. You and Ms. Summers will be team one.”

  She continued down the line, pairing student with student. Sam and I looked at each other smiling, when she leaned even closer to me.

  “You just won the biology partner lottery Max,” she said so soft that it took me a second to focus. At that moment, I wanted to know her. I wanted to laugh with her. I wanted to kiss her. I slowly leaned back in my chair and thought to myself, I had won…in more ways than one.

  I spent the rest of class watching her every movement. The way she held her pencil, her posture and her delicate movements. The way she slid her bangs behind her ear and tilted her head. That one was my favorite. I was finally relaxed and didn’t think once about folk lore or dangerous mysteries and that felt good.

  Third period English was shaping up to be one of my favorite classes so far. Not only did I get to sit and flirt with Sam, who just so happened to sit next to me in this class also, but my newest best friend Kai, sat on the other side of me. All three of us talked about silly things we all enjoyed or disliked when we had a moment or two. I found that Sam and Kai had known each other for their whole lives. Kai seemed to notice how at ease I was with her and kept nodding to me when her attention was focused elsewhere. He had that look on his face as if to say, “See, I told you there was plenty of fish in the sea.” I would only give him a small smile and pretend I didn’t understand his shenanigans.

  Third period went by quickly and I had hoped for the same in fourth period, Computers 101. The fact that they were both in the class too led me to believe it would be. I was sorely misguided in my enthusiasm.

  The first real sign that this coming school year might be a little rocky popped up in this hour. This sign was named Devon Wahlberg. I earned his disapproving gaze as soon as Sam said hello and sat down next to me. The kind of gaze reserved for rival gang members and convicts. The unmistakable gaze of an ex boyfriend, current boyfriend or just plain over protective psycho. I wasn’t sure which of the categories to lump him in yet, but I knew we were destined to clash. I could actually taste it.

  Sam hadn’t noticed his glare at first or just pretended not to. Maybe I should have been ignoring it also but I hadn’t earned the name “Mad Max” for keeping my cool. I spent my first moments of class staring right back at him. He wore his smugness with ease. His hair was bleach blonde and spiky. It sat atop his hazel grey eyes. He was in good shape, very athletic build and his skin was dark tan. So dark, it looked fake. His clothes were casual yet extremely expensive. All well-known brands. He sat at attention, like a king on his thrown and watched me while he smacked his gum on the side of his mouth. If I was told to sit down and build the perfect asshole, he would be the end result.

  Sam finally let herself realize his stares and excused herself and walked over to him. I didn’t like it one bit. As she left I leaned over to Kai and asked the obvious question.

  “Who is that?”

  “Devon Wahlberg,” his tone was annoyed.

  “And?” I insisted.

  “He’s the king ding-a-ling around here. His family is the richest on the island…that is with the exception of a certain blue eyed she-devil we’re not going to discuss right now.” He was joking but I was not.

  “And?” I repeated.

  “And let’s not start your first day of school making enemies bro. He’s not worth it,” he warned.

  “If Sam has to go out of her way to handle him on my behalf, then he is completely worth it,” I said through my teeth and my gut heated with a fire. Kai only stared at me, hoping for me to understand and heed his warning.

  “Just try and not make it worse…for her sake,” he pleaded softly. I watched as Sam strolled back to the desk next to me. Her face looked tight and nervous but I decided not to push my luck…for her.

  “Okay,” I whispered to Kai.

  I managed to make it through most of the class without incident. Sam was quieter now but still managed to flirt with me. I found out that her favorite color was green, like her eyes. Kai on the other hand seemed more nervous than he should have been. His leg kept bouncing under his table and he didn’t say much. I had almost forgotten about the earlier stand off when it happened. Devon and I made eye contact and without any hesitation he gestured to me with his right hand. A gold bracelet dangled from his wrist, as his hand slowly folded into the shape of a gun that he pointed at me and pulled the trigger. He continued smacking his gum from the corner of his mouth that was now curved up into a smug smile, and lowered his hand back down. I waited for the anger to build inside my chest. I waited for the fire to tickle my hands but it never came. Instead, I broke out in laughter. Loud and uncontrollable, it startled the class but I couldn’t help it.

  The mere thought of his gesture made me think that I was in some crazy dream, as if I had flown across the world, to this amazing island to live out some horrible eighties movie. I have nothing against those movies; I rather enjoyed most of them but the idea that I might be living one, was to me…hilarious.

  “Did that actually happen?” I asked Kai as I wiped the fresh tears from my eyes. He was laughing too but it seemed more of a nervous laugh. Sam, on the other hand, was far from amused. She looked angry and if I was reading her signals right, she was mad at both of us. That made things much less funny and I found that feeling...awkward. She spent the final moments of class silent and annoyed and so did I.

  The bell rang again, signaling lunch time, so Kai and I gathered our things and walked int
o the hallway. We waited for Sam but she quickly stuffed her books in her back pack and raced past us. She ran up to Devon and they both started to argue. That sent my calmness far away. As my brow fell down across my eyes and my muscles tensed, Kai grabbed my arm and pulled me the opposite direction. A laugh filled his chest and I was starting to think that he didn’t take anything seriously.

  “If this is the kind of reaction you bring out in the opposite sex Max…then this is gonna be one painful year.” He shook his head and pulled out one of his drumsticks.

  “Don’t get me wrong.” He began to twirl it in his fingers. I began to pout.

  “You just need to know who’s fair game and who isn’t,” he quipped as we walked out onto the grass of the lunch court yard. Only a few students had gathered so far.

  “That could be one of my first favors to our budding friendship.” He looked at me with the patience of a three year old on Christmas Eve. I shook my head, giving in.

  “Alright…lets hear it.”

  Iron Jaw_07

  ~Somewhere I Belong: Linkin Park~

  We sat down on a bench, under a large tree, farthest from the school and he handed me half his lunch. I had left so quickly this morning, I didn’t even think about what I was doing for lunch. I took it even though I wasn’t in the mood to eat and he inhaled his half.

  “So you say I need your advice with the ladies…shoot.”

  “First off, I really like Sam, I always have. She’s smart and cute and as sweet as they come but she also comes with baggage. You have already met that baggage.” He continued eating as he counseled me.

  “They grew up together. Their families have been close their whole lives. Sam and Devon have been on again, off again since the sixth grade,” he said catching his breath and I interrupted him.

  “And what are they now?”

  “Off again…I think. It’s hard to tell these days. Things haven’t been good with them two since his family came into money. Lots of money,” he shrugged. “It changed him for the worse. There was a time when he was a pretty stand up guy.”

  “Yeah right,” I snapped.

  “I know it’s impossible to believe with the way he carries himself now…but it’s true.” He finished his food.

  “So you think I shouldn’t even bother?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Then what are you saying Kai?” I was feeling a headache building behind my eyes. Partly from the stress but mostly from not eating much.

  “If Sam is who you want, then go for it…but with Devon lurking in the shadows all the time, it could get messy.” He nudged me.

  “Messy…” I let a grin fill my face. “It’s not worth fighting for if it’s not messy. Besides, a little drama is the best inspiration for song writing.” My confidence was building back up. Kai smiled in agreement.

  “No doubt.”

  “Friendship was all I was offering her anyways.” My confidence wavered when I said it.

  “I’m just getting to know you Max, but I can already tell when you’re lying…or at least lying to yourself.” He was right.

  From across the yard, I watched as Sam and Devon entered the lunch area. Neither one of them looked very happy. They were being shadowed by four other boys who looked as if they shopped at the same clothing store. I recognized them from computer class. The closest boy to them was also the biggest. He was easily six and a half feet tall and in better shape then Devon. His hair was light brown and just long enough to pull into a ponytail. His brown eyes seemed to search the court yard, as if he were on patrol. The second boy had short curly black hair and dark brown eyes. He was a little shorter than Devon and not in as good of shape as him. He seemed quiet and kept to himself. The final two boys were obviously twins. They looked identical, down to their hair cuts. Both had short blonde hair and blue eyes. They were tall and skinny and seemed to walk as if they were one person. It was kind of creepy.

  Sam looked my way and waved a quick hello as she sat down with them. I wanted to wave back but I thought it would be best for everyone if I didn’t push my luck. So, I turned my attention to Kai and she seemed hurt by that. A few moments passed and I found her watching me. Devon and his crew were watching her watch me and then they were quickly focused on me. All five of them. Kai noticed immediately and grabbed both our gear and stood up.

  “Come on bro…I’ll show you the rest of the campus.”

  I wasn’t a fan of running from a confrontation but I reluctantly followed behind Kai with my guitar in hand. I gave Sam a quick smile and wave just before we disappeared. She returned the smile and looked happy when she did. Kai just rolled his eyes and picked up his pace.

  “So what’s the story with Devon’s posse back there?” I asked when I caught up with him.

  “That was the four horsemen.”

  “But there are five of them?” I chuckled.

  “I meant Devon and the four horsemen.”

  “You can’t be serious?” I gasped.

  “That’s what everyone calls them. They’re Devon’s right hand men.” He rolled his eyes.

  “I’m listening.”

  “Well, the big one is Jason Mahikoa. Devon’s second in command. He’s big and dumb and totally loyal to Devon.”

  “You sound like you’re describing a gang Kai…” I laughed.

  “I am. The shorter one with the dark hair is Brian Olohana. He’s kind of the brains of the outfit. And the twins, Eddie and Alex Hansen, well they’re just bottom feeders, sucking at the power tit.” He winked but his face was dead serious.

  “Okay…I’ll bite. So what does this gang do?” I chuckled to myself at how silly this all sounded.

  “Anything they want.” Kai’s tone was ominous and dark.

  The lunch bell rang and we walked to our next class, Civics and Social Studies. I was hoping to talk to Kai more about Devon and his circle of jerks but our teacher Mr. Hahn was not a fan of our new friendship, and we quickly found ourselves on opposite ends of the classroom. The class went by slowly but it wasn’t too painful. My last class of the day, Music Appreciation, was my only class by myself. No Kai, and no Sam. But I did have the music and that put me in a good mood again. I had finally convinced myself that the day would end on a high note as the final bell rang but I was wrong.

  As I walked out the doors a small, nervous girl with bobbed black and blue hair was waiting for me. Lucy did not look happy. Her arms were crossed and her boots were tapping away with nervousness. She quickly stepped in front of me and pointed her neon blue fingernail in my face. This was going to be bad.

  “Asia wanted me to warn you not to bother her again. Ever! This is your one and final warning newbie!” she growled through her pierced lips. Her face was red and hard with anger and I didn’t know what to say. I stared at her motionless with my bangs dangling in front of my eyes. I was trying to hide behind my hair. It was a technique I picked up early in life but it never seemed to work very well.

  “Lucy...” I tried to say but she stepped forward and put her hands on my chest. A crowd had already started to gather around us and in the crowd were Devon and his boys. They quickly pushed their way to the front. The fury in Lucy’s eyes pulled my attention back to hers and she leaned closely into me.

  “She is mine.” Her nails pushed into my chest like knives, first through my tee shirt and then piercing my skin.

  “Only mine!” she yelled. I could feel the blood wetting my shirt now and it was hot and thick. She kept her grave eyes locked on mine and slowly let go of my chest. Just in time too, because my core temperature was starting to build above normal. My back filled with sweat and my hands began to burn hot. She quickly wiped the blood from her nails on her skirt and took a step back from me.

  “Message received,” I grunted but my attention pulled to the cuts in my chest. They were so hot now that they were glowing under my shirt. I could feel them healing easily and I brought my left arm to my chest to prevent anyone from noticing. That’s about the time Devon decid
ed to introduce himself.

  All five boys lined up behind Lucy, with Devon directly behind her. All of them with their arms crossed over their expanding chests. Lucy seemed to change her demeanor from hate to terror in a matter of seconds and I found the look on her face devastating. My blood began to boil. Devon just smiled at me arrogantly and tapped her on the shoulder.

  “Lucy, Lucy, Lucy...you can run along now. I’ll take it from here,” he laughed and she shivered under his shadow.

  “Run and find your bitch and tell her that she has the worst taste in lovers...” His smile grew even bigger. “Or whore or mail order bride, whatever it is you call yourself.” Her shiver turned into a full tremble and a single tear fell down her cheek. My eyes locked onto his and my hands balled into fists.

  “That’s enough Devon,” I warned. The growing crowd winced in disbelief.

  “Besides...if Asia was ready to play for the other side, I’m sure she wouldn’t waste her time with this piece of...” I stepped forward and he stopped in mid sentence. That was all I had to hear, his smug voice speak Asia’s name and I was ready to end him. His eyes seemed to light up at my advance and he clamped his hands around Lucy’s tiny shoulders. He winked at me and leaned down and kissed the top of her head, taunting me. It was working.

  “Let her go,” I demanded and the crowd started to get excited. The four horsemen dropped their arms to their sides and began laughing from behind Devon. I never broke eye contact with Devon, not even when Kai came running up.

  “Whoa!” he said as he slid between Lucy and I. “Devon lets think about this for a second,” he sounded uncertain of what exactly to do or say next. Lucy used the moment to break Devon’s grip and run off into the crowd, but his eyes never fell from mine.

  “Your boy is not starting off this semester too wisely Kai,” Devon threatened.

  “Nah, he’s cool.” Kai turned and shot me a dirty look. I gritted my teeth together and pushed forward into Kai’s back and realized just how much heat I was generating. I was worried that he could feel the heat I was creating, so I pulled myself back and turned toward the wall. It took everything I had to concentrate hard enough to power back down, but I did it. Everyone in the crowd took that as a sign that I was backing down from the fight. The students sighed in disgust and moaned as they went on their way, most of them heading for the parking lot or school buses. But Devon and his boys stood strong, like statues and continued to glare at me with smug smiles.