Falling

The Way Things Are

I was mad. And I mean ready to punch a hole through the wall mad. The problem was I had already done that and it didnt do any good, I still felt the same way.

I stormed into Sparrows office and yelled, "Why didn't you tell me he had a sister?!?"

He was sitting in his chair, his elbows resting on the desk, his face rested in his hands. I couldn't see his mouth, but I heard him let out a sigh, and then he lifted his head up and looked at me.

"I wasn't sure until I saw her today. Obviously, she's not from the same mother, but we had been trying to find the father, and were pretty sure he had remarried and had a daughter. This confirms it. She looks a lot like Joshua, too. I'm sorry for not telling you, Alex, but it would have been a risk."

I thought about this for a minute, then sat in the chair across from him, still fuming. 

"I don't see why you couldn't have told me." It might be obvious to him, but it definitely isn't to me.

He stares off into space for a second, then changes subjects a little.

"You like her, don't you?"

My mouth opens immediately, but no sound comes out. I close it again, and I think.

Do I? I think back to the feeling I had when I first saw her. She's incredible. The way she moved, her beauty, the confident way she talked, but with a slight hesitance hidden underneath. She was just as nervous as any of them, but she definitely didn't show it. I don't know why, but I like that. She's strong, and quick, I can tell that just by looking at her. But do I like her?

"I don't like her, Principal. I'm pretty sure I love her." And now he's going to think I'm weird. I haven't even talked to this girl yet, and I say I'm already in love with her.

He smiles slightly.

"I'm glad. I've called her up here and she should be hear in," he holds up a hand then places it on the ground, "about fifteen seconds. You can talk to her."

Oh, shit. I haven't even bothered to put a shirt on. Not that I mind that, actually. But still, he doesn't tell me that first? Really? I stand up and rush to the door, but right as I get to it there's a knock on the other side. 

I turn to look at Sparrow. He smiles back at me and gestures for me to open the door. I hesitate. She knocks again. Okay, that's just odd, somehow her knocks are sexy. I open the door slowly and step back so that she can enter and not see me just yet. I move behind the door a little more as she walks in.

"Hello, Elizabeth," Sparrow says, standing up and offering her a hand, which she accepts and shakes.

"Hi, Proncipal Sparrow," she replies.

I figure he's about to introduce me anyway, so I take this time to close the door. She whips her head around, her short hair bobbing from the sudden movement.

"And this is one of my favorite and best students, Alex Conners," Sparrow comments, an amused look on his face.

Like Sparrow, I offer my hand as well. This time she accepts it with a little more cautiousness, a little more hesitancy, but she still accepts it. She has a light grip, I note. She doesn't like to immediately show off her strength, however she didn't flinch at all when she shook Sparrow's hand, and that takes a lot of strength. Looks as if she doesn't like to show off her strength to her opponents, but is fine with showing off for the teachers. Reminds me of me, a little, at least with new people. All of this takes about a second to go through my mind, and is all filed away by the time I say, "Hi, I'm Alex. Head of the Fire Controllers."