The Elementals: The Rise of the Deviants

Chapter 19

Chapter nineteen

Recap:

“Hey Colin, is everything okay? You did really good back there” I greeted him.

“Oh yeah, everything’s fine. I just want to see how you were. It’d been ages since I last saw you and after hearing what you said about what you experienced when you were captured...man, I don’t even know. You’re one tough girl, Val”

“Thanks, Colin” I was surprised at his compliment. Was I tough? I didn’t feel like I was, for as long as I could remember I would break down and cry for many situations...  a lot. “But I’m totally fine. I’m just glad to be back here”

Behind me the rest of the group were waiting and throwing Colin curious looks. He looked behind and smiled, waving at them. “That’s good. Hey everyone... great stuff with the demonstrations, I was totally wowed at the abilities of the new Elementals. Crazy stuff! And Bree, when you actually flew around the gym and then made a mini tornado to pick me up and spin me around, that was brilliant!”

His enthusiasm was contagious and soon all the Elementals were grinning at him while Bree laughed. “Well, you seemed pretty keen to be the test dummy for the ride, even when I warned you that I hadn’t practiced doing that safely”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure I’ve fractured my butt, but it was worth the flying lesson!” He joked. “Well, I’ll let you guys go. I’m going to be late for my next class! Bye!” Colin waved one more time and was soon dashing down the hallways without another glance.

“You don’t think I actually fractured his butt, do you?”

***

[Val’s POV]

“Colin is quite an... interesting Abled” Evanesce noted while Chimera nodded beside her.

“He seems to be open to anything” Michelle added while she wrapped her scarf around her head and tucked in any stray hairs. I nodded and smiled. We all continued walking together down the hallway towards our next class and I squeezed past other students.

“He’s always been one to stand out, and his opinions just seem to shoot right out of him.” I chuckled. I could still remember the first time I noticed Colin in History class and he’d gone head to head with Mr Arbit. He was quite quirky, but he pulled it off well. “At least you all know that there’s at least one other Abled on your side here.”

As we walked down the hallways, I noticed the attitude of most of the Abled students had changed towards the Elementals. They didn’t give them a wide berth as we neared as though the Elementals were sharks and they were the fish being preyed on, instead they would offer smiles, nod at them or even murmur a quick greeting. Combat class, and having the Elementals bare their abilities to everyone, seemed to have shown them that they were all both strong and vulnerable at the same time. Almost as though the Abled students now saw them as equals instead of something they didn’t know where to place.

“I’m so exhausted already, and we’ve only finished our first class for today” Helena huffed as she walked up next to me.

“Tell me about it... I don’t feel as though I have the strength for any more classes. I just want to collapse in bed and sleep until the end of the world!”

“Which could be any day now really...” Derrek piped in as he swung his arm over my shoulders, his heat immediately wrapping around me.

“You could at least try to be a little more positive, you know” Helena raised an eyebrow at him. “If anything, that’s what everyone here needs.”