SHORT CIRCUIT. [STEVE HARRINGTON]

CHAPTER SEVEN.

CHAPTER SEVEN.
LIKE HELL.

✦✦✦

"STOP THAT."

Steve turned to Lee with raised brows, a hint of a smile gracing his features. Her eyes were narrowed, flicking back and forth from his gaze to the lighter in his hand.

"Stop what?"

Lee pointed at the closed lighter. "That."

His lips only stretched farther. "What, this?" he questioned, flicking the lighter open once more, sparking a flame and swinging it closed. Lee refused to answer, only looking at him blankly. Steve scrunched his nose. "I think I'll pass."

Lee sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against the side of the bus. Her gaze remained on the boy sitting beside her, watching the fire light and extinguish with the slightest irritation. Steve found himself laughing at her softly.

Night had fallen over the junkyard and a thin layer of fog had accumulated around the area, laid just above the ground. Lee found it to be rather eerie, and dare should she say it, almost beautiful. She believed that she would have appreciated the scene more if they were not in the situation that they were in at the moment.

The sun had hidden behind the bright moon in the sky, the only light source that the team of five had to work with. There was a repressed feeling out both fear and doubt with the unmistakable tension of anticipation. The wait for something to happen was brutal. It was the exact opposite of fun.

Steve flipped the lighter around one more time, glancing toward Lee again who looked less than amused. He chuckled, fingers wrapping around the lighter and keeping it closed. Lee took this as an opportunity to reach into his lap and take the lighter from him, throwing it to the other side of the bus. Steve gaped at her, staring down the silver lighter now in the corner of the room in shock.

"Didn't anybody ever tell you not to play with fire?" he asked her as he begrudingly walked to where she threw the lighter.

Lee laughed. There was no humor within it. "Was encouraged," she replied, glancing down at her hands. Steve frowned at her words, sighing slightly before sitting down next to her once more.

He reached behind him and into his backpack, voice slightly lower as he turned away. "You can make fire?" he asked.

She watched as he placed the notepad in her lap, a small grin on his face. Lee chuckled, returning the action and taking it gratefully. She flipped to a clean page and began to write.

It's mostly just sparks, she said, shrugging. But if I focus really hard I can make them catch fire.

Steve was able to read her writing through the light of the moon above them. It was almost unsettling how bright it was. Steve nodded, seemingly impressed. The roof of the bus creaked loudly, reminding the four inside the bus that Lucas was stationed up there.