Atlantis Academy: The First Element

CHAPTER SIX

A song plays somewhere... magnetic, catchy. Have I heard it somewhere before? Our jukebox is dead. It's somebody's ring tone.

Panic crawls up my throat. My chest feels like it's caving in, and I can't breathe. What is happening? Why can't I move?

A heavy weight lands on my shoulders, and they fall. Someone has grabbed hold of me, and they're pulling me.

I'm moving fast, faster than anything in the room, hurtling backward.

The fishermen around me fall to the side, knocked over. The rest part like the sea, crashing into tables and chairs. The room explodes with noise as the chairs skid across the floor, tumbling to the ground.

And I'm free.

Time speeds up.

The fishermen are yelling. The fight is infecting them all, and they're starting to hit each other.

I just blink. And blink. I'm all the way against the wall by the bathrooms, staring at the frenzied activity at the center of the room.

I don't know how long I stand there blinking, but I can't seem to get a grip.

What in the hell just happened?

I glance around for my savior, whoever pulled me outta there.

It was Mateo. He's closest to me.

He's a few feet away, behind the counter, and he's on the phone. He catches my eye and gives me a quick thumbs up.

That means the cops are on their way.

This isn't the first brawl these guys have started. It's not even the first this month. But it's the first time I've panicked so bad my brain paralyzed me like that.

I'm in a total daze as I stagger toward the front door and push through it to wait for the police. The station's right down the road, so they should be here soon.

I shiver in the cold, wrapping my arms across my chest.

My meds must be fading already, 'cause my brain fog is back, and it's bad.

The door creaks open beside me, and rowdy sounds drift out before it slams shut again.

I turn to see who it is.

Amanda.

I blink at her for a second, and she touches my arm.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" She bats her crazy-long lashes at me, and her dark blue eyes are wide with concern.

I could almost believe she cares.

I pull away. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine..."

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asks. "I saw you get all caught up in that. Did they hurt you?"

I narrow my eyes at her, trying to figure out what she's playing at. "I'm fine. Thanks. Don't worry. Cops'll be here in a minute."

I pointedly turn away from her, wishing they'd hurry up.

Amanda stays outside with me. I don't blame her for not wanting to go back in there yet, but does she have to stand so close? I glance over at her. I'm 5'5", and I'd be surprised if she's over five feet. She's got little bird bones, skinny arms, and thin legs encased in impossibly tight jeans. She's also got an ample chest that's threatening to spill out of her tight blue shirt. Her corkscrew blond curls are perfect, not a hair out of place.

My hair goes curly if I let it air dry, but it's a wild kinda curl that I can hardly control, so I wear it up perpetually. And my lashes... I don't know what she's doing, but she's winning the lash and brow game.