Elemental

Chapter 16: Flammable

A/N: thank you so much for 2k reads! You guys are the best & your comments really motivate me! I'm really excited to read your reactions for this chapter, it melted my heart to write hehe <3

Side note, but i can't stop listening to 'castles crumbling' by Taylor Swift <3

As Theo had expected, he didn't get much sleep. Every time Liam moved or rolled he felt it and immediately turned to him, making sure the younger boy was okay. This seemed to happen multiple times throughout the night, leaving Theo sleep deprived as morning came.

"Morning," Liam grumbled, rolling over and leaning over Theo. He surprised himself by this, but it felt right. He felt safe, "you stayed."

"You asked me too," Theo said, his eyes locked onto Liam's as the fire elemental smiled. His hand reached up and brushed Liam's hair from his face, "are you okay?"

Liam looked down, pulling back so that he was sitting up. His back leaning against the wall as he let out a shaky breath, "I saw Tara," he stated, watching as Theo frowned. "She's here Theo, she is fulling her spiritual duties by running the detention room..."

Theo didn't know what to say, the necklace around his neck feeling warm as he spoke about her. "She told me she isn't the one hurting you... the shadow creature we saw, it's not her. She can't leave that room," Liam looked down, "she wasn't mean like I thought she'd be."

Theo snickered at his honesty, "did she say anything... about me?"

"Nothing bad," Liam replied, reaching for Theo's hand and taking it in his own. His thumb brushing the back of his palm as their eyes met, "I think we should probably talk about us?"

Theo's brows furrowed; he hadn't really expected that. But before he got the chance to reply, the door opened and in came Gwen. Theo immediately stood up, placing himself between Liam and her, "what the fuck do you want?"

Gwen revealed Liam's folder from behind her back, "I think you should be asking why do I have this, more importantly, how?"

"Gwen, put it down," Liam said, slowly standing up but remaining behind Theo. "It's not yours, just give it back."

Before either boy could react Gwen's hand ignited a flame, the folder burning from the corner. Theo tried to rush for it but Liam held him back, worried that the water elemental would get burnt. "Gwen!" Liam snapped, but she was too far gone.

Her eyes glowed red as the fire turned the folder to ashes, "you know I managed to get a good read out of it first," she laughed, blowing on her hand as the ashes scattered across the room, "you fucked up Liam."

"What did I do?" Liam rasped, trying to put together what was going on. "What's wrong with you? Let me help you," his gaze softened as he approached her, but she took a step back, "Gwen..."

"I promised you I'd make your life hell Liam; I'm simply sticking to my word." She turned to Theo, "you'd think in a school with students who can manipulate fire the headmaster would invest in non-flammable folders," she laughed, turning to leave but pausing when she remembered what else she was told to say, "Isaac says hi," she added with a wicked grin, "he's been spending a lot of time with me and Brett, heck he spends time with Scott and Allison too... guess you can't trust everyone."

"I don't care if you're a woman, if you don't shut your mouth, I'm going to punch you across the-"

"Okay, you should leave," Liam interrupted. Gwen gave them both another look up and down before letting herself out, shutting the door on her way. "I should really get a lock for that door," he shook his head.

-

"So that is how we turn water into ice, did everyone get that?" the teacher spoke, although that lesson didn't exactly help Theo since his problem was he struggled turning ice to water. Regardless he turned to see Nolan, Allison and Stiles at his table and decided he should try and find out if they know anything, "so all these murders are weird, right?"