J.ade, A.ir D.efying E.lementalist

I:Paradox

My parents are coming home in exactly two hours and 57 minutes. Great, nothing thrills me more than seeing them. They better be sure they don't have any bad news for me or I'll kick them out. Basically they don't live here anymore. I push myself in a white dress and a brown sandal. 

I fix my black hair in a single braid, grab my sling bag, and stray out via the other door in my room that leads directly outside.  

I breathe in a lungful of air and take my surroundings in. The door opens just outskirts of Ash, the town known as 'The Heart of Felran'. It is where gifted Felrans are trained by leaders and experts of the world. Just before the big gates, various shops litter the sides of the dusty road. 

A group of girls pass by, upon seeing me they giggle. Perhaps because of my lack of jewelry and make-up, which is something they didn't mind flaunting. Or maybe it's because of my clothes. True enough, since I lack any fashion sense I just draped myself into it. Not caring where this and that should go, successfully making me look like a curtain bundle.

I stare back at them. They wear bright pinks and blues and yellows. All the same color; from clothing fabric to their thick bracelets on both sides of their wrists to their earrings and sandals. Their hairs are curled and dyed blue or sea green. And their faces is ridiculously stuffed from make-up it makes me want to slice a piece off their face cakes. 

They pass me, still observing how I did my dress. I can move freely and it doesn't fall so I guess I'll survive. I continue to walk, passing houses. Smiling occasionally at people who manage to look past my clothes and say 'Good morning'.

I'm near the gates when I spot my best friends' house. There, feeding corn to the chickens is Jay Browne along with his twin, Gale.     

Jay nods and I smile at him as I quicken my pace. Gale remains oblivious of my presence until my sandals crush the gravel behind him. 

"Jade!" Gale grins. 

"Hi Gale." I grin back. 

Jay gets my bag then places it inside their house. 

I took the can of dried corn Jay dropped and help Gale feed the chickens.

"So, why are you here so early?" Gale starts. He has startling gray eyes like his brother's, pale white skin and curly blond hair. He is seventeen, two years older than me and towered at about four inches taller than me. I am pretty tall myself with a height of 5'6.  

"My parents are going home," I reply, not telling him about the nightmare. 

"Huh, don't you just adore that? The most powerful leaders visiting you," he teases. 

"Yay," I give him a sarcastic cheer. 

"You must miss them so much" Jay joins in, suppressing a smile. Jay is arguably more handsome than Gale. Although they look entirely different to the point where it is hard to believe they are siblings, much more twins. The only similar physical trait about them is their eyes, which are gray. Jay has small lips, olive-colored skin and straight black hair. He is also seventeen and is older than Gale by five minutes.

"Why can't you just two mourn with me?" I say, rolling my eyes. 

They guffaw, clearly enjoying my discomfort. 

"Shut up, Brownes." I warn confident that by 'Brownes' they're the only people who will answer. Jay and Gale have been independent for a long time now. Their father was assassinated by Felran rogues twelve years ago. They were just five years old then. Their mother died just after giving birth to them. The government had been supporting them since their father died. Both of them grow vegetables, herbs, fruits at their backyard and chickens in their small front yard. 

"Fine fine," Jay says throwing his hands up in an act of surrender. 

"On something that might make you happy though,  the trees are ready for harvest," Gale tells me. 

I grin. At least now I have something to happily waste my time for. 

"Jade, is that the right way to wear that dress?" Jay asks out of topic. 

"Why don't you wear it and figure it out yourself?" I reply,

"No thanks," Jay and Gale says in exaggerated smiles. These two really enjoy teasing me. I don't know why but somehow it's relaxing.

I smile too, and walk away from them, heading towards their backyard; where the trees await my help relieving their loads.

 I begin to climb a tree I-don't-know-its-name expertly; reaching a high branch quickly, when I remember something.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?!" Jay shouts from below. 

Right. I forgot that almost all trees here are home for Buus, ants as big as nails that bite almost everything or everyone that gets in their way. The outcome are huge blisters that will not go away for a week. I've experienced being bit by them before and I am certainly not eager to repeat my former encounter with them.

I was about to jump but I realize how far I am from the ground. Gale and Jay are cursing now, rubbing themselves of the solution that repels Buus to climb up and save me. Because unfortunately, this tree is a favorite of the Buus. 

I yelp as something bites me at my lower ankle and another at the back of my knees and another at my legs and another on my hand. I lose my grip from the tree branch and before I know it, I'm falling, thrashing wildly at thin air. Gale and Jay run to catch me but they are a good 10 yards away and I'm a feet from the ground. They won't reach me in time; I close my eyes and accept that this might be my end.

 I hear a soft thud, and then I wait for the pain to sink in. After a few seconds, I evaluate my condition. I'm obviously not dead. That's a good sign I guess. I feel a couple stings but only from the spots where the ants bit me, which is confusing since I am supposed to be crushed at the height I fell. 

Opening my eyes, I see Gale and Jay with their mouths gaping wide in shock. I look at my body. Perfect, not a crushed bone or a bleeding part except for some spots that oozes with yellow pus, indicating where the ants injected their fluids. I look down just in time to see invisible thin air drop me gently on the ground, knocking dust away from its touched area and leaving me, mouth gaping as wide as Gale's and Jay's, unharmed from the fall.           

"You're g-gifted" Jay stammers.

"An air manipulator," Gale says, with inexplicable awe.

I close my eyes tightly resigning on the ground, cursing the air and wishing it didn't cushion me from my fall. Jay and Gale confirmed what I had exactly dreaded to happen. I'm gifted and to make matters worse, an air manipulator. 

I can't believe this is happening.

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WATCH THE BOOK TRAILER ON THE SIDE BAR! :)) It's from the awesome JCDelaCruz 

It is my first time and I just can't seem to stop narrating. LOL. I'll appreciate all comments =] If your reading this, thanks. :) The picture is Coleen Garcia and she is how I imagined my Jade only her hair should be black.

Um, well, I tried to proof read the chapter. I say tried because well, I never proof read. :p I thank you guys, I never expected my story will get this many reads (4000, is many for me. xD) though I would be much more happy if it reached, i dunno 10,000 reads? :)) Well, it's free to dream. Ha. Probably none of you will read  this anyway, so yeah, bye for now.

<3 Fed