The Elementalists

47.

As the clock ticked closer to New Year's, more and more people started to spill out onto the street, the music started getting louder as the street filled up with people and their noise.

It became impossible for Al and I to move around much so we just stood there making small talk. I'd only seen these many people at school and it seemed like almost all of them were here. There were people leaning on each other, or just sitting on the ground. Even the bartenders and waiters from the houses gathered outside, mingling with their patrons with ease. It was a very electric atmosphere as people started getting hyped up for the stroke of midnight.

Surprisingly enough, Sean somehow found me and dragged the two of us to Francis and Anita who wasted no time in throwing their arms around me. I laughed into their hugs, equally happy to see as Al heaved a sigh of relief.

It was a bit funny to watch Anita handle Al, who was, in fact, a senior and not in my year as I was assuming. Funny, he looked much younger.

As the two bickered, I reached out for the bottle Francis was carrying as my glass was empty.

"Hey, hey, hey." He pulled the bottle to the side. "Hands off the merchandise, honey."

I cocked an eyebrow. "I'll fight you for it."

There was a long pause between the two of us before he grinned. "I was just gonna ask for the magic word but threats work just as well."

I laughed, taking the now offered bottle. "I didn't mean it, Franny, calm down."

Anita burst out laughing all of a sudden, leaning against me as she pointed at Francis. "She-she called you FRANNY!"

Francis rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and only she can call me Franny." As Anita opened her mouth to challenge him, Francis coughed into his hand something that sounded very much like 'road trip'. Anita didn't say a word against him after that.

"Will there be fireworks?" I asked Sean after glancing at my watch.

Sean shook his head. "No. Fireworks are banned here. They reach too high." Confusion passed across my face as Sean grimaced. "Right, you're not from here. Anyway, the higher up you go, the weaker the dimension walls become and fireworks aren't necessarily strong enough to rip through them but it does adversely affect the weather for a few days. The Main Council figured that it was better to ban them overall than deal with damage it might be causing the walls over a long period of time."

I nodded slowly. "That's makes sense. Prevention is better than cure."

"Even better since we don't know the cure." Sean mumbled into his glass. "The ones who made the dimensions were probably geniuses but not genius enough to leave a freaking instruction manual behind."

"Oh, boy." A pang of worry ran through me. "Can this place fall apart?"

Sean shrugged. "It's possible. My dad says there are theories and contingencies but maybe there was a purpose to not leaving instructions behind. Maybe they meant for us to eventually assimilate back into human society."

"Huh." I glanced down at my glass, realising how much place actually meant to me now within less than a year. "I need more alcohol."

Sean snickered. "I'll drink to that."

"Hey, Fi." I turned to face Francis. "You're not from here, are you?" I shook my head. "Right, you don't know the tradition. Did Sean tell you about it?"

"Tell me about what?" I glanced between the two.

Sean shrugged, looking away tov clearly shirk responsibility. "I told her about the fireworks."