Within The Flames

Chapter Eight

His outburst caused me to jump. I looked at the back of his head, because he was sitting up now gazing into the distance ahead sceptically, but I knew it was better to listen to him than argue. I didn't want his hoodie; I could already see the goose bumps forming on his bare arms, as he was only wearing a white t-shirt, from the wind.

"I had a traumatic experience with clouds when I was a kid." That's when I started thinking back to the days.

I was merged in between the rest of the fidgeting ten and eleven year olds seated on the blue carpet in the class of year 6. We all sat with our legs crossed and our hands in our laps, apart from a few who had their hands flapping about and poking others, definitely not taking the 'hands and feet to yourself' rule seriously enough.

"What about you, Sarah?" Miss Seed asked the girl next to me. She was one of the girls chatting to her friends, without paying attention to the teacher. You could see the red on Miss's cheeks from all the frustration all the kids were causing her.

"What, Miss?" A blush of embarrassment brushed upon Sarah's face as all the attention was on her.

Miss Seed took a seat on the blue chair in front of the carpet, crossing one leg over the other. Her blonde locks fell forward bouncing against her chubby cheeks. Her smudged lips were pressed into a line as she attempted to calm her anger. A vein was visible across her temple.

"Have you not been paying attention? I've been asking the class what they would like to be when they grow up!" Her voice came out louder than anyone expected and the whole class quietened down. I just jumped on my spot.

"I want to be an ice cream driver," she replied as fast as she could.

"And you, Hestia?" She asked more sweetly. I was one of the very few students that behaved in the class. I was very shy at the time.

"Err, one of those people that can fly up to the sky," I replied enthusiastically, eager to relay my dreams to the world.

"A pilot?" Miss Seed cocked a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"Erm, yeah. So that I can fly up and eat all the candy floss!" That was my favourite part. I always drooled over the thought.

The class erupted into laughter and it only caused me to shrink into myself as I tightened my legs around me and my arms closer to me. I didn't understand why they were laughing.

"Candy floss? Do you mean clouds?" I nodded just so that I didn't look stupid. I had no idea what Miss Seed was talking about. "Oh, honey, clouds are made out of water vapour, not candy floss."

And that's how my dreams and hopes were forever crushed.

"Hestia!" I heard Mike shout.

I snapped out of my thoughts and, instantly, felt a splat of coldness on my forehead. This was followed by many more. Mike was stood in front of me with his hand stretched towards me to help me off the ground. I realised then that it was raining and heavily too. A flutter of guilt coursed through me as we ran across the muddy park. His hair fell over his eyes as it got completely soaked and as much as he was trying to hide it, I could tell he was freezing. I told myself that as soon as we found shelter to wait under until the rain stopped, I would give him his hoodie back. I did have a long sleeved top on after all. He needed it more than I did.

We ran around like headless chicken for the most part of ten minutes, until we remembered there was a café within the park, somewhere in the east side.

"Here, take your hoodie, keep yourself warm," I offered as we took a seat around a small round, blue table. The café was pretty much empty too with one other man, who was clever enough to be wearing a long coat with a hood, who was also here for protection against the rain.