Fight With Fire

27

Bloody hands push me from all sides down into a river of warm blood. I try to swim to the top for air hearing Charlie's voice telling me to be stronger, to live because he didn't.

That is the new addition to my nightmare which terrorizes me through day and night. In the end, I always wake up gasping for air still feeling my lungs full of blood.

I've gotten in the habit of not sleeping. I spend all night in the library reading, learning all I can. A small part of me is searching for something, anything that Charlie left for me. If I read enough, then maybe I'll find something that'll tell what I need to do.

Finn realized my lack of sleep and he dragged me to his room making me sleep. Rory is a heavy sleeper so he just rolled over ignored us. I woke up from my nightmare gasping for air but I wasn't scared because Finn's armed wrapped around me protectively. He sat with me watching the sun come up, making sure I was okay.

That's how I've gotten through the last few weeks. I've spent so much time with Finn that I don't have to worry about physically going numb but I've definitely numbed out everything with Charlie. I've chosen to just focus on everything he showed me and there's no need to think about what that led to. Sometimes in the morning I think about going to the theater before I remember what happened. I'll read something interesting or funny and I'll go to show Charlie only to find myself alone in the library. I keep Charlie's music box with me at all times. As much as the lullaby brings back the painful memory of my last moment with Charlie, I can't deny that it's beautiful. It is the only thing I have left of Charlie and all the music he played for me. I owe it to Charlie to listen to it.

Now I find myself looking over to the table where I saw the little boy with long hair sit with palms flat on the table for the first time all those months ago.

"Earth to Ella? What are you looking at?" James asks waving his hands in front of my face. James and Josh look over to the table I was looking at with a bunch of loud kids.

"I know what she's looking at." Amy gives me one of her cute little mischievous smiles and raises one eyebrow. After sitting with me at lunch for the past week she has figured out something about Charlie.

Amy. Don't. I think to her sternly. She stares at me defiantly and I just match her stare.

"I wasn't actually going to." Amy says giving up the staring contest and goes back to eating her large piece of chocolate cake. Sure you weren't. "I wasn't! Jeez." Amy throws her hands up and I just laugh. I see Finn watching in amusement while taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Did you just talk to her telepathically?" Josh points between me and Amy. Everyone at the table is looking at us with mouths hanging open.

Do you want to explain it? I think to Amy studying everyone's expression.

"No you do it." Amy replies and everyone's eyes widen. "Close your mouths, you guys look like you're trying to catch flies." Amy giggles at her own statement. I can't help laugh as everyone shuts their mouths.

"You guys know how Amy's Aerdell works. If you think about her than she can... hear it?" I look to Amy who nods. "So if you think something to her than she can hear it as well."

"Isitonlyonewayorcanyousendthoughtsbacktoheraswell?" Ivy says too quickly for any of us to understand.

"Ivy. I've told you this before. We don't understand you so you need to talk very slowly." I say the last two words very slowly to prove my point.

"Is. It. Both. Ways." Ivy says enunciating each word still speaking quickly but slow enough for us to understand.

"No, it's not." I say shaking my head.

"That'd be so cool though!" Amy starts getting excited and talking about the specifics of her Aerdell with everyone. I only half pay attention because I already know everything. I am listening to Amy when I feel something hit my shin. I look across from me to see Finn pretending to listen to Amy but he's got a stupid grin plastered on his face. I stare at him but he completely ignores me. I kick him back and continue staring at him. His green eyes are dancing when they meet my brown ones.

"Ella." Finn says simply. I lean forward and continue staring into his eyes.

"What?" I reply just as simply.

"You know the weirdest thing just happened." Finn leans forward putting his arms on the table in front of him. "It was as if you kicked me. But you would never do that."

"Oh I'd never." I say biting my bottom lip to keep from laughing. "That's really funny because I could've sworn that you just kicked me." I mimic him and put my elbows on the table touching his arms and rest my head on my hands

"You're right. That is funny. You know what else is funny?" He asks smiling. I shake my head and he replies, "This." Than he pushes my elbows apart making hands separate under my head. My chin smacks on the table and I glare up at Finn. He is smiling like a goof and I sit up rubbing my chin.

"Ha ha." I say in a monotone. I slide Amy's cake from in front of her and push into his face. Then I put the plate on the top his head, the cake making his hair look brown. "Hilarious."

I start laughing and Finn wipes the cake off his face and flicks it at me. I shriek and start running away from Finn who is stealing food from other people's plates. I stand behind James and Finn launches his sandwich at me. I duck and it hits James straight in the face. Josh laughs and James throws his food at Josh.

Then all havoc breaks lose

Soon everyone is launching food and Finn and I are still chasing each other. He sneaks up on me and backs me into a table.

"Truce?" I ask while reaching behind me.

"Fine." He replies holding a hand out as I smile innocently at him. I bring my hand holding a jug of juice out from behind my back and dump it on his head. Then I run away before he can register what happened. I run through the lunch room until I lose him and stop to catch my breath. That's when two strong arms snake around my waist.

My back is pressed against Finn's strong, now juice-soaked chest. I try to hit his arms and step on his feet but he is not letting go. He leans down and rubs all the cake off his face and into my hair.

"Ew, gross!" I run my hands through my hair trying to take out the biggest pieces of cake. Finn laughs which feels like a miniature earthquake that rumbles through my body.

"Now this," He says motioning with his head to the cafeteria which is alive with food being thrown and rubbed in faces. "This is funny."

"Ya." I say quietly. I lean my head against his chest and we watch the chaos of the war zone which used to be the cafeteria.

I smile to myself thinking that I have somehow found myself safe in Finn's arms once again.