Embers & Ice

Conversations - The Hook Up

“Okay,” said Hunter as she sat with all of them on the couches in the common room. “I have a question for you.”

“Fire away,” said Chantal as she crossed her legs and leant against Marcus. Ryo, beside her, was braiding Fearne’s shaggy blond hair.

“Have any of you ever uh… you know…” She looked at each of their faces – the older ones particularly – waiting for them to figure out what she meant. Chantal almost instinctively leant away from Marcus.

“You mean bump uglies?” Zac blurted out.

“Ew!” said Fearne and the younger ones giggled.

“Actually… yeah. That’s what I mean.”

“Ewww!” said Fearne, Ryo and Benji. Zac was laughing hysterically and Chantal, Marcus, Will and Mosi were avoiding all eyes.

Hunter smiled. “Come on, tell me!”

“I’ll tell you,” said Zac, bouncing on his feet.

Chantal pointed at him with a menacing glare. “You say anything Zac and I swear to God-”

“What?”

Marcus put his head in his hands.

Hunter looked at Will, who had a mix between a smirk and a grimace. She watched him struggle with the story and then she turned to the others. Something had happened.

“Okay, now you have to tell me.”

“Just tell her,” said Ryo. “Seriously, I’m surprised you haven’t already.”

“I’m telling it, I’m telling it!” Zac exclaimed.

Chantal rolled her eyes. “I can’t listen to this.”

Marcus still didn’t show his face.

“So I’ve been here for a long time,” Zac began, wriggling in his seat to get comfortable. The others settled in too, all of them having heard the story before. “It was three years ago, and Chantal had been here, what, two years?”

Chantal didn’t so much as nod.

“Anyway, that’s when Marcus, Jet and Mikayla showed up.”

“Together?” said Hunter.

“Around the same time,” said Zac. “Anyway, Chantal was already pretty frisky with her men at that age-”

“Zac!” Chantal shouted.

“It’s true,” said Will and Chantal gave him a warning look. “What, you came onto me on your second day.”

“You did,” said Zac. “You told him you’re an expert at French kissing.”

The group burst out laughing and Chantal looked like she wanted to punch someone.

“When Marcus showed up he was fresh meat,” said Zac. “He had this crooked smirk and sparkly blue eyes. All the girls my age were going nuts.”

“Yeah they were,” said Marcus with a smug grin.

Benji and Ryo were still laughing uncontrollably.

“So what happened?”

“Marcus comes up to us in the breakfast hall.” Zac gets to his feet and relaxes his posture, slouching, putting one hand in his pocket and molding his face into a Blue Steel pout. It was quite realistic, even without his power. “He walks over to Chantal and me sitting at the table with Benji, and he’s like-” Zac runs a hand through his hair and blows her a kiss. “‘Hey girl, is your power water manipulation by any chance?’ and Chantal goes ‘uh, no’ and Marcus goes ‘that’s too bad. I’m a Technopath. We’d make a dangerous combination.’”

“I did not say that!” Marcus shouted.

“Oh, you so did,” said Chantal with a laugh. “I totally remember that.”

“Do you remember going as red as Hunter’s hair?” Zac chortled.

Chantal’s smile dropped.

“Anyway, after that awkward conversation, the two of you were exchanging looks over and over. It was like watching Fearne and Will have a mind conversation, only with way more sexual tension.”

Hunter and the others laughed hysterically.

“I was coming back from my shower later that night,” said Zac, “and as I passed the common room, I heard this weird moaning sound.” He paused and looked at Hunter. She knew exactly where it was going. No one was supposed to be in the common room after it closes. “I crept up to the door and peered into the dark room and there, on the couch, was Chantal on top of Marcus practically eating at his face!”

“Eww!” the younger kids exclaimed and Hunter cracked up laughing at the uncomfortable looks on their faces.

“I can’t believe you guys hooked up!”

“We were kids,” said Chantal, “And I was new and-”

“Incredibly horny?” said Zac.

This time, Chantal really did get to her feet. And just like almost every single day, Zac was chased from the room by a murderous Chantal, screaming for his life.