Together we fall

04 | Ember

Ember searched the room madly for her parents, scanning the monstrosity of people streaming from the doors.

Behind her she saw Clove and Emerson hugging their parents, smiling.

Their mom was a beautiful woman with glossy dark hair and teal eyes that matched her son's. Their dad had strawberry blond hair and dimples, and at the moment, he was twirling Clove around, laughing.

Clove and Emerson had definitely passed.

Ember knew Biana and Dex Dizznee very well. As a matter of fact, Dex was her mother's best friend, and Biana was very close with Ember's family as well. She'd even heard a rumor that Biana had once had a crush on Ember's dad, but she'd never believed it. She couldn't imagine her father with anyone else but her mother.

To her right, she saw Marella and Tam Song searching the crowd for Daisy. When they saw her, their faces lit up and they ran to her, giving her a giant hug.

Avaline was also with her parents, a smile apparent on her face. Linh, her mother, was carrying Axel, Avaline's three year old brother. The little boy was giggling as his sister playfully splashed him with spurts of water—Avaline was a hydrokinetic.

Ember stared at the floor. All her friends had passed their tests. But what if she hadn't?

She joined Ace, who fanned the air when she came within five feet of him.

When Ember spotted her mother, her heart started beating rapidly. Her father was next to her mom, and both their faces were unreadable as they pushed through the crowd.

They finally spotted Ace and Ember, and headed their way.

When they finally reached them, they smiled. But there was an edge to their features, a bit of tension hiding behind their lit up faces.

Ember's heart hammered in her chest.

Ace looked nonchalant as he asked, "Did I pass?"

"You did!" Their parents said, to nobody's surprise.

Ember cleared her parched throat. "What about me?"

"You passed," her mother said slowly, then added, "almost all your classes."

Ember's eyes widened in fear. "What didn't I pass?"

Her father bit his lip. "You didn't pass multispeciesial studies."

Ember fought tears as she whispered, "So I'm expelled?"

Ace was watching them like they had turned into ogres.

Her mother shook her head. "No, you won't be expelled," she said softly, "if you manifest an ability."

Ember's breaths were unsteady as the world spun around her. Colors blurred in her head, pain pounded in her mind; everything was whirling in a chaotic mess. She could barely feel her parents hugging her, whispering that it would be okay.

But what was okay about this?

If she didn't manifest she would be expelled. Expelled. She'd be an outcast for the rest of her life, and even worse, talentless.

Her life would be ruined.

Ember couldn't take it anymore. She collapsed into her parent's embrace and sobbed.