Playing With Fire and Ice ✔︎

XII

"Was that your brother?" Oliver is by my side and I want to run after him but the anger in his eyes stops me. My brother hates me.

"Y-yes," I stammer. I can take my mother's unloving ways but Paul's is like a knife to the chest. My eyes go to my parents my mother does not dare look at me as her eyes stay on the side door where Paul just ran through. My father in the other hand is staring at me with disgust and when my eyes land on his he shakes his head shamefully.

"Cassie," the voice is so far away.

"I never wanted this," the words boil up my throat and escape me as if they were to burn my tongue.

"Cassie," my mind registers that it is Oliver calling me. My eyes drift to him slowly and he is not looking directly at me but down. I follow his gaze and the flames consuming my hands snap me out of my trance.

The screams around me hit me like a wave trying to knock me down to my knees. "Paul," I whisper to myself.

"Cassie, get a grip. I am right here," his words bring little comfort to me. My mind reels with so many emotions anger, sadness, and most of all hurt. The emotion that I try my best to keep hidden but Paul manages to make it surface like an inflated ball in a pool when you try to push it underwater.

Oliver's freezing hands cover mine as the steam rises and I look at Oliver with hurt in my eyes. "I'm sorry," I whisper to him and he shakes his head as some hair flops to his forehead.

"I'm here for you," he steps closer to me our chest against our hands as he tries to calm me. He looks down at me as I have to glance up at him. "I'm here, don't forget that." He protects me more than my own family. I look over at my parents and my father is helping my mother through the side door.

"Cassie! Oliver!" Alyson yells from the front doors and we both turn to look at her she waves her hand gesturing for us to hurry up the aisle. I glance around and everyone in the auditorium is staring at us.

"Ignore them. Let's go!" Oliver does not release my hands as he guides me up the aisle to the doors. When we get there the number of people outside makes me freeze in my tracks. There are so many people out there none of which I know. Mrs. Beth is amongst them with Alyson. Mrs. Beth beams at us and opens her arms warmly towards us as she makes her way to us engulfing Oliver and me in a bear hug.

"I want y'all to know that you have our support 100 percent." Her thick arms suffocate me for a moment but I do not mind since she is doing it out of love something that I have not felt in a while. She releases us and I can see the tears are about to escape the captivity of her eyes. When a tear falls down her cheek she hastily wipes it away with the back of her hand, "we have a surprise for y'all." Mrs. Beth takes a step back and Oliver steps closer to me as if I need his protection.

"What is it?" Oliver seems hesitant not sure if this surprise is a good one or a bad one.

Alyson walks to us with a bounce in her step, "it's a good surprise I promise." She gives Oliver a look that somehow reminds me of a cautious mother telling her child not to run too far ahead of her. Oliver body tenses up and he still does not seem sure about this.

"Well Alyson here told us that y'all were looking for a trainer," Mrs. Beth's brown eyes move from Oliver to me and back to Oliver, "I got in contact with Luxor and well-" she steps to the side and the group behind her start making an opening up a path. Alyson starts bouncing on her toes as she hands clap together repeatedly with excitement on her lips as her eyes gleam towards the people.

"A trainer," I glance at Oliver and he looks over at me as well.

"Luxor," we both say and we look at the people my eyes searching for the man that my mind fabricated as the trainer of The Gifted a tall strong man that has aged like a fine wine.

"Luxor, come here," Mrs. Beth says and a small girl steps forward. If you ever saw the show Sailor Moon she reminds me of Raye, Sailor Mars. She has the same long black straight hair, porcelain complexion, and pale skin. Her pitch black eyes stare at us impassively. The difference is that Luxor did not wear a hakama instead she wears black Toms, black tight jeans, and a big off the shoulder midriff showing light gray shirt.

"Luxor is a girl?" Oliver whispers to us and Alyson smacks him in the stomach. "Geez, Alyson I thought Luxor was a male name even though I've never heard it before." I agree with Oliver but I do not voice my agreement seeing as Alyson is still here.

"So they are the two left of The Gifted," Luxor asks Mrs. Beth and she nods enthusiastically. Luxor lips set in a stern line as she walks closer to us. "You have earned the trust of Beth so that must count for something. If you are seeking a trainer you found one but be warned," Her eyes narrow on us, "I should not be taken very lightly. Mrs. Beth will tell you when and where to meet me." Her eyes never leave us, "be late and head back home I don't train slackers."

Luxor turns around and walks through the crowd without any trouble. I stare at her with amazement and Oliver breathes out some incoherent words under his breath.

"Meet her in the forest behind the school. You will find her there at four in the morning bring comfortable clothes." With that everyone heads back where they came from and Mrs. Beth hugs us once again and bids us farewell. We stand there for a moment when Alyson suggest we leave before the people in the auditorium start coming out. Alyson decides to stay behind and hear what else they have to say.

Oliver takes me home and advice me to head to bed and he will be waiting outside for me so we can meet Luxor. I wave goodbye to him and head into the house that once again is empty. My mother must have gone back to my father's house again. For once I am glad that she is not here, I need to be left alone with my thoughts.

If there was ever a day that I could burn down the house tonight was the night.

My mind is the one that drives me to live like a human to seek out food and take care of myself but my body is numb to all of that so I walk over to the couch and throw myself upon it letting my body sink into the cushions. My face faces the television as my arm drops to the side the back of my hand brushes against the carpet.

The wiggling of the door handle does not make me stir no one wants to break into this house unless they want to come out like a roasted marshmallow and if it is my mother she has a key which she does not need since I did not lock the door.

The door opens and the footsteps walk behind the couch. I do not bother looking over at her. The footsteps make their way around when two black and white converse stand before me. "What the hell?" I glance up and Oliver is staring down at me. I roll to my side so I can have a better view of Oliver.

"I'm scared to leave you alone," he sighs, "I saw your parent head down my street and I knew they were going to leave you alone." He sits down on the floor before me his head rolls back and his hair brushes against my abdomen. "I'm going to look after you Cassie, don't worry," he closes his eyes as my hand slowly makes it way to his hair and I run my nails over his scalp. His hair tickles my fingertips but the gesture seems to relax him.

"I promise I won't burn down the house with you here." He smiles tiredly at me.

"Go to your bed Cassie I'll take the couch." Oliver slept on the couch as I went to my bedroom and had the best sleep in months.

***

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