It was like a constant re-run for the last weeks of the term. Emerie would get up and soon she could find her way around the school to get to her classes.
Unfortunately human weather was unpredictable and although it rained down on them and that the Elementals could easily clear it away, the Elders clearly stated that it would only trigger their whereabouts to the humans as they had weather-tracking devices which were capable of seeing past the illusion spells that the Elders have put up. Because of the weather, they put off any demonstrations of the school’s extreme sports.
It turned out that there weren’t any other schools opposing Akorin Academy so they instead formed numerous teams to battle it out against each other.
Emerie was still desperate to see the different sports in action but she would have to wait until the tryouts next term in two weeks in which the term break was.
Lying back in her bed, Emerie smiled up at the pasty ceiling. Just two weeks ago she was having a scream fest, throwing a tantrum and attacking Damaris and Ryker as soon as she got here.
And now . . . she was fitting in with the students much better than she had in her human school! Emerie was absolutely amazed at how much more civilised the Elementals had gladly accepted her rather than picking her out as the outcast despite her still yet to be chosen Element.
She frowned. Time had flown by and she would still need to choose by the end of the year. But why? She doubted the Spirits actually had a mind of their own; they were only representatives of their own element and were trying to persuade her to choose their own Element. She knew that all they could do was force voices into her head; they couldn’t take on any action at all.
Was it something to do with the humans? Did the Destinies see something in the future about the humans?
She shook her head, smiling wryly. They would have told her wouldn’t they?
Emerie had met some of the Destinies with their perfect, shining golden hair and eyes and they were indeed pleasant people to be around as well as the Time Guardians.
Emerie was pleased to find that Darryl was begrudgingly getting along with Cian in order to make her happy while she continued to catch up with her brother; eleven long years to catch up with!
Already she had figured out that Cian was falling for Raquel and it seemed evident that she would in time return the feelings mutually.
And then there was Libby . . .
A gleeful chuckle escaped Emerie. Libby, Libby, Libby! After that one game of Capture the Flag, Emerie’s first time when she got knocked out by Fire, they had actually started to respect Libby! In fact the stout, chubby girl was starting to become more and more popular around the Elementals, especially the Fire Elementals. They understood how Libby had a good eye for tactics and for strategies, especially in a game of Capture The Flag.
Whenever Emerie was put into a team they had made sure they were extra watchful to keep Emerie safe especially because Cian and Darryl had threatened the students while Mrs Wakefield’s back was turned.
“Em! It’s almost lunch.”
“Hang on!” Emerie called back to Raquel, leaping to her feet.
She frowned, staring down at her normal outfit that she wore everyday to class. In her opinion, it must have looked filthy as she only had two sets of clothing; her original one she wore when she escaped her bombed house and the one that Tamora gave her.
Emerie’s black eyes darted to the pile of gold pieces that were coated with at thin layer of dust after Emerie had left them there, untouched for two weeks.
She grimaced. How could she not see that she was wearing the same two sets of outfits for the last two weeks?!
Emerie shook her head disapprovingly at herself. She needed to go shopping.
Her grimace turned into a look off horror at what she had just thought.
She loathed shopping unless she was getting hoodies and jeans. And now she was considering going shopping without being forced against her will?
She shook her head. “What has the world come to?”
“Are you coming or not Em? I’m hungry!” Raquel whined. “Libby don’t –”
Emerie screamed when the doorknob flew off the door and missed Emerie by a hair’s width!
The doors slowly crept open, revealing the two girls.
Libby smiled sheepishly, a ball of fire flickering above her palm. “Sorry. We didn’t have a key.”
“So that gives you permission to wreck my doorknob?” Emerie snapped, grabbing the golden knob. She let out a yelp of pain when a searing hot ache scorched her palm.
“Libby!” Emerie hollered.
Raquel rolled her eyes, snatching up the golden knob and sucked in the heat. “No big deal Em. I thought you were starting to practise your Fire after what we taught you!”
“I prefer using Earth and Air; something I’m already used to,” she said with a scowl.
Libby shook her chubby face disapprovingly. “I’ll be disappointed if you choose Earth or Air.”
Emerie scowled, narrowing her eyes at Libby. “Don’t test me Lib.”
Libby held up her hands in defeat. “Yes Princess. Now come on! I’m hungry! I can eat a horse!”
Raquel let out a whine. “Don’t kill a horse!”
“I’m hungry too,” Emerie said sharply, darting out of the room and waited impatiently for them to come.
With a wave of her hand, a gust of air slammed the door shut and Emerie locked it, striding down the corridor with Raquel and Libby.
“I’m so glad it’s a break,” Raquel said with a groan. “I swear the Element Defence has gotten harder on us ever since you showed up! Not that it’s a bad thing.” She smiled tightly.
Emerie rolled her eyes. “Get used to it. I have and I just started two weeks ago.”
Libby grinned impishly. “Well nobody can’t help but groan and complain about all these injuries! Everybody in the school at least has three bruises and a cut.”
Libby held out her arms which still had a bit of baby fat remaining on it but Emerie and Raquel both did think it was cute. True to her word, three purplish yellowy splodges were slapped on her forearms though no cut, fortunately for her.
Raquel felt guilty that after all these years of attending school with Libby, she had though the chubby girl as a stuck-up Fire Elemental.
However it was the other way round. Libby was a kind-natured Fire Elemental who would openly take in the insults and bullying without complaining and occasionally fight back.
It was a good thing Libby was more respected after they realised that she was good with battle strategies.
“So are you guys going to try out for any sports next term?” Libby asked as they took a sandwich each, paid for it, and sat down.
This time it wasn’t near the rubbish cans.
In fact Libby, Emerie and Raquel never sat by the rubbish cans anymore. It was an empty table.
They sat in the right corner with all the others normally.
Just like how it should have been before, Emerie thought with a small smile.
“I don’t know,” Raquel said, cracking her knuckles and biting into her sandwich. “There’s some tough competition this year!” She shot a look to Emerie and Libby who merely exchanged looks and shrugged.
“Don’t eat with your mouth full.”
Cian slid into the seat next to Raquel and grinned at his sister.
“Where’s Darryl?” Libby asked before Emerie could.
“He’s running a few errands for his uncle,” Cian said, never ceasing to smile sweetly at Raquel who only cocked an eyebrow at him.
“So what extreme sports do you guys play anyways?” Emerie asked, biting into her sandwich.
“Uhh Soccer is a biggie,” Libby said. “Very violent.”
“No Capture the Flag?” Emerie said with a grin.
Cian shook his head, breaking his googly eye contact with Raquel. “Hell no! There’s a normal Duel Team which is just like team against team fighting and then there’s –”
“Racing,” Raquel interjected, smiling broadly at Cian in a dreamy way. “It’s like an obstacle course but it’s a singles game. Incredibly hard because as they race to the finish line, they have to use their Element to create obstacles for their opponent. Hard to keep concentrate and run for victory.”
“Not really,” Cian said nonchalantly. “Your brother Darryl? He’s finished a course before. Came out with a broken leg and factures to his ribs.”
Emerie snorted, chewed the mouthful of her sandwich and swallowed quickly. “That’s so typical of him.”
“Well I think it’s brave,” Libby said with a shy smile. “It’s more violent because you can’t focus.”
“How hard is it to get onto a team for Soccer? Any other sports?” Emerie prodded curiously.
“Well there’s always the Dodge Team,” Cian said. “Violent especially with magic intertwined with it. You need to have really quick reflexes. Any Elemental attack charged at you, it needs to be dodged. You can’t just skim it actually. It’s either dodge or you’re out.”
“Harsh,” Emerie said with a frown. “How would you guys settle a fight? You know how boys get aggressive over something.”
Raquel and Cian exchanged smirks.
“We’re a peaceful race unlike humans,” Raquel said with a scowl, the subject of humans completely wiping the amusement off their faces. “We’re not savage beasts who fight over silly conflicts like money and fortune.”
Emerie smiled. That’s what she liked about her natural born heritage. They were peaceful.
A thought struck her.
“Humans aren’t all that savage,” Emerie said with a frown. “They seem like it but it all just comes down to the savage leader that’s leading them.”
“True that,” Libby said with a smile.
“By the way,” Emerie said, glaring at the crusts of her sandwich, crossing her arms. She was barely audible when she spoke. “I need clothes.”
“What was that?” Cian teased.
“I need clothes,” Emerie said through gritted teeth.
“Pardon me?” Libby said innocently, cupping a hand over her ear.
“Goddamn it I need new clothes,” Emerie seethed, clenching her fists. “There I said it. Now let’s go. We’ve got the whole day free not to mention the weekends.”
“Why in a rush Em?” Raquel asked with a grin.
“I don’t want to get it any later; it’ll be off my conscience,” Emerie said, rubbing her temples and stood up, emptying her tray into a bin and handed it back to the servers. “Let’s go before you lose this one opportunity to see me trying on clothes.”
Emerie couldn’t believe it herself.
With a scowl, she stomped back to her room and snatched the bag of gold pieces from her bedside table along with the two other pieces she had left out in the open.
Shoving the bag into her hoodie pocket, she jogged out and met up with her friends, minus Cian of course.
*
The black-haired girl quickly paid a gold piece for ten pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts and three hoodies. Surprisingly these prices were quite high.
She didn’t exactly get how the money system worked but it seemed much simpler than the human world with all the different cents, coins and dollar bills.
There were only bronze pieces, silver pieces, gold pieces and bags of gold pieces.
According to Libby, fifty-five bronze pieces are worth one silver piece, thirty-eight silver pieces are worth one gold piece and twenty gold pieces is worth a bag of gold.
Simple and easy.
“Thanks,” Emerie said. “Um keep the change?”
The owner nodded, jaw dropping.
“Let’s go,” Emerie said hastily, shooting a dangerous look at Libby who fingered a lovely scarf. “Um I don’t have any littler pieces. Pick something out Libby. A lot. To make up for a gold piece.”
“You have twenty gold pieces,” Libby pointed out in a dreamy voice as though she still couldn’t believe her friend was so rich; she had a bag of gold pieces worth so much! “This is just how we make-do in Akorin. Pretty normal.”
Emerie shrugged. “I guess. Pick something out Libby.”
Libby hesitated, fingering the soft silk material more. “Are you sure?” Libby’s father did make good money from working as the Head Chef in the school but she felt guilty if she spent Emerie’s money.
“All on me,” Emerie said with a wave of her hand.
Libby shrugged, taking two scarves and a pair of shoes that caught her eye. “Done.”
Emerie smiled dryly, paying for it but this time took the change as the seller insisted that she had already given a big of a tip.
“Let’s go Lib,” Emerie said with an eye roll as Libby marvelled at her newly bought items. “Where’s Raquel again?”
“Uhh the Food Squad,” Libby said in awe, fingering the delicate material.