"Miranda! Today is Friday! The last day of the week and neither I nor Lucas have been picked for the arenas!" I was jumping out of my skin with excitement, bouncing around in my silver attire.
Out of nowhere two hands held my shoulders in place and I looked behind me, seeing Alex's pretty face.
"Aww, you think I've got a pretty face!" Alex crooned. I smiled up at him, my face inches from his. He returned the look. Eli sauntered up to us and tapped on Alex's shoulder. When he turned, Eli punched him in the arm, hard.
"Eli!" I exclaimed. He looked over to me with mixed emotions. Jealousy, betrayal, anger. I knew they were all fake, he was good with emotional stuff, surprisingly.
"Too close." He growled. I rolled my eyes and let him wrap his arm around my waist.
"He's just a friend." Eli leaned into my face.
"Too. Close." He grunted. Miranda looked around casually, the appluaded.
"Perfect guys, Eli, you are too perfect! I don't understand why Honey doesn't want you." She said. I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder.
"Maybe because he's a possessive, over-protective boyfriend?" I offered. Eli shook me slightly, and he lightened up a little.
"You know you love me." He reminded. I smiled cheekily.
"Sure thing, babe." I said, pulling away slightly. Eli tightened his grip on me and leaned in to whisper to me.
"The jealousy game is tough. You have to act like you couldn't be more in love with your accomplice. And remember, I'm making Honey jealous too, so I'm going to be clingy for a while." He said. I nodded and giggled like he was the funniest person in the world.
"No suspicion. We seem like we're having a good time here." I whispered back.
"Well, well, doesn't Fallon get around? First making out with Aaron in our bedroom, now with Eli. Real impressive." Lucas dissed as he walked past. For a moment I saw red radiating off of him, but then normal again. What the hell?! Do I also have thermal vision? Is it a fire thing?
"Did he just call me a slut?" I finally asked. Eli moved his hand to my shoulder and squeezed comfortingly.
"I'm sorry babe. And Aaron, I need to punch you in the gut now that I heard about my girlfriend making out with you." Eli said, punching Alex in the gut. I pulled them apart and glared.
"You two are such boys! We were just wrestling Eli!" I reprimanded. Hurt feelings flashed in his eyes and a nun would swear to god they were real.
"Whatever. That's strike two pretty boy, third strike there's a real fight. You ready for that? Lucas is trying to break Fog away from the competition. Pretty predictable, considering him." Eli warned. Alex nodded and they did one of those bro-hugs. Miranda pulled me away from them.
"Bye guys!" She called as she pulled me to our floor spots.
"Bye Miri!" Alex called. I smiled to Miranda. You could practically see the excitement squelching out her eyes. She finally let out a girly squeal.
"Oh my god this is just too perfect!" She screeched. I shook my head but smiled.
"I know!" I joined in to the squeal fest. Being a girl is so much fun. We burst into laughter and Mr. Daunts gave us a look. We sobered up and shared a giggly look.
"Fallon Clearse, Aaron King, Lucas James, Kellie Krim, Daniel Krim, and Sophia Krim for the arenas." Our gym teacher called. Miranda gave me a look and as I passed Eli I brushed my palm with his.
"See ya later, babe." He said smoothly while I exited the gym with Alex, who was braiding my hair back.
"You know I've always loved your hair it's so soft and silky and pretty." Alex said, pulling the braid tight.
"Dude, you have, like, the same color hair. And if you grew it out it would probably be just as soft and silky as mine." I reminded.
Probably? He questioned, but then seemed to remember that we had a cover.
"Why don't you have a hair tie? Come on Foggy work with me here! Now I need to use my special hair trick." He complained, wrapping and tucking my hair into some places, and pulling it out others. Somehow every time I end up with a beautiful braid bun very much unlike Princess Leia's. The triplets were entranced by the scene Alex was making. Lucas glared at the ground.
"Thanks, Aaron, but next time don't be a new york stylist." I ordered, shoving into him slightly. He draped his arm ove my shoulder and I reluctantly pulled away. Please God, let Eli be over this clingy state soon. "Sorry, loyalty to Eli." I mumbled. Alex placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled down at me.
"Totally understandable. And I hope you know that you'll get beaten to death if you enter the same arena as me." He said slyly. I elbowed him hard.
"We'll see."
"King! Clearse! Stop the roughhousing or you two will be in the same arena!" Mr. Daunts said sharply.
Hey, why'd you pick the last name King? I asked, careful to not let anyone but Alex into my head. He smirked and stayed silent. I glared ahead of me until we reached the arenas.
"Clearse and James, Sophia and Daniel, King and Kellie. Those are your pairs for the rest of the year when you're picked for the arenas. Rules for this week: you have to keep up a conversation with your opponent, and you can't use curses. Get it? Got it? Good. Go to a random arena and start your match when the horn blows." I followed Lucas to the arena and entered after him. A fireproof door slid down in replacement of the other one, and the glass dome around us was definitely flame-safe.
The horn went off and Lucas started the conversation.
"Aren't you a slut?" He said. It wasn't technically a curse...
"Aren't you betraying backstabber?" I counter, starting an electrically charged hurricane. Lucas ignored my words.
"Rolling around on the floor with some stalker you barely know in the seventh grade. Never thought you'd sink so low." Wow, this was perfect practice for what the real rebels will do in the real world.
"Never thought you'd sink so low as to ignore someone you've been chasing for over two months and then turn on them with hurtful words when they're having fun with their friends." I replied back, focusing all my energy to the hurrican to pound where Lucas was standing. He disappeared and appeared next to me.
"Time fae are good for other things too you know, we don't just start and stop time." He said, punching me in the gut. I doubled over, trying to breathe.
"Yeah but you're a good for nothing bastard." I wheezed, trying desperately to get oxygen in my lungs. He punched really hard.
"And, as said before, you're a slut." He replied with a smirk, bringing his fist to collide with me again. This time Alex invaded my head.
Stupid! Fight back! Not only with actions! USE ELI! THAT'S WHAT HE AGREED TO! I smirked.
"I don't need you." I stated, rolling away from his blow. "Not for moral support." I continued. Anger bubbled from the boy I like irrationally and he came at me. "And definitely not for a boyfriend. You know, if you're trying to hurt me worse because I'm angering you, does that mean you're abusive in a relationship?" I asked, my smirk growing as I attacked him with a gush of water to the back of his head. He stumbled towards me and I stepped away. I tsked. "And you know rape doesn't do anyone good." I tried to say, but it ended up strangled. I shouldn't have tried to toughen out a sore spot myself.
"You would know that best of all, seeing as you've been a victim and a predator." He hissed. I punched him square in the face, sending enough water to drown a fish to him. Lucas fell back, coughing up water. I kept the electricity swirling around us. He climbed to his feet.
"Eli doesn't love you." He growled. I pretended to be offended, and in honest truth, I was. He did love me. As a friend. I hit some lightning near his feet, but not close enough to electrocute him.
"He does too!" I screeched, advancing with a fire burning heatedly above my palm. Lucas smiled.
"Does not! He loves Honey. He's using you to make her jealous." He sang. I threw the fire at him in rage and brought the wall of fire up. Now he can't call fire and have me bring it down.
"This is no game, Lucas." I purred. The fire went blue. "You can't yell fire and have me bring down the wall. And all around me is in flames." I lied, starrting up the storm. Lucas teleported behind me.
"You're a liar and an idiot! Eli doesn't love you, and neither does Aaron! You don't even know him! It's all an act!" His part about Alex/Aaron set me off. I took a step back and fought back the tears. I don't know my best friend.
Don't listen, Queen. You know I'm still the same. He's just trying to ruin things. You've got him jealous. Alex prodded
I know, focus on you're own match. Sorry if I'm distracting you.
I finished my match. You two are the only ones left.
I glared ahead at Lucas.
"For all you know, Aaron could be on their side." He growled, and I knew he meant the rebels.
Fallon, trust me, I would never hurt you like that. I love you.
I knew that. Alex loved me and I loved him with all my heart since we were little. I just haven't figured out exactly how we love each other.
"For all you know, I could be on their side. What do you know about me?" I hissed back, making little shots of electricity go through him. Safe amounts. Tiny, miniscule, zaps.
"D-don't say that." He growled.
"Why not? You seem to have no problem in accusing my friends. Even if I'm accusing myself, how does it feel? I'm sure of myself. You're not." I kept advancing, and Lucas shook his head.
"What are you doing?" He asked, thoroughly confused. His curly hair had grown wild in a week, and it fell in his face now. I still have my feelings..I still find that alluring.
"What do you know about me? Or Casey? Or Dawn? Or Eli? Or Honey? Or Miranda? What really do you know?" I was circling him. "Because, you know, the only friend you ever had back in normal world was Lucy. A little third grader who looked up to you. No one in your own grade. Dawn liked you, and I don't blame her, but that's it. Who are you? I know Casey and Dawn personally. And I sort of knew Eli by association."
Okay, Fallon, little less. You're Shadow too, obviously, and you're using persuasion. Don't make him suicidal. Don't make him a suspicious coward.
I took heed to Alex's advice and backed off a little. "You're lucky we're not. You're lucky we're all loyal, unlike you." I hissed, crashing a wave down onto him. I staddled his waist and leaned into his face. "Game over, Lucas." I said sadly.
***
"Holy Jesus! You should've seen her Eli! She owned Lucas! She's shadow too and started using persuasion without even knowing it!" Alex went on to Eli.
"Aaron." I said sharply. He didn't respond at first, but then shut up mid-sentence. "Stop gushing. You sound like Miranda."
"I like Miri." He defended himself. I wagged my eyebrows at him and Alex shoved me.
"Not like that idiot." He snorted. Eli nudged him.
"Dude." He warned. Alex rolled his eyes.
"Eli, you're so clingy!" He complained as we made our way to tutors.
"Honeymoon effect." Eli replied. Alex rolled his eyes.
Nag nag nag! Just like all wives! I did a spit take with my water because of the comment.
"How come you let him in your head and not me?" Eli whined.
"Because you're my boyfriend, not to mention you, so I don't want you commenting in my head randomly. Spit takes aren't fun if they are repetitive." I replied.
"So you're saying that if it isn't repetitive, spit takes are fun?" Alex asked. I nodded and grinned.
"You don't even begin to understand."
The hallway empties out and we fell into a comfortable silence.
"Nice job in the arena, you were flying high." Alex commented.
"Aaron, if you don't stop commenting on it I will punch you myself, and cover my fist with ice darts." I threatened.
"Calm down, now we know for absolute sure that Lucas is jealous, you really are." Eli said, pulling me to his side even though no one was around. I rested my head on his shoulder and smiled slightly.
"Thanks guys."