D E V I N
"Why the hell are you training her? You've got almost a hundred pounds on her."
Locke didn't say anything as Graizen pushed his face harder into the ground with his powers. I stared at the two of them in silence, unsure of what to do. I coughed one last time before standing on my two feet once again.
"How else is she supposed to learn?" Locke spat out. You could hear the anger in his voice at Graizen. The whole class just stared at the scene in silence. Ryker put a hand on my shoulder as I trembled at the two men before me.
"She'll learn. Not like that."
Graizen let go of him as he relaxed his hands to his sides, getting up from the ground. Locke let out a growl before stomping off to the main house. Graizen didn't look at me as he began to walk into an unknown area of the city. Everyone's eyes made their way towards me. I tried to ignore it is I quickly turned around. I let out a huff as I ran after the person I probably should stay miles away from. My legs sprinted to catch up with Graizen. He didn't move a muscle as I fell into step beside him.
"Why am I here?" I questioned. Graizen didn't say anything as he kept walking forward. "Clearly, I don't fit in."
"No," Graizen spat out. "You don't fit in here. You don't belong here."
I was taken aback as he said this. Hot and cold. Hot and cold. He is the definition of polar opposite. Graizen angrily ran a hand through his hair as he stopped at a closed door. We reached an elevator, one that was at the end of the city. The doors opened, as he quickly slid himself inside it. I could tell he was avoiding my eyes; no doubt I have the same effect he has on me.
"Then why?" I asked, clearly frustrated. I followed him into the large elevator. "Why bring me here? Why save me?"
"Because." Graizen was practically yelling. He came inches away from me, holding my head in his hands as he said this. The doors closed, trapping us in our own world. "You make me feel, Devinthia. Numbness has surrounded me since the day-"
He quickly stopped, his words evaporating into the space between us. His eyes were locked on mine as we stared into eachother. I suddenly noticed how close we were. His hands were almost burning on my cheeks. I could feel his breath on mine. His breath was fast, and uneven, mimicking mine. With Graizen, everything was unpredictable. He's made me feel things that the darkest parts of me have never felt before.
"You should probably see a psychologist." The words came out of my mouth before I could stop myself. His hands instantly fell from my face. I missed the feeling of them the second they were away from me. His face was serious. Then, in a second his shoulders slumped over. He held his head back, his hand went to his stomach, and everything around us echoed with his beautiful laughter. A smile easily formed from my lips as the joyful noise coming from his mouth filled my ears. His delicious laughs echoed in the four walls encasing us. The sound of him calmed me as I joined him, and our laughter chorused together. We laughed together until my stomach began to hurt. I quickly caught my breath as we both finally stopped.
"I want to show you something."
The elevator doors opened right as he said this, as the smell of the trees and grass hit me. I didn't realize how much I missed the pure smell of nature until I was once again greeted with it.
He held his hand out to me. I hesitantly took it, my mouth parted in amazement. Woods and yards of trees surrounded me. I looked up, seeing a fake sky above us. It was nothing like the real thing, but it still took my breath away.
"A fake sky." I grinned as I gazed up at it.
"I missed it. I missed the feeling of being outside. So, I created this."
My hand was tingling with desire as Graizen's large hand gripped mine. It was warm, and rough. It felt like such a contrast against my soft skin. My heart warmed as we walked through the small woods in a comfortable silence. We came to a clearing in the woods. My eyes fell on a small stream that ran straight through the clearing. The stream connected to a large pond that took my breath away. The water was almost crystal clear. I ran my fingers through it, as it danced across my arm. The water was smooth, and warm as it ran along me.
"This is amazing." I breathed out, as I took in the whole area. It was quiet. All you could hear was the soothing sound of the stream. Graizen cupped some of the water in his hands and brought it up to his lips.
"Watch."
Graizen caught my attention as he raised a small bubble of water into the air. My lips parted in amazement as the water gently floated in the air as if it were a part of it. The water moved closer to me, as my eyes studied it. I was completely befuddled by the endless boundaries of their gifts as I stared into the floating water.
"That's-"
I was cut off as the water splashed in my face. I gasped as I wiped the water from my eyes. It soaked down my face and onto my shirt. I opened my eyes to see Graizen hunched over in laughter. A devilish smile appeared on my face as I splashed water all over him. His laughter ceased as he stared at me with serious eyes. Any hint of humor disappeared from his face as he stared me down.
"Graizen, I'm sorry. I was just messing around."
His lips slowly turned into a sly grin as his arms were suddenly around my waist. My skin burned where his hands made contact. I let out a playful scream as he flung me onto his shoulder. "Graizen, no!" I let out a shriek of laughter as he began to walk towards the water. I looked down, it was deep enough for my whole body to go under. I heard him let out a small chuckle as he threw my entire body in. I screamed to myself as my whole body submerged into the water. As I resurfaced, a smirk appeared on his beaming face.
"Whatever. I was going to jump in anyway. You only made it easier for me."
I returned the smirk as I slipped under the water again, letting the water swallow me whole. For the first time in a long time, I felt at ease as my body danced through the water. It wasn't long before arms snaked around me, pulling me back up to the surface.
"I see you couldn't resist joining me."
"No fun is allowed without me present." Graizen simply said as he wiped a hand through his wet hair.
I only laughed as I splashed water into his face. He let out a playful gasp as he suddenly darted under the water. I raised my eyebrows as I suddenly felt my body being pulled all the way under. My feet found the bottom as I held onto him beneath the water. Our bodies molded together as if they were pieces to an intricate puzzle. I wanted to stay in this one moment forever, his entire body against mine. Our bodies were weightless, as I felt a fire rise from within me. He quickly brought us back up as we both caught our breath.
"I'm surprised you can't breathe under the water." I joked.
"I can, actually."
"Really?" I asked, suddenly feeling excited. What can't they do?
"No, not really. We aren't mermaids, Thia."
"Thia? I've never heard anyone call me that."
"Devinthia is too long of a name."
I splashed some water in his face causing him to flinch back. The water hit him as he grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. Our faces were inches from eachother. We didn't say anything as I stared down at his lips. I looked back up at his eyes, which were locked on mine. There was an invisible force that was pulling us together, I could feel it in my bones. His hot skin wasn't against mine, sending tingles throughout my body. I allowed myself to steal a glance of his wet lips, which were parted in awe as he took me in.
"I have to go." Graizen suddenly said as he quickly moved away from me. Hurt instantly took over my body as he pulled away from me. My soul felt like we were truly connecting in that moment. It was evident that he did not feel the same. In a flash, he was gone. Without a single word. I was left completely alone as I stared at my reflection in the water. I let my body sink down, as I was completely under the water. I allowed happiness to take over my face as a distant memory played in my head.
Splash!
"Jax, wait for me!"
I screamed excitedly as he jumped into the lake. We had driven over an hour to swim here. I would always drive by it with my mom as a kid, seeing people swimming in it. She never took me here. I could barely contain myself as I ran into the water behind him. Coldness instantly surrounded me as the water became a blanket around my body. I felt Jax's arms pull me to the surface.
"Let's never leave."
His lips curved into a smile as we stared up at the sky. I threw my head back in laughter as we floated in the water. My face reddened as our bodies touched, floating directly next to eachother.
"Thank you for taking me here." I linked out hands together. He smiled to me, turning his head to face mine. My eyes trailed down to his lips, which were almost a tint of blue from the coldness of the water. Mine must be the exact color.
"Of course, you're my best friend Dev."
I moved away from him as he said this. Of course, he would only think of me as that. I sank back down into the water, closing my eyes. It was almost a magical feeling. The water completely engulfing you. It was like I was completely weightless. My body was floating in the dark abyss. The feeling of euphoria ended as I felt strong arms pull me back to the surface.
"Are you trying to drown yourself?"
Jax's arms were frantic as he practically shook me, holding me by the shoulders. I shook my head, shivering into him. It felt almost wrong, being this close to him. I couldn't explain why. I moved away from him, a fake smile forming on my face.
"Of course not, you idiot!" I teased him as I splashed water into his face.
His face relaxed as we continued to swim until the sun set. We swam until our bodies were trembling from the cold. I didn't care. I could've stayed in that water forever.
I gasped for air as my body finally reached the surface. My clothes were heavy, weighing me down as I climbed out of the water. I tried to get as much water out from my clothes as I could, but it was no use. I let out a sigh as I made my way to the elevator. Alone.