Chapter 8

✧Sasuke✧

Running is something that I do when I need to clear my head. Of course, I can't really do that when I'm in school. Still, after school, and especially in the summer, if something is bothering me, it's an excellent way to get my blood flowing. It's almost like I'm running away from my problems at the same time. I know it's a terrible way of looking at things, but it's a way to make me concentrate on something other than what's bothering me.

Slowing down to a jog when my house comes into view. The car is still gone, so mom isn't home. I know that dad walks typically unless it's nasty weather. There's no point in slowing down and coming back. If dad finds out I left school, then he'll probably think that I came home. Then I'll get a butt-ton of questions, and dad will probably do the thing he did yesterday on me and have a look at my day. I really don't want to deal with that…I'm just going to keep going. It should help. Jogging past the driveway, I continue on. Maybe I'll go to the cemetery, it's been a good while since I've gone.

Eventually, I slow down to a walking pace than a stop breathing a bit heavier than usual as I look up at the gateway that arches over the entrance to the cemetery. Calming myself down a bit, I walk in. This cemetery isn't exactly big, but that's always a plus when it's a small town that you live in. Even with it being a small town, the school is actually a private school, but thankfully we don't have to wear uniforms. There's a lot of students who are in the dorms that have scholarships to the school. It's mostly the sports teams. The school itself is on two floors, and it's the middle school and high school put together. Middle school is upstairs, and the high school is downstairs. I still have a study hall or two upstairs. Always, I usually try to get a pass to go to the library during those periods because I don't like sitting in a classroom that smells of body odor. Thankfully, the fact that it's a private school isn't something that has really affected the town's size. But if the school keeps winning championships that might end up changing.

Taking a deep breath and I wander off the path and through the headstones. I stopped at a particular set of tombstones. Two were of my grandparents on my mother's side. I was never able to meet them from what I remember. Mom and dad told me that when I was born, I met them. They were so happy they got to meet me and proud of mom and dad, and they knew that they would raise me right. But they died when I was two, so it was before the time that I started to retain any memories. Mom told me that they loved me more than anything and would spoil me. Soon after my grandparent's died, Ava was born. Ava…Ava is, well was my little sister.

Ava Kaisai

January 3, 20XX- February 14, 20XX

I heard the occasional bird chirp close by as I silently gaze down at her gravestone, "Ava…mom and dad miss you. They try not to show it in front of me, but every time your birthday comes around, they don't seem to really talk to me all that much." Sitting down in front of her gravestone, I wrap my arms around my knees, "I wish I could ask how you were doing, but I know that you can't answer…there have been a lot of strange things happening in just the past few days. You know how everyone thinks that there not special in any way, although no one is alike? Well, yeah, now I'm so confused about just what I am." Sitting here silently in front of her grave, I sigh quietly and look up at the sky, "I don't know what to do anymore… if you were here, I think that I wouldn't feel like I don't know what I'm doing. Liz joined the varsity volleyball team. I met a new kid, his name is Toshiro. He's really cool, kind of mysterious, but I can figure him out the more I talk to him. Sean's also back… but he's changed a bit. We got in a fight, and we didn't even recognize each other..." Leaning forward, I brush some of the leaves and sticks that have fallen on her gravestone, "You know it kind of makes me wonder what type of elemental you would have ended up being. Maybe you would have been a fire elemental like mom. Or a moon elemental like dad and." I can't help but laugh lightly as I pull my hand away from her gravestone and wrap my arms around my knees once more, "Of course, I'm not entirely sure what elementals are in the first place. Since my accident, mom and dad haven't said anything about elementals until yesterday. You would think that they would want to try and jog my memory." I sigh and then fall silent once again, just listening to the crickets and birds on this hot and humid day.

After I don't know how long I finally stand back up and brush off my pants and butt. "I guess I'm going to run a bit more and clear my head. I don't know what to really think anymore," I mutter to no one before looking back down at my sister's gravestone, "I miss you, Ava. I wish you were here with me, mom, and dad. I hope that grandma and grandpa are taking good care of you." I place my right hand on the top of the gravestone and then walk back to the path and start running again.

I jog/walk the small maze of the cemetery a couple of times and finally look at what time it is on my phone. I'm breathing heavily from the humidity. My pockets are deep, so there's no worrying about things falling out of my pocket like girls usually have to worry about nowadays. I missed the rest of the day of school…it's already four-thirty. Oh, it looks like I missed a couple of calls and some text too. Unlocking the screen, I go to missed calls first and see that it's dad and Liz that called me. Backing out of that, I have a text from Liz. Tapping the messaging app it opens, and one is from Liz, and the other is from a number that I don't know. I touch on Liz first.

Sasuke, where are you??

Staring at the message for a moment, I back out and then go to the number that I don't know and click on it. Sasuke, it's Shiro, where did you go we're worried? Did something happen? I asked Sean, and he told me what happened in class this morning. Please give me a text or call when you get this. I guess I really worried them…Clicking on Shiro's number, I save him on my phone and then lock the screen and slip my phone back in my pocket. I guess I should go home…I'm getting a headache anyway.

I slowly walk out of the cemetery and towards home. Of course, it's easily a forty-five-minute walk home from here. I feel like I'm going to be in a fuck ton of trouble when I get home…mom probably already knows, since I haven't called or text anyone, they are probably worried…but I don't want to get yelled at…As I walk, my headache starts to get worse. The heat isn't really bothering me, but it's how thick the air is when I breathe. That alone is making my headache worse. And now, my mouth is stupid dry, and my throat is starting to hurt. I have about fifteen minutes to get to the park if I keep walking. Then from there, it's another fifteen minutes to get home…I should pick up the pace and make it to the park to get a drink from one of the fountains. Why was I so stupid to not grab some water. I went right past the house too. Taking a deep breath, I take a longer stride and force my muscles in my legs to move faster. Just move body; we can do this. I jog at a good pace for a bit, "Faster," I mumble to myself and pick up the pace from a jog to a steady run. Moving out of the way of people walking as I make it into town.

I see the park insight as I turn the corner, "Almost there." I mutter to myself, and suddenly I feel dizzy, and my legs give out mid-stride. A burning sensation races through my knees as I collapse on the concrete and hit the ground hard. Skidding across the pavement, I roll a few times before coming to a stop. I blackout for a moment and I hear high pitched ringing in my ears. The darkness only lasts for a moment, and when I can see, again, I get up everything burning and aching. Ow…son of a bitch… I push myself up turn around, so I'm sitting. Looking at my knees, there are stones stuck in them along with long brush burns that run down my shins. My arms are scuffed up along with them. Of course, this happens because I like wearing shorts to school. "Damn it," I mutter, my body shaking, and I pull my shirt off, so I'm in my tank top. Ripping my shirt into strips, I wrap my knees to stop the bleeding, and very painfully, I get up. Stumbling and falling a couple of times, I make it into the park. I lean against a tree and practically collapse as I'm panting. I close my eyes and tilt my head back against the tree with my arms in my lap.

"Look at who decided to play hooky after we had a little spat." I open my eyes and am instantly hit with a dizzy spell, but I look over to see Sean with his hands in his pockets and walking over to me.

"What do you want, Sean?" I ask my voice cracking, and I go back to just looking up at the leaves instead of closing my eyes.

"Are you alright?" That cocky tone he had just a moment ago is completely gone when I hear him pick up the pace and then come into my field of view.

"It's not like I haven't fallen before," I respond looking down at my lap, "I'll be fine.

"You're obviously not fine. Did someone trip you, or did you trip over something? If you were sprinting like an idiot in this heat, you could have not seen what tripped you," He sounds genuinely concerned and see him kneel down, and he reached over to me and grabs my chin and makes me look at him. His light brown eyes searching all over me for all of my injuries. Brushing his thumb over the lower part of my chin, I flinch, and he sighs.

"Sean…" I mutter, staring at him in utter shock.

"Don't get the wrong idea Sasuke…I just don't want to see someone else hurt you," He grumbled, but he also kinda has a joking tone. Are we still friends, but he doesn't want to say anything to me? Do I ask him about it??

"I just fell. I was stupid and didn't think of bringing water with me," I answer as he lifts my tank top to see if I have any more injuries on my body.

"Geez, you really are a child sometimes ya know," Sean sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I don't have any money on me to go and get you a drink either. At this point, you need more than just a drink from the fountain. I'm assuming you don't have any money on you because if you did, I'm sure that you probably would have already bought a bottle of water."

"Are we still friends, Sean?" I ask wanting to change the subject

"Can you not fucking change the god damn subject, please? Son of a fucking bitch, Sasuke," He sighs slowly bringing his hands to his face and pulling down before looking away from me, "Ya still live at the same place? I'll take ya home."

"Yo, Sean, where are ya?" I think that was Nick that yelled.

"Go with your friends. I'll be fine. The park isn't too far, and I already told mom and dad, that's where I was going to be." I lie, smiling at him.

"Don't be fucking stupid Sasuke, I'm gonna take you home," Sean says with a deadpan expression.

"Seriously, Sean, I'll be fine. Just go be with your friends, everything will be okay," I continue to smile at him as my stomach turns in knots and they move up my throat.

The deadpan expression turns soft, and the look he's giving me is more so apologetic. It's as if he doesn't want to leave me alone or say something. Hearing him swallow and bite on his bottom lip, he stands up and puts his hands in his pockets, "Be careful getting the rest of the way home, alright?" He sounds like he's scolding me a bit before he turns around and walks away from me.

I slowly get up my knees, screaming in rejection against me getting up from my spot. The will to make it the rest of the way through the park is more durable than the pain. It's a lengthy walk, and I keep leaning against trees that are close to the path. I kept stumbling from the pain. I sigh in relief, seeing the exit to the park and try to walk a little faster but stumble and fall onto my hands and knees. Shock waves of pain shoot through my body and tears swell up in my eyes.

My tears start streaking down my face as I begin to get back up and make my way over to the water fountain that's close by. My legs are trembling as I clutch onto the water fountain and finally take a drink. I want to just stand here and keep drinking, but I know that if I don't find somewhere to at least lean my back against to give my legs a break, I'm going to collapse again. "Once I sit down, I can give someone a call and tell them where I am," I mutter to myself and make my way over to the closest tree. I just feel exhausted as I place my hand against it, and tunnel vision hits me. I feel my head drooping. I leaned my back against the tree and relax as I slide down the tree. Once my butt hit the ground, I stretch my legs slowly and close my eyes.

"Sasuke!" My eyes shoot open, and I pick my head up when I head to Toshiro. I look to my right and see him running over to me, and I can't stop the tears from seeping out of my eyes as he slows down and kneels next to me, "Sasuke, what happened?" His voice is panicked, and he looks like he's about to start crying from being overwhelmed, "Why are you crying?"

I wipe away my tears, "It's nothing I just fell while I was running is all," I state, trying to stand up. It's my fault he's in such a panic, I never answered anyone back. I'm so stupid.

Toshiro put his hand out to help me up. I took his hand, pulled my arm over his shoulder, grabbed my other arm, and pulled me onto his back. I don't protest even with flinching in pain, "I'll take you the rest of the way home." He said, hooking his arms under my legs.

"Thank you," I whisper, leaning into him.

"What happened? Why did you just ditch school?" Toshiro asks me as he makes sure he has a good hold on my legs and then stands up.

"I just fell. It's not a big deal," I mutter, not answering his question at all.

"It is a big deal, Sasuke. Do you realize how much your mom and dad worried about you? How much Elizabeth was worried, and how much you made me worry?" He scolds me as he walked, "Hell, even Sean looked like he was worried when I asked him if he has seen you at all."

"I'm sorry," I apologize my voice cracks a little like I just woke up in the morning and was trying to talk.

"Did you at least save my number in your phone? Fricking text me or call me the next time you decide to do something stupid," Toshiro sighs. I don't answer him, "Something else happened, didn't it?" He asks trying to get me to talk, but I just can't bring myself to say anything, "Liz told me that you left school because she went to the nurse's office to see how you were doing and weren't there. What happened? You know you can tell me," Toshiro continued, "It's understandable that you're confused about this whole elemental thing if that's what's been bothering you. Just remember that I'll help you out with whatever you need."

Keeping quiet, it fell silent between us as he carried me occasionally, stopping to hike me up and readjust his arms, "Toshiro…" I finally speak up.

"What is it?" He questions as he walks up the driveway to my house.

"Can you stick around for a bit so I can talk to you?" I mumble into my arm.

"Sure," He laughs lightly and bumps me up a bit to open the door.

Mom came into the hall, and she gasps when she sees me. Toshiro starts to let me slip to set me down so we can take our shoes off, and mom stops him.

"Toshiro, just take Sasuke into the kitchen. Don't worry about your shoes," She said, quickly turning and running down the hall towards the bathroom.

Toshiro slips off his shoes anyway and then takes me to the kitchen. He sets me down on the counter by the sink and then helps me take off my socks and shoes. Not giving them to me, he takes me shoes back out of the kitchen and back where they belong. I'm finally able to take a look at my legs, and the blood had seeped through my shirt. I put my legs over the sink and started unraveling my shirt; it was really damp, and luckily it wasn't sticking to my knees just yet, but they do look awful. My parents came into the kitchen carrying a few bottles of Peroxide and some gauze and bandages. My mother turns the water on and grabs the sprayer. Checking the water to make sure that the water was the right temperature.

I took in a sharp breath as the water hits my knees. Curling my toes in and closing my eyes shut from the pain, I took slow, shaky breaths to keep myself from crying.

"Were you sprinting when you fell?" Dad asks as I hear the cracking of a new bottle of Peroxide being opened.

"Yeah…" I answer merely not looking opening my eyes and looking down at my legs. It felt like a jolt of electricity ran through me. I quickly look away as dad starts pouring the Peroxide on my knees as mom brings out the tweezers and begins to pluck rocks out of my knees.

"Why did you leave school?" He was very calm about his question. I'm actually surprised that neither of them is blowing a gasket at me right now.

"I wasn't feeling well…and I was kind of an ass to Sean this morning when I had no right to be…everything was just piling up…I just wanted to leave and try to get things straightened out…I'm sorry," I answer, staying kind of quiet.

"You shouldn't have done that, Sasuke. You should have stayed in school," Dad said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry," I apologize again as I see mom wrapping my knees in gauze and ace bandages. Dad is now pouring Peroxide on a black washcloth, grabbed my arm, and started cleaning the scraps and blood off my arms and hands.

"The important thing is your safe," Mom smiles at me kindly.

I smile back at her a little and look over at Toshiro. He was sitting at the table, staying out of my parents' way as they cleaned my cuts.

"You seem a bit out of it, did you bring any water with you when you ran?" Toshiro spoke up for the first time since we got home, and I shook my head slowly.

Dad motioned for me to turn so he could clean my other arm after bandaging my left arm, and I did what I was told to do.

"No…when I was running home, I had a dizzy spell, and my knees gave out on me for a second, and that's how I got all banged up," I told them.

"Maybe next time, make sure you make sure to carry a bottle of water with you," Toshiro chuckled a soft smile spreading across his pale lips.

"Or next time he could just stay in school like he's supposed to," Dad comments, grumbling.

"John." Mom hisses at dad.

I heard the fridge open, and my mom hands me a bottle of water, "Alright, you're good to go. Dad said and helps me off the counter so my knees wouldn't give out on me again.

"Try to relax for a bit," My mom smiles at me.

"Alright." I nod and make my way out of the kitchen slowly, my feet never entirely leaving the ground. All the tension is gone from my body. Now I have is a throbbing pain in my knees and exhaustion hitting me like I was hit with a truck.

"Do you need help?" I look over at Toshiro, who is walking in from the kitchen.

"Um's alright, I can get up to my room on my own," I shake my head, declining his offer and taking a few steps.

"Well, you said you wanted to talk, so I guess I'll just come with you," He smiled gently at me and walks up the steps behind me.

My legs felt like lead weights attached to my hips, so the remaining steps felt like I was climbing a mountain as I reach the top of the stairs. Toshiro walks along with me to make sure I don't fall on the way. Once we get to my room, I plop down on my bed, and I don't want to move I haven't opened the water bottle that my mom gave me yet I just kept it in my hand.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Toshiro questioned, sitting down at the end of the bed.

"Did my dad seem more upset then what he was letting on?" I ask him.

"Um…I'm confused why are you asking me?" He says as I look over at him when I feel the water bottle taken out of my hand, and he opens it for me.

"Because you seem like you're really good at reading people and how they're feeling. That's why I figured I would ask," I reply, forcing myself to sit up.

"I can understand why your father was so upset. I mean, you did leave school. You didn't even sign out or ask him if it was okay for you to go home, you just straight up left. He was worried, we all were," Toshiro responds in a very calm tone as he hands me the water.

"I know…it was stupid of me to do," I mutter before taking a sip from the water bottle.

"Well, didn't you just answer your own question then?" We lock eyes. His ice-blue eyes matching the slight glare that I was giving him.

"Don't start on that. I'm thinking that dad had an underline meaning to what he said to me earlier," I shake my head and cross my arms trying to think.

"Can you blame him, though? Think about it, you just brought your powers back up to the surface, and on top of it, you find out that something made you a moon elemental. So it would make sense that your father was so upset with you. He doesn't want you hurting yourself. He doesn't want someone getting a hold of you. He doesn't want something else bad happening to you," Toshiro hisses at me slightly clearly frustrated with me.

"I'm sorry." I apologize for looking down at my lap.

"I'm not the only one you need to apologize to," He said, making me look up at him again.

"I know…I'm still sorry," I mutter as silence falls between us.

There's a knock on my door, and then mom pokes her head in, "Toshiro sweetie, John said that he would rather you spend the night here, it's dusk, and he doesn't want you getting walking back to the school alone," My mother said in a soft tone. Still, it was also a don't try to protest; this is what's happening.

"Okay then, I guess I'm staying for the night," He said, and my mom closed my door again when she left.

"Oh darn, whatever will you do? You have to send the night at the headmaster's house," I snicker, and Toshiro flicked my right foot because it was closest to him. I rush of cold spread through my foot, "Ah!!" I slowly brought my leg up to my chest and put a hand on my foot. It was freezing, "Don't do that." I grumble, warming my foot.

"You deserved it," He smirks at me, raising a brow.

"You're such a jerk," I mutter, moving my toes to help heat up my foot faster.

"What was that?" He questions about to flick my left leg.

"Nothing," I sift my entire body away from him so he can't flick me, "Thank you for sticking around."

"Why are you thanking me?" He chuckles, leaning back on his hands.

"I don't know," I shrug, taking another drink from the bottle.

"Anyways, were there any other questions that you want me to answer?" Toshiro tips his head to the right a bit those ice blue eyes piercing through his snow-white bangs.

"Yeah, but it's more so a personal question if you don't mind answering it," I turn myself back to facing him and cross my legs carefully on the bed.

"Go ahead. I don't mind," He smiles at me in return.

"Were you born here like on Earth?" I ask, setting the water bottle between my legs.

Nodding a little bit he looks down at the floor, "I was yes. I'm sure my parents are dead by now, and my little brother is probably around fifty by now."

"Why couldn't your brother go to the academy?" I feel terrible for him. I didn't really know how to comfort him, though.

"I was the only one out to my family who turned out to be elemental. My little brother is just human," His voice is quiet, but he continues to answer me.

"So were your parents human? Or were they also elementals?" I ponder curiously trying my best to get him to not look so depressed, I don't know why it bothers me so much to see him so upset.

"They were humans. They didn't really understand what was going on when I was freezing everything or why I was always cold. When my little brother was born, they wouldn't let me touch him in fear that I would hurt him," Shifting his weight, so he was leaning forward on his elbows, his hands cupped in his lap and squeezing them together as he stares downward.

"Does your little brother know you exist?" He looked so sad. I wish I could say I knew what he was going through, but I really don't.

"He knows I exist. I'm pretty sure he wants nothing to do with me anyways. Why would someone want to have anything with the ice prince anyway?" He quietly hid his face with his white hair, and he brought his hand up to play with his snow-white bangs.

I get up and put a hand on his shoulder. He looks up at me with some tears in his eyes, and I smile down at him, "Well, I'm here. I know that we only meet not too long ago, but ya know what, I consider us friends. You didn't have to stick around and listen to me, and you did. You didn't have to open up and tell me about your past, but you did even with it just being a small sliver. I'm glad to see that you trust me enough to be able to open up." I pull him in since it's killing me to be up on my knees and sit back down as I have him practically on top of me as I hug him. I feel him tense up but then relax and hugs me back.

"Thank you, Sasuke. That really means a lot to me," His voice is muffled because of my shoulder.

"Whenever you need someone to talk to, don't hesitate to ask if I'm free. Even if it's two in the morning and that means something I don't give up my sleep for just anyone, ya know," I chuckle a little and make Shiro laugh as well.

It's quiet between us as we continue to hug. Rubbing his back until he breaks the hug and goes back to sitting on the bed once more, "You're hot." Toshiro mutters so quietly that I almost didn't catch it. His eyes locked on his lap as I notice a small flush of pink spread across his porcelain skin, "Sorry, that was really awkward."

I can't help but laugh a bit at his reaction. "Well, my main element is fire; why wouldn't I be a personal body heater?" I ask in a joking matter. I think that this is the start of a friendship that I know will last for a long time. I hope that he feels the same.

"Don't laugh at me, Sasuke, you're just making it worse," he squeaks, burring his face in his shirt as I see the tips of his ears turn red.

"Awe, why not? The more your face heats up, the warmer your body will get!" I comment and end up wrestling with Shiro and making him laugh. Yeah, I think that this will be a great friendship.