Page 35 of Firestorm
I was over fucking school.
I’d gone directly from the garden to the gym, where I ran myself ragged on the treadmill for over an hour, ignoring Coach’s stern glare. I’d almost run into Aiden on the way out, but he missed me when I ducked into the locker room.
Once I made it back to the dorm, Willow had begrudgingly left me alone after coming back from Mia’s to change. She told me skipping class after only two weeks wouldn’t be seen too favorably by the professors, but I really didn’t care. I’d been up all night, shivering in that garden until my shadow reappeared sometime right before sunup.
Now, alone in my room, I had Willow’s hot pink blackout curtains pulled across the window so that I sat in near darkness. On the desk in front of me was one of Mia’s succulents in a tiny pot.
My affinity itched in my hands, demanding I move my fingers, but I only fidgeted in my seat. I was sitting on my hands, which was so childish I could have laughed, but this was serious.
I watched the succulent, willing my affinity to move the tiny ceramic pot even an inch, but it didn’t budge. Sweat dotted my forehead and a headache formed in the center of my brain, threatening to turn full migraine.
Fuck.
I relaxed, slouching back in my chair and freeing my hands. A little pissed I’d failed again, I flicked my wrist, sending one of my textbooks flying right into the wall.
Where it left a dent.
Double fuck.
I blew out a breath and squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn’t remember a time when I had to practice something with my affinity. I just…didthings without giving it much thought. Aside from the worst day of my life, my affinity had never worked without my hands. I had to move my fingers, my wrists,something, in order to make it do what I wanted. But on the worst day, it’d acted completely of its own volition.
My affinity acting on its own should’ve terrified me, but it hadn’t happened again, at least to that extent. Even now, when I found myself stressed to the point of my affinity acting out, my hands would move on instinct.
My mother had discouraged any type of practice. It was something she and Levi argued over quite heavily. Ben was happy to take her side, but Levi wasn’t. He thought I should practice so that I could better defend myself. That story alone showed just how different my two fathers were. Ben was a people pleaser, never wanting to rock the boat. Levi was more than happy to turn the boat over so long as it meant his kids were safe.
I missed all of them so much.
I would’ve given anything to hear them bickering again.
I opened my eyes, sniffling before I reached for my tissue box.
I’d been moving objects larger than my body since I was three years old. Moving a tiny succulent on a desk should have been as easy as breathing and thinking the wordmove.
A tiny scrape broke the silence of the dorm.
I froze, one hand on a tissue, the other in my hair.
The succulent had moved.
I blinked hard, imagining it moving once more.
And it did.It moved another inch to the left, just as I’d imagined.
Tissue forgotten, I turned in my chair to face the room. I took in a shaky breath as my eyes landed on Willow’s desk chair. I imagined itturning to face me, instead of the desk, and a small creak sounded as the chair did exactly that.
I smiled.
Holy shit.I did it.
“Have a fun day being adelinquent?”Willow snarked from the doorway.
I snorted as I popped my head up to greet her. I was completely sprawled in bed, reading over a newly released medical study on my tablet.
“Hey,” I said defensively. “You’re beingawfullyrude to me even though I’m not feeling well.”
Willow’s lips twitched but she rolled her eyes, still playing along. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better. Wanna come with me to meet Mia for dinner?”
I nodded, jumping out of bed and stretching before quickly changing into something that wasn’t sweats and a dirty t-shirt. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Willow turning her desk chair around to face her desk again.
