The Elementals Book One

Andrea Sterling walked down the crowded high school hallway, hands in her pockets. Her black hair was pulled into a long ponytail down her back, her black clothes baggy on her too--skinny frame. Her head was down, her sharp green eyes avoiding the people around her. Everyone either skittered away from her or snickered and started making snide comments as she passed. No one knew her. No one cared enough to try. She was the outcast, the one no one cared about. 'I guess they do have good reason to', she thought bitterly.
"I don't know why she even bothers coming to school," a girl on Andrea's right whispered to her friend. "She's not pretty or good at...well, anything.” Andrea ignored her, keeping her brisk pace down the hall. She didn't need to hear things she already knew.
"Hey, Andrea, honey," a sugary voice said. A girl a few inches shorter than Andrea's five foot eight with long curly brown hair and dark blue eyes put her arm around the black haired girl's shoulders. "How's your dad doing, dear?" She suddenly widened her eyes and slapped a perfectly manicured hand to her mouth. "Oh," she gasped. "I forgot--he's still in jail, isn't he?" She laughed at
her own cruel joke.
Andrea shoved the other girl's arm off her shoulders and walked even faster down the hall. "He'll be in there a long time, Grace," she muttered to the girl, trying to ignore the laughing behind her. "And soon you'll be rid of me for even longer."

Arden Flynn stepped out of the orphanage and quietly closed the door behind him. "You ready?" he asked the slim girl beside him. The girl's storm colored eyes met his dark green ones. "First day in a new school," she said quietly. "Do you think anyone will be like..." she trailed off, pain and fear in her eyes.
Arden placed a hand on her shoulder. "I won't let it happen again," he said firmly. "You're my family now, Brooke."
She gave him a grateful smile. Her long straw blond hair was wound into a braid down her back, the large gray sweatshirt she wore looking incredibly huge on her. "But you and I may not see each other much," she pointed out. "I'm a sophomore and you're a junior."
"First of all, do you really think that's going to stop me from protecting you?" he asked. "And secondly, you're in a lot of junior classes; you're being bumped up in almost every class."
She glanced down. "What's really bugging you?" he asked as they walked towards his jeep.
"I just...last time you protected me...you got hurt..."
Arden's face twisted into a grimace, but he quickly changed it into an easy smile as she looked up. "It was just a few broken bones," he said lightly. "They're all healed now."
He opened the passenger side door for her and she clambered inside.
"School will be just fine," he said.

Andrea opened her locker and traced a finger over a small pistol in her bag. "Soon it'll be over," she whispered, relief flickering across her face. "No more hurt or fear..."
"I hope you're not planning on using that," someone said. She whirled to see a tall boy built like the stereotypical football player watching her, his dark forest green eyes boring into her.
"Go away," she snapped.
"Only if you promise not to use that," he replied calmly. "I've heard bullet wounds hurt."
She scowled. "No one would care if I died. I'm constantly told to kill myself. Why not do it?"
"Because you have a choice," he replied. "And it would probably be quite painful."
"You don't even know me," she snarled.
"Do I have to?" he asked. "I didn't know we needed to know someone to care about them."
"Don't even pretend to care," she snapped. "Who are you anyway?"
"Arden. And I'm not pretending."
"Well, Arden, go and tell Grace that the trick she played isn't going to work twice." With that, she slammed her locker door shut and stalked down the hall.
"That's Andrea Sterling," Brooke said softly.
Arden jumped, having not heard her come up behind him. "You know her?" he asked.
"Yeah. We're in the same art class," Brooke replied. "She's an amazing artist, but all her art is depressing. I wanted to talk to her but..." she trailed off hopelessly; she was extremely shy to the point of stuttering when talking to someone she didn't know. It had taken her seven months to stop stuttering around Arden.
Arden watched the retreating Andrea for a moment before turning to Brooke. "What did she mean when she said to tell someone named Grace that the same trick wouldn't work twice?" he asked.
Brooke shrugged. "I don't know but that brunette over there is named Grace and she's been eyeing you so I think you'll be able to find out yourself."

Brooke gently closed her locker and started weaving through the other students to get to the cafeteria. After fighting her way there and getting herself a salad, she started looking around for a seat; Arden wasn't there yet.
The brunette--Grace, Brooke remembered--bumped into her and Brooke stumbled back, dropping her tray and sending her salad everywhere.
"Watch where you're going," Grace snapped.
"S-s-sorry," Brooke whispered, kneeling down with a napkin and wiping up the mess.
Grace froze midstride. "Well, little stutterer," she purred. "If you'd like to make it up to me, you could always--"
"She'll pass," Andrea snapped, stepping over to Brooke and handing her a few napkins.
Grace scowled. "Ugh," she said in disgust. "The murderer's daughter talked to me!" She pretended to fall and her friends caught her. "Is the stutterer your father's next target?" she asked with a smirk. "Or is the stutterer you're little sister? I mean, she is almost as messed up as you are."
Andrea ignored her and helped Brooke to her feet; the blonde girl had finally gotten the mess picked up. "Come over here," she said, leading Brooke away. "Throw the food into the garbage can here, then stick the dirty tray in the dirty tray pile over there."
Brooke did as she was told and tried to figure out what to do now.
She saw Andrea sitting at her table alone and walked over. "M-may I s-s-sit?"
Andrea didn't glance up from her book. "No."
Brooke sat across the table from her. "T-thank you."
Andrea scowled but didn't reply.
Arden sat down beside the two girls. "Hey," he greeted them.
"Where's your food, Brooke?"
Andrea's scowl deepened. "Go away," she snapped. "No likes you
here."
Arden grinned. "I see you've met my sister."
Andrea glowered at him over her book. "Go away," she repeated.
"Where's your food?" Arden asked Brooke again.
She shrugged. "I tripped."
Andrea gave her a sharp glance. "You're a really bad liar," she said flatly. "Your sister had a little run in with Grace, Arden. The food's in the garbage now, in case you want to go get it."
Arden pushed his tray over to Brooke. "Here," he said. "Eat."
She shook her head. "No. It's yours."
He glared at her. "Eat."
Andrea groaned. "Just eat his food so he can go away sooner."
Arden gave her a measuring glance. "What makes you hate me?" he asked mildly. "You don't even know me."
"Do I have to?" she asked bitterly, repeating his words from earlier.

Vince stared out the window of the plane, waiting for it to take off. He watched the people walking past with an alertness that most people of his age (almost eighteen) wouldn't have. His light brown eyes had golden flecks and his light skin contrasted slightly with his dark auburn hair. He traced the knife inside the scabbard in his right boot. If they come after me, he thought to himself, then I will show them that this fire elemental doesn't give in easily.
"Young man," a tall female flight attendant said from the aisle. "I don't know how you got that
through without us noticing till now, but I hope you'll understand that you now need to come with me."
Chills raced down Vince's back. She didn't mean the knife.
"Of course," he said smoothly with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
She smiled and led him down the aisle until they reached the back of the plane where two men stood. "Hello, Uncle Mark," Vince greeted the taller man coolly.
His uncle smiled. "Hi. Where is the crystal?"
Vince shrugged. "It's gone. I don't have it anymore."
Mark scowled and pulled out a gun. The other passengers on the bus seemed to freeze. "I know you don't care if you die," he said. "But I will shoot these innocent people if you don't tell me where it is. We know it's not on your person--Selena is very good at observing."
"Is she good at talking too?" Vince asked. "She's an air elemental; she's probably full of hot air."
Selena scowled and the air around him seemed to tremble.
Mark pointed the gun at the woman in the seat closest to him. "Tell me where it is, nephew."
Vince's eyes flickered with uncertainty for a moment. Then he sighed. "In Nigel's castle, right under his nose. You didn't really think I'd take it with me when I escaped, did you? It's under the tapestry depicting the dragon Rainey."
Mark smiled and lowered the gun. "There," he said. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Vince glared at him. "Go away," he muttered.
"You can get rid of him now, Randy," Mark said to the other man. Randy grinned and pointed a fist at Vince. Flames roared around him and the other
passengers screamed.
Vince smiled. When the flames cleared, he was gone.