someone trains you.”
“What harm is a little spray of water?”
“It can be far worse than that.”
“Like what?” Justin asked.
Raven hesitated before answering. “Did you eat outside at lunch yesterday?”
Justin’s forehead furrowed. “Yeah. How did you know?”
“I didn’t. But you were out there when the tree crashed. Weren’t you?”
“So?”
“You did it, didn’t you?”
“What are you talking about?” Justin said.
“You caused the tree to crash.”
“What? Of course I didn’t. I wasn’t anywhere near it.” But he looked away and seemed to be replaying the events in his mind. He finally looked at Raven again. “That’s impossible.”
“I heard about Hank giving you a hard time,” Raven said.
“Yeah, I told him to back off and then he told me it was my funeral.”
Raven saw the anger and pain in Justin’s eyes. “Hank has a big mouth. But Justin, that’s why we need to learn to control our powers. When we get emotional, they can get out of control.”
“How does getting angry have anything to do with the tree?”
“What did you feel just before the tree crashed?”
Justin stood up from the gazebo bench and began pacing back and forth in front of Raven. “What do you think?” he stopped and stared at the ground. “I was angry.”
“But what else did you feel?”
Justin shrugged. “I just felt the anger swirling inside of me. That’s all.”
“Swirling?”
“Yeah.”
“Then what?” Raven asked.
“I don’t know.” Justin looked back up at Raven. “It just—left.”
“Before or after the tree crashed?”
Justin didn’t seem to want to answer the question. “Just before. So?”
“I was inside the school at the time, but I felt a surge of Tree energy right around that time. I wondered if it was your energy, but I didn’t hear about the tree until today. That wasn’t just anger swirling inside of you, it was the elemental energy you released on that tree. Someone could have been seriously hurt. That’s why you need to be trained before you start using it anymore.”
Justin didn’t say anything right away and Raven chewed on her lip while she waited for a response. Justin finally spoke. “At least tell me how this all works. Everything is essentially made up of energy, and Elementers must be manipulating that energy. How do we convert potential energy to kinetic energy?”
Raven’s tilted her head and looked closely at Justin.
“What?” Justin asked.
“It’s nothing.” Raven bit her lip.
“Come on. Tell me.”
“You seem to know science pretty well, so how did you get a D in biology?”
Justin’s face darkened. “How do you know I got a D?”
“Well, when I was looking for your address I dropped your file your transcripts spilled on the floor. Sorry. But seriously, you seem too smart to be failing biology.”
“Grades are about impressing teachers and parents. But it doesn’t matter what I do, I can never measure up to Graham. Dad always reminds me that Graham got straight A’s. Graham never got into fights. Graham is perfect.”
“Who’s Graham?”
“My older brother. He’s off on a full scholarship at Stanford.”
“Why did you get in fights?”
“At least you asked why. Dad never did. But there are always jerks who want to remind you that you’re different. Dad never had blankouts, so he has no idea what it’s like,” Justin said.
“They picked on you because of your blankouts?”
“Yeah, but I could handle myself. But other kids got picked on too and needed help.”
Raven looked at him more intently, reaching out with her energy to sense his. “You stuck up for others? That’s great.”
Justin shook his head. “My dad sure doesn’t think so. But anyway, the point is that I’m the irresponsible, under-achieving, problem child and Graham is the perfect son. That’s just how it is, so I don’t see why I should work hard to impress anyone when I’ll always be second best.”
“He’s really not
“What harm is a little spray of water?”
“It can be far worse than that.”
“Like what?” Justin asked.
Raven hesitated before answering. “Did you eat outside at lunch yesterday?”
Justin’s forehead furrowed. “Yeah. How did you know?”
“I didn’t. But you were out there when the tree crashed. Weren’t you?”
“So?”
“You did it, didn’t you?”
“What are you talking about?” Justin said.
“You caused the tree to crash.”
“What? Of course I didn’t. I wasn’t anywhere near it.” But he looked away and seemed to be replaying the events in his mind. He finally looked at Raven again. “That’s impossible.”
“I heard about Hank giving you a hard time,” Raven said.
“Yeah, I told him to back off and then he told me it was my funeral.”
Raven saw the anger and pain in Justin’s eyes. “Hank has a big mouth. But Justin, that’s why we need to learn to control our powers. When we get emotional, they can get out of control.”
“How does getting angry have anything to do with the tree?”
“What did you feel just before the tree crashed?”
Justin stood up from the gazebo bench and began pacing back and forth in front of Raven. “What do you think?” he stopped and stared at the ground. “I was angry.”
“But what else did you feel?”
Justin shrugged. “I just felt the anger swirling inside of me. That’s all.”
“Swirling?”
“Yeah.”
“Then what?” Raven asked.
“I don’t know.” Justin looked back up at Raven. “It just—left.”
“Before or after the tree crashed?”
Justin didn’t seem to want to answer the question. “Just before. So?”
“I was inside the school at the time, but I felt a surge of Tree energy right around that time. I wondered if it was your energy, but I didn’t hear about the tree until today. That wasn’t just anger swirling inside of you, it was the elemental energy you released on that tree. Someone could have been seriously hurt. That’s why you need to be trained before you start using it anymore.”
Justin didn’t say anything right away and Raven chewed on her lip while she waited for a response. Justin finally spoke. “At least tell me how this all works. Everything is essentially made up of energy, and Elementers must be manipulating that energy. How do we convert potential energy to kinetic energy?”
Raven’s tilted her head and looked closely at Justin.
“What?” Justin asked.
“It’s nothing.” Raven bit her lip.
“Come on. Tell me.”
“You seem to know science pretty well, so how did you get a D in biology?”
Justin’s face darkened. “How do you know I got a D?”
“Well, when I was looking for your address I dropped your file your transcripts spilled on the floor. Sorry. But seriously, you seem too smart to be failing biology.”
“Grades are about impressing teachers and parents. But it doesn’t matter what I do, I can never measure up to Graham. Dad always reminds me that Graham got straight A’s. Graham never got into fights. Graham is perfect.”
“Who’s Graham?”
“My older brother. He’s off on a full scholarship at Stanford.”
“Why did you get in fights?”
“At least you asked why. Dad never did. But there are always jerks who want to remind you that you’re different. Dad never had blankouts, so he has no idea what it’s like,” Justin said.
“They picked on you because of your blankouts?”
“Yeah, but I could handle myself. But other kids got picked on too and needed help.”
Raven looked at him more intently, reaching out with her energy to sense his. “You stuck up for others? That’s great.”
Justin shook his head. “My dad sure doesn’t think so. But anyway, the point is that I’m the irresponsible, under-achieving, problem child and Graham is the perfect son. That’s just how it is, so I don’t see why I should work hard to impress anyone when I’ll always be second best.”
“He’s really not
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