that bad, is he?”
“Worse.”
“Well, at least he notices you.”
“I wish he didn’t.”
“Don’t be so sure about that,” Raven whispered. Justin looked at her questioningly, but she didn’t feel like explaining, so she quickly changed the subject. “But what about your grandpa?”
“Henry? He was incredible.”
“You called your grandpa by his first name?”
“Yeah, ever since I was seven. He said we were best friends and that best friends call each other by their first name. He was just that way. Everyone loved him, even my friends. He was the only person who ever got me. I mean, my mom and grandma are nice, but Henry accepted me for me. But I guess that’s because he really did understand what I was going through. I wonder if he knew I was a Elementer too.”
“I think he probably suspected it. Though I’m sure he would have been stunned to find out you could access multiple elements.”
“Yeah. I wish he could have been here to find out I was a Elementer too. I think he would have liked it.” Justin had a smile on his face, but his eyes looked sad.
“I think he would have been really proud of you.”
Justin looked up at Raven and seemed to suddenly decide the conversation had become too serious. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll try to hold off on any power explosions till Saturday, if you’ll show me what you can do.”
Raven hesitated, but Justin didn’t seem the kind of person to just do things because he was told to do them. She figured this was her best chance at keeping Justin under the radar until Mr. Hamilton had time to talk to the Council. “Okay. But only a couple of small things.”
The tall bushes surrounding much of the gazebo gave sufficient privacy to use her powers without being seen. Raven closed her eyes and let the energy begin to vibrate within her. Then she opened her eyes and focused on a handful of small, lose rocks scattered near their feet. She reached out to them and sent them rising and spinning in a circle above the ground between Justin and herself.
“That’s cool. What else can you do?”
Raven let the rocks drop to the ground. “Uh, how about this?” She shot up a lop-sided rock the size of a golf ball and focused a strong pulse of energy into the center of the rock. Boom! Pieces of rock shattered in all directions causing both of them to pull their arms in front of their faces to protect them from the fragments.
Justin stared wide-eyed at Raven. “Wow! That’s cool. Remind me not to get you angry.”
Raven smiled. Hiding who she was from others made it difficult to really connect with people. It felt good to just be herself around Justin. It would be nice to have him around.
“Well, I’d better get home. I have homework I still need to finish,” Raven said.
Justin stood up with her. “Yeah, does Ms. Chalmers always lay on the homework that thick?”
“Usually. But it’s worse right now because you have to catch up on the assigned book. I can give you my notes so far if you’d like.”
“Thanks. That’d help,” Justin said. They were walking through the kitchen and heading toward the front door. “Oh, I need to give you your jacket. Just a sec.” Justin leapt up the stairs two at a time and quickly returned with the coat. “Is this your jacket?”
“No. It’s a friend’s. How did you know?”
“I didn’t figure you had lettered in football. Or do you have other talents you haven’t told me yet?”
Raven laughed. She was amazed at how comfortable she felt around Justin. Admittedly, it helped that he was also an Elementer, but she knew it was more than that. She couldn’t seem to suppress a smile around him.
“So who’s is it?” Justin asked, clearly trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
“Uh, Eric Johnson.”
“So why were you wearing it?”
“He and I are kind of seeing each other,” the words stumbled out of Raven’s mouth. They also brought her back down to earth.
“Hmm. Lucky guy.” Justin’s
“Worse.”
“Well, at least he notices you.”
“I wish he didn’t.”
“Don’t be so sure about that,” Raven whispered. Justin looked at her questioningly, but she didn’t feel like explaining, so she quickly changed the subject. “But what about your grandpa?”
“Henry? He was incredible.”
“You called your grandpa by his first name?”
“Yeah, ever since I was seven. He said we were best friends and that best friends call each other by their first name. He was just that way. Everyone loved him, even my friends. He was the only person who ever got me. I mean, my mom and grandma are nice, but Henry accepted me for me. But I guess that’s because he really did understand what I was going through. I wonder if he knew I was a Elementer too.”
“I think he probably suspected it. Though I’m sure he would have been stunned to find out you could access multiple elements.”
“Yeah. I wish he could have been here to find out I was a Elementer too. I think he would have liked it.” Justin had a smile on his face, but his eyes looked sad.
“I think he would have been really proud of you.”
Justin looked up at Raven and seemed to suddenly decide the conversation had become too serious. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll try to hold off on any power explosions till Saturday, if you’ll show me what you can do.”
Raven hesitated, but Justin didn’t seem the kind of person to just do things because he was told to do them. She figured this was her best chance at keeping Justin under the radar until Mr. Hamilton had time to talk to the Council. “Okay. But only a couple of small things.”
The tall bushes surrounding much of the gazebo gave sufficient privacy to use her powers without being seen. Raven closed her eyes and let the energy begin to vibrate within her. Then she opened her eyes and focused on a handful of small, lose rocks scattered near their feet. She reached out to them and sent them rising and spinning in a circle above the ground between Justin and herself.
“That’s cool. What else can you do?”
Raven let the rocks drop to the ground. “Uh, how about this?” She shot up a lop-sided rock the size of a golf ball and focused a strong pulse of energy into the center of the rock. Boom! Pieces of rock shattered in all directions causing both of them to pull their arms in front of their faces to protect them from the fragments.
Justin stared wide-eyed at Raven. “Wow! That’s cool. Remind me not to get you angry.”
Raven smiled. Hiding who she was from others made it difficult to really connect with people. It felt good to just be herself around Justin. It would be nice to have him around.
“Well, I’d better get home. I have homework I still need to finish,” Raven said.
Justin stood up with her. “Yeah, does Ms. Chalmers always lay on the homework that thick?”
“Usually. But it’s worse right now because you have to catch up on the assigned book. I can give you my notes so far if you’d like.”
“Thanks. That’d help,” Justin said. They were walking through the kitchen and heading toward the front door. “Oh, I need to give you your jacket. Just a sec.” Justin leapt up the stairs two at a time and quickly returned with the coat. “Is this your jacket?”
“No. It’s a friend’s. How did you know?”
“I didn’t figure you had lettered in football. Or do you have other talents you haven’t told me yet?”
Raven laughed. She was amazed at how comfortable she felt around Justin. Admittedly, it helped that he was also an Elementer, but she knew it was more than that. She couldn’t seem to suppress a smile around him.
“So who’s is it?” Justin asked, clearly trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
“Uh, Eric Johnson.”
“So why were you wearing it?”
“He and I are kind of seeing each other,” the words stumbled out of Raven’s mouth. They also brought her back down to earth.
“Hmm. Lucky guy.” Justin’s
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