Sparks 𝙀. 𝙈𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙤𝙣 (book 1)

Chapter 3. The monster and the superhero

"Collectively, I feel like we got this." Robin finished. "Yeah see we usually rely on this girl who has superpowers, but then she lost those. So there was this other girl, but shes really weak especially under pressure, also shes in California right now." Steve noted. "Wait, who?" Beatrix asked confusedly. "You know the girl... uh," He mocked the way Adica moved her fingers when she used her magic. "Adica! Will's friend right?" Bea recalled. "Yup."

(A/N: CAN IT PEOPLE I WROTE IT LIKE TWO YEARS AGO WHEN I WASN'T FULLY CONVINCED AND NOW I'VE GROWN TO ATTACHED TO THE CHARACTER)

"So were just kind of in a brainstorming phase." Max smiled. "Oh plus we have these that work under pressure." Beatrix smiled, throwing a few sparks into the air. "What emotion did that come from?" Eddie asked. "Worry." The girl smiled. "There's nothing to... worry about." Dustin smiled. Eddie gave him an 'are you for serious rn?' look.

Everyone's head turned so fast their necks almost snapped like Chrissy's bones when they heard the sirens.

"Tarp." Robin commanded. "Tarp, Tarp!" She repeated as Eddie shrunk under the tarp, the group scurried over to the windows to see the fire trucks and police cars passing by them.

"You all go." Beatrix said. "I'll stay here." She said, taking a scrap of fabric from the corner of the room and pinning it over the window. "No way!" Dustin said, following her as she clothed up all of the windows. "Look Dustin, go find out the problem, If Erica's there you tell her I'm gonna kick her little bratty ass when I see her, and let me handle this." She says, putting a two hands on his shoulders. "He trusts me, I have superpowers. We're gonna be fine." She smiles.

"Let her go, shes legally an adult." Robin smiles. "Shes 18!" Dustin complains. "I'm 19 dipshit!" Beatrix spits back. "You're going, and I'm staying, conversation ended. "Lets go, everyone in the car." Steve demands, Robin follows him with Dustin and Max scurrying off behind them. "Why would she need to stay?" Dustin asks confusedly. "For someone who's so smart, you really are quite stupid." Max smiles. "What do you mean?" He asks, walking further away. "They'll probably just like make out- or something, seniors do that." The redhead tells him. "Make-out? My best friend and my older woman friend!?" Dustin says as the two walk towards the car.

"They're insane." Beatrix sighs, closing the door to the shed. "You can get out now." She smiles. "I'm afraid to." He says from under the tarp. "Why?" She asks, grinning wider. "I won't know what to do." He mumbles, she sits down next to the boat. "I'm sorry?" She asks, confused. Eddie dramatically flips up the tarp and turns to face her.

"With other girls, its very easy to... well. But not with you." The boy says. "Eddie, you just watched someone die." She tells him. "I know but, its not just that, when I'm around you, I can't seem to find my own mind. its lost somewhere in all the thoughts I'm thinking about you. Its like a fire, spreading through my head.-"

"ha ha."

"Ok but seriously, I just- when I'm around you it isn't the same, I'm nervous, and flirty, angry that I'm nervous, and upset that I'm angry and plus I have to violently murder all the butterflies swarming through my stomach-" He explains as Beatrix smiles. "-Bea, you listening?" He asks, looking at her smile. "Yeah, yeah I am." The girl nods, getting off the stool and sitting down across from Eddie in the boat.

"You don't have to rush. I was never a fan of romance movies. I loved- well- love but, everything always happened so fast. I felt like, it was never true. But I love romance novels, in books, the way the words shape the characters, every detail making me fall more excruciatingly in love with the idea of them." She sighs heavily, looking up dreamily. "You say all that beautifully, but what does that have to do with us?" Eddie asks, raising an eyebrow.

"What I'm trying to say is, I don't mind a slow burn." She smiled. "Well that just makes me feel 10x better." He smiled sarcastically. "Its good to see that." Beatrix said. "See what?"

"Your smile, I was scared it wouldn't come back." She says, studying his face. "Well when you smile how is it supposed to stay away?"

"You're so cheesy."

"Am I?"

"Gimme." Bea reaches for the cereal box in his hand, he hands it to her. "I used to love these when I was a kid." She smiles. "Why not anymore?" Eddie asks. "I don't know, I just tend to avoid things from my childhood. I wanted to pretend that I had a good one, that my parents were always there for me. That they didn't just buy me things to make up for their lack of affection." Beatrix says. "Sorry I didn't mean to dump all of this on you-"

"No, no," He shakes his head. "You can talk to me if you want, I'll listen." Eddie says, somehow comforting her.

"Well I think- maybe that's why I am the way I am. So closed off to people, because I never really learned how to open up. That's maybe why I pushed Robin and Steve away, even they were there when I acquired the biggest life changing thing in my life. They're great, and I realize that now. I guess, I just only learned how to be shitty in any type of relationship, that probably why I've never had a boyfriend-"

"You've never had a boyfriend?" Eddie asks, almost shocked. "I mean, I've hooked up with tons of guys, but I don't know how to do the whole boyfriend/girlfriend shit." She shrugs. "I like to think, when you've found the right one, it just feels natural." He smiles. Beatrix considered for a brief moment telling him that it was starting to feel that same with with him. But she decided against it. After all, they had just started hanging out 2 days ago.

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"I'm hot." Beatrix complains, tugging a her blue button up with bell bottom jeans. "Don't flatter yourself." The boy says from the corner, looking at his pebble collection. "I hate you." She sighs, lifting herself off the floor and walking over to him. "Oooh so many." Bea smiles.

"Yeah," Eddie says, her smile spreading to his own. "I uh- I named them." He grins. "Ooh tell me their names." She asks, looking over the pebbles. "Ok well this one is named after my guitar." He says, picking up a red one. "Her names Vanessa."

"This one is Lydia, that's my grandmas name, this one is... this one is Chrissy." He says solemnly. "She deserved better." Beatrix nods. "Yeah. This is Gareth and Erica." He says, a bit more cheery this time. "You have one named Erica?" Bea asks, smiling a little bit. "Yeah." He says, putting the gray rock down. "And this ones you." Eddie adds, holding up a orange shiny rock. "I'm sick of everyone with the fire references." She rolls her eyes. "Look, its sparkles." He smiles a little. "I forgive you, only because its sparkly."

Just then, she hears a thump outside. "Stay here." Beatrix warns, getting close to the door, she opens it to see a little bunny scurrying off. "You're on edge." Eddie states the obvious. "Yeah." She nods. "Beatrix, are you sure you're okay?" Eddie asks, arranging his pebbles so they look like they're talking to each other. "I'm fine, just worried." She says, a trail of sparks behind her as she paces. This goes on for a few more moments before she feels two hands grab her shoulders and spin her around. "Stop pacing, your driving me insane." Eddie says. "I'm driving myself insane." She exhales, hanging her head low.

"Hey, hey," He says, putting a finger under her chin and lifting up her face. "Its like the little shit said, there's nothing to worry about." Eddie puts a hand on either side of her face. His eyes meet her own, and they search each other for a few moments. Hers as blue as the ocean, and his, as brown as the pretty wood she had all over her room. And the flames that fell from her fingers in that moment, as red as well- fire.

"Shit." Beatrix whispered, not looking away from him. "You gonna put that out?" Eddie asks. "Not yet." She smiles, leaning closer. The flames spread further up her arm. "Ok I should get that." She realizes, slipping out of the back door to submerge her arm in the lake. She then quickly races back inside, hoping no one spotted her. "I hate fire." Bea grumbles, leaning against the wall. "Despise it." Eddie nods in agreement.