(The New) Power of the 8 Elements: Part One

Chapter Twenty Five: Late

"The thing about lying to your parents is, you have to do it to protect them. It's for their own good." - Sophie Kinsella
PRESENT DAY
PHOENIX

I stand on the familiar doorstep that reads: WELCOME. It doesn't feel familiar. As soon as I transformed back into my monster form, everything felt way too different. It was like after only twenty minutes or so, I'd suddenly gotten used to walking on two legs, seeing with two eyes, handling things with two hands, and talking in a higher voice. I want to go back, but what would Mom and Dad say? What could or would the Arcane Order do to them both if they found out the truth? I sigh and open the door.

"Oh, my gosh!"

Mom immediately comes running at me and hugs me tightly. I knew I should've gotten home earlier. They probably thought I'd gotten missing or worse.

"What happened?" Mom asks, shaking me. I can see that she's been crying. She seems upset but grateful. "You didn't answer our texts or our calls. I gave you a phone for a reason."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I got distracted."

"We were about to call the station."

"I'm sorry." I lowered my head, having no idea how fearful they had gotten while I was gone.

"I'm just glad you're back," she kisses me on the cheek and leads me into the living room. "He's back."

Terri hugs me as well. Dad seems angry. I can't blame him. If Terri had gone missing and refused to answer anything I sent him, I'd be furious when he showed up.

"Where were you?" Dad asks.

"I got lost on the way home. Do you know what happened at school?"

"Terri told us. You're going to be out for the week, but that's no excuse for why you didn't come home like we said."

"My phone died," I lied. I'm not happy about it, but I lied. It had to be done.

"Your phone died?" Dad asks.

I nod and show him my phone. Fortunately, it was actually dead. It was enough to get them to nod their heads at each other signifying that they'll talk to me later about this.

"I'll make dinner," Mom says. "I hope everyone still has an appetite."

She walks into the kitchen, and I immediately fly upstairs. The conversation went better than I thought. I thought a punishment would be involved like they would take away my phone or something like that, but no! Nothing at all. I walk down the hall, thinking about the Arcane Order. Find the rest of the three pieces? I was determined to do it, but how am I supposed to? Where are they? Who has them (if anyone has them?) What if they're in another dimension?

"You're acting suspicious," Terri says, flying in front of me.

"I'm not suspicious," I say.

He lands on the ground and follows me as I walk to my room.

"You were at school and then suddenly you weren't. We almost called the police, Terry. That's serious."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I've already apologized."

"Okay, cut the crap. Where were you really?"

"Nowhere. I got lost."

"You don't get lost. Like you said, you have "an innate sense of direction."

"So what happened?"

"Nothing."

"So is it really true? Did you actually fight that guy off?"

I roll my eye. "Yes, yes, I did. Is that what you wanted out of me? A confession?"

"You know, I was thinking that he might work for the Evil Angel."

I pause. Skrael? The Evil Angel? Never!

"No, of course not."

"It's possible. People said it looked like he knew you."

"People say all kinds of things."

"Well, it's all over the class discord. Everyone's talking about you, even Gia."

"I don't care about Gia."

"I know you're lying. And when I catch you, you owe me $150."

"$100."

"Why would you need to lower the price if you weren't lying?"

I groan in exasperation. Why was he always so annoying like this? "Just leave me alone." I push past him and close my bedroom door. I lie flat on the bed.

"What has become of me? What has become of this 9th grade school year? An expensive magic school? Powerful classmates? Dimension traveling? A talking wolf teacher? Demigods? A virus? How insane!"

I pull out my phone and begin scrolling through my photos, trying to find some sort of memory that I could use to forget all that had happened today. I smile at a picture of Mom and I at a pizzeria. Behind the building was an empty coffee shop. I laugh to myself, but I spot something in the corner. It looks like a person. I have to zoom in really far to finally see what it is. It is a person, a woman. A woman with curly, golden hair.