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

Chapter Forty Six: Explosion

"Expect the unexpected because your life is bound to be full of surprises." -  Bernard Grad
PRESENT DAY
CELESTE

It was hard work getting everything ready for the Meteor Shower Celebration. I was lucky that Lucifer was helping me. Rune and Silver didn't really do much. Mama was incredibly stressed because she'd never planned a Meteor Shower Celebration before. Despite me asking over and over if she wanted me to help, she refused. I think she's mad at me.

"She's not mad at you," Lucifer says as the guests begin to arrive.

"How do you know?"

"Look, I know when a parent is mad at you, and Proteus is furious with me."

"How? Why?"

"I don't think he's too happy about me spending more time with you."

"When should we tell them that we're dating?"

"I'll tell them whenever you're comfortable. I trust you."

"Thanks."

The party went smoothly. Terry sang a few songs, and she was going to go back on stage to sing some more after everyone took a break to eat. I still couldn't stop thinking about Mom, and I think Terry was starting to pick up on that. I wasn't too happy about having an empath on our side.

"What's the matter?" Terry asks.

"Nothing," I lied.

"Can't be nothing. I would know."

"Just mind your own business," I say, storming off and leaving the table that all our friends were sitting at.

I do not want Terry to start spewing all my secrets in front of everyone just to prove that she could read and feel emotions. I can feel everyone's eyes boring into me as I walk away from them. As I stand backstage, Lucifer catches up to me and grabs my arm.

"Celeste, what is this?"

"What is what?"

"This behavior, it's not you. What's really got you troubled?"

"I..." I look around, hoping Silver isn't standing in a dark corner and listening to my conversation. "...I'm jealous."

"Jealous? Of who?"

"Of my sisters, of everyone. They all have such perfect relationships with my mom and their moms, but me over here can't start a genuine conversation with her without having her walk away saying, 'I'm busy' or 'not right now'. Terry's parents talked with her, but for as long as I could remember, even after my dad left, she's always avoiding me. It's not fair."

"You want to talk about unfairness? My mother is in prison. And they're just starting to unfold some more crimes that she was a part of, so she's going to be in that h*llhole for even longer than Proteus and I thought."

"At least you have a dad who is wasn't drunk all the time and didn't beat your mother in front of you," I say.

"At least you have both of your eyes!"

"What do you mean I have both of my eyes? Don't you-?"

Lucifer pulls the hair around his left eye out of the way revealing an eyepatch.

"Oh..." I say sadly realizing that I was incorrect. "I...I'm sorry...I was being a b*tch."

"Yes, you were. Look, I'm really sorry about what happened between your mom and your dad, but you should let it interfere in your relationships with other people. But I'm wrong too...I should never have snapped at you like that."