The Elementalists

11.

How cliché.

How. Goddamn. Cliché.

I literally bumped into my current school nemesis.

I walked into her.

There aren't even that many people in this school! Elementalists don't have a huge population! What is the probability of that happening?! It could have been Eric or Flo, or something could have happened to make me even a second late to that intersection of hallways, but how did it not?!

What kind of universal teamwork was this?!

I groaned softly to myself as I scribbled down the answer to the questions on the board. Soft sunlight streamed onto the table, making the boring white laminate shine. The teacher gave me a sweet smile, probably thinking that it was over the quiz. Sure, I wasn't very thrilled about it either, but I could get a good grade on this considering I've studied it enough.

My hands started shaking as I tried to imagine myself up against her. It wasn't a pretty scenario. I didn't like how I was reacting, I've never been this terrified of a fight. What is happening to me?

I... I just need to calm down and think this through. My odds against her are low, that is obvious, but I have a few tricks up my sleeves from my, very human, past rivals. I don't know if they'll even work considering the training they give here. Again, low chance.

I'd been avoiding her for weeks since school started. I'd see her and then take the scenic route to class like a normal person. It took one day, with my guard down, to undo it all. I'd even gone so far as to hope she would put it out of her mind. But o-o-oh noooo. She wasn't ready to let that ONE thing done by someone, who is approximately a freshman, GO. Just like a normal bully.

"Fiera, give me the sheet. Time's up." I didn't even bother to look up from the desk as she tugged it out from under me, my pen leaving a long mark through it. The teacher sighed irritatedly and walked away. I don't care. That may become a treasured memory soon. Papers Mich will keep in a box and refuse to let go of it till he was eighty.

My walk out the class was as depressing as my thoughts. Eric and Flo seemed to have recovered from that shock to our collective systems or they were just trying to cheer me up. Either way, I was not looking forward to tomorrow anymore.

I walked on autopilot to the school entrance, collapsing against the tree once outside. The grass curled under my hand and I started to subconsciously pluck it as the two of them talked.

"Fi." Eric called out to me. I didn't look up from my very absorbing job of plucking grass. "Fi." He tried again. "Fi, listen to me."

I looked up with a tired sigh, as if the entire world's burden was on me. Eric had concern on his face and even Flo looked worried. "Don't take it so seriously. Just avoid her for the rest of the year. She's graduating soon, remember?"

"I'll be graduating to a higher plane of existence soon too." I replied. "You both know that the chances of me managing to avoid her for a whole year with a vendetta against me is going to be very tough. Plus, the odds of me coming out unharmed if we ever get to womano-a-womano are very low." My eyes rose to the sky. "Water trumps fire. Fire trumps Earth. Earth trumps Air and yadda, yadda."

"Fi, come on." Flo scooted closer and placed a hand around my shoulder. "You can't just give up. I mean, would you rather have a crushing defeat or make it harder for her? Would you rather people look at you and snicker that you lost so easily or look at you with awe that you managed to almost take down a royal? Would yo-"

"Oh, spare me the locker room pep talk." I snapped at her. "You both know very well that my chances against her aren't very good no matter how much training I get. She's a royal. She's been training since way before any of us, not to mention is genetically sturdier and stronger." I angrily threw my fistful of grass away. "I hate this place. I'm tired of being scared of her. I'm tired of this stupid monarchy shit that's going on here. Why can't we move on and get a democratic rule with parties and a legislation and whatever!?"