The Elementalists

15.

Everyday is pretty exhausting for me. Physically, mostly. Today had been mentally gruelling, and I couldn't sleep.

I sat by the poolside. Blankly staring at the rippling water, reliving our conversation over and over again. There were so many things. So many things that had been hidden from me, that I had been lied to about. It hurt to think about it, a sharp twisting in my gut followed by the lump in my throat. It wasn't an easy thought to get used to, however the lump was getting more and more easier to push down.

It got slightly chilly, my aura helped ward off the brunt of it before I took me and my sorrows inside. I figured a warm bath and something to eat would maybe help me sleep, but then I just tossed and turned through the night. Morning dawned with heavy bags under my eye and a dark sky. Matched my mood anyway.

It started to pour as I left for work. The raincoat defended me from the worst of it as I cursed Water users all the way to the bakery. The awning over the front of it was a savior. Brett stood in the open doorway, warm air rushing towards me as I shrugged my raincoat off and hung it on the rack outside.

"I see someone slept well." Brett greeted me sarcastically as my own greeting failed to make an appearance. My own reply was a tired grunt as he followed me behind the counter. "Those are some heavy bags. What happened?"

I sighed as I shrugged my overshirt on. "Had some caffeine before bedtime. Before I knew it, it was five AM and I still couldn't sleep."

Brett chuckled. "You teens and your colorful sodas. I stick to fruit juices and a nice juice cleanse before bed."

"Yea. And that's why you're already an old man at 27."

Brett's protest was muffled as the doors to the kitchen swung shut behind me. This was a familiar environment. The inactivity yesterday had driven me crazy, I could work. I needed to work.

But baking is slow work. Lots of waiting, lots of free time... to think. I just wanted a reprieve from all that had conspired yesterday. All of that with Wafi, and then the life betrayal unveiling starring Mich was just draining me. I hadn't been able to sleep, I didn't have an appetite, my work wasn't helping. There was no way to get them off my mind.

"If you look anymore worried, you're going to age fifty years." Brett's voice cut through my fog of worrying about my worries.

I slowly looked up and as my face relaxed, realised I'd been frowning at the floor. "Um, sorry. I'm not slacking off or anything. Sunday mornings are slow and I'm waiting for the first few batches to bake."

Brett rolled his eyes and walked over to me. Learning against the kitchen top, he sighed. "You know, I'm not only your boss, I'm your friend too. You could talk to me."

I shook my head without hesitation. "I've never thought of you as anything but a friend, Brett. But I really can't talk about this to anyone. It's very... personal."

He nodded slowly. "Then you won't mind if I guess?"

I paused for a few to think it over. It's not like he's going to actually hit close to the truth because all of this seems crazy.

I mean, who could guess I'm actually a Royal who was accidentally abandoned at birth by my brother who went to look for our parents but then ended up with royalty while Mich somehow found me and took me to the human realm to raise me. Furthermore, I'd been lied to by Mich who'd denied knowing my parents and the actual reason we were moving around.

"Sure." I mumbled. "Knock yourself out."

"Okay!" Brett cheerily clapped. "It's obviously about a guy, because when isn't it." I guess you could say that. "Hmm, you like someone and they don't like you back?" My energetic eye roll made him reconsider his answer. "Someone likes you and you don't like them back?" This was going to get tiring real fast.