Book 1: Awakening (The VIth Element Series)

Chapter 10: Alex

Spinning around, I hastily started pulling bubbles and foam to cover my body, as the surrounding water cascaded down all around me, from my broken concentration. The water drenched my already soaking body and created a tidal wave, which covered the whole surface floor of the bathroom.

As I raised my head and met the intruders shocked but awe-stricken face, I was relieved that what water had fallen back into the tub just about covered my modesty. For a moment, both of us said nothing.

Then, we burst out laughing.

The girl standing before me had an adorable laugh, which made her tight, black, long curly hair bounce up and down against her shoulders. As we grinned back at each other, I noticed that she was wearing a loose, baggy t-shirt, faded jeans and flower patterned wellies (well, lucky for her, she must have received the briefing about the change in meeting locations) and I realised that we had a similar dress sense. Eventually, after laughing so much, she doubled over, wincing as she clutched the stitch that had formed in her side.

Once I had controlled my own laughter, I found the breath to talk again.

"God. You scared the living daylights out of me!" I wheezed, wiping my tearful eyes on the back of my wet hand.

The girl threw me an "are you kidding?" glance - a scarily good impression of my renowned expression, although she was smiling.

"I scared the living daylights out of you?" she retorted, when she had in due course managed to breathe herself. "More like the other way around. I came along to collect you only to find some serious craziness awaiting me in the form of ten foot high, pink water, which seemed to have a life of its own."

As she talked, I laughed.

"Sorry about that," I finally replied. "It was all my doing."

She nodded after my comment, although she flashed me a grin.

"I guessed that when I saw you in the middle of the bathtub," she replied, before she added something which totally threw me off guard. "Although may I just say that you've got some awesome skill there for someone who's only just 'awoken'."

I beamed back at her after she had finished.

"Thanks," I answered, although I was puzzled by her last comment. "But how did you know that I've 'awakened'?"

The girl laughed at my perplexed expression.

"Relax," she replied and unconsciously, from the casual tone in her voice, I felt my shoulders fall. "I know about your 'awakening' because I'm also in the same boat." She threw me an excited grin. "And Mrs Sampson told me, when she asked me to collect you earlier."

All of a sudden, she cursed after turning her head to look at the clock now high above her head.

"Oh lord," she exclaimed, hastily wiping up the water soaked floor with a fluffy towel. "We'd better get going. Everyone's waiting for us, or more you and I bet they're getting touchy. After all, I was supposed to be back in the entrance hall ten minutes ago."

She threw me over a gorgeously soft, golden towel and spare clothes. Then, she slipped behind the wall, near the entrance of the bathroom, to give me what little privacy was available, whilst I dried off and changed.

"It didn't help that I got lost on my way here," she added. "This place is massive."

As I pulled on my underwear, I fired questions at her.

"What do you mean 'everyone's waiting for me'?" I asked.

She replied swiftly.

"Well, there's a group of us newbies, including me and you, who arrived at the academy this morning and Mrs Sampson wanted to give us a tour of the academy when we're all together. However," she concluded, "the tour can't officially start until you're ready, hence why we really, really need to get a move on."