Tanner Chester Hates Me

Chapter 4: The Misplaced

I wait, I'll admit it, I was surprised myself. I was able to wait until I saw Tanner and his brother walking across the football field before I made my move. Since, about an hour and a half earlier Shilo told me about what Tanner told Tyron, I've been stewing in my own anger, patiently waiting for the dead man to walk his final mile to school.

"Sutton?" Shilo squeaks, worry and fear evident in her voice. "Are you sure you should do something out of anger? You may regret it later..."

"Shi, this asshole wants a fight," I drawl, watching as the brothers move closer. Both watching me as I watch them. Tanner looks like he can sense something is off about me. His eyes are narrowed. Tyron looks unamused. "And he'll get it."

I wait til he's about ten feet in front of me before I strike. "You want a fight?" I toss my hand forward, Tanner immediately sliding backward, his sneakers scrapping across the dirt, slowing him down. "You've got it!"

Tanner straitens up and lets his hands spread open at his side, fire crackling between his fingers. He doesn't say anything and the only facial expression change is the tension forming between his eyes. But that's not enough of a reaction for me. If he wanted a fight so bad, he should have said so. There is no reason he had to hide it behind wanting to be my mate.

A part of me is honestly hurt by that. A part of me, although very confused, was flattered that someone was interested in me like that, but now, all I can feel is raw hurt. Hurt and the innate desire to end all Chesters in my vicinity's lives.

I use that hurt to fuel my hand and to strengthen my power.

Tanner snaps his finger and fire races toward me from the ground. I leap out of the way and wave my hand at a nearby tree. It's trunk snaps and I toss it toward him. Tanner rolls out of the way before snapping his fingers. I immediately felt the scorch of a hot flame against my face. I fall onto my back just as the spot before me combusts.

An old memory hits me. The heat on my body. The burn. The tears and the screams. Then it's gone before I can remember any more.

I roll away and jump to my feet. Tanner sends a ball of fire racing toward me. I hold my hands out and concentrate on the wild nature of fire. I'm not very experienced in this field. I can feel the heat slipping between my mental fingers as I try to hold the fire back.

Tanner Chester is a prodigy.

I spread my fingers and clap, allowing the sound wave to be my anchor. I use it to split the oxygen from the fire, extinguishing it. I feel all my energy drain from my body after that. That is on such a molecular scale. That is so much concentration. So much power. Both in which I don't have.

Where that attack took everything out of me, Tanner still looks confident and strong, that crease between his eyes deepen slightly before he snaps his fingers and fire combusts by my heand. A yelp escapes me before I can swallow it back. I can feel the ends of my hair is fried, I can smell burnt hair.

I glance around trying to find something I can use to my advantage. I see Shilo, hands covering her eyes and mouth. I see Tyron, staring at us with his burning golden eyes. I can see other students in the distance, drawing closer in curiosity. There is also a few teachers getting close, monitoring to make sure we are not killing each other.

The next thing I know, Tanner is beside me, hand and legs on fire. He punchs at me, I block it, using my physic energy to shield my body from the flames, my limbs are starting to get heavy. I kick his gut, barely, he just grunts and scoots back a bit before dropping to a crouch and knocking my feet out from under me.

The wind is forced from my lungs and all my limbs fall useless. I cough winded, turning to my side. Yeah, my back and gut hurt, and my lungs too, I guess, but mostly my pride. I want to throw something in his smug face, maybe scream a curse or two, but I grit my teeth to stop that from happening.