(ABANDONED)TFP: Way of the Flame

4

Timeskip: three days later

Day of the week: Monday

Alex happily skips next to Lena, holding her hand as she walks him to Jasper's elementary school. He was rather happy about being 10, it made him feel wiser and outgoing even if he was still just a child with barely any control of his flaw. 

Stopping at the school's doors, going down on her knees to give her small brother a tight hug. It's been three days since Alex last ate and six for Lena, making her more skin and bone than she already was. "Have a good day, Alex. Remember-" "Conceal and don't feel," Alex repeats the words that his sister always tells him in order to help him have somewhat control of the cold storm raging inside of him as a burning flaming sun rages inside of her. 

Kids go into the building, waving and kissing goodbyes to their families as they head off to work. Children of all elementary ages going to their social groups, giving us both odd stares like always. All the families always made the two siblings envious of other children, but they were glad that they at least had each other through the nights.

Alex begins walking, holding the straps of his red backpack tightly. Lena can feel the nervousness through their bond, a sibling bond that regular humans don't have. Sending waves of love and comfort to ease him while he walks by groups of children, walking through the doors alone. 

It pains Lena to see him have no friends or acquaintances to talk to but it's best this way. No friends mean no secrets getting out, no problems or questions.

Lena began walking another two blocks to high school where she will have to face yet another day of being shoved at a locker. Perhaps she could go to the music room? No one ever uses it anyways unless for clubs, which only happen on Fridays. It settles her decision, she'll spend nutrition in her usual tree and lunch in the music room. 

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Time keeps skipping quickly through all her classes. Nutrition came and went, she somehow managed to dodge and avoid the bullies for today along with Miko. Sadly Lena will have to deal with her in 6th period. If she throws one more paper ball, the dark-skinned girl is really going to snap. There is a reason why the word 'no' exists and yet people are always acting like it's just two letters are just for show and not tell.

Jolting from her thoughts when the bell rang, signaling the end of 4th period and the beginning of lunch. Grabbing her bag, making her way down the halls towards the music room, dodging as many students as she could. 

Walking into the abandoned room full of neatly organized choir seats and musical instruments of almost all types. Closing the door behind, sitting her blue bag by the piano's leg, sitting down in front of the keys. One breath in, one breath out. 

Moving her hands melodically across the black and white keys of an improvised melody sung by her heart, taking a deep breath in, letting her words reflect her own view and strengths, just letting the memories of she and her brother's life flow through and out her mouth. 

"Here comes a wave

Meant to wash me away
A tide that is taking me under
Swallowing sand
Left with nothing to say
My voice drowned out in the thunder

But I won't cry
And I won't start to crumble
Whenever they try
To shut me or cut me down"

Remembering the time when Leo cut her back with a knife for not finishing the chores. Blood soaking through her clothes. Alex calling out her name while Lena's consciousness faded from darkness back to reality. The image of Leo kicking her brother to the side, him hitting his head on the corner of the kitchen counter, knocked unconscious. Leo continued to lash out at her back, putting salt on the wounds, making sure it hurt as much as possible.

"I won't be silenced
You can't keep me quiet
Won't tremble when you try it
All I know is I won't go speechless

'Cause I'll breathe
When they try to suffocate me
Don't you underestimate me
'Cause I know that I won't go speechless"

The difficult times when Lena had to evaporate the ice decorating their room every time Alex lost control. Alex constantly apologizing after Leo came back from the bar about to lash out at him with a beer bottle, only for Lena to intervene and get cut instead, resulting in one of the many scars littered across her body, hidden under her clothes.

"Written in stone
Every rule, every word
Centuries-old and unbending
"Stay in your place."
"Better seen and not heard."
Well, now that story is ending

'Cause I
I cannot start to crumble
So come on and try
Try to shut me and cut me down

I won't be silenced
You can't keep me quiet
Won't tremble when you try it
All I know is I won't go speechless
Speechless"

No matter how many times she's been on death's doorstep, battered and bruised, she stood back up. The courage she has comes at a price, and that price is her own innocence. 

"Let the storm in
I cannot be broken
No, I won't live unspoken
'Cause I know that I won't go speechless

Try to lock me in this cage
I won't just lay me down and die
I will take these broken wings
And watch me burn across the sky
Hear the echo saying I...

Won't be silenced
Though you wanna see me tremble when you try it
All I know is I won't go speechless
Speechless

'Cause I'll breathe
When they try to suffocate me
Don't you underestimate me
'Cause I know that I won't go speechless
All I know is I won't go speechless
Speechless"

Going back to a neutral face before a sound of applause echoes from the other side of the room. Jerking her head back to see the infamous Jackson Darby, Jasper's 'Good kid', clapping besides the punk-girl I tried avoiding. "Dude, you have some serious pipes, we have gotta play together sometime. Do you sing heavy metal?" and there start Miko's question rants that Lena's heard so much about. 

Huffing, grabbing my bag, finally noticing why the two were in the room. Near the piano in one of the first choir seats is a hot pink backpack. Miko must've forgotten her bag when the bell rang for some odd reason, so she and Jack came to get it. Great, they just had to come while she was having a moment. 

Something that caught Lena's attention was two robot toys in the front pocket. One was a round olive-green robot with big blue eyes while the other was more detailed with a red and green V on its chest and dolphin-like appendages on the side of its head. 'Perhaps I can ask where she got them and get one for Alex?'

Miko grabs her backpack when she notices me eyeing her toys. "U-Uhrm... w-where did you get them?"

She stops, giving me a confused glance, as does Jack before noticing I'm talking about the robots. "Oh. OH! I-uh. Got them on -uhhh- eBay! Why?"

"It's... my brother's birthday. I still haven't gotten him a present so I thought I'd buy one of the robots from whatever store you got them from. Never mind then," sighing, stepping past the boy and girl, through the clear pathway in between the may rows of seats. 

Jack and Miko watch as the introverted girl walks out of the room to somewhere else on campus. They'd worry about her if they didn't already have to worry about getting their guardians back to normal size. That is until Jack saw a small stain of blood on her shoulder, even Miko noticed. "Hey, wait!" he calls out. 

Lena turns around to face the duo once more, cocking her head to the side in question. "Why is there a small puddle of blood coming from your shoulder blade? My mom is a nurse, she can look at it for you." Tensing up. It shouldn't be open! 

Last night, Leo had dug one of the keys to the orphanage in her shoulder blade for a reason unknown to her. Alex had stitched it up, but apparently not well enough for it to be bleeding so soon.  

"It's none of your business!"

Running out the door into the hallway, away from the now suspicious teens. They can't find out! If they find out she and Alex would be separated in the foster care system! She can't be separated from the only family she has and the other way around for Alex! Not when he still cannot fully control his flaw!