Four Elements Book 1 - Hidden Powers

Chapter 9 - The turning point - part 1

Friday morning, Andie went down a little apprehensively. Hannah looked up at her from her bowl of cereal as she came into the kitchen with a grin. Her father was reading his morning paper, the familiar smell of coffee filled the room. There was a plate with toast and orange juice waiting for her. Maybe they weren't too mad, anymore.

“Hey, Andie!” Hannah said.

Andie, relieved, stepped forward and gave her a raspberry on the cheek, making her laugh.

“Morning, honey,” Hank said, smiling tentatively at her.

“Morning, Dad,” she said, smiling back

She looked up at her mother, busy with the coffee maker.

“... Morning, mom.”

“Morning, Andie.” her mother said without looking at her.

Andie held back a sigh. At least she'd answered...

“Hey, Dad, I found my song for tonight,” she said.

“Excellent,” Hank said. “Which is it?”

“... I'd rather you find out tonight,” she said.

“Okay, then.”

“D'you want me to take Hannah?” Andie asked.

“No, we'll do it.” Hank said. “But we will need you to pick her up.”

“Okay. I'll put a reminder in my phone...”

She did so, finished her breakfast and headed out.

“Bye, love you!” she called as she closed the door.

“I couldn't believe it was actually you.” Bane said.

They were walking towards their class, wrapping their coats tightly around them. It was starting to get colder. They were talking, of course, about her argument with Balon the night before.

“I know,” Andie agreed. “I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry, Bane, I hope he didn't give you a hard time about it...”

“Don't worry about me,” he said. “So, it's your big moment, tonight. You nervous?”

“Nervous doesn't even begin to describe it...” Andie said. “I'm terrified... but Jessica is counting on me.”

“If you ask me, I think it takes a real friend to go through something like that,” Bane said, smiling sympathetically.

“Or a really crazy one,” Andie amended, laughing. “You haven't seen her when she doesn't get her way. You don't want to, either, trust me.”

“I believe you,” Bane smiled. “I wouldn't want to be in her bad books. It's hard enough being in her good ones.”

Andie laughed again. It was strange, she thought as they sat at their desks in Spanish. Jessica and Emily had made her laugh countless times since they'd become friends, but it was different with Bane, somehow. She wasn't sure how or why, but she could tell it was. They sat quietly through an hour of Spanish, then made their way to their next classes, which were near each other but different subjects.

“Hey... I was thinking...” Bane said, sounding like he was fighting not to appear nervous. “If you... about tomorrow... I shouldn't have asked you... if it makes you uncomfortable, I... I'm ready to go alone...”

“What? Where did that come from?”

“I... I know we said we'd go as friends, and really, I'm okay with that... but if it makes you feel awkward...”