Elements-Paused

Twenty-Two

Drums are drumming in my ears like a suspenseful movie that is about to have a jump scare.

I am standing outside the detention room. This is my second time in my life getting detention. I hate getting in trouble. It scares me for some reason. I feel like someone might kill me. It's so nerve wracking waiting for your punishment.

Xavier had lead me here and is now walking down the hallway in the opposite direction going to lunch.

We have two options. Take your detention after all the hours are over so you are the only ones in the Academy, or take it during lunch and not eating that day. I chose the not eating. I promised Winter I would talk to her after we get back to the castle.

I step forward, scared out of my mind. I slowly open the door and see at least five students scattered in the chairs. I recognize a brown headed boy who happens to be the one, the only, Aaron. He turns to from looking out a window and his eyes form a happiness in them.

I stand at the door way like a weirdo until the teacher clears their throat. I look over to see a middle age man with flaming hair and light green eyes. He is wearing a green coloured robe and some black pants.

"Take a seat." He says firmly and I make my way over to the farthest corner, away from Aaron. He turns to me and our eyes connect. They're full of hurt and confusion. Lots of it. I move my eyes to the work I have pulled out from my bag.

"Ah! You won't be needing that, Ms." The teacher says. I look up at him and he motions for me to put them away. I look around and see everyone is just waiting.

I put my things away and we sit in silence until the door opens again to reveal a girl in a dull white uniform. She is small and has grey eyes with sleek black hair.

"Ok that's everyone. Let's go." He says and motions for us to follow him out the door. I get up and follow him when Aaron slips into step with me.

"Why are ignoring us?" He whispers. "You've been hanging out with Winter and Xavier only. You also ran away from us when Jayden broke up the fight." He explains all that I've done.

"Don't I know that?" I ask him. I sigh and keep walking. I try to walk faster to get away from him but he just runs up to me.

"Please tell me what's going on. Jayden hasn't said anything of why you aren't talking to us because you where with him last." He explains to me. I sigh again and ignore him. "Can you please give me answers?" He pleads.

"Shut up Cross-Lang." The teachers says from the front of the group.

We have walked outside now and are heading towards the huge Aspen Tree. Aaron keeps walking beside me and trying to talk to me.

"Please. Just tell me. I don't want Madilyn Evans to be ignoring me!" He whines and I just ignore him.

We have now reached the hedge that surrounds the tree. We walk in and stop. The teachers faces us and starts to speak.

"You'll we tending to the tree and also cleaning the area around it. Aspen is our founder and his tree should be well kept." He speaks and starts to leave. We all stand for a second before everyone moves to do something productive. I move to the tree and start to clean some trash that has flown around it. Aaron follows me.

"Madi, please. I don't like the silent treatment. Whatever Jayden did to you, he will pay." He pleads.

I spin around and he almost stumbled over from my sudden spin if he wasn't stable.

"You won't understand." I simply say and continue picking up some garbage.

He grabs me and spins me around to face him. "Please. I don't want my best-friend to be ignoring me. I also still want to be friends." He pleads. I look at his eyes and try to tell him that I don't want to talk. He doesn't listen and keeps his hand on my arm. His grip starts to grow aggressive and I try to rip my arm away. He realizes and let's go.

"Please?" He whispers.

I shake my head but I say. "Meet me in Winter's room at 9:00." I whisper. He hears and leaves to tend outside the hedge.

"Hello." A angel like voice say. I turn to face the tree.

"Hello?" I whisper. No one is near me so I could have just been imagining it.

But it happened again. "Hello Madilyn." I touch the tree and a loud voice booms.

"NEVER TOUCH THE TREE!!" The voice shouts and I spin around to face an angry teacher who's name I don't know. I shrink in fear and try to step back but my back just hits the tree and his nostrils flair.

He stomps towards me and gets all up in my face.

"NEVER, EVER TOUCH THE TREE AGAIN!!!!!! DETENTION FOR THE REST OF THE MONTH!!!!" He hollers.

I feel him standing right in front of me, but I don't move my face to look at him.

"Sorry." I squeak out.

"YOU'LL PAY!!!" He yells more. I see through the crack of my fingers to see him raise a hand. It flies in slow motion but stops suddenly. He is thrown back against the hedge and goes through it making a huge dent.

I remove my hands from my face to see all students, that where in detention, looking at me and then moving their heads to the teacher.

Aaron runs up to me and grabs me in an embrace. "What the heck?" He questions and pulls his head away from me. "Why did you do that?" He asks.

I shake my head and answer. "I didn't." Is my reply and look down at my feet.

"Well. You had to have controlled the gust of wind that did that because the elements don't save people. They do their normal job to keep everyone alive, but never save someone." He explains to me.

"I wasn't really in danger." I say. He shakes his head violently.

"He was about to hit you. Principle Hugo will be talking to him." Aaron replies and brings me in for another hug. I cuddle into his chest and we stand there till I pull away.

"I heard a voice." I say to him, his eyes holding curiosity.

"Wasn't it just someone talking to you." I shake my head no.

"It was an angel voice. And no one was around me when it was speaking." I tell him. He looks confused.

"I don't know, Madi." He says to me. I nod my head. "Let's go inside. I'm sure the principle won't give you the detention that the teacher assigned." I nod my head again.

"Are you ok?" I sweet voice asks. I look down to see the girl from Year 1.

"I'm fine." I tell her. "What's your name?" I ask her and a smile spreads across her face.

"My name is Lilac Truss." She says sweetly. A small smile makes its way onto my face.

"That's a pretty name." I tell her. "Mine is Madilyn Evans."

"That's a pretty name." She repeats what I said.

"Thanks." I reply to her sweetness.

"Hey, Lilac? How about you go to your class. You don't want to be late do you?" Aaron asks.

"No! I don't! I can't come back here. Mother will kill me." She cries and scurries of to her class.

"She is so cute." I say to Aaron.

"Yes. Now let's get you back to class." He smiles down at me. I nod my head and we push past the remaining students. "Or to the healing centre."

"No." I flatly state. His shoulders shake against mind and it causes me to giggle a little. I shake my head and we continue to the doors.

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