The Elementalist (6 page)

19

~Dance Class~

Alisa

The next morning, with a broken heart and swollen eyes, I drove to Ocean Side High. I’d cried all night. Claire’s mom had been beside herself with worry when she saw my face at breakfast, but with a new day came a new resolve. I decided to square my shoulders and press on, even though Brecken didn’t remember me.

Claire’s mother was still in the dark about my switching schools, and there was going to be fireworks when she found out, but I couldn’t let the opportunity to be with Brecken pass me by. I needed to make him remember, one way or another. If heaven wouldn’t help me, I’d help myself.

Brecken’s first period was—if you could believe it—Intermediate Ballroom Dance. A grant had been given to the school by some famous dancer to boost the arts a few years back, and I learned that this class was one of the perks. Yeah, I was pretty surprised that Brecken could dance, but it did sound fun, and how hard could it be? I’d never taken a ballroom dance class before, but I wasn’t a complete idiot.

There were about twenty girls to maybe eight guys, so this was going to be interesting. Risers lined the back wall of the classroom where we sat, waiting for the instructor to begin. She strutted to the front, wearing sexy, spiky heels and a sleek black leotard with a flowy dance skirt that swirled around her thighs. I had to admit, she looked great for someone so old. She had to be at least forty.

“Class. Welcome to Intermediate ballroom dance. This is my favorite level because we really get into the good stuff and you already know the basics. You’ll learn quickly, which will make it more fun. Ballroom dance is the most beautiful and most sensual form of dance you will ever learn. Some of you are experienced enough to know that already.” She smiled and glanced at a few of her students.

The teacher, Mrs. Blackthorn, had curves in all the right places and as she made her way to the center of the room, smiling and pointing to someone too far back to see, my heart skipped a beat. He stood up and met her in the center of the room.

Brecken.

I hadn’t seen him come in, and I’d assumed he was late.

He wasn’t wearing his combat boots either, which surprised me. In fact, he was wearing dress shoes with jeans and a T-shirt. Upon closer inspection, I noticed they weren’t dress shoes at all, but dance shoes.
Real
dance shoes.

My mouth dropped as I stared, watching him take Mrs. Blackthorn’s hand. He put his arms around her, holding his elbows squared, like a professional. I couldn’t stop gaping. This was a side of Brecken I’d never known and he’d never shown me, except when he’d exited my car. He could dance?

Before they started, Mrs. Blackthorn addressed the class. “This is Brecken Shaefer, my assistant for this term. He has taken all the ballroom classes I offer, and will instruct as well as partner, so everyone will have a turn to practice.”

The music started, and they moved in the most beautiful tango I’d ever seen. Brecken didn’t smile or look directly at any of us as we watched from the risers. If I would have known he could dance like this… Dang!

During their short, two-minute demonstration, I glanced around and noticed all the girls staring at Brecken. They drooled and so did I. We all watched him with rapt fascination. He was older than most and seemed more mature. Suddenly, I realized I might have to deal with competition since he couldn’t remember me. Could I deal with that along with everything else I was going through? Could I handle seeing him with other girls, gazing at them like he used to gaze at me? I wasn’t sure, and it gave me a stomachache to even imagine it.

“We will begin with something easy. The waltz.” Mrs. Blackthorn refreshed everyone’s memory as she explained how it was done, and then the boys lined up in the center of the room. The girls got in line behind them, so we could take our turn with one of them. Of course, Brecken’s line filled before I could even get my butt off the bench. And because I didn’t want to seem desperate, I waited, wondering if he’d recognize the crazy, redheaded girl who’d assaulted him in the hall yesterday.

As time went by, I realized I’d never get to dance with him. His line was too long, and class was almost over. I tried not to let it bother me, but the truth was that it did. I yearned to be close to him, and roots of jealousy sprouted with every girl who took his arm. He didn’t even glance my way. He couldn’t care less who he danced with. It was all work to him. A job. A grade.

I watched him from the corner of my eye, memorizing every move he made, every expression, and who he laughed with. Because I was the new girl, I did get attention. Plenty of it. Claire was hot, after all. But I wasn’t interested in any of those boys, no matter how cute or talented they were. I had eyes for only one guy.

The bell rang. Brecken didn’t stick around to visit with anyone, just grabbed his backpack and hurried to his next class.
Our
next class. Math. A class I was sure to fail.

20

~Changing Relationships~

Claire

Through a blanket of heavy blackness, Claire pushed her way to the surface of awareness, bullying her way past a barrier so strong she almost gave up. She awoke from a deep sleep, the heavy dust of dreams clogging her mind. It was almost too difficult, and it took a monumental amount of energy, but when she opened her eyes, it was to a very unfamiliar scene…

She was in a classroom. The musty scent of old paint, old carpet, and overused desks assaulted her senses. The demon had brought her to Ocean Side High again! Where was it now? Asleep? Was that why she’d been able to take control?

Bright sunlight shined through the tall windows, and the classroom felt uncomfortably warm. Rubbing her eyes, she turned slowly in her seat to study the students behind her, to see if any were recognizable. None were.

With a racing heart, she turned back to the front, her eyes wide with alarm. Slumping down in her seat, she hoped to appear invisible so the teacher wouldn’t call on her. She analyzed her situation and lamented having done this to herself. She had called an evil soul to her, and it had overtaken her body!

Wracking her brain, she tried to remember exactly what had happened. Something must have shifted on the elemental plane or she’d made a mistake in her chant. She studied it out in her mind, organizing, chronicling, and cataloging the events as they occurred.

Then someone called her name.

“Claire?” the teacher said again. “Did you hear me? Can you tell us the difference between the classical period and the romantic period as pertaining to literature?”

“Huh? Oh. Um… Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention,” she answered, feeling astronomically stupid. What class was this? English Lit? The kind she
didn’t
excel at.

The frustration of her situation mounted. She had only wanted a spirit to control, whose power she could harness. Not this! Whatever
this
was. She had become a host… and it wasn’t supposed to be this way. But now, this vulnerability…

Pure terror surged through her, and sweat began to bead along her upper lip as her heart rate accelerated. She had to get out of here! Not caring who these people were, or what kind of class this was, she stood up and grabbed the familiar backpack that sat at her feet. She ran from the room with all eyes staring, the expression on her face mirroring the horror she felt inside.

***

Back in the safety of her bedroom, Claire docked her iPod and turned up the volume, drowning out the voices in her mind so she could concentrate. There was something
inside
her, and it was able to take over at a whim, which would explain the constant confusion, trying to figure out where she was. It must be sleeping now. That was the only explanation that made sense, but this other being was stronger than she was.

There had to be a way to communicate with it. But how? Sitting on her bed, her legs folded beneath her, she placed her hands on her knees, palms up, in a receiving pose. Opening her mind, she slowed her breathing, but continued to take deep, cleansing breaths. Just when she felt like something had opened inside her mind, a hard pounding sounded on her bedroom door.

She screamed out her annoyance and gritted her teeth. “What!”

The door opened a crack and her friend, Jamie, peeked in. “Hey.”

With an irritated sigh, she unfolded her legs and told him to come in.

“I saw you the other day, trying to start your car. Why didn’t you come get me?” he asked.

With a frown, she bit down the sarcastic remark that sat on the tip of her tongue. “What?”

“You know. When your car wouldn’t start.” Jamie walked non-nonchalantly around her room, picking up a little knickknack and then a piece of jewelry that lay on her dresser, examining each item with disinterest. He finally came to rest on the bed beside her.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said.

Now it was his turn to frown. “Whatever. If you don’t want to tell me, it’s no big deal.”

She shook her head and stood up, putting things back where they were before he’d disturbed them. “It’s not that. I honestly can’t remember that happening. I’ve had some… um… weird stuff going on.”

Jamie studied her face and folded his arms over his chest, which had become very well developed since he’d been on the swim team. Claire
had
noticed, but she hadn’t said anything about it. She didn’t want him getting the wrong idea. He was her friend, and she cared about him—depended on him even—but she did not feel anything romantic toward him.

“What weird stuff?” he asked.

“Well.” She turned to face him, her feet once again tucked beneath her on the bed. “You remember our ceremony?”

He frowned and cocked his head like he was trying to remember. It annoyed her to no end, because she knew he couldn’t have forgotten that fast.

“Oh, yeah. Right.” He nodded and looked away, a new tension in his expression.

“Um… so, you know it didn’t work, right? Well, I did it again by myself later that day. And… it kind of worked.”

“I’m still not sure what you’re trying to say here. What worked? What happened?”

“I harnessed a spirit.”

Jamie stared at her, his face a blank canvas, and then he shrugged, obviously still confused.

“I thought I could
control
a spirit, use its power to cast spells, talk to my grandmother, and stuff like that. You wouldn’t understand.”

“I would if you told me more.” Jamie reached out, but before he could touch her, Claire backed away, and his expression fell. “Claire…”

“No, Jamie. I can’t. We’ve been best friends for too long to let romance ruin things.” They had spent every day growing up together. There was no one she trusted more. Granted, she’d be lying if she admitted not noticing how attractive he’d grown, but she had other things on her mind that were more important than romance.

They sat in silence, watching each other, and Claire had no idea what to say or how to repair this.

“Well,” he said. “I guess I’ll go.”

Giving him an appeasing smile, she nodded. “Yeah. I’ll talk to you later.”

Jamie stood and walked to the door. With one hand on the knob, he said, “One of these days, you’re gonna need me and you’ll realize what we had, but I won’t be around.”

She stared back, shocked at his direct statement. “Wait.”

His eyes were filled with a sadness Claire had never seen before. This was real. He was walking out of her life… maybe forever.

“Wait,” she said again, getting to her feet. “I don’t want you to leave. Could you stay a little while longer?”

Hope blossomed in his eyes, stabbing Claire through the heart. She wasn’t ready for a relationship. She didn’t have time for one, but she didn’t want to lose him either, and she knew in her heart that he was done unless something more happened between them. She didn’t want to give him false hope, and knew it would be stringing him on, but she couldn’t bear to end it. Not yet.

They sat back down on her bed, smiling shyly at one another.

21

~First Kiss~

Alisa

I awoke with a start, startled I’d fallen asleep in the first place… in my creative writing class… except I wasn’t in my writing class anymore. I was lying on my bed… and a boy was lying next to me, sound asleep. A boy I didn’t know!

I got up carefully so as not to wake him, and then took a moment to study his face, because obviously, he was someone important to Claire. Did her mother know she slept—literally—with boys? My mom would freak.

The boy rolled over, and I saw him more clearly. It was the boy from the séance. The swimmer. I couldn’t remember his name. He was attractive, with rosy cheeks, sandy-blond hair, and perfectly curved lips. Totally cute, and if I weren’t completely devoted to Brecken, I could take an interest.

I wasn’t sure what to do now though. Pretend he wasn’t here? Wake him up and continue where Claire left off? I glanced at the clock, realizing it was almost eight-thirty in the evening. The curtains were drawn, so I pulled them back. It was still light outside. Barely. What was Claire doing with this guy? We both still had all our clothes on. Had they been studying? I didn’t see any schoolbooks lying around.

Not wanting to officially meet him for the first time in the privacy of Claire’s bedroom—because how awkward would that be—I tiptoed over to the door, determined to escape unseen, but the door creaked when I pulled it open. I glanced back at the bed and, sure enough, his eyes were open, watching me.

“Uh…” My mind drew a blank.

“You’re leaving?”

He sounded hurt and looked so rejected that I hurried back to the bed to sit beside him. “No, of course not. I was just going downstairs to get a drink. That’s all.” I placed my hand over his, forgetting it didn’t work to do that anymore. I wouldn’t be able to get a read on him just by touching him. At least, the way I intended to.

He smiled and sat up, swinging his legs off the bed. He was a few inches taller than Claire, maybe an inch or two taller than Brecken, with broad shoulders and a well-muscled chest. Why hadn’t he been over before now? It would have been nice to know that Claire had a boyfriend. I certainly didn’t want to ruin it for her, but I was also not going to… do whatever, with him.

Not knowing how to ask him his name or if he lived close by, I asked the safest thing I could. “You hungry?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, come on then, I’m sure Claire’s mom has something—um… I meant I’m sure
my
mom has something to eat in the fridge.”

He stood there staring at me with a strange expression, his eyebrows pulled down in confusion. But instead of following me into the hall, in a split-second response, he grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the room, closed the door, and held me close, cradling my face in his huge hands. And I mean
huge.
Wow. His long fingers cupped my cheeks as he stared into my eyes.

“I’m tired of waiting, Claire,” he said. “I’m tired of arguing, and I’m tired of hiding how I feel.” He leaned close and his lips pressed against mine, tentative, soft, and warm. I was almost lulled away by the romance of the moment, but just as I was about to push him away, I remembered it was Claire he thought he was kissing and it
did
feel wonderful.

Did I want to ruin this for her? Maybe she was totally into this guy. Maybe she’d had a crush on him forever, and he’d finally come around. Could I destroy that? Not that I should care about what she wanted, but I did.

I kissed him back. I let go of all my reservations and gave to this boy what I figured Claire would give him. Unabashed affection. I let my arms tighten around his neck, and then his arms pulled me closer, the heat of our embrace building. In that moment I realized how dangerous this was, and he was not the boy I wanted to be kissing. I pulled away gently.

He planted another feather-light kiss on my lips before dropping his hands. He looked at me with such love and hope in his eyes, and… that kiss had been amazing!

“Is this the first time—?” I stupidly said out loud, thinking it
might
have been their first kiss, because he looked so nervous. He took it a different way.

His eyes widened, grief stricken. “That I’ve kissed someone? Was it that bad?” He looked like he might shatter into a million pieces right before me.

“No, no! It’s not that. I meant…” I sounded so stupid. Was this his first kiss? What boy wants to be asked a question like that? I had no idea what kind of past these two had together, but I could easily make it worse if I didn’t just shut up.

“That memorable, huh?” He shook his head and walked to the window, ready to escape.

“Wait…” I wanted to call him by name, but I couldn’t remember what it was. “I’m sorry, but… that was one of the best kisses I’ve ever had.
Ever.
” I couldn’t say it was
the
best, because it wasn’t. Nobody kissed better than Brecken. No one. But I wanted to leave this guy happy, with hope for a future with Claire… unless I was in her body for the rest of her life. In that case,
Sayonara
,
good-lookin’.

His smile beamed radiantly, like sunshine. In two quick steps, he was back, his arms wrapped around me so tightly I could hardly breathe, his lips pressed to mine again, except this time, he was more eager, more demanding. My lips parted beneath his—to cry out in protest—but he took it as an invitation and deepened his kiss.

I couldn’t do this, no matter how good it felt. I pushed him away gently… again.

“Claire…” His eyes shined, and his chest heaved with each breath he took. Mine did the same, but it was time to put the beast back in its cage. I held this really cute guy at arm’s length, my hands pressed against his ripped and well-defined chest. Man, was I loyal.

“You should probably go,” I said, having forgotten how powerful these kinds of feelings were in a real body. The heat, the pull, and the temptation to feel them again… it was overwhelming, but he was not the guy I loved.

He nodded and climbed out the window with a smile, but when he left, instead of heading to the driveway to get into his car, he strutted across the street and walked straight into the house facing Claire’s.

“Oh.”

He lived across the street.