I shoot up in bed, it’s still dark out. Sweat soaks my clothes from night terrors. I throw off my sweat slicked shirt as tears brim my eyes. I blink, letting my hot tears slide down my face. I roll out of bed and pull on MMA shirt and lie back in bed, curling up into a ball, clutching my pillow feverishly.

“Larissa!”

I jolt awake, my line of vision invaded by the bright sunlight pushing through the blinds of my circular window. I groan and roll out of bed.

Mom peeks her head through my doorway as I go digging through my clothes.

“Hey, if you want to stay home today, I’ll be okay with that, okay?” Her dark eyebrows are furrowed and her face screams worry.

“I’m fine Mom,” I dismiss.

Mom nods and closes the door, I pick out my school uniform in a heartbeat. I remember I have P.E. today, so I go digging through my MMA bag for my required suit and gloves too. I pause mid-dig as I remember how I got it back. I shake off the chill on my shoulders and blink back the oncoming tears, grabbing my suit along with my gloves and socks. I pull on my white, button-up, shirt with the black, blue, and green, plaid bottoms. I stuff my feet in my plain-brown, uniform boots. The only things that can really allow socks as thick as blocker socks. I trail into my bathroom, the door in front of my bed, and quickly strip my teeth, placing tooth cleaning strips on my teeth and wait a minimum of 3 minutes before removing them. I open the mirror and grab my pills, Nuerotosin. I take two and open my bedroom door, making my way to school

I walk half a mile before arriving at the nearest bus stop. The hovering bus is already boarding, I quickly follow suit and take an empty seat. I scan the bus, recognizing students from The Special Marks Institute of Noway Tom, my school. The bus makes a few stops at rival schools before we arrive at the school, it pulls into a dock, the loud sound of it locking before the rest of the students pile out of the bus and into the large school that consists of 2,000 students. I look up, the entrance of the school shaped like a cylinder that stretches up high into the sky. A staircase on the inside twists around in a long circle, platforms and railings blocking students with lockers up high from tipping over the edge. My locker is on the 4th platform. Before I know it, I’ve arrived at a hover lift, I make sure to take a large step before stepping on it. The lift bounces, adjusting to my added on weight. I smile sheepishly at the two other students and look up as the lift begins lifting us up. It stops at the 4th platform, we get off the lift and I quickly make my way to locker 404, right next to Rose’s. I feel my shoulders droop when I notice she’s not at her locker. I open my locker and grab my books. I have Biology II and World History for my first two periods.

I grab my books and arrive back at the lift, 5 new students already stand on it to go down. I squeeze in before the lift flies down faster than what I’m used to. I shiver from the brief flutter of butterflies in my stomach.

Once I take my seat in Biology, I calmly wait for our teacher, Ms. Tomar.

Then, I notice a certain student take a seat. I have to do a double take because I’m not sure if it’s the face I think it is, but it is.

Jacob from MMA class.

I should talk to him rather than stay in my depressing thoughts.

I stand up and walk towards Jacob, I plaster a smile on my face and tap his shoulder. Jacob’s bored gaze turns to me.

“Hey, you might remember me from MMA?” I ask.

Jacob nods.

“You’re the top student,” He smiles.

I feel my nervousness ease a bit more at the sign of his easy going smile. I let my shoulders relax and lean back against one of the cube desks, smiling at Jacob.

“Are you a transfer?” I ask.

“Yeah, I came from Earhart High,” Jacob smiles.

The bell rings, I shuffle away from Jacob and take a seat at my desk.

The teacher, Ms. Tomar, walks in short after.

“Everyone, take a seat!” Ms. Tomar says in her deep, elongated voice.

I press my pointer finger against the flat, lit-up, blue keyboard that takes over the whole desk. A small sphere opens up at the top of the board to reveal the lens of a camera, a glowing blue sheet shoots out from it. I stare up at the hologram, calmly typing in my username and password to access my computer.

Other kids log in too as Ms. Tomar powers up her own holo computer.

“Today, we’ll be ending the unit with a discussion on veins and arteries,” Ms. Tomar goes off on a tangent, but I can’t help but find a flash of the memories from yesterday.

I close my eyes, trying to make sure I won’t cry.

The day passes by, and at the end of the day, I have P.E.

I glance around at my small P.E. class of 13, the other 12 have athletic P.E.

My heart flutters as I notice an empty space to stretch in. I take a step towards it when Jacob steps in front of me. I jolt.

“Wanna be my crunch partner?” He smiles.

I nod, still recovering from my initial shock.

“Why is it that we have to wear this extra stuff?” Jacob asks.

“P.E. classes are usually split up into two elements. The kids divvied up depending on the teacher. Coach Draken, a fire user, and Coach Lake, an air user, are our coaches. The same can be said for uniforms. That’s why you have to wear a regulatory fireproof suit and mask to protect yourself, along with your regulatory uniform.”

“Are you going to go first?” Jacob asks, breaking me out of my monologue.

I smile, nod, and lie down on my back and pull my legs up. Jacob’s hands press down roughly on my toes as I perform my crunches. I grunt the numbers, hoping I’ll get to 60 pretty soon. My energy drains and sweat slicks my back by the time I’m finished. I switch out and help Jacob.

“Okay fire kids, up for a game of tag?” Coach Draken chuckles, her fire birthmark scrunching with her smile.

I feel a smile stretch across my face, I let my competitive nature take over the depressing thoughts of the day.

“What about Air kids?” Coach Lake cries, a playful smirk on his face.

Some of the Air kids cheer behind me, it’s too late. The match has been lit and the long time rivalry between the air kids and fire kids has lit up again.

I smirk at Jacob, “You’re going down, newbie.”

I saunter over to where the fire kids gather, Daisy Newman stands in the middle of our rally. Her fire birthmark is prominent on her wrist as she claps her hands.

“Work together guys! Take down each and every one of those air kids. Fire kids on three! 1, 2, 3!”

I shout fire kids with all my might before spreading out but sticking close to my brethren.

“Air is it!” Coach Draken calls.

I slip off my sneakers as other fire kids begin running. I throw my sneakers to the side and glance behind me. An air kid!

I go shooting forward, pumping my legs as hard as possible. The air kid catches up. I smirk. I feel heat collect in the flats of my feet. I juke, releasing my fire as I go sprinting across the gym floor. Hot fire burns at my feet as I finish my trek. I let my power recede and roll forward. I back away, wiping the sweat off my forehead. I feel a sense of relief and accomplishment, smiling at the astonished faces of the air kids. I catch Jacob running forward at the corner of my eye. He flips over the flames, clearly using some of his power to elevate himself, and lands perfectly and faces me.

“So that’s how were playing, huh?” He smirks.

I smirk back, nodding towards my fire brethren. Jacob doesn’t seem fazed and narrowly dodges every fire kid, tagging their backs, arms, ankles, etc. My jaw nearly drops, especially because Jacob tagged the great Daisy. Jacob shoots off the ground and toward me, his arm reaching out.

I roll out of reach, creating the same distance between us. Jacob smirks. I shoot my arm forward, letting an intense heat release from my palm. Fire spreads along the gym floor, separating Jacob and me. It is hopeless as Jacob jumps over the flames, flying at me at lightning speed. I flip away from his touch. Jacob smirks, he flips over me, his hand reaching out, my heart pounds faster and faster, my desire to win increasing. My mind whirs as I slip out of the way of Jacob’s path.

I dodge Jacob again, shooting fire his way, Jacob evades and flies toward me.

“10 seconds until fire wins,” Coach Draken calls.

My heart pounds faster and faster as I listen to the air that passes in and out of my lungs. Jacob is close, his fingertip only one foot away from my collar bone. I gulp, my heart pounds faster. I want to win. A chill rests within my arms, pushing at me, urging me to release, and I do. I want to win.

Suddenly, a strong gust of air explodes from behind, pushing Jacob back from me and causing the hairs on my arm to raise from the sudden zephyr. I try to breathe but I can’t, I can sense the anger in the air as it blows Jacob further back. Tears blur my eyes as I find myself being pushed out of my space, barely able to breathe in the winds. Stop, please, stop! I stumble forward as the air calms down, resting into the stillness it used to be.

I gasp.

“Fire wins!” Coach Draken cries, not questioning the mysterious air that blew Jacob back.

I smile, must’ve been a rouge air kid. My heart hammers loudly in my chest as I’m tackled into a hug by the other fire kids, I sink into their warmth.

Jacob looks at me, a look of shock washes his face, but his eyes are what scare me. They swim with something comparable to knowing, knowing that maybe, just maybe, that gust of wind was me.

But that’s impossible, it can’t be…

I can’t control air.