Read Online The Elementalist by Melissa J. Cunningham - Free Book Online
Authors: Melissa J. Cunningham
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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
“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
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