I turn around and my eyes land on Rocky. The guy I met in the airport and completely forgot to text. To be fair he hadn't texted me either and I honestly didn't think he was going to. He literally just met me and we didn't even know each other. Cole's situation is not the same at all since I got to know the guy for the rest of the days I spent there. I basically hung out with him everyday.
"Rocky! Hi, how are you?" I couldn't exactly say: Oh, hi man, I remember you from the airport but I wasn't going to text you cause I don't know you. I remember my thoughts that day in the car and cringe.
'I have two new friends who I know in my gut were not using me' My subconscious mocks me and I internally glare at the immature Danielle in my head.
"Are you okay?" He asked me while eyeing Axel and Alejandro.
"Great! Another lacky" I hear Axel mutter.
"Actually these two are harassing me. Could you help me out please?"
"Let her go and leave. I don't want to cause a scene" he says while stepping up to Axel and staring him down. Axel just lets go of my arm and takes a step towards him too while scoffing. Even though Rocky is built and he has muscle, Axel would definitely win cause he has the advantage with fire powers.
"I don't know who you are, or how you know the brat behind me but a word of advice? Don't tell me what to do"
"If you're gonna bother a lady then yes, I will sure as hell tell you what to do. Did no one ever teach you how to respect girls?"
"Her? A lady? There's better chance of Alejandro being a lady than her" He says in a snarky voice. Well, that hurts. Ignoring the pang in my chest I stepped in front of Rocky before he could retort and turned back towards Axel.
"As much as I love all the toxic masculinity going on here" I say mostly to Axel cause Rocky was being a gentlemen. "I'm gonna leave and get my amazing self something to eat"
I start walking away but stop when I remember Rocky. "Shit" I mutter. I can't just leave Rocky back there after he helped me. Stupid guilt! I look back at Rocky and ask him. "Hi Rocky, would you like to join me?"
He looks at me surprised but nods nonetheless. Axel clearly didn't like this and he looks at me with a glare.
"Come here now," he mouths.
"Make me," I mouth back with a smile.
Axel doesn't do anything and I smile. Rocky and I walk side by side till we reach KFC.
"Who were those guys back there?"
"The one you were talking to is Axel and the other is Alejandro"
"Why is Axel such an asshole?"
"He doesn't like me very much. Actually, he doesn't like me at all" I say with a sick, pitying, laugh, remembering what he said before.
"Are you okay?" He asks me with concern.
"Of course I am. Do you want to eat here?" I ask him while subtly changing the subject.
"KFC?"
"That is where we are," I say sarcastically with a smile and he smiles back, clearly noticing I'm being sarcastic.
"Sure,"
We walk in, order, then take our seats.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Totally fine," I nod at him.
We get our food not long after and sigh. I had absolutely no appetite for some reason, I only managed to stomach a drumstick and I stopped.
I could see that Rocky wanted to say something but stopped himself. I didn't want to be rude so I tried to start a conversation.
"How are you?" I ask with a smile.
"I'm fine" He says with his lips pressed into a thin line. The international 'awkward situation' face.
"What have you been doing these days?"
"Nothing much. I've been pretty bored honestly"
"You should try going to the mall," I say in an effort to salvage this already awkward conversation.
"I'll check it out" He says with a nod.
"Are you here with anyone?"
"Yeah, you." He answers looking out the window and I sigh in annoyance. Well, that was a quick mood change.
"I meant, are you in Sri Lanka with anyone?"
"Nope, just me." I frown at the new revelation then sigh.
"If you want my friend and I will be going to the mall on Saturday, would you like to join us?"
"No, thank you," He says plainly and I frown. Well, alright then, be rude.
"And may I ask why?"
"I know when someone's pitying me. You're pitying me and I'm not interested" Pitying him?! What the hell?! I hate guys like this!
"You're an ass, you know that?" I fume.
"I'm aware," He says without looking up from his plate.
"What did I even do to you? I was simply asking if you wanted to hangout and you decided to think I was pitying you," I exclaim.
"And you were" he says, still not looking at me.
"I wasn't pitying you," I tell him while clenching my fists.
"Then what were you doing?" He asks finally looking at me. I don't know if I prefer him actually looking at me or not cause the look on his face is scaring me, there was so much anger.
"Why are you mad at me? I didn't even do anything!"
"Answer the question"
"I-" I knew what I wanted to say but it sounded incredibly sad and pathetic.
"Exactly. You were pitying me," He looks out the window once again.
"If I'm pitying you then why are you still here?" I asked while looking at him with a challenging look on my face.
"I want to eat. I'm not going to let myself go hungry just cause someones pitying me"
"I'm not pitying you! I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with my friend and I because I didn't have any friends before and know what it's like being alone"
"That sounds incredibly sad, you know that, right?" There was still an edge to his voice but his tone was a lot softer than before so I guess that's progress.
"I know but it's the truth"
"Well, I'm used to being alone anyway so I don't need you or your friend"
"Even if you're used to it, it's not exactly nice. You have my number just call me if you change your mind"
He looks at me as I stand up but I just smile at him and walk out of the restaurant. I'm honestly really proud of myself, I didn't explode while talking to him even though he was such an asshat. You know what I just realised? Whenever I'm talking to someone these days it always ends up in a fight or there's some drastic mood change. It's weird.
I get a tuk from the road and head home. I lean my head on the side of the tuk while looking down at the road, it's honestly so fun to see the little white lines on the road as you're driving past them really fast.
I get home about 30 minutes later and before I go in I can sense an elemental. Since there are no other elementals in this country it has to be Axel.
I take a moment before ringing the bell and waited for my mum to open the door.
"Snape?" I asked surprised.
"It's professor," He grumbled while gritting his teeth but just as suddenly he shouts, "You!" While pointing at me.
I look surprised at the sudden noise and then ask while pointing at myself, "Me?"
"Yes, you." He glares at me then twists my ear and pulls me into the house.
"Ow, ow, ow, owww..." I repeat while he drags me to the couch.
I cradle my ear with my hands after he lets me go and groan when I look around and see the audience. Axel, Alejandro, Vera, and the worst one. My mum! The murderous glare on her face was the only thing keeping me quiet and obedient right now. If she wasn't here I'd have probably tried to get away or say something sarcastic.
"Where were you?" Axel asks me. I was about to answer but Snape interrupted me.
"Axel, be quiet, you don't ask the questions. Where were you?" He repeats Axel's question and Axel looks at him bewildered.
"I was at the racecourse KFC," I answer quietly. Snape was incredibly mad. I could decipher that much from his voice.
"Why did you walk away from Axel?"
"He was being rude and acting like I was a rag-doll"
"Why didn't you come straight home then? Who do you think you are? Staying out till you want to come home" He scoffs and continues. "Do you know how worried we all were? You didn't even think to call someone to tell them what you were doing. I know I had your phone but even I know if you wanted to call you would have been able to"
I look down and stay quiet.
"Now you can't talk? I'm sure if it was just me and Axel you would have no problem talking back. I wouldn't be surprised if you said something to Vera if she tried to put you in your place"
"Tell them the best part, Danielle" I look at Axel trying to stop my eyes from watering and look back down.
"What is it? What happened?" Snape asks with an edge to his voice.
"I-Um-Danie.." It was clear Axel wasn't expecting to get targeted so I interrupt him before he could finish.
"I walked off with a guy I met while coming back from Bora-Bora"
I hear a sharp intake of breath from one of them and I know I'm in for it.
"You could have been kidnapped!" Snape shouts at me. "I knew I shouldn't have sent you on that trip!" He exclaims. "Who knows what else you did on that trip that you didn't tell us. Stop looking down!" He shouts again.
Startled by his sudden shout, I jump in my seat then I look up and try to steel my emotions. I don't want anyone to see me cry, especially not them. I take my hands off my lap now crossing them and leaning back in the chair. I gripped my forearms trying to keep myself in check.
I could see the looks on each of their faces and wanted to scoff. Vera looked at me with pity while Alejandro just looked concerned. My mum glared at me then looked away and I didn't want to look at Axel knowing there would probably be a smug or snarky expression on his face. Snape glares at me but he looks disappointed.
"You have no respect for anyone, older or younger, you might as well live on your own and have no adults around you. You are the most reckless teenager I know, the most reckless elemental I know! You shouldn't have been given your powers, they should have been given to someone more responsible" I gasp quietly at what Snape, I mean what Professor Snape said, and I could hear the others do the same.
"Do you know how careless you are? You live in your own little dream world and you think life's all fair and dandy. I remember when you told me about the first boy you met in Bora-Bora. Cole, was it? I honestly thought you were joking, you know why? Because that makes absolutely no sense at all! A random, young, boy comes up to you and says he wants to live in the same country as you on the first day he talks to you? And you believed him too? When I realised you weren't joking do you know how worried I was? Worried because something could have happened and I wouldn't be there to help you. No one would be there to help because you were in a different country! And the worst part is you didn't even suspect anything wrong with him! You want to be like one of those book characters so much that you would put your own life in danger"
He takes a breath and I see Vera about to say something but he starts again.
"When I told Vera" He looks at me with a sad, sarcastic smile that hid so much anger. "She laughed! Because she thought I was joking! And you know what you were doing? You were off in fairytale land where there is no such thing as stranger danger or any danger at all. I had to go to lengths to make sure you were safe. I called Talia and asked her to stay with you and when she called me saying you were spending the day with that boy and refused to stay with her, I was incredibly worried! I was so happy when you called me each night. I was so happy because you were alright! You need to grow up, Danielle. You're a teenager and you're still acting like you're some sort of child"
"Snape?" Vera asks quietly.
"Yes?" He replies sharply, the edge still in his voice.
"Maybe we should leave her alone now?"
"Why? She deserves this! Someone had to put her in her place at some point" I look at the door behind them and try my best to think about something else.
"You can talk to her tomorrow," Vera suggest in a soft but firm tone.
Snape walks out without looking at me and Vera follows but not before saying bye to my mum and apologising for Snape's behaviour, him not saying bye and all that. She gives me a wave and a small smile before walking out the door and then the gate. Alejandro is next to walk out and I can see that he wants to say something but decides against it and waves at me slightly.
I finally look at Axel and see that he's already looking at me. He nods his head at me and says, 'see you tomorrow', then leaves. I swear I heard him muttering 'sorry' but it could just be my imagination.
My mum locks the gate and walks back in the house.
"Mu-" I start but she interrupts me.
"Go to your room"
"Mum, ple-" I start again but she doesn't allow it.
"Go to your room, now!" I step back but hesitate and she starts.
"Do you know how reckless you were? You could have been kidnapped! Just because you have powers doesn't mean that you're in any less danger than anyone else. Do you know how disappointed I am? Do you think you have more authority than I do just because you're an elemental? Well, you don't, you know why? Because I am the mother here and you are just a child. An irresponsible, reckless, thoughtless, immature, child"
I look down and walk to the kitchen. My throat felt incredibly soar because of how much I was trying to choke down the tears.
"Where do you think you're going?" My mother asks me with anger in her voice.
"To the kitchen," I say quietly.
"What?" She asks again.
"To the kitchen. I want to get some water" I say making sure my voice is louder this time.
She doesn't reply and I take that as the go ahead. I get some water in my water bottle and walk back to my room. I walk past my sisters room while going there and I see her and my brother playing cards while whispering to each other. I trudge back to my room without saying anything and just have a wash before cleaning up my room a bit.
I sit down on my bed before letting the tears finally fall. I hug my legs to my chest while letting myself fall on the bed and cry, trying not to be too loud so no one knows I'm crying.
I wash my face trying to stop the tears from falling and lie on my bed, eventually falling asleep from exhaustion.