Chereads / Emerald’s Fire / Chapter 36 - Chapter 35

Chapter 36 - Chapter 35

Emerald's POV-

I was back in the girls locker room changing out of the clothes I worked out in and put my other ones back on. Besides how limp my arms felt and the sore feeling my knuckles still had, I felt good. I wasn't lying when I told August it was hard to make me break a sweat. It's because of the heat I always seem to carry with me though.

I was sitting on one of the benches behind some lockers putting my shoes on when I heard the door burst open and multiple high pitched voices were heard talking and cackling.

"Oh my god did you see him?" A nasally voice said.

"Duh, how could you not? He's like the definition of a silver fox." Another voice purred.

I scrunched my nose up when hearing the two girls talk. Who are they talking about ?

I finished tying my shoes and went to stand up and let the girls know they weren't alone in here until a third voice spoke.

"I don't know who he is, but he smells like an Alpha and you know that's just my type."

Courtney?

I finally walked from behind the lockers and came to see the three girls who I pretty much grew up with since moving here.

There was Loren with her long brown hair perfectly braided to one side without a single hair out of place. She always seemed to talk through her nose though and it always stayed sticking up high and mighty.

There was Jade who was actually shorter then me and her long glossy black hair hung down freely all the way to her waist. She had the prettiest blue eyes, but she was basically a robot who just agreed with the other two girls about everything. I wasn't even sure if she had one opinion that was truly her own.

Then there was Courtney.

She was my frenemy if you will. She had long bleach blonde hair that never stayed out of place. She was tan and she had legs for days and stood a good few inches taller then me. She had two perfectly matching hazelnut eyes and as much as I hated thinking it. She was the definition of an American beauty.

Courtney had forced her so called friendship on me as soon as I started driving my bike to school and then when I first started dating Keith she would practically invite herself to come along with us on our dates. It stopped after a while once she realized we were getting serious, but she is also someone who taught me how to do makeup and the best places to go shopping.

She was also the type of girl that would tell you that you looked awful in something when she didn't want you to outshine her. She'd make comments about my hair and when we were younger she constantly would tease me about wanting to be a boy because I'd rather wrestle and get dirty before ever slipping some dumb dress on a doll.

It was a true love/ hate relationship between us and Courtney was just as aware of it as I was.

"Hey Emmy! What are you doing here?" She squealed while using the nickname that I have despised since the seventh grade.

"I trained with the guys earlier." I said and the other two girls gasped.

"Lucas let you in on his class? He won't even let us in there to watch!" Loren whined.

"Girls stop it. You know Emmy's adopted mom is well.. expiring." She said letting venom lace her last word.

'Fucking bitch.' Anala growled and I couldn't have said it better myself.

"I'm sure Lucas was feeling sorry for her and trying to show her some much needed attention that's all." She cooed and I made sure to put both hands behind my back.

"Actually I was just showing Helen's nephew around and Lucas thought it would be funny for him to lead the class, so I just tagged along." I said trying to not show that her words were getting to me.

"Oh my gosh, is that the tall guy with the scar that's standing out in the hallway?" Jade asked and I quickly made the connection that they were talking about August when they first walked in.

He must be waiting for me out there.

I nodded my head to Jade and I could feel Courtney's glare from the corner of my eye.

"Well don't be rude Emmy, you need to introduce your best friends obvi." She said while looping her arm in mine and pulling me out of the girl's locker room.

I wanted to yank my arm out of her skinny little claw. I wanted to slam my feet down on the ground to keep her from pulling me anymore. But most of all I wanted to do everything I could from her meeting August.

"Courtney I'd hardly call us best friends." I muttered while she swung the door open.

"Don't be silly we've always been close pals." She said a little snippy at me, but kept the fake barbie doll smile on her face as we crossed the hall to meet August.

He was leaning up against the wall with his shirt thankfully back on. His knuckles were wrapped just like mine and even with the tall American beauty queen next to me he still didn't take his eyes away from mine.

"Come on Emmy introduce us to your handsome friend." Courtney chirped and this time I did yank my arm out of her hand and gave her a sour look.

I despise that fucking name.

"Courtney this is Alpha August, August this is Satan.." I coughed a few times into my fist.

"I mean Courtney yeah this is Courtney." I said and forced a toothy grin at her.

She never let that fake smile falter though and took another step to August.

"She's kidding we always joke like that with each other." She said and put her hand out for August.

I had to force myself to look away while he took her hand in his. My hands felt hot and and Alana was basically shredding the inside of my skull from the scenario before us.

I didn't want to admit that I was jealous. It didn't make since for me to be, so I tried to dig deep and just ignore my feelings.

"Always nice to meet some of Emerald's friends." August said and I slowly lifted my eyes back up to see him still looking at me.

"Oh yeah we love our Emmy don't we girls?" Courtney asked without looking away from August.

Both the girls behind us answered a yes and nodded their heads with smiles on their lying faces.

"We've been so worried about her mom.. Hannah." Courtney said and I couldn't help but let out a snort.

"Helen." August corrected and this time Courtney's plastic smile dropped.

"Right sorry Helen. We've all been so worried about her. If there's.. anything at all I can do to help get you through this tough time just let me know. I'm a great listener if you ever just need someone to talk to." She said fixing her face and placing the same sickly sweet smile on for show.

I wanted to literally gag or at least bust my own eardrums out. This was ridiculous and making me physically sick.

"Uh. Thank you?" August said with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"There's a pool party I'm throwing tonight if you want to come! You too Emmy unless you'll be too busy with Helen." She said making sure to get her name right this time.

"Yeah I don't know if I feel like going to a.."

She wrapped her arms around me to keep me from finishing and pulled me into her oversized chest. I suddenly wished I had bigger boobs.

"Oh please!? You need to have some fun sometimes!" She whined and I wanted to catch every inch of myself on fire so I could incinerate her entire being.

"Yeah Emmy please!"

"Please!"

Her little minions shrieked and I thought maybe my eardrums would bust after all.

"Alright alright just stop screeching!" I said and their pleases stopped and the hug she had me in was quick to go away.

"Great!" Courtney said clapping her hands.

"It's going to be at my parents cabin, not the beach house that's on Nickles Street,  you've been there before right?" She asked me while raising her perfectly plucked eyebrow up at me.

"Yeah I remember where it is." I said bitterly.

She grinned and turned back to August.

"So it's a date then. I'll see you tonight Alpha August." She said and I felt like the world slowed down a fraction.

She leaned in close to him and planted her botox filled lips right on August's cheek. I didn't even feel anger at first. It was like the calm before the storm and I couldn't hear or comprehend anything other then her lips on his skin.

I didn't even hear her when she walked away with her clones and it was just me and August standing in the hallway.

"Emerald?"

I looked up and August's had leaned off the wall and was looking at me with.. well I'm not sure if it was guilt or pity, but either way it ignited the storm that was building up.

I clenched my fists and forced them behind my back and looked at August with all the calmness I could muster up. I walked away from him and started to head for the doors that lead outside. I could hear his shoes on the tile floors squeaking as he tried to catch up to me.

I pushed the door open a little too hard and slammed hard against the brick building and bounced back to close when I walked through.

"Emerald!"

I couldn't look at him in the face right now. I got to my bike and quickly shoved my helmet down over my head to shield my face and eyes from him. I looped my leg  over the bike and was now forced to face August.

I kept my head down at the handle bars, but he was standing right next to me and leaned one hand down on the front of the bike to lower his face to mine. I lifted my head slightly and could see his eyes through the tinted black plastic mask on my helmet.

He was fixing to open his mouth to say something, but I was faster and cranked the bike and let the engine come to life underneath me to drown out his words. I could see the stern look he was giving me, but I only reved the bike up louder and he leaned away from me and got on.

I picked my feet up and cut the wheels hard to pull out of the parking lot. August was holding me just as tightly as before if not more. I didn't want him to think that I was upset about what Courtney did.

I was never a jealous girl. Ever. Not even when she'd throw herself at Keith in front of me. I've just never felt such disgust and hatred all at once. Whatever friend part of our frenemy deal was left is now gone. She is my full on enemy now and she's landed her name right under Scout's.

I was more then upset about it. I was hurt by it. My chest literally hurt from seeing it. The heat that was growing down my arms and to my wrists was growing and I didn't even realize that I was hauling ass and going way over the speed limit.

We made it home in under fifteen minutes and as soon as August got off the bike I pulled out of the driveway and spun away from my house and him. I didn't want to see him. I didn't want to speak to him either. I was way too upset and needed to go blow off steam.

I had to let this fire out and I knew the perfect place to go to do just that.

I rode until I was a good forty minutes away from town and pulled off onto a vacant rode. I slowed the bike down and when I came near a steep ditch I cut the engine off and hopped off the bike. I pulled my helmet off and sat it on the bike and started to walk over to the edge of the drop off.

I slowly walked down the steep ditch and every once in awhile my foot would slip out from under me and I'd have to catch my balance. When I got to the bottom it was just one giant concrete slab that lead to this large tunnel.

I'm not sure if the tunnel was ever used for anything, but you could tell that teenagers come out here to drink and make out and do graffiti. It was also completely private and once I walked a good ways into the dark I flicked my fingers and the small green flame grew.

I opened my hand and the flame grew larger until it illuminated the graffitis concrete walls around me. I stayed staring at the green fire and this time I let all of that rage seep out through my veins until it reached my finger tips.

The ball burned higher  and the heat grew on my face as I got lost in the green dancing flames. I thought about Courtney and her words. I thought about her kissing August. I thought about Keith and his words from this morning. I thought about Helen. I thought about Scout. I thought about all the things I wish I could change.

The flame was now above my head and I held my other hand out next to it. The flames trailed over to my other hand I now held two medium sized balls of green fire and turned to face the darkest part of the tunnel.

I closed my right fist over the flame and threw the fire as hard as my limp arms would allow. Over and over I did this and each time the green flames would fly down the tunnel and lighting the walls up on the way down before disappearing again.

I did this over and over until it wasn't anger I felt anymore. Instead of feeling helpless and stuck I felt in control and free. It was powerful. It was this intense scorching blaze that I could feel in every part of myself, inside and out.

I smiled while twirling my hands and fingers around and let my green fire dance around my hands in the dark damp tunnel. I didn't have a single worry in the world at this moment.

There was no Courtney or Keith or Helen or August or even me. Nope. It's nothing but fire here and I'm more then okay with staying to play with it.