Lorik takes us all aside. “Ikah, I have already heard Krystal’s version of what happened this morning, you may tell me your version now.”
Ikah hesitates, and starts dripping. I actually feel bad for her, even she hasn’t exactly been friendly to me. She tells him her part in putting out the fire exactly like it happened. I’m surprised that she didn’t even try to make herself into a hero or anything.
Lorik gives a short nod. “Always a good idea to tell the truth. Well done.”
Ikah’s face keeps its sour expression. “It’s not like I can lie to a mind-reader,” she pointed out. Kyle snickers quietly.
Lorik turns to Kyle. “Now, Kyle, you have some explaining to do.”
Kyle’s face falls. If I didn’t know him better, I’d think he actually cares that he’s in trouble.
“What have I told you about ‘zapping’ people?” Lorik demands. I can’t help laughing. I don’t feel bad, either.
Kyle shifts as Mrs. Jameson and Wynn join us. Ikah gives Kyle the evil eye. I’m guessing that she’s a little upset that Kyle “zapped” her.
“Well, you told me to stop problems at the source. I didn’t know who the source was, so I just zapped everyone,” Kyle explains unapologetically. Mrs. Jameson tries to keep a straight face. The area surrounding us gets a little bit brighter as her mood lifts.
Mrs. Jameson addresses Lorik. “I trust the girls cleaned up the mess? I wouldn’t want this to get to the top…”
Lorik answers her. “I took care of it. Krystal isn’t trained enough to control heat energy without setting a fire,” he says.
“I’m not going to argue with that,” I acknowledge. Ikah snorts. It’s kind of a laugh, right? Maybe we could be friends now—
She’d manage to burn the whole School down, she thinks. I can tell that she doesn’t care that I heard it.
Lorik dismisses us. I don’t know if he heard what Ikah thought. So much for the whole “friends” thing. It kind of hurts that someone hates me so much. We just met, for crying out loud.
You okay?
Kyle didn’t hear my exact thoughts, but he did feel my emotions even though he wasn’t trying to. It has something to do with how strong our friendship is.
I just don’t understand Ikah. What’s her problem?
I’ve known you for almost 10 years and I still don’t understand you. Girls are like that, he says. As if he’s an expert on the subject. Don’t worry about Ikah, she’ll warm up to you in a few decades.
I roll my eyes.
Seriously, what’s her problem?
Well…she expected someone else to come.
Continue.
Kyle sighs. I hate it when you’re so persistent.
I let him feel my impatience; that gets him talking. Or thinking. Whichever.
Ikah is the only Water Classman in the school right now. When I alerted the Board of the presence of a possible Inborn, my team was notified. We kind of thought you would have a Water IP, since there hasn’t been one for ages and ages. Especially not from Earth.
Well, why can’t Ikah just get along with Kelta? She can control water too.
It’s not the same.
I get the sense that Kyle wasn’t telling me something. So, like any good friend would, I make him spill everything.
A while ago, the other Water Classman we had left. He went on a mission to Earth and hasn’t been back. We don’t know what happened to him. He was Ikah’s best friend. Ikah had been hoping for another Water Classman. I guess she was disappointed.
So that’s why she hates me? Because I didn’t happen to be a Water person?.
Kyle snorts. Well, the Water Classmen typically aren’t the most jovial of Inborns anyway. You just happened to get it especially bad.
I seem to have that effect on people often, I say, thinking of the bullies at school.
I sort of feel bad for Ikah. I know what it’s like not to fit in. Maybe I’ll break from my usual rule and be nice first. It’s going to take a lot of determination. I don’t like being treated like leftover fish sticks.
