COMPETITIVE SPIRIT

The bell rang. Emma strolled out of the School and caught Damon sitting, alone, on a park bench.

"Hey Damon, what's up?"

"I'm not in the mood right now, Emma."

"Come on, Damey," Emma coaxed, trying out her new pet name for the pensive teenager. "At least tell me what happened."

Damon sighed and shifted, patting the bench for Emma to sit down. "Malik was getting pushed around by some senior. I controlled some Cesium to bust him out. Don't tell anyone."

"So you were the secret manipulator."

"Yeah."

"Well what's the problem then? You were standing up for your friend. Your heart was in the right place, at least."

"Yeah, that's not the problem. We could have done it any other way."

"What do you mean?"

"I could have formed the dust into a sword, an axe, even a stone, anything. Phoby and I were protected by the blast, but the senior's in the nurses office."

"Whoa."

"Minor burns, thankfully. Nothing serious. But you saw the demonstration. I easily could have killed him. i could have killed everyone in that dorm."

Emma held his hand tight. "Don't think like that. You're one of the most skilled manipulators in class. Even the Professor said so. You're the only one I would trust with power like this."

"But what if I make a mistake?"

"We all make mistakes, Damon."

"Not lethal ones, Emma."

Emma huffed and thought for a minute.

"You know what would cheer you up, though?"

Damon was confused. "What?"

"Strudel. You ever had some?"

"The pastry you eat like, seven hundred times a day?"

"Oh come on. It's probably just like, a hundred."

"Well that was my first idea. They don't have any."

Emma gave a nervous chuckle. "What do you mean, they don't have any? They do."

"Nope. They didn't get their supplies this week, something about a damaged supply route. They're not going to have any strudel this week, actually."

"T-This whole week?!"

"Yeah. Sorry Emmie. Now, as I was saying-"

"This whole WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Damon jolted. "Chill, girl. It's just strudel."

Emma growled. The bench they were sitting on started to vibrate, cracks spreading through the varnished wood. "JUST strudel, Damon?"

"You're freaking me out, Emmie."

Emma forced her self to relax, taking deep, labored breaths. She still had one other agenda. "Hey Damon, what do you think about being, you know..."

"I don't."

"You know, official. Like, boyfriend and girlfriend."

"I almost killed someone, and this is the most important thing you want to talk about."

"Oh killed is such a strong word. Besides, this is more important."

Damon dusted himself off and stood. "I think I'm gonna find Phoby. I see what's going on here."

Emma was crushed. "You do?"

"Nope. But it's safe to assume it's some kind of girl competition thing?"

Silence.

"Yeah. I'm not some trophy, Emmie. I'll see you later."

With that, he walked away.

Emma sighed and hugged her knees. She had not meant to make him mad. Suddenly her tummy rumbled with surprising force. As she struggled to resist the urge to go after him, she briefly wondered how Estelle was getting on..

Estelle had caught up to Daimen in the classroom. He was catching up on his book packing, carefully slotting books into his book bag. She struck a pose at the door. This would be too easy.

"I didn't know you took your schoolwork so seriously," she began.

"Well I do. What do you want?"

She recoiled. She did not expect this kind of response. "You in a bad mood?" She asked.

"As a matter of fact I am. I did an odd job for someone, and he's currently in the nurse's office."

"Meaning?"

"MEANING, he can't pay me. So unless you've got the cash, I'll be seeing you."

Daimen slung his bag over his shoulder and started towards the door. Estelle panicked; Emma must already be official by now. She had to do something or she'd lose the wager.

"Wait!" She called out.

Daimen paused, halfway out the door. "What?"

"We're official right?"

"Official?"

"Like... Dating."

Daimen paused. The silence in the room hung like a weighted blanket.

"I just lost a load of money that I more than deserve, and you're asking me about our relationship status?"

"I just meant-"

"Are you serious, Estelle? I may not see things from your point of view but right now I hardly think it matters."

"Well it kind of does-"

"Well consider it a cliffhanger then. That's more interesting than my problems, obviously."

"Come on Daimen, that's not what I mean."

"Maybe you can pay me back with the ticket sales from our new romantic comedy."

Estelle sighed, frustrated. "I get that you're angry."

"I am. Goodbye."

Aiden left, slamming the door behind him. Estelle jolted at the sound. "Oh well. I should probably go tell Emma I lost."

"I should probably go tell Estelle I lost," Emma muttered. She trudged through the grass, kicking litter and stray stones as she walked.

Daimen kicked himself. He was too harsh on her, and he knew it. But what did she mean, ignoring his problems to talk about being 'official'...

With a muffled crash, he bumped into Damon.

"Hey. Watch where you're going."

"Not in the mood for this, Daimen."

"Yeah, neither am I. Whatever you're problems are, I don't care. Move." He shoved Damon to the side.

Damon grabbed him by the shirt cuff, eyes blazing. "Don't. Touch me."

"Or what?"