Two

"Here it goes," Adara said quietly to herself as she put pen to the freshly printed paper. You've got this! She was sitting next to her boyfriend when all of a sudden, he started tapping his pencil obnoxiously.

Tap. Tap. Tap-tap.

"Hey, Adri," Gabe said, leaning close to her ear. She swallowed hard, ignoring the man who would get mad at the slightest sign of disobedience. Adara couldn't think straight. She had to focus or she would fail the course.

Tap. Tap. Tap-tap.

Adara was determined not to bomb this test. She may have been distracted the last time, but this time, she wasn't going to let Gabe or anyone else get past her.

"Adri!" Gabe whispered-yelled with anger in his voice.

Adara growled a soft, "What?" making Gabe scrunch his nose up in disgust. Making her flinch. She felt that chill. The change in the whole room.

She hated it. She knew how much they shouldn't be together, but he always made up for it in the end. And, really, he couldn't stop himself.

He poked her. She ignored him. He poked her again. She continued to do her test while he poked her one last time, and she yelped.

"Miss Louis? Is there a problem with the test?" the teacher asked, a sneer on her face.

"N-no." Gabe stopped touching the burning girl. Adara skin was as hot as the sun as anger boiled inside her. Like a volcano, ready to explode. She finished her exam and strutted out of the classroom. She mumbled a low string of curse words.

She knew he was just bored, but it annoyed her. Made her feel used. She was fed up, sick and tired. She made her way to the chemistry lab and sat where the teacher told them to wait.

She paced around, pulling out her phone to text her best friend, Maia.

What's goin on, Maia texted back.

I think I did horribly. That exam was 75% of my grade in Chemistry.

Oh sry hun! Why do you think that? You're hella smart!

Thanks, but Gabe insisted on annoying me, Adara texted back, anger boiling inside her even more. She was so angry, words couldn't describe what she felt. She knew he was regretting it, she just knew it. She loved him so much, but sometimes he could be too much for her.

Break up with that loser already, date me, Maia replied, making Adara laugh out loud. Maia always knew how to make her feel better. There was a knock on the door.

"Adri?" Gabe's familiar voice spoke, making the hairs on Adara's pasty neck stand. She felt sick to the stomach, as she knew how much Gabe and Maia didn't get along. She quickly put her phone in her back pocket and ran a hand through her curly red hair.

"Yes, Gabe?" She sounded more annoyed than scared. She wished for a lot of things. She wished she felt like he really loved her. She wished she could stand up to him.

"Adara, baby, I'm so sorry. You're just so smart, and amazing, and beautiful. I just wanted help. That's all it was, I swear. I love you, babe." He wrapped his arms around her, kissing that spot again. The place that made her weak to her knees.

"I just...I just wish you wouldn't be so rude."

"What?" Gabe pulled away, a twitch of his eyebrow made her bite her lip. It was time. She had to say it before she lost her nerve.

"I just think I should be respected more by you, that's all."

Gabe growled, grabbing her shoulder, pulling her close. Adara winced, a small whimper escaping her lips. "Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?"

You've got this! she thought as she pushed him away, sudden courage filling her blood stream. Confindence pounded against her skull like her very own Athena.

"I'm talking to you! And this! This is what I'm talking about. Does it really mean so much to you that your friends see you as the 'top guy'? You're always hurting me, and I want to know why it's worth it to you!" Adara screamed. It felt like her skin would burn at the touch.

"You have no idea what I go through!" Gabe screamed, the veins popping out on his sweaty neck. "You're always on me about everything! Why don't you ever let me be? Just leave me alone every once in a while!"

"Ha! Says the one who's always begging for sex from me! Has it ever occurred to you why I 'get on you'? Either way, I'm pretty sure you're worse! Like in class, you kept touching me! You know how I feel about that!" Adara screamed, her voice breaking.

"You're such a bitch! Why do you think I'm so mean to you?" Gabe's brown eyes were burning with anger, and Adara was sure that it was reflected in her grey ones. "You never want to do anything with me, and you're always taking everyone else's side! I'm done with it!"

"Screw you, Gabe. Fuck!" Then, in a snap, it felt like fire was burning on her finger tips. She backed away from her lover, whipping her hand back and thrashing it, screaming. She thought she saw flames and next thing she knew, she was so tired. Her head swarmed and her mind went blank.

Gabe screamed, looking at her and the wall. Adara's eyes went to the wall on their own accord. There, a fire so bright burned against the chemical walls. She was back from her high, and her heart raced. What had just happened? Her skin was so warm, it could probably cook something. She backed away to the wall as Gabe ran out screaming. People rushed in screaming, teachers too. Adara could only stare at the chaos. The chaos she created.

"You have to leave, now! Evacuate! EVACUATE!" someone screamed at her, and her heart started fluttering. What was happening? She started to run, her heavy legs stumbling. She felt drunk, her heart racing at every call of her name. She ran to her dorm. Trying to avoid everyone in sight.

Adara rocked back and forth once she was inside, her hair in a messy bun and her tears drowning her. What happened? Did she do that? How is that possible? Her birthmark burned, and she felt so tired. Her body shook and rattled, her sobs louder than a car starting. She could've died.

Maybe it was just an accident. Maybe she picked up a flammable heat source and threw it? No, that was stupid. She didn't remember throwing anything. She didn't even know why she entertained the notion.

The world spun and she finally felt like crashing. Adara sighed and dragged herself to her bed. Sleep. Finally, sleep. Then, a knock on her door disrupted her cryptic thoughts.