Long Way Home

11. Ollie

Chapter 11.

Ollie.

The night air was cool and satisfying, making up for the deadly heat from the daytime. I trudged back towards the diner having calmed down from my earlier outburst. I limped slightly on my ankle but the pain wasn't too hard to ignore.

I held my knuckle tightly, staring down at the deep gash from my battle with the cash register. The bleeding had stopped a few hours ago but the cut still throbbed mildly. I pushed it to the back of my mind and carried on walking, craning my neck to look at the expanse of stars scattering the sky above me, twinkling elegantly.

When I saw the light of the diner up ahead, I halted and stared in through the window, seeing Jade chatting with Nicole. Theo was nowhere to be seen so I guessed he was off sleeping somewhere. I didn't blame him, he had a pretty nasty injury. My face softened as I watched the two girls. Nicole's face was hidden as only her back was facing me, but that didn't matter as long as I knew she was there.

Not wanting to go inside straight away, I circled the building, trying to find any way up onto the roof. I know it sounds stupid but there's something relieving about being up high above everything else. You can usually see for miles and it always seems to be more peaceful because no one ever goes up there.

Finding a drainpipe, I gripped it tightly and shook it, seeing if it would come loose whilst I was on my way up. When I was sure it was sturdy enough I shuffled up onto the roof and perched on the edge, scanning the horizon like a hawk. My legs hung over the side and swung back and forth slowly as I closed my eyes, listening keenly to the sounds of the night.

Snapping my eyes back open I narrowed them and glared down at my hands, trying to work out why I could control fire. Maybe I'd find out when we found the guy who wrote the letter.

My fingers clicked on my right hand and a flame ignited, dancing over my fingertips, glowing brightly and strongly. Clenching my fist around it, I watched as wisps of smoke began to penetrate the gaps in my fingers, escaping the darkness and floating up into the sky.

It must've been about an hour later when I heard the sound of feet crunching across the cracked, dehydrated ground, heading around the building towards where I was sat. Pulling my legs up I rolled onto my stomach, peeking my head over the edge and watching the floor.

Her face was illuminated angelically in the light from the full moon, making her look pale and innocent. My heart began to beat a little faster beneath my chest, my cheeks burning ever so slightly. Her eyes narrowed and she looked up suddenly, smiling as she saw me watching her. "Too slow, Chase. How did you get up there?"

"I learnt how to blast off like a rocket. Could be useful in the future." I smirked and sat up, knowing my cover was broken.

"Funny." She smiled softly and brushed her long, caramel hair over one shoulder, spotting the drainpipe. "You used that?".

I rested back on the edge of the roof, one knee bent and my hands resting on my stomach. "A fire starter never reveals his secret."

"Wait, isn't that supposed to be magician?" She shook her head and raised both eyebrows.

"Nicole Paver, do I look like a magician to you?" My head fell to the side to look at her, copying her facial expression.

Nicole grabbed the drainpipe and hopped up so all her weight was on it before making steady progress up towards me.

Teasingly, I rolled onto my stomach, resting my elbows on the edge of the roof and looking down at her. "Almost there." I reached my hand down, lifting it back up as she tried to make a grab for it. "Just a few more metres." I repeated the action, laughing as she got more and more frustrated.