Burn in Water, Drown in Fire

Burn in Water, Drown in Fire ~24~ We Are Life

~24~ We Are Life

(Angel’s POV)

“Can you go and get my book in my room?” Devin asked me. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

If I’d known that Joey would only pick me up so he and Devin could finish some project (although I’m sure Devin was doing all the work, considering they weren’t within the same school and Joey needed “help”), I would’ve stayed at Zac’s.

I trudged up the stairs and entered his dorm-like room, only to realize I didn’t know what subject they were even working on. It’s not like they could simply say “science” and I’d know, because it seems as if he has every science topic. Chemistry…Physics…Biology…Introduction to the Principals of Chemistry…Ecology…

“Devin!” I yelled, making my head pound. “Which book!?”

Of course I wasn’t gonna go back down stairs just for that question and then have to trudge back up the stairs and then back down and etc. So I looked through his bookshelf for any book that was labeled “Grade 12”.

I sat down on his swivel chair and sighed with my headache. I looked around the room with my eyes and then laid my eyes on a binder that said “Joseph Edwards”. With that, I stood and grabbed the blue binder from the highest bookshelf.

At the first page, it was just a picture of Joey and basic profile like birth height, weight, eye color, hair, etc. But I noticed that above the large picture, it read BEFORE.

Before what? He looks the same as he does now. Well that’s what I thought until I flipped the page to “after” and his skin seemed healthier with no dark marks, or break outs. His eyes even seemed more brilliant blue.

What had happened though?

Through the next pages, everything was separated by “before” and “after”. Diseases…behavior…IQ tests…strength…everything was different in a way. Only, the “after” was a whole lot better. There was a page with dosage and times and reactions of “The Drug”, but I was sure that it wasn’t some medical prescription.

“The effects of the drug resulted in the powerful advantage and manipulation over water,” I read off the sheet. Manipulation over water? “The ‘trigger’ of this instance is the first emotion by the attention of the drug—”

What was the first emotion then?

I flipped pages back and found the answer.

“The first ounce of emotion shown was adoration—presumed cause,” I read. What the h3ll is that supposed to mean?

I flipped back to the other page.

“The only thing that will halt manipulation is…intense odium,” I finished.

I kept reading and reading and then I figured it out.

“Angel! We kinda need that Chem book!” Devin’s voice yelled. I grabbed the Chemistry book along with Joey’s binder and then stomped down stairs.

When I got downstairs, I set both books down on the table. Joey immediately grabbed the Chemistry book and started copying down some equation or theory, but Devin’s eyes had stayed on the binder. Then they flashed up to mine and we were still quiet. All while Joey stood and left to go to the kitchen.

“Where’d you get that?” Devin quietly asked me once he left.

“Where you kept it,” I answered, maddened. He sighed and grabbed the bridge on his nose. “Let me ask you this; does Joey even know?”

“You don’t even know what you’re talking about,” he said.

“Yes I do,” I reasoned. Joey walked back in and questioned the tension. Then he looked down to the binder. His blue eyes flashed up to mine and it was if he was seriously a deer caught in the headlights.