The Elementals [Watty Awards 2012 Action Winner]

Chapter 10

A/N
This chapter is dedicated to @JasonRhodes for being the winner of the new character competition! *claps like a psycho*

Chapter ten:

The spray of hot water that showered me eased my taut muscles. I was aching all over and my shoulder was still a little stiff but the hot shower relieved the pain a little. I’d probably been in the shower for an hour, just letting the water run over my skin and letting my thoughts run wild before trickling down the drain with the rest of the water.

I opened the door and watched as the steam that collected in the shower burst out and coiled around the ceiling before disappearing. I felt refreshed. Water, in any form, always made me feel better and having the cool moist air and hot steam swirling around me made me feel stronger.

Grabbing a fluffy towel I dried my damp skin and wrapped it around me before heading into the cooler bedroom to find something date worthy for tonight. I didn’t want to wear something that would give Max the wrong idea, but I did want to try to look decent enough to say ‘yes this is a date, not just a dinner between best friends’.

Helena had told me she’d study in the library to ‘give us some alone time’ so I couldn’t ask her for her opinion. Eventually I decided on a pair of white jeans and a loose silk top that dipped a little lower at the back. It had a swirling pattern with dark and light blues and since it was Max’s favourite colour I decided ‘why not?’ I didn’t bother with shoes but I did fix my hair so that it hung down my back and framed my eyes with eyeliner. Lastly I draped the necklace Max gave me on my birthday around my neck. I stepped back and looked at myself in the mirror. That should do.

I glanced over at the clock and saw it was nearly seven. I was starving and the grumbling of my stomach made it embarrassingly obvious.  A knock on the door caught my attention and I jumped up to answer it. I swung it open and found a smiling Max holding two bags of Chinese food.

“Come on in Max” I greeted him brightly. The food smelt delicious and even though it sounded awful for me to even think about it, I was a little more excited to see the food than Max.

“Hey, wow Val you look beautiful” Max said looking me up and down. I stood to the side and let him through.

“Just put them on the coffee table. We can eat on the sofa” I instructed him, half ignoring his compliment. He did as I said and I sat next to him after closing the door with a soft click.

“I didn’t know what you’d want so I pretty much bought everything” he told me with a little chuckle. I laughed and peeked into the bags. They were both filled with containers crammed with different food plus a huge bag of prawn crackers.

“Wow, I think you read my mind Max. I’m starving so maybe this will just fill us both up!” I joked. But I swear to God I was telling the truth.

“Well, bon appétit Val” he saluted clinking his bottle of cola against my bottle of lemonade. I clinked back then dug straight into the first container I could find.

“Oh my goodness... I feel like an overinflated balloon” I moaned as I sat back against the cushions. Max laughed at me and poked my stomach softly.

“Where the hell do you stash all of the food you eat? You don’t look as if you just ate three quarters of the food”

I laughed loudly and poked him back, “Shush you, I was so hungry!”

I absentmindedly rubbed my healing shoulder but Max saw the movement. “Your shoulder still bothering you Val?” he asked me a little concerned. “Maybe Kayla didn’t do a proper job”