Fire Proof

Chapter Thirteen

A hand grabs mine and I jump out of my skin.

"Sorry!" Bryce exclaims  from behind me. "Are you alright?"

I take a deep breath and nod, turning around to face him. "Yeah, I think so. I just thought I saw. . . Never mind it was probably just my imagination."

Bryce exchanges a look with his sister. "If you're sure. . ."

I give him a small smile. "I'm fine. Are we ready to go to the field?"

Kiara claps her hands excitedly and we head outside to the back of the school building. I notice most of the school is also heading out there.

A man stands at the front of the crowd — Bryce calls him the Coach — waving his arms and trying to get everyone to quiet down. He announces we'll be playing Soccer, something I've never played before.

I scoot closer to Bryce on instinct and he wraps an arm around my shoulders. "You'll be fine." He tells me, but I'm not sure I believe him.

There are a lot of people out here, so the first game I'm able to sit out and watch, trying to learn the rules. Both Bryce and Kiara are in, though, so I also try to cheer them on. Except I don't do a great job of it; it's hard to follow them the whole time!

For the second game, however, the coach calls me in and puts me in front of the net.

"Just don't let the ball into the net, okay? That's all you have to do."

I nod, feeling like I'm in a trance. My mind keeps fluttering to Aislee and the fact that I saw her. Even if it was just my imagination.

What's really tripping me up, though, is the fact that I saw her today in a way I don't remember ever seeing her when I lived in the Caves. I don't remember her having that leather outfit, or her hair that long and curly, or her being that tall. The point is, she didn't look how I last saw her. She looked older and more like she would now if she was alive.

Unless she never died.

But then, wouldn't she have searched the woods for me all those years? If she was alive, wouldn't I be home now?

Smack!

My thoughts are knocked out of my head as I'm hit to the ground. Blinking my eyes I realize the sky is spinning. Or I am spinning.  I'm not really sure at this point.

"Azari!" Bryce calls from across the field. Or, I thought he was across the field. When I turn my head, he's right next to me. "Are you okay?"

He grabs my hand and helps me into a sitting position. He cups my cheeks in his hands and scans my face with his eyes. "Can you hear me?"

I nod slowly. "I-I'm fine."

"Alpha, she's fine. She's not bleeding and she's conscious." The Coach says from behind Bryce.

Bryce sighs and reluctantly lets go of me. "Be careful, okay?" He says before walking off.

"Pay attention to the game, girl!" The Coach tells me. "It'll save you from getting hit with the ball next time."

I merely nod and help myself to my feet. Yikes. I cringe. That was embarrassing.

He looked like he was going to kiss us! Kenna swoons.

I growl at her. Shut up, he was not! He was just checking if I was okay, that's all.

I bet he would've kissed us if no one else was around!

Be quiet! I snap and shut her out. Gosh, she can be so annoying sometimes!

When the Coach blows his whistle, I watch the ball and pay attention this time.   When the ball comes hurtling towards me, I'm ready, knocking it away with my hands. Half the crowd cheers and I smile a little. Okay, that was kind of fun, I guess.

The next time it happens I catch sight of a girl kicking the ball towards my net. She doesn't look happy I blocked it last time.

The girl kicks the round white ball and it soars towards me. I brace myself with my hands out in front of me when I hear a voice from my childhood. A voice that could bring me to tears right here.

"Azari!"

Aislee? I think, and my focus drops.

A collective gasp erupts from the crowd and I blink rapidly until I can see what's in front of me. But what I see makes me jump back, horrified.

Oh no, what have I done?

At my feet sits the Soccer ball. And it's on fire.