c h a o s

Pushing back his damp hair, Elijah motioned to the person nearby. “You know, are you gonna stay there under shelter or join me? It’s just a little bit of rain… it never did anyone any harm.” He stated, running his tongue over his lips where droplets had rolled down his nose and gathered. “Or I mean, you could just talk I guess? The not talking part is probably the weirdest thing.”

“I’m a fire fairy, dude. Me and rain do not mix,” Oscar said, staying firmly under the shelter. “I can talk for days. Mainly about how much I hate the rain and storms and lightning and all that shit.”

“That sounds exactly like something that someone who set fire to that bush would’ve said,” he challenged, raising an eyebrow. Despite the tone he chose, there was a little smirk of amusement betraying him. “Alright, alright,” Harvey rose his hands momentarily, “Say I believe it wasn’t you… did you see who actually did it?”

“Well what would someone who didn’t set fire to the bush say? Because that’s what I should be saying,” Oscar replied to his roommate. “Thank you,” he said with a loud sigh. “I didn’t. But I bet it’s witches. Or goblins or vampires or whatever creature kidnapped Lincoln. They’re clearly out to get us.”

“I know, I know,” Logan said, holding her hands up lightly. “Did they put the fire out though, or are we just standing here as some bush on campus is in flames?”

“I was the only one around and I didn’t put the fire out,” Oscar said, his eyes widening at the realisation as he began to speed off. “You coming?”

“I can’t imagine how that would happen, bushes just coming alight all on their own? It’s such a mystery on how it happens.” Emma spoke with sarcasm dripping from her voice. “I’ll believe you this time, but how about we start not standing by the burning bushes? It’ll be a lot easier to believe you.” 

“Oh come on, you don’t believe me?” He tutted, “We live in a place surrounded by magic, so spontaneously lit bushes is really not out of the question. You’re clearly not thinking wide enough.” Oscar huffed, “This time? Am I really not being that convincing?” The boy questioned, thinking he really was in the clear now. “That is maybe a good point.”

“Who’s trying to frame you?” Simona asked with a tilt of their head. “What have you done to deserve something like that?” 

“I don’t know, dude. Maybe one of them witches? I’ve heard they’re the ones responsible for kidnapping that teacher.” He’d certainly heard lots of conspiracy theories about that wandering around campus, not sure which one to believe. “Simona. You know me well enough by now to know I’m not the most calm and rational person in the world. That pisses a lot of people off.”

“Okay, I guess if you swear. Word of advice though, just say that you swear and deny it, because adding that extra stuff kind of makes it seem like you’re trying to cover it up.”

“I do swear. I’ll swear on my own life,” Oscar said, putting his hand to his heart in order to convince the other more. “Right. Noted,” he chuckled. “How will people believe me if I don’t say the other stuff. A fire fair who is often careless with his magic... I’m not exactly trusted in situations like this.”

Josephine sighed quietly at the question, she had put so much on her schedule for the day that she wasn’t sure there was a slot of time to help with the phone. “What did you do to it?” She asked, conceding to the other. “You… In the milk? How?” 

“I dropped it in my froot loops,” Oscar replied like it was the most normal response ever. “I was watching something and there was a jump scare and it fell out of my hand when I jumped... and you’re smart enough to work out the rest.” It probably was his fault for watching horror videos over his breakfast. “I put it in rice because apparently that’s what you’re meant to do but it has not some anything. Why would you put your phone in a bag of cooked rice anyway? Makes no sense.”

“If you try and take the board I will come from you, Beaumont.” Max told the other, glaring at him for a moment before making a motion that he was watching him. “I’ve been skateboarding, climbing trees and causing complete chaos since I was like seven years old. Of course I have gory stories- I mean there was that time I fell out the tree and my arm was in a position that it was not supposed to be in.”

“Come for me?” Oscar questioned with a smirk, “I’d like to see you try, Fairbank,” he said as he made a goofy face at the other as he made a motion with his hands. “I’ve been causing chaos since I came out of the womb, son. You’re not beating me there.” Something he was pretty proud of, even if his sister did try to restrain him sometimes. “Falling out of a tree? Laaame. You’ve gotta have better than that.”

“God, I knew I shouldn’t have suggested that in your presence,” Marzia shook her head, chuckling to herself. “That’s so fucking cool you can just do that. I can like… help you fix your Wifi connection or recharge your phone’s battery?” she shrugged. “Man, I’m really going to regret saying yes to this, aren’t I?” 

“You really shouldn’t have,” Oscar chuckled. “It might be cool but one of these days I’m going to get arrested for accidental arson and then it’ll all go to shit. So while I might have the better power for this one situation you’re way better off in the long term. Plus being able to recharge a phone battery? Pretty fuckin’ cool.” While he loved his powers, he did wonder what it would be like to have different ones. Tech seemed to be one of the coolest. “Nah, I don’t think so. The lake’s gotta be like four degrees, that’s not even that bad.” Then again he didn’t feel the cold like other people thanks to his powers.

“Wait, wait… Hang on, that was today?” Lila asked the other as the worry started to spread over her features. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Do you think you can cover for me?” 

“Fuck, you’ve not done it either?” Oscar said and deeply sighed. “I was gonna copy off you, so no I can’t cover for you. I was hoping you’d cover for me but we’ve fucked that one up, haven’t we?”

Josephine sighed as she looked up from her workbooks, “You know, just because I’m a technology fairy doesn’t mean I instantly know how to fix your phone.” Josephine spoke, always so focused within her school work that she never really liked being interrupted during her designated study period. “Did you try putting it in rice?” She suggested 

“But you do... right?” Oscar was always destroying his phone one way or another. Falling out of his pockets when he was scaling a building, overheating it in his grip when he got angry, or this time, dropping it in his bowl of froot loops. “Duh. I’m not an idiot,” Oscar replied sarcastically to the other. “I don’t think it liked the colourful milk.”

“You know, everything that you just said, literally did not help your case,” Logan told him. “I would hate to be your lawyer if you were ever on trial. Deny, deny, deny, brother.”

“Did you not hear me swear that it wasn’t me? Because that should surely wipe out all the other shit I’ve said that may or may not incriminate me,” Oscar replied. “I can even swear on your life I didn’t do it, and you know I don’t take that lightly.”

Emma raised her brow at the student, giving them a chance to finish talking before she spoke. “I’ll be honest, I feel as if I’ve heard this excuse before.” Emma spoke, “Are you telling the truth or do you want another go at it?” 

“Well you probably have. I happen to find myself around bushes that are alight a lot of the time, by pure coincidence,” Oscar told the other, knowing that wasn’t exactly helping his case. “I am completely telling the truth. You can even do your fancy mind tricks to check,” he said, waving his hands and fingers to imitate how her powers worked.

Simona paused for a moment as if listening to gain all the information before they replied, “It’s not your best excuse, but I’m sure if you crossed the right person they’ll probably believe you. You can be honest with me, though. I won’t tell- did you do it?” 

“Excuse you?” Oscar said dramatically. “It’s not an excuse, Simona. I swear.” He was trying his hardest to get them to believe him, but wasn’t sure if his efforts were in vain. “Like I said, it usually would be me but I think someone is trying to frame me so I get detention.”

“I appreciate you coming to play the hero and making sure I’m okay, but I am- really.” Max commented from where he was currently sat on the ground, skateboard a few feet away from him from where he had came off it. “I’ve had a lot worse, got the scars and stories to prove it but I’m not sure you’ll want to hear them, apparently I can be pretty graphic when describing the oozing.”

“What makes you think I’m playing the hero? I’m totally not coming over here to check up on you, just to see if the skateboard is okay,” he told the other, but his attention was swayed at the mention of gory stories. “Oooh, you’ve got graphic stories? Tell me.”

“The assignment has officially been submitted!” Marzia announced, swinging back in her chair rather dangerously. “Let’s do something to celebrate like eat our weight in ice cream or jump into the lake that’s probably still freezing cold right now. On second thought let’s not do the latter idea. But I’m open to any suggestions really. I can stress about the other one I gotta do tomorrow.”

“Are you kidding me? You can’t just suggest a great idea like that and then take it back. I’m totally up for jumping in the lake. Let’s do it,” Oscar told the other, a mischievous smile on his face. “If you’re worried about freezing your ass off I can set myself on fire to warm you up.”