The Elemental Warriors: Chapter 2

## Chapter 2- Coral

I’m
starting this from the beginning.  Don’t
know ‘bout y’all, but I’m starting with the text string.

I could just feel something
brewing in my town, just north of Kansas City.
It was getting bigger, and it was going to burst soon.

I need to stop being
cryptical.  The Missouri River was
flooding.  It had been flooding for a
while, in fact, but as I opened my mailbox, sifting through today’s mail and grinning
at the sight of my schedule, a headache sprouted in the back of my head.  Somehow, I knew it was connected to the river
flooding.

As I went back inside and
started opening the letter, my headache grew much bigger, but I decided to
ignore it.  But it felt like my mind was
a metal detector, and that schedule was an anvil.  So as soon as I was about to read the letter,
I…

Had to make a beeline for the
Advil.

Even though I knew the headache
was connected to the river-and, obviously, the letter-, I told myself: *ignore that.*
Your mind’s playing tricks on you.

When I got back from the Advil
break, I picked up my phone, glanced at my schedule, and texted my friends my
teachers:

Coral: Classes in
order: Rowan, Hudson, Dawn, Van Ness, Hamilton, Pendleton

Sky: zact same,
except for last period

Ember: excuse
me?!

Sky: I mean fifth
period. And it’s seventh grade math.

I
rolled my eyes.  Sky *had* to tell us she was too smart for grade-level math.  I mean, at first glance she’s only a writer,
but it didn’t stop her from bragging about excelling in every other subject
whenever possible.

*<If you say one more negative thing*
about me in this book, I will edit you out of it.>

I’m just telling the truth.  This is a *nonfiction*
*book.*

*<mumble mumble>*

Ignoring that comment, I will continue the
string…

Ember: Hey, me
too!

Sky: yay, maybe I
won’t die alone

Ember: but I have
facs (family and consumer science) for third period

Sky: you never
cease to disappoint me

Although it would be a huge coincidence if all our classes are
together

Ember: yeah

Sage: sup, just
logged on

Hey wheres bella

Bella
was a newer member of our friendship circle.
I’d forgotten to add her to our text group.

Coral: she just
texted me

Same except 1st
period is chorus

Ember: suspicious

Coral: really

I had, in fact, just received a text with
that information, but Ember was suspicious a lot.

Sage:  wow, this friendship circle is coincidence
town

As for myself, same as coral except science and math switch

Coral: wow you’re
right sage

I wonder why pretty much all our classes are together

Ember: YOU GUYS

I think the schedule coordinators are conspiring against us

I mean, just think about it

Coral: dream on

Ember: seriously

Coral: AAAUUGGHH

Sky: ¿Qué?

Coral: sorry,
just a huge headache

Just got when I was opening the letter

Sage: have you
tried the latest improvement in headache medicine…

Coral: yes, I’ve
tried advil

Just now in fact, hasn’t settled in
yet

Ember: same thing
going on here, but milder probably

Sky: weird

That thing with the headaches, as we would
find out, was only the first-I mean second, there’s the schedules too- of many
weird things to come.

Hey!  Good news: you only have to turn the page to
see another one!