School bell rings, loud and obnoxiously annoying. Salem is tired even after nearly dying the whole island still goes back to work, not even getting a week to get close to our loved ones.
Salem's eyes are dark and drooping but regardless he has a scholarship at this expensive school so he's forcing himself to make it to his next class.
Salem, walks around the halls pulling one foot in front of the other in order to get to his next class. Until he's stopped in the middle of the hallway by a girl, she loos oddly familiar to him, but he can't pin her in his mind.
She's blonde haired, with big round glasses, a chip in the left corner of her left lens. Her whole outfit bright and colorful, and she smells of a freshly cut grass and somewhat of cigarettes.
Random Girl: "Hello!"
She waves at Salem enthusiastically with her white teeth, shining bright and her head tilted slightly.
Salem looks around the, not at all empty hallway. Students wizzing past them or slowly walking past them, one or two weave right by them, turning their body to not hit them both.
Salem points to himself and looks at her with a dumbfounded look.
Salem: "You talking to me?"
The girl looks around, then down between them, the distance less that a few inches apart.
Random girl: "Yes. Who else I'm I looking at that could be between us?"
Salem gives her an awkward smile and scratches his neck.
The girl just continues to look at him and smile, her white teeth damn near glistened.
Salem: "Yeah, I guess no one else..."
A chuckle escapes his throat, making a weird croak sound.
He pauses, then she pauses. They stare at each other not moving, Salem feels his heart sink to his stomach.
Salem give another nervous chuckle.
Salem: "So is there something you..?"
Random girl: "You're the Burning Man."
And his heart sunk deeper.
Salem: "What do you mean burning man?"
He's never had to lie before and his heart was racing, his voice came out in multiple squeaks, as he tried to hold himself in place. He let out a nervouse chuckle.
Salem: "You mean that guy that was seen flying the bomb away from Guam before it detonated, wasn't there a conspiracy theory that he was Jesus resurrected? Do I loo..."
Random girl: "You're a horrible liar."
She reaches into her side pocket and pulls out a phone.
She swipes away, once twice, thrice. Then she stops and taps it once, turning the phone screen to Salem.
A video plays where the girl enters the forest and stops a bit behind a person that's slightly being covered from the shadows of the trees, before the person that's being recorded lights on fire.
Salem eyes widen in pure surprise.
(Over the Phone) Salem: "Im going to cause a fire!"
Salem tries to snatch the phone but she turns it off and puts it back into her pocket.
The girl puts her hand in front of Salem, palm open and waiting to be shook.
Random Girl: "Hello Burning man, My name is Amelia. I saw you last week on the bleachers."
Slowly Salem's memory jolts into action.
Salem: "You were the crying girl..?"
Amelia looks offended by that speak and close her fist, jabbing it into his middle part of his stomach where the Solar Plexus is at and makes Salem drop to his knees.
Wonder: 'That was felt in here.'
Salem: "Nice to know..."
Salem says to Wonder but looks insane since the only one with him right now is Amelia.
Amelia: "Who are you talking too?"
She looks down at him as now everyone is beginning to look at Salem on the ground as he clutches his stomach.
Salem tries getting up but the pain returns again. He winces and tries once again to get to his feet. Salem has never been in a fight before so this is a new territory of pain for him.
Amelia rolls her eyes and crouches down to grab Salem by the colla before pulling him up to his feet, still wincing from the pain, until he's back on his feet it's like all the pain faded away immediately.
Amelia looks at him with surprise as his pained looked just vanished.
Wonder: 'Fixed it.'
Salem: 'Fixed it?!'
Wonder: 'Yes, and I can hear you perfect in your mind. no need to speak out loud.'
Salem: 'Okay.'
Amelia continues to look at him, with her great round glasses, still somewhat baffled at the complete change up of demeanour.
Amelia: "So are yo going to tell me your name or are you just going to have me call you Burnin..."
Salem: "My name is Salem!"
Salem shouts unexpectedly and and gets embarrassed as people continue staring at the two of them, but Amelia seems indifferent to all the looks she's getting from all the people.
Amelia: "Well Salem... I'd like a picture."
Salem gives her a look.
Salem: "I'm sorry. Is that all you want from me?"
Amelia shakes her head in disapproval.
Amelia: "Not from you. From the Burning man."
Salem: "I don't know if i can do that."
Wonder: 'You can.'
Amelia tilts her head, her face kept the look of disapproval.
Amelia: "Well, you have to try or else I'm going to make you famous on many news headlines."
Salem: "Is there like a reason you want a picture of the Burning man?"
Amelia shrugs her shoulders.
Amelia: "Because I want one. That's it."
Her voice is nonchalant.
Amelia: "Is that a problem?"
Salem: "No I was just asking... Do you want to do it here or..?"
Amelia looks at him like he's stupid.
Amelia: "If we did that then me have a video of "The Burning Man" is useless because you would just be showing everyone."
Salem scratches just above his right ear.
Salem: "Oh yeah."
Amelia: "Meet me after school, in the pool area. Okay?"
Salem nods.
Salem: "Yes."
The bell rings again and they find themselves now in an empty hallway, the hallways did seem to become a lot more quiet and they did seem to be to absorbed in their conversion to notice anything else.
Amelia runs off, a smile as she waves to him.
Amelia: "Bye Salem!"
Salem looks at her and freezes. He doesn't even move an inch at her wave, nor does he stay looking up.
His body changed but his mind remained the same, unsocial 17 year old teenager.
Amelia stops and looks at him with a weird mix of a pout and anger.
Amelia: "No you did this last time. Wave back and smile."
Salem looks up at her and smiles, awkwardly. He then picks up his hand and waves his hand moving uncomfortably left then right, once in a stiff motion.
Amelia's smile return again then she runs off turning a corner and disappearing out of Salem's eyesight.
Wonder: 'You okay, your heart was beating irregularly?'
Salem puts his hand to his chest and lets out a deep sigh, some smoke coming out of his mouth.
He thinks back to three seconds ago, his first time waving to a girl that's not his mom.
His heart skips a beat.
Wonder: 'There it is again!'
Salem: 'SHUT UP!'