Creation Mischief Part 6 (edited )

Kyle was worried. Lines crossed his forehead like strings on a violin. He was pacing back and forth in front of Master Brock's door as I slipped out. Dust puffed up with every step, gathering by his brown wavy head in a cloud. He didn't notice me at first, so intent on reducing his fingernail to the quick. 1

I stood at the door watching him closely, noticing the long length of his legs and the way his muscles bunched just underneath the fabric of his pants and the way his shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. I shook myself from the direction my thoughts were taking.2

The sunlight felt good against my chilled skin. The stale air and the smell of jasmine climbing the wall of the dining hall, hung heavily on the air around us. 3

I cleared my throat. "Kyle?" I waited for a moment. When he didn't stop I tried again. "Kyle, will you stop that?" I grabbed his arm and got rewarded with a mouthful of dust. I coughed as he finally saw me. 4

"How'd it go?" he asked, taking his finger out of his mouth.5

I shrugged. “Kyle,” I said softly, touching his arm. "Kyle, do you think it’s strange that the volcano erupted when we were arguing on Deter Seven?"6

He glanced at where I was resting my hand. I blushed a little and could feel my cheeks become warmer. I knew he was reading more into the gesture then I meant it to. I wanted him to know how important this was to me. So I used his feelings to make sure he knew. Maybe what I said next would be easier because of it. He shrugged before answering. "I'm not sure. Nothing like it has ever happened before. I talked to Carmen after coming back from D7 and she hasn't heard of anyone else doing it either.”7

"Strange. I wonder if Master Ruben would know. When I talked to him after we returned he didn't seem particularly upset or interested. Just absentminded, like normal. I wonder?" I let my thoughts drift. 8

I started walking towards the outcrop of buildings where the Mastercreator's workroom was located. I debated with myself on whether to tell Kyle about the scale or tell him about the apple tree. I jumped right in without coming to a decision. "The last world I was on, I was thinking about when I was young and with my father. Somehow I started thinking of apples. Well, the elm tree next to me turned into an apple tree."9

He stopped quickly, causing me to run into his elbow.10

"Ouch," I yelped and backed away.11

"Sorry," Kyle mumbled. "What do you mean the elm turned into an apple?"12

I started walking again, Kyle skipped to catch up to me. "What I mean is the elm tree's serrated leaves turned into the oval leaves of an apple and apples started to grow."13

Silence descended on us but all around us the shrieks and giggles of the students echoed off the stone buildings as they hurried to their next class. Dust gathered at their feel. It looked like an early morning fog had rolled in. The dirt made a gritty feel in my mouth and I longed for a drink. Kyle and I pushed our way through the crowd.14

I watched Kyle's face as he processed what I had told him. His forehead crinkled while taking it all in and his lips thinned out until they all but disappeared. Then his face smoothed out when he wanted more information.15

"So, you influence your surroundings?" He asked as he pulled me to a stop.16

"As far as I can see yes, but I'm not sure I alone can cause a volcano to erupt." I turned from him.17

I heard him take a swift breath before he spoke. "Are you saying that I helped?"18

"I'm not sure. Trees are simple." We were approaching the Jumping Circle and the crowd was thinning out. Along side of the path mature Aspen trees grew. Their almost round leaves shaded the two of us from the afternoon sun, as we continued on our way to Mastercreator Ruben’s study. Between the Aspens white trunks grew saplings, too young yet for me to identify with.19

"Stop." I ordered Kyle.20

Kyle stopped and a small breeze blew stray strands of curly hair across his sun-kissed cheeks. He absently brushed them away.21

I focused my thoughts on a thin limb. As we watched, the willowy stick shrunk while turning a dark shade of green. When it reached two feet, small leaves sprouted from the side and a white multi-petal head peeked out from the green stem.22

"A daisy?" Kyle asked astondished.23

"Yeah, a daisy. I was thinking about the flower box that was just outside our kitchen window when I was little." I sighed deeply. "This is what happens and when we are together it magnifies."24

"So if I were to concentrate on the daisy with you, what would happen?"25

I shook my head and the movement caused my hair to brush across my shoulders. "I'm not sure. Maybe a lot of daisies or something bigger."26

Kyle started walking briskly again towards Master Ruben’s. "We will figure this out. What else did Master Brock say?"27

I skipped a couple of times to catch up to him. Freshly turned dirt reached my nose and I scratched it before answering him. "He says I'm a distraction and then he started in on what our Master thought of me. It was really strange."28

We had reached the building that held Mastercreator Ruben's workroom. It was as plain as Master Brock’s, but here there was a lived in feel to it. Boxes were stacked just outside the entrance so high they threatened to fall over. Miscellaneous branches and sacks of vegetation were laid haphazardly across the entryway and we gingerly stepped over the debris.29

Kyle stopped just outside the main door. “Do you want me to come with you?"30

I thought for a moment. It would be nice to have Kyle’s strong presence standing beside me, but in the end I knew I needed to do this on my own. "No, I think I'd better see him by myself."31

He squeeze my shoulder gently before speaking, "I’ll be in the second level library trying to find some reference to what you've-we've been doing. Come find me there."32

I nodded slowly, my mind already on Master Ruben33

He walked away and then turned back before reaching the exit. "I haven't forgotten about the serpent. I will be waiting for the details."