CHAPTER 15

The pick-up truck roared beneath their feet as they got closer and closer to the school.

"How could I be so stupid?" Audrey said, holding back tears.

"It was a long day. Don't worry, I'm sure it's okay."

He parked at the school and she bolted out of the truck, Enzo hadn't even turned the vehicle off.

Audrey jumped the three steps to the school's main door and took a few seconds to find the key.

The door opened, darkness filled the hallways, not a single soul was there. That would've been enough for her to wait for Enzo, she wasn't keen on being alone in the dark in there. But tonight, it didn't matter. She had to find out.

She took out her phone, tapped on it and turned on the camera's flash. She ran ahead, Enzo just behind her.

She made three turns before reaching the machine closet, as Larry called it.

Audrey flipped on the light switch to see big pipes dominating the whole room. There was a gear crank and other levers, she couldn't recognize which one she was supposed to turn off.

"That one," Enzo said, pointing at a big lever.

She practically jumped at it, it was the red one on the corner of the room, she should have recognized it, but she was so anxious that she didn't even see it.

She tried to turn it but couldn't, put all her weight and pulled but it was impossible, Enzo stepped ahead and she let go.

"It's stuck," she said, "we need to find something to—"

He pulled it down with one hand.

She looked at him. It took him zero effort. She had to consciously close her mouth, she was so surprised.

She was no girly-girl with no strength, and she knew she weighted a bit more than a feather.

She knew it was stuck, but to him, it was just like turning off a water tap.

"Thank you," she said, still surprised.

Enzo nodded, looking around.

"There's some water here," he said kneeling down to a very small puddle on the other corner of the room.

"Do you think that's it?"

He got up and sniffed. He actually put his nose higher in the air and took a whiff. It wasn't loud or anything, just... strange.

"No," he replied, moving out unto the dark corridor.

She followed him, trying to light his way, but apparently he didn't need it.

He stopped and raised his arm so she wouldn't step on another small puddle next to the bathroom stalls.

"Oh, no," she said with a whimper and entered the room.

He stood outside for a brief moment and went in after her.

Everything seemed normal. There was a bunch of tiles on a corner where water dripped.

"It's not too bad..." she said, but Enzo's face seemed hard, as if looking for something.

"Come with me," he said, taking her hand.

What's happening? He was going to the right side of the building, away from the machines closet.

Then she heard it.

Constant dripping from far away.

He pressed on and opened the double doors leading to the school's gym.

She pointed her phone ahead and saw a huge pool of water just a few feet away.

Her heart sank.

No, no, please, no.

"Wait here," Enzo said and walked inside, his big boots echoed in the quiet darkness of the room, then each step turned into splashing sounds.

It wasn't big but it was what they had. A basketball court surrounded by old, pale seats. It was the only part of the school that looked fairly well maintained, especially with the hardwood floor.

She thought of moving the graduation event there, instead of outside under the sun. Audio would improve, too.

Maybe it's not as bad as it sounds. But she knew it was going to be. She wasn't lucky at all.

She peeked into the gym and a cool breeze caressed her cheeks, walked a few steps in and right in the middle of it, a huge pool of water laid still. The floor was ruined.

A cracking sound thudded to her right, making her jump in fear.

"Over here," she heard Enzo say from the boy's locker rooms, "water pressure broke a pipe, that's why the place is flooded."

She tried going over without stepping in the water but it would be impossible.

"Wait there, I'll help," Enzo said, and immediately headed towards her.

She felt a thick lump in her throat, it was difficult to speak. Ruined, the whole place is ruined, because of me.

Enzo picked her up and before she realized what was happening, he carried her in his arms, taking her to the boy's locker room, his feet submerged up to the shins.

"It's not as bad as it looks," he told her, but she knew he was lying, she'd seen more than enough to know this was a disaster.

They got into the room, turned to the left and up on the far corner she saw a water pipe bursting out of the destroyed wall, bent down and dripping, as if defeated.

She held on to him tightly, trying to find a way out of this, but it was impossible. She fucked up. She couldn't look away.

Shame, regret, frustration.

Then she realized.

He picked her up as if she weighted nothing. It was a strange feeling.

His skin was hot and firm, he didn't seem to have a hard time carrying her. She didn't even remember the last time someone did something like this. She hadn't even entertained the notion that it was possible.

The locker room was flooded. The whole thing would cost thousands. She came back to the reality of the situation and tears started to flow.

"Hey, no, no, Audrey, don't cry, it's all right," he said, bringing her closer to him, hugging her.

"It's not all right, it's fucked."

"We just have to repair it."

"We have no money."

"Yes we do."

She met his eyes.

"The kids will freaking hate me, all the money we raised for nothing."

"I didn't say we used that money."

"Then how do you expect me to fix all this?"

He walked over to a bench, and lowered her there, above the water.

"We remove the water, replace the plumbing and fix the floors, it's not so hard."

"Enzo, do you have any idea how much that would cost?"

He shrugged, then smiled, "I know people, don't worry."

"Just hiring people out to drain the water is going to cost thousands, We'll have to—?"

"No," he interrupted her.

She didn't know what to say, what did he mean by that?

"I can do that myself" he said quietly, his eyes fixed with hers.

She turned the light away from him, pointing to the water, there wasn't a single spot in there that wasn't flooded.

"I'm sorry," she said, "we're going to need professional—"

"I'm a channeler," he said.

Silence. Water dripped on the surface of the pool, one, two, three times before she could say anything.

"You're a what?"

He sighed.

"A bear shifter."

She didn't say anything. The butterflies she felt in her stomach every time she saw him fluttered again.

"No one knows about it here and I'd like to keep it that way," he continued.

"You're a shifter? Enzo this is no time for—"

"I'm not joking."

Bear shifters weren't supposed to be here, in a lame, poor school in an unknown town. They are supposed to be top military agents, spies... even movie or sports stars, darn it. Not school counselors.

"You don't believe me," he said.

Is this what it was? Is this why this incredibly hot, caring, truly nice man remained single? Was he insane?

"Not insane," he replied.

Her jaw dropped. What just happened?

"What happened is I can feel your thoughts. I never do that, don't worry, I respect people's privacy."

She started trembling and he stepped towards her.

"Please, don't—"

What was she going to say? She wasn't scared. Not really. But was he lying? Some people could cold read others, make them think they could read their minds.

He touched her arm, his soft, hot skin made her shiver. Goosebumps filled her body.

"I'm going to prove it to you, okay?"

"What," she could finally articulate, "are you going to turn into a bear now?"

That would be amazing. One of the miracles of nature. Something she never expected to see in her life.

She'd seen documentaries, photographs and googled about shifters, even saw some of the fights on TV, but they didn't usually turn into their animals front of people.

No one would believe this happened to her.

"Stop worrying," he said, "and no, I'm not going to shift to a bear."

"So? What do you mean by—"

"I'm a channeler, one of the last ones. My crew's helped me get better at it."

"Get better at what?"

"Have some power over the elements."

"Enzo, are you feeling all right?"

He stepped back and slowly bent his knees, his arms outstretched, his muscles tensing incredibly hard, just as if he carried a huge, invisible weight.

A gust of cold wind made her dress fly up but she was quick enough to hold it down, gasping.

They locked eyes again, he grinned.

"Check this out," he said stepping back.

He growled. A deep, resonant sound that made her shudder. Every muscle in his neck and arms bulged, the veins in his forehead thickened, what's—?

The pool at their feet. It made a sound.

She pointed her cell phone down to light the water and it suddenly moved. More like, awoke, as if someone had just thrown a big rock at it, splashing everywhere around, her dress miraculously spared.

She yelled, a mix of surprise, fear and excitement began to form in her stomach. The pool became alive right in front of her eyes.

Enzo opened his hands and roared again. The water started moving, small waves at first, then bigger ones, forming a current heading out of the locker room.

The whole room filled with the noise of running water, and just before her eyes, the water level started getting lower.

She looked at Enzo, his face was bright red for all the effort.

He turned to her and winked. Suddenly, she could see the floor tiles.

The edge of the water moved a few feet away, held at bay by some invisible force.

"Walk," he said.

The water level rose as every drop slithered away from them. The locker rooms now looking completely dry.

He kept pushing it towards the gym's entrance, sliding it under the slit beneath the main doors. It worked, but it would take very long unless someone opened them.

Columns of water rose up until they towered above her. He could not only control the water's direction, but also the space it it occupied.

"Go," he said, "unlock the doors."

"I... I..." she replied, without moving. A huge pool of water blocked the way. She had to get in there and swim through it.

She took a deep breath and slowly walked toward the huge water column. An inch before she stepped into it, Enzo snarled and a tunnel opened for her, allowing her to pass through without problem.

I must be dreaming. Her heart beat so fast she thought it would explode, her excitement held back by her surprise. She marveled at what was happening, then heard him growl behind her.

"Open the doors, Au."

She gave him a quick nod, he looked like an Olympic weightlifter about to break the World Record.

She took her first step inside the water tunnel, the sound inside it like an explosion or a cascade. A cool, damp breeze caressed her skin, wet particles embraced her as if this was just an ordinary thing.

But no. This was incredible and frightening, all at the same time.

The legends are real.

She pressed forward, realizing the snail's pace she moved at.

Finding the right key out of literally dozens was hard, but she got the right one on her third try.

The doors opened softly, and suddenly, the silver light of the moon bathed her. She stopped, almost shuddering as the tunnel of water advanced forward around her, the glint of the moon sent flashes of twisting light throught the transparent liquid, moving ahead until it finally splashed on the open grass just beside the sidewalk outside.

She couldn't think. Her eyes were fixed on the ground, where the water fell.

A soft breeze grazed her arms and she knew nothing could ever compare to what she just experienced.

Then Enzo put his hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks for opening the doors."

A shiver ran throughout her body. This man let her into his biggest secret... and then thanked her? Holy shit.

He was a keeper, she knew that from the moment she met him. But now? Now she really, truly knew he was way, way out of her league.