Chapter Sixteen

               Eziekiel
                   He watched Vanessa speak, her eyes closed. He could tell it was against her better nature to be telling them all this story. He tried to put up a tough face, to make this easier on her, but he couldn't help the look of disgust that washed over him. He had never felt the need to scoop someone up and hold them, but he was feeling that now. It shocked him. Never had he felt that way, and now he was feeling it towards this girl he'd only known for 3 days.
                  He didn't know why he had gotten so angry at Jason. It was just the look on her face, the look as if she didn't want to rat him out because she was scared, made him mad. It made him more then mad. He shouldn't feel this way, especially toward a girl who probably didn't feel the same way. Then Jason didn't make it any better, grinning like an idiot...
                  He snapped out of his thoughts and kept his eyes on Vanessa. When she was finished, her eyes opened. He saw fear in them, and guessed it was from them. She was scared that they were going to treat her like a freak, he could see it. Once again, the urge to hold her close was overwhelming, but he fought it.
                 Savannah didn't, though. She squealed,"Oh, sweetheart!" and threw her arms around Vanessa. Their eyes met, and Vanessa's shot down. Crap. His expression probably wasn't helping her. Vanessa was just one of those people that can't do anything without finding trouble. It looked like Eziekiel was going to be saving her a whole lot more.
                    He didn't really mind the idea, though.
                             ...
                   Vanessa
                    Simon watched with awe on his face as he Twins darted down to rabbits, then shot up into giraffes. They found that they could transform into any person, animal, object, or creature. They particularly liked transforming into various Misfits' and teasing them with themselves. Savannah had the idea to get them to practice their magic, so they could understand it more. So when the Twins had finished, Savannah burst into applause, and looked at Jason.
                       He rolled his eyes at her eager expression, and his eyes flickered to Vanessa, who was settled on the sofa next to Eziekiel. She felt Eziekiel growl,"Don't," but Jason just grinned, and splayed his hand. Vanessa whipped off her seat, and onto Jason's lap. He grinned down on her, and wrapped his arms around her waist. She squirmed,"Oi." She went to get up, but he splayed his hand again, and she plopped back on top of him.
                        Savannah cut through Eziekiel's growls, and said,"Leave the poor girl alone, Jason." He shrugged, and clenched his fist. Vanessa shot off his lap and neatly onto her original seat. Eziekiel stopped his growling and relaxed, and Vanessa rested her dizzy head on the coach.  Jason made various things zoom towards him, then fly back again. Savannah was just about to clap, when they heard a scream from Ivory's room.
                           Eziekiel shot up and sprinted to her room, and Vanessa chased after him. When he burst through the door and Ivory screamed again, she was surrounded by thick vines. Eziekiel yelled,"Get outta' there!" But Ivory screamed again, to terrified to speak. So Eziekiel charged through the forest and whipped her into his arms, kicking vines out of the way. She tried not to feel bitter at the way Ivory clung to him, but marveled at how he wrapped his arms around her determinedly, chopping his way through the wild bush.
                             When they left the room, Eziekiel dumped Ivory to Savannah, who was waiting behind them nervously. Vanessa's bitterness vanished into a feeling of warm contentment again, and Eziekiel looked at her. She realized how close they were, and all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him, not Jason....
                               But he suddenly walked off into the living room, and Vanessa stood there, frowning.  She walked off in the direction Eziekiel left, her feeling of contentment vanishing. She saw him with Ivory, who was taking rapid breaths.
Savannah spoke in a soothing voice,"What happened, Ivory?"
Ivory took a deep breath and spoke, her voice shaky,"I was angry. I was laying in my bed, and I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, my hands opened. I didn't even feel opening them. They opened, and a million vines shot through the floor, all around my room."
                               No one spoke, and then came the Twin's sulky voice,"No fair. We can turn into things, and she can control plants?" Eziekiel cracked up, and Vanessa couldn't help it. She started laughing to. Maybe it was the plain oddness of that statement, or just Eziekiel, but she couldn't stop laughing. Eziekiel fell onto the couch, shaking with laughter, and she followed suit, tremors coursing through her body. When she stopped laughing, tears were coming from her eyes, and Eziekiel was grinning at her. Something about the way he smiled made her heart pound loudly, and she smiled back.