Spark • Xavier Thorpe

three

Elvira had changed back into her uniform before making her way down to the infirmary to check on her cousin. When she got there, she was surprised to see that Wednesday wasn't there. She asked the nurse, but the nurse didn't have any clue where she could be, so Elvira thanked her and then left.

She put up her umbrella as she walked outside, the rain pouring down around her. She heard stone scraping above her, and she looked up to see one of the gargoyles on the top of the building being shoved over the edge.

Elvira stood still, ready to zap the gargoyle to bits, when it suddenly fell of the edge, much faster than she anticipated. Her eyes widened, before a body collided with hers, flinging her to the side. She felt her head smack against the stone before her vision went black.

***

Elvira awoke, blinking her eyes a few times to clear them, before realizing that someone was standing over her. That someone turned out to be Xavier.

"Welcome back," he said, a smile on her face as she looked around confused. As she sat up, he sat down in the seat by her bed. "Woah, take it easy. Nurse said you don't have a concussion, but you probably have a nasty bump, huh?"

"The last thing I remember I was walking outside, going to look for Wednesday," Elvira told him. "Then I looked up and saw that gargoyle coming down, and I thought, how disappointing of a death this will be. But then you tackled me out of the way, why?"

"Call it instinct," he answered.

"So you were guided by chivalry? A way to extract my undying gratitude?" Elvira asked, but inside her heart was fluttering, something that had never happened before.

"Mm-hmm. You know most people just say thank you," he joked, and the corner of Elvira's mouth turned up.

"I could have saved myself," she told him.

"Really? By what, blasting it to pieces with your lightning?" He asked, and she cocked her head.

"Exactly," she answered.

"How does that work?" Xavier asked, and when Elvira looked confused he continued. "The whole lightning thing?"

"I just think and then there it is," she answered. She held up her hand and electricity crackled through her fingers, Xavier's eyes widening.

"That's so cool," he whispered, and Elvira smirked. She then sighed and got off the bed.

"I should go find Wednesday," she said.

"I think she left to go to one of her therapy sessions," Xavier told her, and Elvira pursed her lips and nodded.

"Oh, okay then."

"Want to come paint with me?" Xavier asked hesitantly. Elvira was shocked that he asked, and bit her lip, thinking about his offer. Wednesday wasn't here and she had nothing better to do.

"Sure," she agreed, and Xavier smiled.

"Great, come on."

Xavier led her to the quad and showed her the mural he was working on. He told her to go change into something comfortable and then meet him back there. She listened, changing from her uniform to a pair of black leggings, a white shirt, and her black jacket, before joining Xavier back at the mural.

He handed her a brush with a smile on his face.

"Go ahead and paint whatever you want," he said. She nodded and the two painted in silence for hours. Elvira ended up painting a beautiful waterfall that was in the distance, as Xavier continued to paint the raven that he was painting the previous day. Elvira hadn't noticed how dark it had gotten, or that the quad had cleared out, until she was distracted by the sound of a cello.