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ELEMENTALIST:
Chapter One

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TEN YEARS EARLIER

IT WAS THE SUMMER HEAT they said. They had gotten too hot, and couldn't keep up. Or that's what they thought. Octavia Washington sat on a fallen tree trunk, her feet aching in her expensive shoes. Her dark hair was tied up in a ponytail, her baby hairs splayed against her sweating skin. Thick rimmed, rectangle glasses sat on her face, helping her eyes notice each time a different type of insect crawled over her bare legs and arms. She had requested a break by her counselor, who was too busy using her ear piece to hear the young girl complaining of feet pain. And that's how the poor heiress was left stranded, alone... in the woods. She had sat there and cried for an hour, of course. Her eyes were puffy, and her skin was blotched with pink areas.

Until a lanky boy with an inhaler tripped over her legs, mid panic attack. She had helped him to his feet, commenting on his weird taste in clothes. She hated his colorful choice, the sleeves long on his limbs. Of course, that only made it worse. The boy found himself crying over how disliked his clothing was, embarrassing the heiress more than getting lost did. Mainly because a mean looking blonde ran up on them, her blonde locks braided down her back. She picked the boy up and slapped him gently in the face. "Man up!" she said, fixing his collar. He only stared at her, his cheeks as red as the sunburn splayed across her freckled nose. "We're lost," he claimed, sniffling madly. The brunette sitting on the trunk, once again, began to cry.

"We're not lost," the blonde spoke, her hands place on her hips. She wore capri pant jeans, the ends folded. Her tank top was orange, a color that complimented her tanning skin. "I'll get us out of here." She stood like a hero, staring off into the foliage. She didn't have the guts to tell the pathetic kids she had ran up on that she had no idea where they were. But hope was not lost when a caramel skinned boy showed up, a bag of Lays chips in hand. He walked up to the three campers with a wide smile on his face, his pearly white teeth covered in metal braces. "What's up?" he asked them with a chuckle. If they had known about marijuana then, they would have swore he was stoned. "We're lost!" the brunette wailed, her eyes still red and gushing with tears. "We're not lost!" the blonde argued, her hands tightening into fists.

Unbeknownst to the trio, the shaggy haired boy stood tall, his fists clenched. Pain radiated through his hands as his nails dug into them, that familiar crimson liquid seeping under his fingernails. The blonde glanced over her shoulder, noticing the pained look in the strange boy's eyes. "Hey," she said, turning halfway towards him. He sucked in a deep, shaky breath, his fists slowly unclenching. "You okay?" He nodded furiously, wiping his hands across his maroon colored shirt. "What's your name?" she asked, dropping her strong facade only for a moment. He sniffled once more, wiping at his nose. "Ronan," he stuttered, feeling uncomfortable. She hesitantly stepped forward, slapping her hand against his shoulder. "Ronan, I will get us back to the camp, okay?" she spoke slowly, her eyes staring directly into his. And he believed her.

"Do you remember where you came from?" she asked the dark skinned boy, turning her full attention on him. The brunette who was once bawling her eyes out, stared hopefully at the newcomer. "Uh, I think Michigan General Hospital? But I don't know," he replied, his eyebrows lowered in confusion. The blonde suddenly pounced, her hands grabbing at the boy's blue t shirt. His baseball cap fell to the grassy floor, his brown eyes wide in shock. "I will kill you!" she yelled as she jerked him down to her level. "You listen here, dude. Which way did you take to get here?" He stared back at the feisty blonde, his eyebrows raised into his hairline. "Honestly?" he asked. His chips lay discarded across the earthy floor. She glared deadly at him, her nostrils flared. "Obviously!" she spat, her fingers tightening over his collar.

                         He turned his head to where he had entered from, his arm stretching out as he pointed at the small opening within the trees. The blonde's eyes trailed over the path before she released him from her grip. "Okay. Thanks." She ran her palm over her head, letting out a breath of air. "Let's move. Ronan!" The shaggy haired boy quickly moved to her side, a small smile plastered on her face. "Come on, cry baby." The brunette sitting on the trunk pouted, turning her nose upward. "I'll have you know, my daddy is the CEO of Hype Magazine," she stated matter-of-factly. The blonde rolled her eyes dramatically, stomping toward the direction the dark skinned boy had pointed. "Okay, princess." The two girls glared at one another, silently standing off.

                         "Are going or...?" The caramel colored boy jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, the Lays bag stuck down in his shorts pocket. The blonde broke eye contact first, taking quick strides toward the path. "I guess so," he hummed, smiling softly. The trio followed after her, despite the fact they all knew they were lost. They were horrifically lost, without knowledge of how to get back to camp. "What's your name?" Ronan asked the new kid, his fingers looping and unlooping over again with a string from his shirt. The smiling boy looked toward his fellow male, lifting his eyebrows. "I'm Leo, dude. It's nice to meet you." The two shook hands, a smile crossing over the shaggy boy's features. "Yeah... You too." Silence overtook the group, except for the crunch of leaves beneath their shoes.

                         "W–What's her name?" Leo looked from the hesitant boy to the leading blonde, his shoulders picking up in a shrug. "I don't know. She just tried to kill me." He laughed at his own words, dropping his eyes to the ground. "Are we all strangers?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck. Ronan shrugged this time, dark eyes hesitantly meeting Leo's. "We're not. I mean, I at least know you're name." Leo nodded, his smile widening. "Why are you always smiling?" he asked quietly, his eyes wandering over the green they stepped over. Leo chuckled, tossing his arm over Ronan's shoulder. "Why waste time on things that hurt you? Why not see the good in things and embrace it?" His words rung in Ronan's ears, like chimes. "That doesn't sound very logical..."

"Look, there's good and bad in the world. I get it. But why should you waste your time on being scared of living? I just choose to be happy, you know?" Ronan ran his palm over his jawline, letting out a soft sigh. In front of the two boys was the blonde, who huffed and puffed through the foliage, and the whiny brunette, who pouted at the aching in her feet. "You have no idea where we're going," Octavia grumbled, her thin arms wrapped around herself. Hazel eyes rolled upward, the blonde whirling to face the snobby brunette. "Who the heck are you, anyway? And why are you so freaking pessimistic?" she asked loudly, her hands moving for emphasis. "Why are you so bossy?" Leo rushed to her aid as the blonde went to strike. "And violent!"

Ronan moved away from the trio, ignoring the shouting and loud groans. His dark eyes roamed over the light colored grass, the sparkling crystal waters grabbing his attention. The clearing was spotless, the grass greener than ever, decorated with beautiful wildflowers. "Guys," he spoke gently, the trio ignoring him as Leo tackled the blonde to the ground. "Get off!" she hissed, her arms restrained at her waist. The caramel colored boy only held on, looking up to spot Ronan standing statue still. "Shut up," he told the blonde, who scoffed at his words. "Excuse me?" He cupped his hand over her mouth, shushing her. "What do you see, Ronan?" he asked, watching a smile erupt over the boy's features. "A lake! A crystal clear lake!"

Leo grinned with a slight chuckle. "Well, I guess that's not the way I came." The blonde elbowed the boy on top of her in the stomach, smiling a satisfactory smile at the boy's audible groan as he rolled off her. "We aren't looking for a lake, though," she spoke up, picking herself up off the ground. "Look at it!" the boy exclaimed, pointing his finger in its direction. The three came up behind him, their eyes widening. Blue water glistened beneath the shining sun, gentle movement from fish and frogs rippling across the surface. "Let's go check it out," Leo spoke up, already moving down the small grassy slope. Octavia fell close behind, her lips quirked into a grin. "What about you?" Ronan asked the blonde, who stood at the edge with a curious look. "I guess we can check it out," she replied, looping her arm with his. "Just don't make me fall. Got it?" Ronan smiled shyly, sliding down the slope as the two caught up to the new leaders. "It's literally sparkling!" Octavia exclaimed, moving forward to the edge of the lake.

"I wonder if anyone knows about this place," the tall girl spoke, staring across the grassy plain. Her converse crunched sticks beneath them as she moved through the grass. Octavia knelt at the base, her fingers dipping in the beautiful water. "Hey! Don't do that!" The sudden outburst startled the brunette, causing her to lose her balance and tumble into the clear water. The tanned girl bound toward the lake, watching the head of brown hair bob in the water. She thrashed about, unable to catch enough air. The blonde dove straight into the lake, her hazel eyes peering through the salty water for the girl. The girl's denim jacket was dragging her down, her eyes wide and fearful. Bubbles erupted past her open lips as she attempted to scream, unable to pull herself out. The blonde was beginning to run out of air, kicking her feet harder and harder as she neared the spoiled brunette.

Soon she hooked her arms under the girl's armpits, jerking her closer to the surface. Yet she began feeling dizzy as the girl fell limp in her arms. She was about to give up when another body crashed into the water. Luna reached out her fingers, her hold tight on the brunette. Leo grabbed onto her, pulling her and the other girl to the surface. Once broken out of the water, the blonde began to sputter, her lungs happily accepting the oxygen she was breathing in sharp breaths. "Th–Thanks," she gasped, the caramel skinned boy smiling. "Hey, you're the hero here," he replied, squeezing his arm around her waist. She smiled at him, her hazel eyes trained on the shaggy haired boy who began wading through the water. "She's not breathing," the blonde spoke, the brunette in her arms turning white. Her lips were blue, and her chest was not rising.

"Grab her, Ronan. Lay her on the bank." Leo went into serious mode, Ronan wrapping his arms around the brunette. He lifted her in his arms, carrying her as quick as he could through the darkening water. "I'm Luna," the blonde spoke quietly, her arm thrown over Leo's shoulder. "I just thought you guys should know." The boy with golden eyes smiled softly at her, helping her onto the bank. "Well, it's good to meet you, Luna." She sat in the grass, rolling her eyes skyward. "Yeah, whatever." Ronan stared at the blonde, his fingers slowly clenching and unclenching. Leo pushed past him, kneeling beside the brunette. He tilted her head back, pressing his lips to hers as he pushed air into her mouth. He began chest compressions, performing CPR like an expert. "Come on," he whispered, staring down at the Latina.

"If she lives, I'm going to kill her," Luna breathed out, crawling over to the brunette. Ronan knelt beside her, his fists placed in his lap. "You're really cool," he told the blonde, his eyes remaining on the scene before him. She slid her palm over his closed fist silently. "Come on!" Leo suddenly shouted, pushing against her chest with more intensity. He bent forward, pressing his mouth on hers once more. Once he pushed the air into her lungs, Octavia finally spit up the water from her lungs. She coughed hoarsely, Leo turning her onto her side. "Oh, thank God. I wasn't really wanting her to die," Luna spoke, pushing back Octavia's dark, wet hair. Her dark eyes peered up at the blonde, her voice rough. "You saved me.." Luna nodded with a shrug, scratching the back of her neck. "Yeah, whatever. Don't make a big deal out of it."