"Darkness... it was the first thing I remember."
Rhea jumped in her seat when the bell rang. It was all ready in the middle of the term, and she still hasn't gotten used to it. Everyone got up, slung their backpacks over their shoulder, and trudged for the classroom door. Some were talking about this arcade opening up in town; some were talking about the movie that recently came out in the local cinema, and a few called out their half-hearted goodbyes to her. She smiled back in return. Every day, the same tedious routine.
While the others ran out the door like antelopes being chased after, Rhea took her time. She gingerly placed her books inside her bag, and slung it over one shoulder. As she made her way out, Rhea lightly ran her fingers on top of the wooden desks, feeling the dents of etched hearts and words.
"Rhea, wait up!" Someone called out to the girl, making her turn around in surprise. Rhea didn't exactly have a lot of friends in school or have people know her name. Most of the time, they referred to her by her last name (because that's what they heard when the teachers took their attendance) or poked her shoulder to get her attention.
"Do you need anything, Cariza?" Rhea asked the girl once she was within hearing distance, curious as to what she needed. They shared a few classes together but hardly any words. Cariza was one of the better known students, with beauty and a brain to match.
"Let's walk to the bus together," Cariza smiled, jerking her head towards the school's open doors where Rhea could see her fellow schoolmates rushing out the gates. It was Friday and even she couldn't wait to leave the building. The girl slowly nodded her head and followed Cariza out the doors and towards the bus.
The moment they entered the vehicle, Rhea could already see some of the girls move aside, making room for Cariza and she wondered why she even wanted to walk with her. It was obvious Cariza had friends who wanted to sit and chat with her. Cariza waved to her friends and walked down the aisle of the bus, Rhea silently following her. Rhea found an empty seat and easily slid into it, ignoring the fact that Cariza went all the way to the back of the bus.
Rhea dropped her backpack to the seat beside her, sure that no one wanted to sit there, and pulled out her iPod. The bus lurched forward and Rhea prepared herself for the trip back home. She looked out the window, listening to the soft music her iPod was playing, and watched as the snow fell to the ground, pilling up. Winter had just begun and already the white blanket covered everything. Rhea leaned her head against the cold glass and watched as the window frosted with every breath she took.
"What are you going to do for the project?" Cariza's voice shocked the girl, causing her to jump in her seat. Rhea pulled out one earphone and looked at Cariza in confusion. She could see that the girl moved her backpack to the floor and took the seat beside her.
"Project?"
"The Family Tree?" Cariza trailed off, waiting for Rhea to catch on. She continued speaking when Rhea's mouth formed an "O" in realization. "At the moment I can only go as far as my great, great, great grandmother but I really want to go further. We get a better score that way."
"I only know my parents," Rhea said quietly, tucking a stray stand of her brown hair behind her ear.
"You're kidding, right?" Cariza's eyes widened when Rhea said she wasn't. "You haven't even met your grandparents?"
"We moved after my parents got married and never visited them," Rhea shrugged. "They live in Burgess…. Or used to… I'm not sure."
"That's like two towns away!"
Rhea nodded, most of her attention lost on the song blasting from her iPod. "I know," she said, giving the girl a polite smile. In no less than a minute, she was already humming the tune of a song she's been continuously listening to for the last three days. Rhea was about halfway through the second verse when she felt a poking at her side. Turning to her right, she saw Cariza talking, but the words were drowned out by the music. Removing one of her earphones, Rhea was able to catch the last few words of what the other was trying to say: "...do you have any plans?"
"For the tree? I don't know - I'll probably use the internet." Rhea raised an eyebrow. Most people rely on the Internet for their answers.
"No, silly! What I meant to say was: since Christmas is coming up, do you have any plans for it?" Cariza asked, a grin plastered on her face.
"Plans?" Rhea repeated, her brows knitting in thought. Her family didn't really celebrate Christmas. They didn't hang up mistletoe, decorate their house in flashy colours and lights and there was never a Christmas tree in the middle of their house to put presents under. Rhea would be lucky if she even had presents on that day. Every year she would sleep until noon and wake up to find that her parents were just seated in the living room, reading a book or writing a paper.
When she told Cariza this, the girl was once again shocked. "You don't celebrate Christmas? Are you Jewish?"
"Even if I was, I don't think we'd celebrate Hanukkah either," Rhea replied in a thoughtful voice, imagining how it would be like if she was Jewish. She imagined waking up at noon and finding her parents reading a book or writing a paper. "I guess my parents don't see the need to give presents if it isn't your birthday. They think I'm too old."
"Aren't you like… fifteen?"
"If I want something, I can buy it with my own money." Rhea said, remembering her parents' words of wisdom. Her piggy bank was nearly full with all the money she's been saving for the past few years. She didn't exactly have an object in mind that she wanted to buy. In fact, she only saved up for the reassuring thought that if she ever needed anything, she already had the money to pay for it.
Cariza frowned. "Rhea… that's so sad. You don't know who your grandparents are and you don't even celebrate Christmas! Are you going to tell me you're abused as well? That you cut?"
"What? No!" Rhea gasped and her hands immediately shot up to her mouth. She had not meant to react so loudly. The mere thought was just too shocking. "Cariza, I live in a happy home. We just do things differently than other families. My parents are just a bit too serious."
"You're telling me," Cariza muttered under her breath and Rhea took this as a sign that their conversation was over. She placed her earphone back into her ear, ready to look out the window once more and lose herself into the song when the bus slowed to a stop. Her lips curved into a small frown and when she looked out the window, she saw that she was at the bus stop near her home.
"See you tomorrow, I guess," Rhea said softly, picking up her bag and walking out of her seat. Cariza sent her a smile and Rhea returned in, curious as to why the girl was suddenly friendly with her. She quickly hopped off the bus and briskly made her way home, passing by the different houses that had blinking Christmas and inflatable reindeer on their lawn. When she reached her house, she noted how plain it looked and entered it silently.
Inside, she could smell the French roast from the kitchen. Rhea guesses that one – or both – of her parents are working on a report or something that concerns business and calling people and raising voices at them. She passed by the living room, where her father usually sat typing away on his laptop.
"Hey there, sport," he greeted without looking up. "How's school today?"
"Okay," Rhea replied, dropping her bag beside the table and kissing her dad's cheek. "Got a ninety eight on my Math test."
Her dad sighed, removing his glasses and wiping them clean – as if they weren't crystal clear already. "Sport, you studied for that – I even helped you. How come you got a measly ninety eight?" He looked at Rhea with disapproving eyes. "In this family, we strive for excellence, for perfection. Want to know why? Because that's what the world wants to see." He was pointing at her with one end of his glasses. "Now," he said, sitting straight up, "Why don't you go to your room and do your homework?"
"About that... I need some help," Rhea bit her lip, trying to find the words to say. Her parents never dwelled into the topic of their family and Rhea assumed it was a subject best to avoid. She had read about children whose parents ran away from home or cut all ties with their parents because of an argument. Apparently, when someone has a history like that, it was best to leave all conversations involving family before their generation alone. Then again, this was school work and if she could only trace her roots back to her parents, she wouldn't get a perfect score and her dad did say they strived for perfection.
Her dad glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "With what, sweetie?"
"I need to make a family tree and frankly, I only know you and mom," Rhea said carefully, testing how far she could go with the subject. "To get a perfect score, I need to go further back. I need to know grandma and grandpa's name and perhaps their parents and their parents' parents?"
Sighing, Rhea's dad pinched the bridge of her nose. "Alright," he said, "There's a box in the attic that's filled with odds and ends your mother doesn't want to throw out. At the far corner, I believe."
"Thanks, dad," Rhea grinned, suddenly excited that she would be able to find out more about her family. She picked up her school bag and rushed towards the staircase towards the attic. It was an odd feeling in her stomach. Usually she wasn't eager to do school work but this particular one made her heart clench at the thought of finding out more of her roots.
It was like something was pulling her towards the attic. Like something wanted her to find it.
A/N: There you have it, folks! The first chapter I've written in ages. I have watched the movie, and I'm looking forward to reading the books.
This is a collaboration between me and AnimeFlowerGirl, the author of one of the amazing, smashing, well-written fanfics, Frosted Glass.
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