A/N: Hey guys! Sorry to keep you guys waiting. School and work came crashing on me. I had this chapter for a long time stored in my PC. Thanks for leaving a review and following + favorite! You guys mean the world to me.
Disclaimer: Ace Attorney universe and characters belong to their rightful owner, CAPCOM.
Strings
Chapter 2
I returned to my seat just a second before my English teacher strutted in. Juniper was in a different class. She had a penchant for studying—give her anything, she would ace it. No jokes. She was placed in Class 2-B while I rotted in Class 2-A. Weird, I know right. The teachers assumed that they would place dumbest students first so that they would receive more attention. That's why I was in the A class while Juniper's in the B class.
But like just now, she frequently came to my class to give me some bento that she made at home. What a sweet girl.
Needless to say, I didn't get along with anybody in the class. The assigned seating was boring too. I wished I could sit beside the windows so I could gaze at the blue sky; at the very least that would calm me from my classmates' overwhelming emotions.
I pulled out a yellow encased phone from my bag and started texting Junie vigorously.
Junie, you won't believe me.
What? You fail your English quiz this time?
No. Serious talk. So there's this guy.
OMG YOU GOT A CRUSH
BIG NO, JUNIE. Listen to me please. He spoke to me.
And how is that serious unless he asked you out?
Junie, he spoke to me through his heart.
Aw, aren't you a bit romantic
Please, Jun. Literally. He spoke to me through his heart. I can hear that. My weird ability, remember?
Oooh, now I get it. WAIT WHAT
CAPS JUNIE
"Cykes. What did I say about cellphone policy in my class?"
Uh-oh. Seemed the teacher busted me this time. She held out her hand, and I promptly placed my phone there. Good timing, Cykes.
School went by really slow when you're stuck in the class with the teacher that you hated the most.
Space Center
"Uhh, hey Junie. Aren't you a bit too early?"
My mom treated Junie like her own daughter. I mean, she was my only friend and the only one who would venture from the high mountains to the space center that was a few miles apart. I admired her dedication, and how could I not love her?
Juniper rolled around in my twin-sized bed. She was sad that I didn't finish my story about my meeting with this Blackquill guy.
"Thena, serious talk. What happened?"
I began with the tedious details about me being called to the stuff room and ended with my psychic communication with Simon Blackquill.
"Is this the Simon Blackquill from 3-B?"
"I don't know. Never heard of him." Truth was, never too keen in someone else.
"Gee, Thena. Sometimes you have to join the gossip girls. That's how you make friends. Anyway, I know from my classmates that there's a senior who has been repeating school for the past few years."
"Past few years? Wow, I never know someone that dumb. Except my own dumb self."
Juniper held a finger to my face. "Wait up, who said he's dumb? In fact, he's the smartest person in the school."
I tried to put two and two together. But to no avail. "But how?"
"Word is he always fails the finals and entrance exams. Deliberately."
That didn't make sense at all. Why would a smart guy like him purposely fail the exams and stayed in the same year over and over? Didn't he want to go to high school and college or maybe university? Something didn't match up.
"Maybe you could see and find out what's wrong with him."
"Huh?"
Then Junie laid out all the plans she had thought of while making her way to the space center. My mom did her researches here in the space center with her close friend/co-worker, Miss Aura. Aura had been a quiet, mysterious person. Actually, she gave the same vibes like those of Blackquill when he glared at me. I wondered why.
Eventually I fell asleep at the voice of Junie blabbering about brilliant plans that she would make me do to get close to Blackquill.
Dinner time came.
I sat at the table while Mom was setting all the plates and cutleries. Juniper had long gone after she realized I had dozed off at her suggestions. I lifted my face to meet Miss Aura's menacing face, and gulped. She truly gave the same 'aura' that I felt when I looked at Blackquill.
"Metis, I hope you don't mind but my brother's coming today." She sipped on her coffee. Brother? I never knew that.
"Oh, you mean the one who's interested in psychology, right?"
"Duh, do I look like I have a lot of siblings? I only have one and he's giving me a lot of headaches. Major problem." Miss Aura replied snarkily.
"I know, I know." Mom smiled back at her.
The door to the dining room slid open. That must be Miss Aura's brother. Mom put some of the pasta into my plate and I quickly dug it with my fork. I paid no attention to him as he pulled the chair in front of me and sat. Why did I suddenly feel terrified?
It's when Miss Aura started talking that I was called to see who was her little brother.
My fork dropped, clanging against the wooden table.
"Metis, this is my brother, Simon. Simon, my co-worker, Metis."
Even if Aura introduced them to each other, Simon's gaze was fixed on me.
"She's Athena, Metis' daughter. And stop giving her heebie-jeebies, idiot." Miss Aura scolded.
Why hadn't I realized that Miss Aura's surname was… Blackquill. And to think that they even had the same, looming postures and ominous looks. I excused myself to go to the bathroom and never in my life I walked this fast.
Instead, I headed to my bedroom. Thoughts raced in my mind. Who was he? Why did he want help? Why did he know that I had this weird ability? I was about to open the bedroom's door when a voice stopped me.
And this time I heard the actual voice, not his heart's voice.
"I'm dying."
