Chapter 6
I arrived at school with Topaz, fortunately, in one piece. I could have sworn I almost died on the way here. I don't really want to talk about it, but if you look at the car we used, well it doesn't have a roof anymore. My school uniform was torn into bits that Rayon had to lend me his jacket.
Rayon got somehow tortured. He was asked to go to the Southern Woods and retrieve Sage's teddy bear. It happened to be inside a lion's den. Rayon successfully sneaked inside. He thought everything was easy until he found the teddy bear being used as a pillow by one of the lions. He tried to get it without awakening the lion but it did awaken. You probably think it would be easy for a Vampire to kill a lion. It is easy, but it isn't a normal lion. It was a Vampiric Lion, plus the council ordered Rayon not to kill anyone or anything. It's almost a miracle that Rayon survived.
Everyone met us at the hall. I kept quiet beside Rayon and Chenille, the three of us behind Topaz as she was welcomed by everyone. I kept my thoughts to myself.
"Oh, Topaz! It's been long!" That was long? For humans yes, but for Vampires, no.
"Topaz, do you still remember me?" Give it up. That bitch doesn't remember you.
"Your hair looks awfully wonderful!" More like awful. Rayon notices me grinning like an idiot and giggles. I gave him an I'll-deal-with-you-later look. He just grins at me.
Finally, Justin appears. He smiles at me but frowns after realizing that Rayon was beside me.
"Topaz. It's been 8 years 6 months and 15 days. How are you?" What? He counted?
"I've been fine." Everybody was cheering Justin on. So they're the couple of the school, huh?
"I'm sure you're hungry. Let's go to the canteen." Justin offers, leading her inside the school.
For the whole morning, all I saw was Justin and Topaz this, Justin and Topaz that. I don't understand why it bothered me actually. But lunchtime bothered me the most. I mean, what the hell is Justin thinking? I prefer not being talk to than having a sickening conversation, actually.
I arrived at the canteen quite late. Rayon and Chenille were already eating. When I got my food, my gaze fell on Justin's table. No, more like Justin and Topaz's table.
I was heading to Rayon and Chenille when Justin suddenly calls me.
"What?" I ask, half annoyed half trying to keep myself calm.
"It's been long since we've eaten together. Since it's only me and Topaz in this table, why don't you join us?"
"No thanks," I instantly reply. "Rayon and Chenille are waiting for me. I might as well give you privacy too."
As I turned to walk away, Justin calls me once again, his voice mixed with a tone of authority. I slowly turn towards him.
"Claire, are you mad at me?" I was surprised by his question.
"No. Of course not. What causes you to think so?"
"You've been avoiding me lately."
I put my right hand on me waist, while trying to balance the tray on my left hand.
"Lately? Like since when?"
"To.. today."
I push myself to smile at him. I AM angry at him after all, but I didn't want him to know because I simply don't know why.
"See? You're worrying too much." I was still retaining my fake smile, but it was pretty hard. Unfortunately, I'm not good at lying. Maybe I should ask for training from Topaz.
"You're smile is obviously fake."
Sweat-drops. I guess he knows me too well. Escape time.
I turn around and walk rapidly, aiming for the exit. I was still balancing the tray on my left hand, unconsciously. Why do I feel like some maid on the run? Just imagining it makes me want to puke. Maid uniform doesn't suit me well.
I heard him stand up, causing some water to spill and plates to break. Is he angry or what? I don't know but I sure didn't have the time to look around. Finally remembering that I run like a turtle compared to vampires (not mentioning they can do the teleport thing), I throw my tray to the air and attempt to run, but before I knew it, Justin was already standing behind me. He grabs my hand and makes me face him. On his other free hand, he catches my tray with my food still intact.
"Tell me Clare, why are you angry?" He was gripping my hand tightly, but gently.
"I.. I'm not angry."
Justin was about to respond when Rayon effortlessly frees my hand from Justin.
"Stop this Justin. You're creating a mess. Quite a big mess if you don't stop it now," Rayon threatens, glaring at Justin.
Justin looked like he wasn't afraid and was ready to jump at Rayon at any moment, but he finally calms down and apologizes. He grudgingly returns my tray and sits back down with Topaz.
**********
It was quiet. Justin sat paces away from me. We were in the castle's library. Out of the sake of doing it, he wore glasses that didn't have a grade. He was flipping pages, one after another. He might think he was staring at the page for enough time for me to think he was actually reading it, but he flipped the pages way too fast. He wasn't reading. He was anxiously annoyed at the quiet atmosphere.
I have to say it was the same for me. All that bound us together was silence. It was irritating.
"Oi," I call out faintly to him. He flinches but ignores me. "Hey big fat meanie!" He seriously heard me this time now and I could see creases on his forehead, but he just flips a page. "Just to tell you, I'm not angry at you." He ignores me once again.
Tsk. That guy's unbelievable. I start throwing crumpled paper at him. First hits the book he was reading. The second hits his hand. The third misses him, but the fourth hits his head. This time, he turns toward me, enraged. Uh oh.
But he pulls out a grin. "So you want to play huh?" In a split second, we were already ripping papers out from books, crumpling them and throwing them at each other. It was quite a mess really. The tables were flipped for defense, and books piled up on the floor.
We ended up laughing at each other.
"So you're really not angry?" he says, smiling at me.
"I wonder."
"Hey. You said you weren't awhile ago." I just stick my tongue out at him and laugh. "Were you hurt by our little game?"
"Nah. You think paper can hurt me? Plus you obviously went easy on me. I'm sure you could have thrown it so hard I could go flying back to school."
"Even if I could, I wouldn't. I wouldn't hurt my little princess," He says with a grin.
**********
"And so everybody, please choose a partner of opposite sex. You can choose from any of your batch mates. The challenge starts tomorrow," the teacher instructs us.
Apparently, there will be a survival challenge and we get to choose our partners except that it should be of our opposite sex. There probably won't be anyone who'd pair up with me; after all, I'm just a human. In the end, Rayon would pair up with Chenille while Justin would choose Topaz.
But things didn't turn out that way.
Rayon instantly turns toward me with a serious expression.
"Rayon?"
"Clare. I'll make this quick. Would you be my—"
Rayon gets cut off when the door slammed open. Justin enters, panting and sweating. He quietly murmurs to himself.
"I was such in a hurry that I forgot I could just solidify here. Goodness, my brain mustn't be working well! Why is my classroom relocated at the other side of the school anyways?" His gaze falls on Rayon and me. Rayon, who saw Justin's arrival, quickly fell on his knees, attempting to finish what he was saying.
Justin instantly shouts at him, "Rayon! You cheat! Stop that!"
"Tch!" Rayon glares at him and speaks to me, "Clare, would you please be my—"
Justin solidifies beside Rayon and covers his mouth. Gazing at me, Justin says, "Clare. Would you be my partner?"
Everybody remained quiet, frozen, stunned, shocked, stupefied. And that includes me.
Just what exactly is this situation I'm in?
