And the plot thickens! I'm gonna try to write a very long normal sized chapter! Hmmm…. I feel like this story is heading downhill… "sob"
P.S I know my writing style has been fluctuating in terms of style and quality, but please know, writing a fanfic with a very insulting, dense, and nosy brother RIGHT NEXT TO YOU has detrimental effects on the author and said author's writing ability…
P.P.S Call me stupid, but I'm off on when it begins to snow. I never really pay attention to when it snows. (I mean I know its winter, but…) And again, I apologize for OOCness. (Again, foreshadowing.)
He couldn't just run from the room at that moment. Tieria would've suspected something.
At the same time, he was too afraid to call. He couldn't bring himself to contact them. They always talked about how strong he was, but really, strength was a burden if your mind was weak. It wasn't until Christmas break was nearing that he could bring himself to call.
He was so pathetic…
The numerous hiking trails in the immense campus had many well hidden trails. The one he was on was a very quaint looking one. A hilltop covered with oaks surrounding the trail was perfect.
He took out the phone specially given to him and punched in a number. He held it to his ear as the ringtone sounded.
"Setsuna?"
"Ms. Sumeragi, I'm sorry I didn't call sooner."
She sighed and talked with an exhausted tone.
"Setsuna, the explosion was weeks ago, it makes no sense to call right now," she muttered.
"I-I'm sorry."
"It's okay, and more importantly, the school's having a formal event soon. Namely the Christmas Ball. Let me guess, you haven't told your friends about the whole Celestial Being business, right?"
He paused. This conversation was taking quite a drastic turn.
"No..." he trailed.
"Well… I was invited as a guest to the event. It's actually really high class and everything. Oh god, you need clothes. And money. And gifts. And money for gifts. Oh my god." The last few sentences were spewed out in worry and Setsuna couldn't understand.
"What?"
She laughed nervously.
"Nothing, nothing! Anyway, if you want, we can pretend that we don't know each other and all that stuff."
"Really?"
"Well, actually it's going to be one helluva time since all the students' guardians were also invited. Including me. Problem is that I'm also a guest speaker."
His breath caught in his throat.
"I can cancel the whole thing if we have to. Setsuna, do you want me to come? I won't do this without asking you first."
His mind was racing. Everything was happening too fast! The bombing of Lyle's parents, the bombing of Celestial Being, stupid Trinities, Feldt-!
"Setsuna?"
"Come."
The word slipped past his lips like a glassy orb. Fragile and pretty.
"Are you sure?"
"The only people we'll be telling are my friends."
What was he saying? He didn't want to tell them. Not yet! He still continued to talk; hidden doubts and fears escaping from the confinements of his shallow mind like fairy speak.
"Can you tell us secretly? I don't want anybody else to know," he muttered ashamedly.
"Leave it to me. Love ya' Setsuna, see you at Christmas. Bye."
"Bye."
He slumped to the ground, overwhelmed. What was the point of being and looking strong if you were weak inside? He didn't want to, but when she said she loved him, like a parent, everything felt so warm.
"SETSUNA!"
He literally had a spasm and jumped up. Lyle, Tieria, and Allelujah were all there.
"Erase history," he muttered into the phone. The small beep informed him and he sighed.
"Setsuna, what were you doing?" Allelujah asked.
"Resting."
"Listen," Lyle started.
"We're going Christmas shopping. Care to join?" Tieria offered.
He nodded.
"Let me get my wallet."
"Haha! Don't worry; we all need to go prepare. Meet us at the main gate," Allelujah told him.
"Let's go then," Tieria said with Setsuna following.
"What. The. Fuck."
Setsuna sidestepped the swearing Tieria and his jaw dropped. Their dorm had been trashed.
Torn cushions with spilled stuffing littered the floor. Messages aimed at him were smeared on the walls in blood red paint. The ground was coated in trash. The bathroom mirror had been smashed. Tieria ran his fingers over the cracks.
"I hope whoever smashed the mirror gets bad luck," Tieria growled.
"Why…"
"Setsuna?"
"WHY NOW! OF ALL THE GODDAMN TIMES WHY THE HELL NOW!" He screamed.
"DAMN! IT! AAALLLLL! DAMMIT ALL! DAMMIT ALL! DAMMITALL!"
Tieria's blood chilled with the war cry. It was devoid of all hope and seemed to come from the guttural throat of a beast rather than a boy.
"Calm down Setsuna!"
The freshman caught himself and turned to face Tieria. It was a like a knife had sliced the situation in half.
"I'm sorry."
The sudden change disturbed Tieria. He'd never seen Setsuna snap so badly.
"Is any of our stuff missing?" he asked.
Setsuna's eyes scanned the room, catching every little detail.
"No. I… don't think so. Actually, I'm fairly sure."
He talked with his back facing Tieria. The purple-haired youth's eyes narrowed.
"Setsuna, turn around."
Setsuna made no reply.
Tieria stomped in front of his dormmate and took a step a back in surprise.
There was weariness plastered all over his face. It was the look of someone who had been utterly crushed by the world and was struggling to keep plodding along. Tieria went and checked their bed for anything nasty, and seeing nothing, promptly dragged Setsuna to it and pushed him over.
"Take a nap. I'll clean up everything."
"Just you?"
"No! Of course not! We'll be having some… volunteers."
Setsuna decided not to question any further and did as Tieria asked.
He woke up to the sound of tapping. As he got up, the person was doing the last finishing touches of paint on the dorm window and tried to get away. Note: tried.
Setsuna leapt from the bed, slid it open in one motion and roundhouse kicked the perp who sadly landed awkwardly and passed out.
"So this is the guy?"
"Un."
"Okay… let's see, hm? Oh, you're awake."
The junior groaned as his head pounded. What the hell was this headache?
"Wha… Oh crap."
"Why'd you trash our room?"
He groaned and simply glared at the two of them.
"It's this guy's entire fault. He's some random Mideast terrorist and on the first day of class he's chatting with THE Feldt Grace and eating with one of the popular groups at lunch and has them all as friends. It's not fair."
Tieria drew back his fist and sucker-punched the person.
"You sound like a whining child, you know that? If you don't want to get expelled, reimburse us."
"What?"
"Sean Asloady. One of the more elite families here. Fix our room and give us some money or else you're out of this school."
"Really? My parents can just bribe the school," Sean spat.
Tieria leaned in.
"Have you wondered why the Trinity siblings haven't been around lately?"
"Huh?"
` "They got suspended. The school has had enough of them. Our academy is infamous for not showing favoritism as much as possible. The parents had to actually BEG the school admins not to expel their children all the other times they caused trouble and paid off the damages. But they've finally had enough. Your family is powerful, but the not powerful enough."
Sean backed off.
"I-I'll pay you guys, I swear!"
"Then get the hell out."
The senior ran from the room a wreck.
Tieria turned to Setsuna.
"Nice going. Notice anything different?"
Setsuna then realized the room was completely clean.
"How did you do that?"
"Volunteers."
Tieria smiled.
"Anyway, why don't we go Christmas shopping with the money we get from our buddy Sean tomorrow?"
"Ah, I'm sorry you guys couldn't go today."
"It's fine, tomorrow's a Sunday anyway."
Something gnawed at his mind. He had to confirm this. Asking Lyle would be way too awkward.
"Tieria, the group that bombed the station Lyle's family was at; who was it?"
Tieria looked away from the broken mirror.
"Oh, just some random group called the KPSA. They weren't that big.
Setsuna felt like he had been punched in the gut.
And that's the end of this chapter! I don't know why, but actually I'm planning on having a few chapters of action coming up in the New Year… Don't worry, it's not like the story's going to become action oriented.
P.S Keep those reviews coming! And thanks for all the alerts and favorites; means a lot!