Chapter 7

There are tons of death that had happened here in Latwidge from the past up until now, as Blondie says. And the most recent was Sei Higoku. She was a daughter of famous people and was a top at the Class-C. Her mother was a model until she died a couple of years ago, and a few months before she'd died, her father died of a heart attack. She'd been living with her aunt since then. It was a murder, her aunt said. But until this day, the police haven't gotten any leads.

So Blondie says.

"So, that boquet of flowers over there?" He pointed at the back of the room. "Those are for her. Many people have contributed at her funeral. She's tons of friends. My father also contributed for them too. The poor woman was left crying that night."

I looked at him. "Father?" I asked.

"Yes, father," he replied. He raised an eyebrow at me. "You don't think my father's already dead, do you?" He smirked. Oh the boiling blood in my poor little veins.

"Didn't figure him not to be. Just that you don't talk about him that much," I said. His smirk grew wider.

We were in the classroom for Biology. Stupid lesson for stupid people, really. The only thing to learn about Biology is everything that lives, dies. End of story. We don't need to know any more about plants, herbs and the sort. What good would it do to us? I mean, yeah, sure, the food chain and what the hell. But seriously? Of course everything eats everything, all together. What point of living would there be if there isn't any hunger. Seriously.

There were still fifteen minutes before the bell rings and approximately 12 out of 19 people were here, us included, of course. If I hadn't known better, Blondie was actually enjoying Biology. No girls who fawn over him. Most of the girls here are at Class-A—the best class there ever was. So fawning over him would be a disappointment in front of everyone. Of course there are also girls from Class-B, with crushes on him, but nothing major like stalking him or something. Just sighing whenever he smiles (smirks. I don't know what the hell they see in him) and gasping in awe whenever he chuckles darkly or something. They all think he's cute. Oh wonderful. Let's have him act cute or something.

And of course, I hadn't forgotten about that incident, either. But I don't plan to hold on about it longer than it should. But one: it just happened yesterday and I need stress to forget about it, and two: he smirks as if taunting me. Damn him to hell.

"Yeah, he's not home that often. My mother, too. What do you think we were doing having a condo? Sara locks the mansion everytime we're away. Yeah, she's the housekeeper but mom practically begs her to lock the mansion. But we're living in the mansion for the next months until Ada moves. Say, her birthday's four days from now. Wanna help me?"

"Ada's birthday?" I asked. I forgot about that. Well. Might as well put effort and stress in my mind. "Sure…I guess."

"Finally!" he exclaimed. "Something worthwhile!"

"Weirdo." I rolled my eyes as he kept smiling and all that.

"What?"

"Nothing." I waved him off.

"Oh…"

"Say, about your mother," I said. He raised both his eyebrows inquiringly. "Is she okay with me living with you guys or something."

He paused for a moment. "She's not actually my mother," he said finally. Huh. "She's my aunt. But she'd been living with us for long enough to be actually my mother. She's my father's sister." He paused for another couple of minutes. "Speaking of her, though, she's coming home tonight. My father too."

"Oh, and about your father again…," I said. "What's his name, by the way?"

"…My father?" Blondie repeated.

"Yeah, do I have to repeat myself a—?"

"My current father's name is Jack Vessalius. Her sister's our current 'mother'," he replied monotonously. Bipolarness issue again.

But wait—"Current?" I asked.

"My and Ada's real father's name is Xai Vessalius. Our real mother is Rachel Cecile. Xai Vessalius's brother is Oscar Vessalius, my deceased uncle. Uncle Oscar's wife is…Sara Vessalius. Jack and his sister adopted us when we were about eight. At that time Xai and Rachel had died. I didn't really care about them. But before Jack and…his sister adopted us, we'd been living with uncle Oscar. Clear enough?" he added.

"Wait…wait…wait…wait…wait, wait, wait, wait—Sara's your AUNT?!" I cannot believe he just treats her like a garbage bin! What the hell is wrong with him really?! "And you treat her like a bag of junk! And for eating your cookie, no less!"

"I can't help it!" He defended. Like raising both his hands. "I was supposed to keep it a secret! To avoid another wave of paparazzi! I mean, you saw me already. Tons of people with flashing cameras! What happens when they knew that Sara's my mother-figure?!" he hissed.

"Wait, Sara's your mother-figure?!" I exclaimed. "I thought—what?! Explain!"

"Okay, fine! Just keep it freaking down," he hissed again. "Oscar, Xai and Jack are brothers. Jack's the youngest. Sara's Oscar's wife. When Oscar died, and so did my father, she moved into Jack's house. Jack and she adopted me and Ada—again. Jack told me and Ada to pretend she was our housekeeper and butlerette and all that. And so we've been living like that for the past nine years. And you must not tell anyone about this, okay?"

"The fact that you so sweetly have mother issues with Sara or you're just a dumbass by treating her like garbage and lied to me?"

He sighed/groaned. "Both."

"Okay."

"You better not tell anyone or I'll tell Sara what happened earlier!" he hissed for the third time.

"And what do you think would Sara think about that? Much more Ada? They'd take my side. We're women."

"Hardly!"

"Whatever."

I made a face at him before the professor entered the room. "Okay, class. Turn to page 149 and…blah, blah, blah."

Another hour of death.


Meanwhile, at the Vessalius Manor…

"Oh my God! Hi, dear sister! How are you!? I missed you very much! New York was boring! So was England!" a blonde jumped at the vacuming older by a month woman. Sara twitched, raised her hand…and punched the asshole to the wall hard enough to create a massive crack.

Jack Vessalius rubbed the side of his head. Still, he smiled. "Hi, Jack, are you doing fine?" Sara asked, proceeding to dust the tables and all that. Her job as a stay-at-home aunt.

"I'm doing good," he replied taking a stroll around sitting room # 1. He took a book he so loved from the shelf and began flipping pages to where he left off a couple of years ago before he left for the places said earlier. "How are little Oz and Ada?"

"Oz is not little anymore. He's turning seventeen. Ada's turning fifteen. You missed a lot during the years you put between them," Sara said. She put the lamp she'd been dusting down. Then proceeded to the jars and little figurines in the cabinet.

"So I've been told." A moment of silence pursued before Jack asked, "The case I've been given the past few days is hard."

"I've heard. A murder, is it?" Sara asked.

"Yeah—I mean, yes." Sara rolled her eyes. "It's about this little guy named Reim. A police officer as well as a fellow detective. He's a hard one."

"I'd prefer you use another term, Jack," Sara quipped.

Jack let out a chuckle. "I believe so, Sara."

"Oh yes. I forgot to tell you. Are you aware it's Ada's fifteenth birthday in the next four days?"

"That's why I came home. She's my favorite niece and she's going away for her high school days, no?" Jack asked.

"Yes. And Oz's throwing a party for her," Sara answered, settling in a chair in front of Jack with a book. "Speaking of Oz, though. He's already found a person who's going to take up the room in the condo. She's staying with us until November, when Ada's gone."

"Oh? A she? Oz's a good one."

"You're not helping. They despise each other."

"The more you hate, the more you love."

"Whatever you say, brother who is still single."

"…Shut up."

Another moment of silence passed…

"Hey, Sara, do you know about the Higokus?"

"You mean the couple who have a tight link with the Baskervilles?"

"Yes. The daughter, Sei Higoku, had just been dead. Murdered, they say. The couple had died long time ago."

"I've heard."

"What I'm really interested in are the Baskervilles." Jack flipped a page.

"Didn't they die a long time ago, also?"

"Yeah. Xai, may he rest in peace, used to be close to them. Close to Glen. Glen used to be this cool guy I used to hang out when Xai was away. I'd always thought that Glen and Lacie were the couple who'd live happily ever after. But again, there's this whore who took him away. Arranged marriage, and so Lacie lived in misery."

Sara looked up to him. "And this concerns me because?"

"Listen. Glen Baskerville and this woman lived. But Glen still loved Lacie, though, and before Glen married that woman, Lacie conceived birth. A girl who looked closely like Lacie. Glen loved his daughter, tried to keep her secret, but to no avail. That woman blackmailed Glen to treating her like garbage by killing her. No sooner did Glen and that woman have another child. They'd cherished their daughter better than Lacie's child. But their daughter and Lacie's child treated each other like siblings. But one day, Glen had been infuriated with the woman and lost control and abused both the children. Traumatized, they'd avoided the two people more than ever. But the woman abused the both of them more. Glen felt saddened. So when one night, their child felt suicidal, they were still at a young age, and asked the older kid to kill her. Of course, the older kid did it because she thought that the younger one had had enough. But coincidentally, on the same night, both Glen and the woman died. All blamed on the older kid. And she was sent to prison, no trials. And I heard that she's escaped.

"I do have a huge hope that she gets the right as innocent though."

"And still," Sara said. "What does this include me?"

Jack smiled. "The older kid thought that she had successfully killed her half-sister. No. she fled after the police tried to take her. The younger kid…well, survived. She doesn't know yet. The younger kid is in England. She's the reason why I went there, for Glen. She'll be transported her in less than a week. But we mustn't let the older kid know. I'll be keeping her 'hostage' for a while."

"Very nice of you."

"Yeah, I know right?"

"I just hope this works."

"Of course it will…I guess."

"Whatever."


"Gil," Sharon said. "I have a strange feeling that one of the Vessalius is back. I want you to see if it's true. I think Jack is back. I also have a huge feeling she knows a thing or two about the Baskervilles. Find out what it is."

Was what the lady said to him. Gil looked around the school halls.

WHERE THE HELL WAS HE SUPPOSED TO GO?!

A/N: Yeah, I know lame ending but heh. So. Is it good? I hope it is. And Jack is back! WHOOO! Who am I gonna pair that single dude? Any ideas? Sara? Worth a shot, I guess… haha lol. See ya! Review.

Thanks for the lot of support from Orihime00sama. Luv ya! And from all of you. And welcome Nikki-dina-kittysworth to GFK! I hope this is a good welcome for you! :)

See ya later peeps!

Yours truly,

Chira Somes.