Chapter 21: Admirer? More like stalker!
On Monday morning Minnie knocks on my door rapidly, to remind me about our valentine sales this afternoon. She seems stressed out due to the fact, that she forgot to remind me yesterday. I try to comfort her a bit, before she runs along. She should really learn how to ease up a bit, otherwise she will collapse one day due to burn out. In the afternoon we attend to the booth in order to accept the valentine orders. Apart from chocolates for 5$, you can also order Roses for 3$.
Looks like Potsdam liked my idea. Both sell really well. Jacob provides us with extra help, which we desperately need, since we have so many customers.
As expected, Kyo appears at my table and orders valentines for Minnie for 100$. "For Minnie." I sigh. "Don't you think, you're overdoing things a bit?", I ask him dryly. He just glares at me. Rude. But hey, I like being successful in raising money, even if I don't get to spend the money for myself. I guess, that's another reason, why I became class treasurer. After signing his order, he slaps the pen down and stomps away. Wow, SOMEONE needs to sign up for anger therapy…
I also order a funny Valentine for Virginia, another funny one for Donald and a friendly one for Ellen. The German part of me, isn't used to sending valentines, but since it gets celebrated to this extent at this academy, I want to use the opportunity to treat my friends.
On Thursday Potsdam talks to us about the 'romancing rules' of this academy. I don't bother to listen, since I still remember them.
On Friday morning the valentines get delivered. I didn't expect to receive any, since I'm married to Grabiner, but to my surprise I get a rose and some chocolate.
I still prefer tulips over roses, but I'm happy to receive it anyways. And naturally I'm also happy to receive the chocolate, I like sweets after all. But I wonder, who sent them? Only Damien comes to mind, but he moved o… they're from Damien! The heck? He's dating Myreen, isn't he? Filled with rage, I walk through the halls, looking for him. Hopefully I find him, before class begins. I spot him a moment later. "Damien! We need to talk." I drag him towards a deserted corner.
"Why the hell did you send me valentine, Damien?", I begin to scold him. But he just smiles at me. Hey, be more intimidated by me! Please? "Why, does your husband have a problem with that? What was his name again?", he simply teases me. I calm myself down. I will fall in one of his traps, if I'm not composed.
"Husband? You know for some reason, that I'm married, but I don't remember saying, that I had a husband?", I counter. "So it's a woman?", Damien probes further. "Not telling.", I coldly reply. "Stop evading the topic, why did you send me a valentine? You're dating Myreen, aren't you?", I accuse him, regaining my wrath.
Somehow my accusation seems to make him happy? Damien leans towards me and whispers in my ear, "Jealous?" My body stiffens. "Oh hell no." Damien chuckles. "Then, what is the big deal about me sending you a valentine?" I take a deep breath. His flirtatious attitude is starting to drive me crazy.
"I'm a married woman. You know that! You said you would give up on me…", I complain. "Ah, I said I would wait for your divorce, before I ask you out again. I never said anything about giving up." I'm speechless. Damien chuckles again at my shocked expression. "Don't worry, until that time comes, I will entertain myself with other toys. And I'll only choose toys you don't like." So he really went with Myreen out of consideration for me? That is so weird! "… the valentine?", I ask, greatly weakened in my resolve to scold him. "I'm still allowed to court you, you know? Well, I have classes now. I hope you enjoyed your Valentine." And with that, he bids me goodbye. I stand frozen for a moment, before I snap out of it and also head towards class.
A blue magic class by Grabiner, since he should act normal towards me again. Indeed he didn't bully me like last week, but I felt him glance at me from time to time.
Is he surprised, that I don't avoid him anymore? Anyways, something about Damien is bothering me. Well, I don't have time to dwell on it, since I have classes.
I go to lunch after red magic class with Ellen and Virginia, but I'm too distracted to pay attention them much attention. "Hey, have you heard? Suki sent Manuel a weird valentine and now he is too shy to talk to her. When a friend of his asked her for him why she did that, she said, that the spirits would have told her to do so. I don't know about you guys, but I'm totally shipping the two of them.", Virginia gossips. Geez, she is always listening in on rumors and telling us about them.
Wait. Rumors. Virginia telling us…. Damien! Damien is dating again, does that mean, he hasn't given up on acquiring a witch soul?
But I doubt that Myreen is a suitable victim, she is so bitchy. Though that's good right? I don't like her, but I don't want her to DIE. I should warn her about Damien.
After all my classes have finished, I roam around the halls looking for Myreen. I finally spot her hanging out with her Butterfly-roommate. "Hi, Myreen. I, uhm… would like to talk to you about something. Is that ok?", I approach her. Gosh, I hate having to talk to her. But though I may not qualify as the heroine-type, I'm not cruel enough to let her soul get eaten without trying to save her. She looks at me, as if she would have just spotted something disgusting. "Please do so fast, I don't want to spend more time than necessary with you." See, what I'm talking about? She behaved mildly hostile towards me right from the beginning.
"Right… let's go somewhere, there we're alone.", I reply, already annoyed. Myreen reluctantly agrees to my request. "So what did you want to talk about?", she inquires irritated. "I saw you hang out with Damien a lot lately…", I begin, but she interrupts you. "That is none of your business." She then gives me a smirk.
"You shouldn't act so jealous, you had your chance with him." I'm not jealous! I'm trying to help you! "Look, Damien is dangerous, you know?", I start again, but she just rolls her eyes at me. "You don't know him. You didn't care to get to know him. Now, if you would excuse me, I'm tired of this farce." And with that she proudly stomps away. You wouldn't let me hear me out, huh? I should have expected that much. Oh well… at least I tried. Damien shouldn't be able to succeed with his operation anyways.
After fulfilling my duties as class treasurer on Saturday, I find Ellen and Virginia already awake. "Good morning. …. It smells like smoke.", I greet them. Bonfire? "Bonfire.", Virginia confirms my thoughts. I look at the calendar. February the 15th. "What bonfire?", Ellen asks. "For the New Year's Ceremony tomorrow night.
They use the ashes." Ellen tries to get a look at the fire by looking out of the window. I join her. We see a pile of branches and sticks burning in bright colors.
Minnie and Jacob stand next to the flames. Why didn't Minnie ask me to help? Isn't this another one of my duties as class treasurer?
She might wanted to spend some alone-time with Jacob though. Looks like their romance already started. The rest of the weekend I spent mostly in the gym.
I still feel a bit weakened due to the attack of the Manus, but I'm getting back on track again. I can still be considered athletic, so I guess it really wasn't that bad?
I wouldn't recommend the experience though.
In the evening we get summoned by hooded figures to attend the New Year's ceremony. It's already February, isn't that a bit late for such a ceremony?
But then again, the magical world might follow another, older calendar. We sit in groups on the ground, sorted by our Halls. It's cold… I'm a bit afraid of getting sick.
I glance at Virginia. Actually, I'm more worried about her, she has a weak immune system after all. The seniors line up to stir in the ashes with a wooden stick, still sorted by hall. What exactly are they doing there? These rituals are so weird. "The old year has died. The past is gone, and will not come again. Let us leave behind our sorrows in the ashes of the past.", Potsdam recites melodramatically. What would the consequences be, if we wouldn't hold this ritual? Would our past start haunting us, or something? "As these ashes become soil, so may our hearts become grounds for the future." And with that, the seniors sit down again, and Minnie and Jacob place new wood on the ashes. "Let the new year be born!", Potsdam exclaims with her usual cheerful tone of voice.
With that, the new pile also begins to burn. It's pretty. And with the bonfire burning, it's a bit less cold now. "We need an omen for the new year. If anyone here has experiencing a reoccurring dream and would like to share it with us…" I look towards Suki. I really would like to hear about her dream, but Barbara won't let her.
It's probably better this way, since the dream of an impending disaster or something similar as an omen would ruin the mood. Angela stands up and tells us about her dream of a pink cake in a field of cows, and how she runs away with it, but it's made out of sand. So… the cake is a lie?
"Meditate on this dream and what meaning it might have for your lives in the new year.", Potsdam requests of us.
So… you can't save the cake (a treat? Something nice?) from the cows (us students? The masses? Meat?), since the cake isn't a real treat? (It's not as desirable as it seems?). "And may the seeds of the past bear fruits in you all." I though this ceremony was about leaving the past behind?
Well, there is a difference between dwelling on the past and simply not forgetting it. After Potsdam finishes with her speech, we stand up and dance a bit in the light of the fire. I dance more reserved, since it's not as dark as at the Dark Dance. It's kind of fun, nonetheless, though we still only have drums playing music.
What about other instruments? Are they not fitted for magical rituals? I'm quite tired, as we finally head back to our rooms and fall asleep immediately.
On Monday I encounter Damien in the halls. "Elise! We need to talk." He sounds strict. Is he angry? Is.. is that good? He drags me to a deserted corner.
Seriously, these halls are built so contorted, that it's easy to hide here. As soon as we're alone, his expression soothes. The heck?
"So… you WERE jealous of me dating Myreen.", he declares with a smile. The heck?! "Wha… no! Why do you think that?", I ask him perplexed. "She told me about you trying to drive her off. Well, I can dump her soon, if that makes you happy, but it's not fair, you know? You're married to Grabby, but I'm not allowed to spend some time with Myreen?", he teases me. "I.. what… how the hell do you know, that I'm married to Grabiner?", I ask him in shock.
There shouldn't have been any way for him to find out?! My reaction wipes his flirtatious smile of his face, and he looks at me with a pensive expression.
"So… I was correct? Grabiner is your husband?", he inquires. Suddenly realization dawns on me. He was just playing with me. And I lost.
"You were just guessing.", I remark disenchanted. "Well, I had a hunch it was him. You avoided him the week after your marriage. And he was suddenly married.
I never paid him much attention, but he was a bachelor not too long ago. I wanted confirmation however." Is he a spy or something? Was he stalking me? How did he notice that? "What are you going to do, now that you've got your confirmation?", I question him dejectedly. "And also, why are you able to see, whether a person is married or not?" "For now? Nothing. I told you, I won't disclose your secret. … though I haven't promised it.", he adds teasingly, totally ignoring my other question. "But I'm glad it's Grabiner. He is so grumpy, there is no way you would fall for him." He seems pleased with himself.
But he is wrong with one thing, it's possible, that I would fall for him. You get used to his grouchiness and he isn't a bad person. Plus, he's handsome on my opinion. However, building a relationship with him would take a lot of time – if it is even possible, to build a TRUE relationship with him – and I'm not interested in trying to do so. This is why I'm careful to avoid falling for him. If I wouldn't mind that, things might be different. I sigh and rub my temples.
I decide, that it's better, that Damien doesn't know about my feelings of attraction towards Grabiner. "You should just forget me, Damien. I have no intention of falling in love with you, and you can't force feelings. Please just look for someone, who is not just able to accept you, but also returns your feelings.", I advise him.
"Are worrying about me? There is no need." "I don't…", I sigh. "Goodbye Damien. I have classes now."