Chapter 50:
Kaitlyn felt Raye's hands squeezing hers tight, she felt her cheeks burning. Everyone stared at her while she walked past. She wondered if they were staring at their sudden involvement or her sudden decision to cut short her hair. Her blonde hair was now around her shoulder length, instead of waist-length. Raye's hands gave her courage to confront her greatest obstacle now. Telling Tiffany about her, finally. Sunny tagged along behind quietly, as though she was deep in thought.
Tiffany did not recognize her at first. It took her twice to recognize Kaitlyn. "OHEMGEE." She exclaimed loudly. "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN AND WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO YOUR HAIR?" She practically screamed.
Raye squeezed her hands tighter, Kaitlyn looked at him. Raye nodded. That gave her strength.
"Tiff." Kaitlyn held her breath. "I have something to tell you."
"What!" She snapped. Her eyes were shiny, wet with tears. "Tell me, where have you been all these while and…" She paused. Her eyes were on their hands. "Oh." Her eyes widened. "OH." Her eyes darted to her hands then back at Kaitlyn again. Her expression was a 'what-the-hell-happened-between-both-of-you-that-you-hasn't-been-telling-me". Kaitlyn gave an awkward smile.
The bell rang. Raye let go of Kaitlyn's hands. "I'll see you after school. Keep calm and relay the message, alright." He kissed her on the cheek. Tiffany's eyes grew bigger, provided that it was not her widest. After he was gone, Tiffany pulled Kaitlyn aside.
"Tell me what happened." She demanded.
Instead of smilling, Kaitlyn took her hands and led her to the rooftop. "Tiff, there's something I need to tell you, besides that. You know."
Tiffany folded her arms in front of her chest. "Yes. I want details. Information."
"It's a long story back. You see, Raye and I. We're childhood friends…"
"WHAT?" Tiffany yelled.
"Tiff." Kaitlyn said solemnly.
"Okay, sorry, continue please."
Kaitlyn began from the brothers and her being childhood friends, to the mysterious red woman Hera at the skating rink, to the death of the brothers. Then she continued with Felix and Deborah. Tiffany never interrupt, her face expression showed the obvious. She does not believe Kaitlyn. When talking about Sunny, Kaitlyn teared. Sunny stood by the door of the stairs, looking at Kaitlyn remoursefully. Her presence kept Kaitlyn calm.
"So you're telling me, Kaitlyn, that Sunny is right beside you now…"
"No, she's by the door." Kaitlyn corrected.
"Whatever. And that Felix killed her while targeting for you because you were some Golden Darkness thingy and he wanted your powers. Also, that Raye and Brendon are your undead childhood friends who, well, one dates you and the other attempted to kill you."
"Yes," Kaitlyn nodded seriously. Two bells had already gone off.
"Okay, Kaitlyn, very funneh. Joke's over. Get to the serious business will you?" Tiffany laughed awakardly.
Kaitlyn sighed. "Tiff, I. Am. Serious." She went through each word thoroughly.
"Kaitlyn, whatever sick joke you're attempting, it's not funny. April's fool is long over and Halloween is not for another few months. Stop your nonsense, ok?"
"TIFFANY." Kaitlyn lost her patience. "I AM NOT JOKING…"
"Kaitlyn, we saw… Ok, OR rather, I SAW HER BEING BURIED. KAITLYN. I WAS THERE, I WAS THERE AT HER BURIAL. SUNNY. IS. DEAD." Kaitlyn saw Sunny's hurt expression from a distance. "THIS IS NOT EVEN FUNNY. KAITLYN. WHEN WILL YOU ACCEPT THE FACT THAT SUNNY IS DEAD? SHE WILL NEVER COME BACK. IMAGINING HER BEING HERE IS NOT HELPING. IT'S SICK. KAITLYN." Tiffany gave her a disgusted look with smeared make-up and tear-stained tracks and strode out of the rooftop, slamming the door.
Tears swelled up in her eyes, as Kaitlyn felt the sharp piecing knife that was just plunge right into her heart. Instead of believing her, Tiffany thinks that she's sick. It took her all her courage for her to say all these and she actually thinks it's sick? Kaitlyn brawled into the open space from the rooftop and realized that Sunny was missing, but she knew Sunny could take care of her own. Kaitlyn settled herself down until it was lunch break. She reluctantly went down to the lunchroom to look for Raye as promised. Kaitlyn knew her eyes were puffy but she care not. All she wanted to do right now is to run away from all these.
Raye took her hand as they both sat on an individual table, Tiffany were nowhere to be found. So was Sunny, but Kaitlyn paid no attention.
"How did it go?" Raye asked, as he took a bite from his Chinese food.
Kaitlyn shook her head. "She didn't believe me. She thinks… She thinks I'm sick."
"WHAT?" Raye choked on his food.
Kaitlyn handed him a cup of water. "Sick?"
"Yeah. She thinks I could not get over Sunny's death." Kaitlyn sneaked off a bite from Raye's food cheekily. Her depression was gone the moment she saw Raye. It was comforting. "And that I imagined Sunny being around me…" Kaitlyn moped.
"But, you were speaking the…!"
Raye cut his sentence short as Kaitlyn gave him an earnest look. Her eyes swelled up a little, "Could you be a fragment of my imagination too?" Kaitlyn saw in Raye's eyes: Love. He placed her hands on her face.
"I'm real, Kaitlyn." Raye's face leaned forward. Kaitlyn closed her eyes lightly, expecting a sweet kiss.
"OHMYGAWD!" A high-pitched voice interrupted them. They looked up and saw a girl with strawberry blonde curls, smiling at them. "You guys are really together? I think you two are so sweet together." Raye gave her a puzzled smile. Kaitlyn merely shrugged.
A random brunette from behind accidentally tripped over nothing, and her cup of diet yoghurt splashed all over Kaitlyn. She gasped audibly as the slimy yoghurt dripped off her blonde hair. Raye quickly picked up the napkin and started trying to wipe the yoghurt off her. She felt sticky.
"Oh, Catherine, what have you just done, look at poor Kaitlyn. Are you alright, honey? Come on, let us bring you to the ladies so we could properly clean you up." She smiled sweetly. Kaitlyn, frustrated, shook her head as she tried desperately to wipe off the gooey leftovers from her hair. The girl bended forward, and whispered in her ears. "You'd better come with us, Swift, or you won't like the consequences." She stood up straight and smiled sweetly.
"What's wrong?" Raye asked with concern. He continued to wipe the gooey yoghurt from her hair.
"Nothing." Kaitlyn gave a "nothing-is-wrong" smile. "I think I'd better make a trip to the ladies after all."
However, instead of heading towards to the ladies, the girl and Catherine managed to gather a number of gang and cornered Kaitlyn under the stairs. The girl with the strawberry curls gripped on Kaitlyn's new hair tight as she yanked Kaitlyn towards her.
"Break out with Raye right now, Swift." She threatened Kaitlyn.
"No." Kaitlyn firmly stated.
Kaitlyn felt the girl letting go of her hair and a sharp piecing pain on her cheek. The girl slapped her. The impact was so hard that Kaitlyn's head turn to the direction of the slap. But she will not be intimidated. She looked back at the girl with eyes that meant serious business.
"Nicole!" Catherine called out.
"I will not break out with him no matter what you do to me." Kaitlyn's eye contact did not waver.
"You slut." Nicole's anger was shown in her eyes. She yanked on Kaitlyn's hair again, and pushed her to the floor. Nicole kicked and kicked Kaitlyn with her heels. Every kick that made in contact with her skin, Kaitlyn groaned. "You do not deserve him. You just broke up and you're after him? Catherine like Raye way longer than you did, bitch."
"Nicole, stop!" Catherine's voice was shaking. "Let's stop, ok, you will kill her."
"No, Catherine. First she stole Chris from you and left you heartbroken. When you finally found a new love, she got him too. If I don't teach her a lesson, she will continue her slutty ways." Nicole gave Kaitlyn another one kick.
Kaitlyn finally knew why Catherine was so familiar. She was Christopher's ex. "I will never give Raye up, even if you kill me."
Nicole got the other girls to join in; one even kicked Kaitlyn in her stomach. She whimpered, but she never gave in to them. It hurts, but she do not allow them to scare her or more threats will come her way. Suddenly, they all stopped.
"Brendon!" Kaitlyn heard Nicole gasping.
"Why stop?" She heard Brendon's cheeky voice. "Continue, don't mind me and my camera. I won't disturb you."
Kaitlyn opened her eyes. She saw Brendon putting down his phone. His hair is now blonde. He resemble so much to Felix. "Aww. Why did you stop?" Brendon stepped closer to Nicole and co. "You were getting to the good parts, aren't you? Such a pity." He stroke Nicole's hair. She trembled under his touch. Brendon leaned in to whisper softly into her ears. "I could've show that video to Raye, and he would never forgive you, babe. Neither will I." He backed off and smirked. Fear was etched vividly on Nicole's face.
"Let's go." She commanded to her gang of friends, who followed without any questionings. They left her and Brendon alone in the empty hallway. Kaitlyn helped herself up.
"I'm not going to thank you, Brendon."
"Whatever." He shrugged. "Wow, you look nasty, and so… so yoghurt-ish." He commented. "No traces of feminism in you at all. Why did my brother fall in love with you?"
"I thought you will be a gentleman and help me up, Brendon. Instead of trying to poke your nose into our social life." Kaitlyn brushed her messy hair aside. "What's with your hair anyway?"
Brendon chuckled, "I'm gentlemanly enough to help you out though, Golden Darkness. But, how touching. 'I would never give Raye up even if you kill me'? Cliché." He did not answer to her question about his hair, she did not want to probe too much either. She assumed he just want to be like his Lord.
"Shut up, Dark Knight."
"Even without my help, Golden Darkness, you can still get up fine. These injuries should be nothing to you anyway." Brendon leaned towards a wall as Kaitlyn swiped the dirt of her. Her wounds all closed and healed, only the pain remained. "Why did you hold back? Those fragile mortals could easily be crushed under you."
"We're different, Brendon. I don't kill people just because they bullied or blackmailed me." Kaitlyn smirked at Brendon. An idea popped into her head. "Will you coach me?"
"What?"
"In controlling my powers and so. Like how to use it and stuffs."
Brendon eyed her suspiciously. "Why don't you go and ask that boyfriend of yours?"
"Raye doesn't use his powers often. And he will never teach me. So I can only rely on you. Please?"
Brendon face was unpredictable. He was battling within his head to trust Kaitlyn or not. But Kaitlyn bet her life on this. It had to work no matter what. After a long silence, Brendon looked up.
"Sure." He grinned. "But don't blame me if your boyfriend misunderstood us together, student."Brendon walked out victoriously. Kaitlyn just stared after him. Her heart rejoiced. The true victor was not Brendon, it's her.
"It's time for revenge, Felix." Kaitlyn mumbled to herself.
