Chapter Six: A Question of Odds
Mia patted her stomach in delight as she held back the urge to burp, deeming it way too embarrassing in front of Lana and Neil. Mia was well-mannered, although if she had been with Maya (who wouldn't have hesitated after her third burger), the story might have been different.
"You can go wait outside for me while I pay for the food, bambinas," Neil said, standing up. Only Lana's firm grip on his sleeve stopped him.
"Hold your horses, cowboy," she told him, glaring at him. "We invited Mia, so I agree that you want to pay for her food, but I can pay for myself; thank you very much."
"Y-You don't need to do that…" Mia stuttered, looking embarrassed.
"Not this again, Lana…" he sighed. "You have a little sister to feed, pretty lady, and I don't. Go outside with Mia and wait for me, alright?"
Lana kept her glare on him before relenting and releasing his sleeve with a sigh.
"Make it quick," Lana warned, although it lacked bite. She turned towards Mia. "You heard the man. We've been there before, and he'll never relent. Let's go wait for him outside."
"Sure. Right behind you," Mia said, following her upperclassman outside the joint while Neil got in line to pay.
Once outside, the two young women waited. Lana got straight to the point.
"Did you make a decision, Mia?"
"I… I think I did, yeah," Mia told her, her voice betraying some resisting hesitation. Seeing Lana's interest prompted her to continue. "I think I'll give it a shot and see where it leads me. Hopefully, I won't embarrass myself…"
"Ah, I see," Lana smiled in pleasant surprise. "I'm glad. Besides, I know for a fact that you won't embarrass yourself, Mia. It doesn't mean that we'll go easy on you, though."
"T-Thanks for the confidence boost…"
"I don't mean this in a bad way, Mia," she explained, seeing Mia sweatdropping. "It means that I know you'll be able to handle it, that's all."
"Why do you think I have potential, anyway?" Mia asked, clearly confused. "You've seen me work for a day and a half… How would you have any idea…?"
"I… I admit I do not know why, but…" Lana paused, thinking deeply. "It's a hunch. I think you give off the vibe of someone who'd do the job well, that's all."
Mia laughed, taken by surprise by the compliment. "That's a nice thing for you to say, but I don't know what makes you think that, honestly… I mean, I'm a pretty normal young woman, so…" Aside from the fact that I can channel dead people's spirits, I guess…
Lana shrugged. Mia really didn't know what she was talking about. She wasn't more confident than other women her age, wasn't born a genius, and didn't have any ties to the world of law before enrolling at college.
There was nothing about her that would suggest she had any potential at being a good lawyer. Mia hoped she had some, of course, but nothing was indicating it.
They waited for a couple of minutes, with Lana reaching inside her purse and taking out a small pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
"Do you want one, Mia?" she offered, extending the packet her way after taking one out and lighting it up.
Mia shook her head. "Sorry, I don't smoke."
"No need to be sorry about it, you know? You know what's good for you, while I clearly don't…"
A sigh punctuated that sentence as Lana dragged on her cigarette, exhaling a puff of smoke. Mia didn't know what to say to that. She didn't expect Lana to be a smoker, though it was hardly something she had any right to judge. It was forbidden to smoke in Kurain Village (though it was no secret that the rule was frequently bent), and Mia - for once - agreed with it.
And aside from the fact that smoking apparently reduced channeling abilities, Mia had read about all the side effects it could lead to and had never even tried it. Besides, if she could set an example to follow for Maya, it was not even a question.
But for all the side effects it could have on one's skin or dentition, Mia was surprised that Lana was such a pretty woman. She had a flawless smile, and while she didn't seem to show it often, it was definitely infectious. The nickname Neil had given her was definitely not undeserved. Mia actually would have loved to find herself to be as good-looking as her upperclassman was.
Leaving aside these thoughts, Mia waited in comfortable silence with Lana before Neil came back. Lana quickly threw the stub in the nearby bin.
"Alright, we can get going, bambinas. Sorry that it took so long."
"No worries," Lana assured him. "It gave us a chance to chat a bit. And Mia actually reached a decision."
"Oh, did you, bambina?"
"Y-Yeah… I've decided to try to be your opponent," Mia told him, though it was clear it wasn't something she was entirely comfortable with yet. "I don't know how well I can fare against you, but I guess I can't know until I've tried."
"That's the spirit, bambina!" Neil cheered, laughing. "I'm relieved to know that you've made this decision! Now, we need to go see the sheriff so he can sign you up!"
"Yes, you're right," Lana said, her expression more serious than his. "If we take too long, the spot might not be available anymore. Let's get going, okay?"
Mia and Neil nodded and followed after Lana, clearly more in a hurry than earlier.
The three students arrived in front of the Principal's Office a little out of breath. They had not run per se, but they had walked fast. Mia wished she'd been on her bike: it definitely wouldn't have been so exhausting. She wanted to become a lawyer, not to compete in the Olympics.
"I'll knock," Neil said, doing just that.
"Come in!" it exclaimed from inside.
Lana opened the door before the three of them went inside, entering the school's Principal's grand and studious office. The Principal was a typical old man with grey hair and a grey beard, dressed in a dark suit. Still, there was a vigor in his eyes that made it clear he wasn't about to hang his boots any time soon.
"Hola buenas tardes, Mr. Principal!" Neil greeted cheerfully. "Sorry to be bothering you again, sheriff."
"Ah, Mr. Marshall, it's you again…" the old man sighed in amusement. "You aren't bothering me at all, no worries. Good afternoon to you too, and to Ms. Skye there, as well," he greeted back. Upon seeing Mia standing shyly next to Lana, he apologized. "Oh, and to you, too, Miss. I'm sorry I didn't see you there! My eyesight's not exactly what it used to be, you know?"
"G-Good afternoon, sir…" Mia said, quite tense. It was the first time she had to visit the Principal's Office, and even if she had done nothing wrong, she was still nervous. He doesn't look intimidating, but still… Judging a book by its cover can be dangerous…
"No need to look so stressed, Miss!" the Principal told her, laughing. "I haven't bitten anyone in forty-seven years as Principal, and I don't plan on starting now, hahaha!"
Neil chuckled at the joke while Lana shook her head. It did help Mia with her nervousness a bit.
"Right," Lana spoke up, changing the subject. "Neil signed us up this morning for the mock trial next month, and we just came back so Ms. Fey here could sign up as the defense attorney."
The man's eyes widened clearly.
"Is that so? The Miss here, right?" the old man asked. Lana nodded. "I see… So you plan to become a defense attorney, Miss… Fey?"
"Y-Yes, sir," Mia replied, trying not to stutter. "I-I am a first-year student. Ms. Skye and Mr. Marshall suggested I participate in a mock trial, and well… h-here I am…"
He mumbled something under his breath, but none of the three students were able to hear it. "Very well, I'll write down your name and ask my secretary to sign you up."
"T-Thank you, sir," she said, bowing her head.
"Oh, you're welcome, Ms. Fey. It is no trouble."
"Mr. Principal?"
"Yes, Ms. Skye?"
"Excuse my curiosity; I know this isn't something I should ask you, but…" Lana paused for a second, pondering asking her question. "Has someone already signed up as the judge for this case?"
The old man stared at her with a severe expression. "Now, Ms. Skye, you know this isn't a piece of information that can be given before the case officially starts, right?" his stare softened as he laughed again. "What if you harassed the poor woman for information, heh?"
Neil and Lana exchanged a funny look. Mia didn't catch on at first before realizing the man's slip-up. The Principal himself was none the wiser, however.
"Yes, you're right, sir," Lana said in a faux apology. "I know you wouldn't divulge any information about the judge of a case before it happens. My apologies."
The man smiled. "No, it is not a problem, really. I wouldn't dare to doubt the honesty of one of this school's young prodigies, Ms. Skye!"
"Y-You… You praise me too much, sir…" Lana said, blushing cutely.
Neil and the Principal chuckled. "Well, we won't take any more of your time, sheriff. We'll be on our way."
"Indeed. Have a nice day, Mr. Principal," Lana added, quickly recovering from her embarrassment.
"G-Goodbye, sir-"
"Ms. Fey, please wait!" the man requested as they turned towards the door. "I would like to talk to you about something but in private if that's alright with you. Please do not feel offended, Mr. Marshall and Ms. Skye."
"No offense taken," the young woman said. "We'll wait for you outside, alright, Mia?"
Mia nodded in understanding. The request caught her by surprise, but she had no reason to refuse. Whatever the Principal had to tell her, it could be interesting. Besides, she didn't feel like denying the poor old man his quick chat.
After Neil and Lana were out of the room, the Principal stood up and stared outside through the window of his office.
"There is something I would like to ask you, Ms. Fey…" he began, and she could see a couple of tears under his eyes. "Your name sounded familiar, and I now remember why…"
"Y-You know my name, sir…?"
"Yes…" a sigh. "You come from the Fey Family of Kurain Village, isn't that right…?" he asked.
Mia frowned. How did the Principal of her law school even know that? Kurain Village had been, infamously, the talk of the country in the aftermath of the DL-6 case, which had forced Mia's mother to disappear, but it wasn't known by everyone nowadays, far from it. The only possibility it left was that the man was related to the village somehow, maybe through a contact there.
"I… I do…" Mia admitted, choosing to be honest. "I must ask, however… How do you know Kurain Village, sir…?"
"Ms. Fey…" he took a deep breath. "It seems like so long ago now, but… I lost my wife in a car accident," the Principal began, making Mia gasp in both shock and realization. "A man, drunk, was driving in the wrong direction and forced me to make a sudden turn. The driver behind us couldn't brake in time and hit us. My wife died instantly, and I later learned that the young parents in the car behind us died, too, leaving their two daughters as orphans."
Mia covered her mouth with her hand to try to hide her shock, though she didn't do a great job at doing so.
"I… I don't know what happened to these two little girls since then, but based on what the police told me after the accident… one of them would be approximately your age, probably a little older," he continued. "But that's beside the point. After the drunk man was sent to jail and the case put to rest, I could finally start to grieve. It was around this time that I learned the existence of Kurain Village and of its spirit mediums."
"N-No, you don't mean to say that…!"
"I do, Ms. Fey… I contacted one of the spirit mediums, who was apparently the leader," the old man reminisced. "And I witnessed it, Ms. Fey; I saw it with my own eyes! I was able to speak to my wife again, Ms. Fey; I was! She was there again!"
The man sat back down on his chair, drying his tears.
"The name of the spirit medium that allowed me to see my wife again was Misty Fey. A few weeks later, a scandal began, ruining Misty Fey's name. I can still see the headlines in the newspapers…"
The Principal looked at Mia with a mix of grief and hope in his eyes.
"I… I cannot believe I'm about to ask you this, Ms. Fey, but… is Misty Fey your mother?"
I… I can't believe it… What were the odds…? "Yes… Yes, you're right. Master Misty Fey of Kurain Village is my mother, sir. She disappeared as a result of the DL-6 Incident early in 2002. I haven't seen her since then."
The old man shook his head desperately, showcasing evident frustration.
"You have my sincerest apologies, Ms. Fey, in the name of this cruel world," he told her. "Your mother was everything but a fraud. I witnessed her powers myself, and I left Kurain Village without a single doubt. Whoever did this to this poor woman… deserves a far worse fate than the one they made your mother go through, Ms. Fey. I truly hope you will one day be able to find even a clue of her whereabouts."
"T-Thank you, sir…" Mia said, bowing again. "It… It means a lot to me…" she teared up. "to know that there are people who believe in my Mom's name… and in her honor…"
"Of course, Ms. Fey. I took the lead of this school to teach the youth the principle of justice. It would be dishonoring myself not to stand on the side of the wrongly accused. I hope you succeed, Ms. Fey, both as a defense attorney and in life in general. Now go. Your friends are waiting for you outside. I wouldn't want to be the reason they're mad at you."
Mia stayed still for a couple more seconds, trying to process everything. There wasn't anything tying all of these elements, so she was forced to believe it was a series of coincidences.
That the Principal of her law school was one of her mother's last clients before her disappearance… and that the two young parents who had died in the car crash had left behind two sisters, the older one being a couple of years older than she was… Mia didn't want to believe it, but it all seemed to be coincidences.
No matter how much she wrapped her head around it, she couldn't believe it. For it all to be coincidental… Mia didn't want to think it was possible.
And as she turned and left the room, she was left with one question that stood above all the others.
Do I stand a chance against all odds?
To be continued…
A.N: Okay, so a lot happened there, but considering the number of tragedies that were directly or indirectly caused by DL-6 (and technically by something else, too, though I won't say it not to spoil a certain something), one more coincidence couldn't hurt (in terms of plot, of course). I hope you liked this chapter and this little plot twist! To be honest, I don't yet know what I'll make of it, but I'll come up with something.
Also, I'll die with the HC that Lana smoked in college. It just seems so much like something she'd do when she's not home, so Ema doesn't follow her example and/or doesn't scold her. Same with Biker Mia! These are small HCs but that fit so well with them!
Anyway, please leave a review, and I hope you have a nice day!