Seyruun High Jinx –NEXT!
Chapter 23
Birthdays-- Once A Year Is Enough!
"Ah, so that's what all the noise is about! Must be love, Lina style." -- Bobby
The first birthday.
"Oh, Mr. Bobby!" Amelia squealed as the older boy carried out the enormous cheesecake he had prepared. "It's beautiful, isn't it Zelgadiss?"
Zel's mouth cracked open, but he simply stared. Never had he ever seen such an immense dessert. It was aesthetically pleasing like a work of art, and a little grotesque, and a lot surreal. Standing six, maybe seven inches deep and possibly twenty inches in width, the ivory white disk was lightly bronzed near the center and creamy white along the edges where the filling met its barely visible coffee-colored, crumbly crust.
Lina was thrilled. In fact, she was so excited by the mammoth culinary achievement that she asked Bobby how he'd managed it.
He beamed with pride. "I have to say it was a first for me. I just kept doubling and doubling the recipe until it filled the biggest casserole dish in the cupboard. Now," he turned to the birthday boy and asked, "I wasn't sure what kind of topping you preferred so I left it off and put it out in these bowls. Kind of a help-yourself service. I tend to over do, I'm told."
Zel cleared his throat. "Plain. I like it plain, best. Thank you. It looks...it looks..."
"Absolutely perfect. How about serving it?" Lina interrupted.
They had spent the entire day at the studio, although little recording was done. Most of the staff had taken the evening off for celebrating Thanksgiving with their friends and families, so the bands practiced arrangements, laid down some vocals for a few songs and instrumentals for others. They would begin serious recording the next morning, Friday. Lina envisioned working non-stop Friday through Sunday noon, when they would have to leave in order to get everyone home before the day became Monday. And there was school to deal with on Monday. Of course, there was that little dinner date, and whatever, for Amelia and Zel to schedule in on Friday as well. So this was a break, time allotted for celebrating between work shifts, granted to them by her honor, Lina. She was watching the clock. With all the goofing around and chit-chat, they were close to wearing into their precious studio time.
"Miss Sylphiel, the candles! Where did you put them?" Amelia cried out.
"Gods no, Amelia…just cut the cake will ya?" Lina moaned.
"Oh, I forgot all about them," Sylphiel admitted. "I left them in my purse. Just a second..."
"It's fine. I don't need any candles," Zel said in his low voice. He was in no hurry to leave and get back to work, but he didn't want a fuss made over him. Actually…he did, but he didn't want it to appear as if he did.
"That's right. And we don't wanna waste time just looking at it," Lina said. She pushed a serving knife closer to Zel. "Well?"
"Oh you have to have the candles to get your birthday wish!" Amelia told him. "Sylphiel!"
Zel sighed. With a smirk to Lina, he nudged the serving knife back in Lina's direction.
"You want me to drive this through your heart, birthday boy?" Lina growled. "Is that your wish?"
Sylphiel noisily dug through her bag until the tiny package was found. "Got them!"
"Not particularly," Zel said calmly. He watched as Bobby took the package and dutifully decorated the top with...
"How many?" Bobby asked.
"Eighteen!" Amelia volunteered.
"Eighteen? Old man, huh?"
"Mr. Val and Mr. Gourry are too and Mr. Xelloss is nearly nineteen!" Amelia told him.
Luke looked at Sarah. They were the youngest at fourteen, turning fifteen. "Yeah but when they turn thirty we'll still be in the prime of our lives," he said, relishing that notion of superiority.
"Ah..." Bobby sighed with pleasure as Val did the honors and lit the last candle.
"Enough flame to toast marshmallows," Xelloss commented to Lee at his side.
"You bring any?" Lee asked in his mild, wry manner.
"Ah...no..." Xelloss smiled and joined in the singing. "Happy birthday to yuuuuu...Happy birthday to yuuuu. Happy Birth-day Mis-ter Zel-GA-dissssss. Happy birthday to yuuuuu!"
This time Amelia remained quiet. She was satisfied to sit back and watch Zel make his wish and blow out the flaming wax sculpture without her prompting this year. He didn't blush until the last candle flickered and winked out, and everyone cheered at his accomplishment.
"I'm cuttin' it," Lina announced. "Anybody got a problem with that?"
Since she already had the knife, and was standing, blade upraised and eyes glowing feverishly, no one fought her for the honor, which was a good thing since she wasn't about to relinquish the knife willingly for anyone for any reason. She was going to be the first at that desert, no matter what.
Slice, scoop, slop– the first slice, a generous one, flopped onto a ready plate. Then, to everyone's disbelief, she smiled sweetly and placed the offering in front of Zel's astonished face. "For the birthday boy!"
"Ah, thanks, Lina," he murmured.
Lina gave him a wink and returned to her serving. She dished out a slice for everyone, before finally slicing off a gigantic slab of cheesecake for herself. "Well? How is it?"
Pearl broke the awed silence. "Oh, Bobby! You out-did yourself. You really did. It is soooo good."
And then, everyone joined in, diving into their cool, smooth triangles of creamy cake and praising Bobby for his success. A fine feast.
No sooner had they scraped clean their last plate and set down their last spoon, than Lina shunted the cleaning crew into the kitchen.
"What's your rush?" Zel asked, he not being part of the meal preparation or cleaning team tonight.
Lina replied, she not being part of either crew likewise, "Back to the studio. You know the schedule."
"I see. So, this was my birthday break?"
"Yeah, it might have been longer but we have to make up for tomorrow when you guys take Amelia out."
"So I am paying for that on my birthday time? Just wanted to be sure. If that's how it works... Oh, and I am taking Amelia out, Filia's on her own. We'll cross paths at the art show, but that's all. Not the dinner."
Lina looked him over and nodded. "Good for you. You acknowledged being the instigator of the date thing. She's a good kid...and so are you."
"Am I?"
Lina's eyes narrowed. "Yes, for as long as I've known you, you're one of the best people I know. Maybe even the best, I don't know. I mean, you're a guy and that's one strike against you."
Zel raised an eyebrow as far as his scarred brow would crease. "Against me? I would have thought the stealing, breaking and entry, and bald-faced lying that I've been doing would be possible liabilities. I have no control over...my gender."
"I guess it makes you more interesting...for dating purposes, like for Amelia," Lina said awkwardly.
Zel blushed slightly. "There's that..."
"What?" Lina wondered what was on her friend's mind these days. His mood swings still occurred but extreme highs and lows were gone. Was he mellowing a little? Accepting his appearance? Did she have Amelia's persistence and upbeat positive-ness to thank for redeeming or at least salvaging Zel's personality? Or was it living with Xelloss and Val, playing in the band, distracting him from his problems and providing some purpose to his life, which was transforming Zelgadiss? "You okay?"
Instead of answering immediately, Zel scanned Lina's face for clues to her thinking, and found himself smiling. Gods...she was a knock out. His dear, dear friend was growing into a stunner. A blushing beauty.
The heat rose to her face under Zel's scrutiny. "What's the matter? I got cheesecake on my face or something?"
Zel smiled wider and drew his hands up under his chin, resting it there. That was the second time he'd made a friend, a girl one, blush. "No. A few freckles...a tiny scar under your right eye from last summer." He looked down at her hands. "And one on your right hand from..."
"The fight with Gaav, yeah, I remember. What's the smile about? You're gettin' all weird..."
"Am I?"
"YES! Now you're starting to creepme out. You definitely have been spending too much time with Xelloss and Val. Stop grinning! No laughing! Zel, I'm warnin' ya…you are about to get smacked!"
Zel was laughing though. His arms folded on the table gave a cushion for his forehead, while his body was racked with good humored shaking. He didn't care. For a moment he wasn't Zelgadiss the scared-for-life boy no one could love, he was Zel the man who could flirt, if just a little. Not that he'd meant to exactly. It was his birthday and he was one up on Lina Inverse.
"Ya can't do that," Gourry said. "It's his birthday." He had finished washing dishes and had left the rest of the clean up to the others.
Lina jumped out of her seat, pivoting mid air. "Where did you come from? Sneaking up on me?"
Gourry shook his head. "Not me, Lina. I, ahhhh… was all done in there and I came out ta see how Zel was doin' and all. He looks like he's, um… doin' okay, though. Did I miss a good joke? Musta embarrassed you somethin' fierce ta make ya go all red in the face like that. Ha Ha…"
Nothing Zel could say or do could save Gourry from Lina's wrath now. Gourry's hollers (no pain, no gain, right?) and Lina's merged as they dashed helter-skelter through the living room.
Bobby sprinted out of the kitchen to catch the action. "Ah, so that's what all the noise is about! Must be love, Lina style."
Lina must have overheard that because the next moment she was ordering everyone out of the house and into the van.
The second birthday.
Zelgadiss was in the shower or he would have overheard a conversation about him he would not have wanted to.
"Well, he seems excited to be going out," Sarah noted to Lina, who she was beginning to look up to. They were waiting their turns at the video game du jour. Sarah was a garrulous kid, but had been holding back some until she felt less intimidated by the wondrous, talented, and older Lina inverse.
"Yeah, as much as he gets. Nail him, Bobby!" Lina answered disinterestedly. Bobby didn't have a chance against Lee's superior skills, however. Super Smash Bros battle noises blipped and squeaked in the background.
"That's good. Being out with a girl is…you know, a good thing for him right now." Sarah paused to see if Lina was catching on. She wasn't. "You know, what with the rumors and all."
"Rumors? What rumors?" Lina was attentive now. Bobby had lost and was out of the running anyway.
"Well that article in the music magazine didn't help either…"
"What? That stupid thing? No one reads that and if they do either they knew it was nonsense or they're idiots." Lina snapped and returned her attention back to the players. Val was taking over the lead from Lee, if Lee's wails were any indication of what was happening.
"That and the fact that he doesn't date, or hasn't until today, and lives with him, you know, and they share a locker and are seen coming to school together and…"
"What are you talking about?" Lina leaned back and stared the young girl in the eye. "Zel lives with Val too."
"Just that some kids have been hinting around that Zel's…you know…gay…like Xelloss…"
"Idiots!" Lina exploded. She mashed her hands over Sarah's mouth to stop her babbling. In a chilling whisper Lina continued, "For godssakes, don't let Zel hear you say that!"
Sarah, eye wide in terror shook her head back and forth, and it was more for her own sake as for the gods.
Lina released her and expelled a sigh. "If the guys aren't drooling over girls, and Xelloss practically does anyway, then the socialites just go and draw some insane conclusion… ARGH! I can't stand high school! I just hate this crap!"
"I do too. Hey, we, the guys here you know… we know better and we try and straighten them out, the rumor mongers…" Bobby piped quickly to stifle Lina's outrage, though too late to save Sarah's ego, perhaps purposefully.
"Zel doesn't date because he hates himself and he's shy and he's busy. Xelloss dates girls from the college, lately, it seems, so know one sees him with girl in tow. Geesh…this is so lame…"
Filia sauntered by. "It's true though. I hear some girls moaning over 'the lost causes'. Fans, I guess. Zel could have his pick if he opened his eyes, or cared. We should do something about it."
"Why? It'll blow over. If not, well that's their problem to deal with. Xelloss seems able to tough it out and Zel is oblivious. They aren't at school much anyway and they'll soon be done with it." Lina motioned that the subject was closed.
Filia smiled oddly. "Well, I have an idea…" And before Lina could stop her, as if she cared to, Filia was roaming the house in search of Xelloss.
She found him closeted away in the den with Luke and Subaru and the laptop. Apparently Luke was quite skillful with a computer drawing tool and was leading a demonstration of layering techniques to assemble a face.
"Xelloss."
"Yes, Miss Filia?" Xelloss rose to his feet and met her at the door. "What may I do for you?"
"You can change your clothes and come with me to the ATMET show."
He frowned slightly. "Rather sudden."
"You haven't anything better to do, right?"
"Since you put it that way, how can I resist?" He smiled. "Why with that honeyed tongue of yours, you have convinced me to break down and throw in dinner as well."
She wasn't quite sure if that had been an insult or not. "We can't go to the same place as Zel and Amelia."
"We won't."
"Okay. You have any clothes?"
"No, Filia. I thought I'd just go nude. That okay with you?" Xelloss said sharply. She just goaded him into it like always.
"A suit and tie."
"Sports coat, turtleneck, no tie."
"Good enough!" she snorted and whisked out of the room.
"Nice girl," Luke said sarcasm dripping from his black-painted lips.
"Oh, her? She's awful." Xelloss smiled.
"Then why are you going with her? Seems like she could pick someone she liked more," Luke wondered. Dating seemed to be a very puzzling experience to the younger guy.
"She chose me because I look good with her. A yin and yang thing, I guess you could say. I'm going along because she can be so much fun to aggravate." Xelloss answered truthfully, and then chuckled. "Don't shut it off. Just let it hibernate when you're done, 'kay?"
Luke nodded and waved him off, as if he needed someone to tell him how to operate a laptop. "That's right, Sub. If you want that part of the picture to be darker, go up to the color icon and highlight it…yeah…"
"You're doing okay?" Xelloss asked Subaru who had been quiet up until now.
"Oh yes. I really do like to draw," Subaru revealed. "And this isn't too difficult to use, is it?"
"I leave you in good hands then," Xelloss smiled and left. He had noticed that Subaru's spirits seemed lighter than when they'd first arrived and that he'd completed a sentence without hesitation…and without even a single stutter.
…
Zelgadiss examined himself in the mirror. He had to, to tie his tie. He ran his hand along the edge of his lapel. Dark sage green, his hair did look good against that color. And the shirt was cream not bright white, just as she had suggested; she being Zelas. Funny, she was talented that way, picking a guy's wardrobe. Good taste. Too bad it had never broadened to include her own wardrobe, too trampish. Xelloss hadn't picked up those 'genes' either. He always was coming to him or even Val for color choices. Zel wondered if he might even be color blind. He came out of his revere when there was a knock at his door and a head sticking in.
"Just me!"
"What are you doing in here?" Zel asked his friend entering the room.
"Borrowing your gold turtleneck. I haven't a tie and it goes great with this jacket, right?"
"It's all right together. I meant, why are you getting dressed up?"
"Filia…told me to. She's assigned me to be her arm decoration at the ATMET."
Zel let out his breath. "I thought I was doing this alone. Then Filia got involved. Now you…"
Xelloss smiled sympathetically. "Oh, we won't get in your way at all! I promise! We'll go together in that car we're borrowing, and then split up at the art show. We'll taxi from there. No problem!" Xelloss replied.
Zel shrugged his shoulders. "You had better not be… I'm only doing all this for Amelia's sake, you know."
"Of course you are, little brother!" Xelloss laughed, indicating plainly that he didn't believe Zel one bit. He knew Zel had been anticipating a good time to be had, in spite of himself.
The two 'couples' hurried out of the house not wanting to hear the friendly taunts of their friends or to wait any of their precious downtime with idle conversation. Zel had the borrowed keys to Bobby's cousin's car. He opened the passenger door for Amelia then dashed around to the driver seat leaving Xelloss to fend for Filia.
"You know where we're going, I take it?" Filia asked Zel as she settled into the back seat.
"Other than 'insane'…?" Zel muttered sarcstically, or something much like that.
Amelia punched him playfully in the arm. "This is going to be so much fun. I just know it!"
"Don't say that!" Xelloss warned her. "You'll jinx the whole thing!"
Zel turned his head to peer over his shoulder at his friends in back. "You're here. I need no other omen of bad luck."
Xelloss made a face at him and Filia laughed. Zel started the car and they were off to the ATMET, Atlas City's most prestigious gallery containing thousand of priceless pieces of art plus the featured collection on loan.
…
"These tickets will get us in without waiting in that line," Filia pointed out. "Just move over to the right and go through that members-only door."
"Right." Zel was only too happy to comply. Waiting in lines with hordes of people, bored people with nothing to do but stare…at him… But as he and his friends passed, he could hear voices, muted ones saying the oddest things.
"Look! It's them. All four of them…from the Slayers!"
"Slayers?"
"Where? Ooooh, the yummy ones. See, I told you they like girls…"
"It's the Slayers!"
"Get a look at the hot babes…"
"Slayers…"
"From that band…"
"The Slayers…"
They entered the doorway, cutting off the crowd swelling behind them.
"Did you hear that?" Amelia asked. "They recognized us!"
Filia smiled, "Well, that's a twist. I figured in Seyruun we were familiar, but here we'd be safe. Well, Zel, kinda nice, huh?"
Zel simply shrugged. But inside, he was secretly thrilled.
"We should take in the featured exhibit first, before the rest of the throng comes," Filia suggested. She took Xelloss' arm and wrapped hers around it.
"Okay," he smiled. The arm thing tossed him another curve. He decided to just go with the flow, whatever that meant. He never knew with Filia just where she was taking them.
Amelia thought they looked sweet, and so, threaded her arm through Zel's too. "It's so exciting!"
Zel shivered at the contact, but didn't pull away. "Over there. The signs…"
The exhibit displayed both paintings and sculptures centered on a single theme, nudes. Big and small, male and female.
Zelgadiss picked up on the theme immediately. "I thought it would be a photographic technique study," he remarked in a hoarse voice. He didn't know which way to steer Amelia.
"'Overexposed—An Expose Done Over.' I get it!" Xelloss giggled. "I am so glad you invited me, Miss Filia. Was this your parents' choice or yours? Not that it matters, I was just wondering who to thank."
Filia elbowed him, "Shut up." He could still be so immature at times.
Amelia's eyes danced around. "Let's start at the beginning. These are in chronological order. See the first is a rubbing from a Stone Age cave. The first drawing we have of one person by another. The next rendition is of…" She continued reading the captions and commenting smartly on each of the artworks. In this way she eased them past a rough, uncomfortable moment and turned the awkward start into an intellectual pursuit. Something Zel could appreciate. Something the four friends could handle in an adult manner.
"This Rodan fellow was into voluptuous, wasn't he?"
"Yeah, look at this Mary Cassatt. That's some over-weight baby she's holding." Filia pointed out one picture as they entered the more modern period.
They all agreed that 'thin' was a contemporary sought-after look, not one of the past. Thin meant 'starving' and was not admired, until recently.
"It's okay if I admire this painting, right? I mean it is a nude male." Xelloss smiled at Filia.
"It's a Sargent. It's priceless. You can admire the workmanship, just not the subject," she allowed, then winked back.
Filia did have a sharp wit that he admired, even if it was pointed his way far too often. Oh and she as breathtakingly gorgeous. He found it much easier to put himself into an emotional lockdown around her when he kept her at arm's length. "Oh, that's reserved for you, then?" he added with a smirk and strode off to join Zel and Amelia in front of an abstract painting.
Xelloss squinted and stood back. "I don't see it."
"See what?" Zel asked.
"The nude. Is it male or female?"
"Female." Zel said curtly.
"How can you tell? At least the Picasso had the lumps in the right places and he was abstract."
"It just is…" Zel grumbled. His further comment was cut off by Amelia's cry.
She had moved on to where a small crowd was clustering around a painting, the last and most recent, but after taking a peek at what it was, she had rushed to Filia's side and told her, "That's all. Let's go. I'm famished!"
"But there's more…" Xelloss pointed out.
Filia yanked him back. "It's her birthday trip. Time to move on."
Zel let his curiosity overcome his wisdom, and headed off toward the group of people.
"Zelgadiss!" Amelia cried out. "It's really not a good idea. Please."
Zel nearly fainted. Somehow he had this knowing feeling that something would happen. His karma had been in suspended animation lately, lulling him into an irrational sense of security. "Oh…no…" He tore his eyes away when Amelia jolted him out of his stupor with a tug on his sleeve. Zel summoned his wits together and faked his composure. "Amelia, we have to get Xelloss out of here before…"
But it was, of course, too late to do that. Once Xelloss had broken free of Filia's hold he had followed Zel for a look at the last display. Oh…my… If this were a fantasy story, it would have been written that a dark aura of pent up fury was building and building around Xelloss' form. Even his hair was starting to float upwards as if it were electrically charged.
"No…" he groaned, an awful guttural sound.
Filia and Zelgadiss both grabbed an arm and hauled him towards the exit, trying not to draw any attention their way.
"That's him!" Zel could hear people whispering.
The whispers rose to shouts. It was a mob scene before they made it to the outside. Fans or not, the foursome were terrified that they might just torn apart.
"Get down on your hands and knees!" Xelloss shouted, pulling Filia down with him. "Crawl!"
Zelgadiss and Amelia did the same. Sirens crooned. The police arrived and quickly formed a barrier in an attempt to clear the area around the front of the museum even though they weren't certain of the cause. It was bedlam! Chaos surrounded them.
Xelloss' suggestion worked, though. The fans and onlookers lost the foursome in the commotion, and Zelgadiss led his friends at a snail's pace, literally a crawl, to their parked vehicle.
"Here put this on," Filia yelled. She jammed a striped knit cap, which she had found lying half under the back seat, over Zelgadiss' head.
"It's too small!" he crabbed.
"Too bad!" she sympathized. "And you, lay down!" Filia shoved Xelloss' head onto her lap just as a family walked by their car, the teenage son glancing their way.
Amelia covered her hands with her face and ducked below the window.
Zelgadiss muttered a curse and started the car.
The parking lot attendant recognized them at once, but his professionalism rose to the top. He directed the nervous teens to an alternate exit, "Take the first right you come to, then a left to get out of this district. Where are you heading? Okay, then take Market Street all the way to Third and you'll be a block from a parking garage for the restaurant. Oh, and it's got an underground entrance you should use."
"Thanks," Zel said with a gasp. Without thinking he yanked off the cap. "You got kids? Here, you can keep this then."
"Wow, hey, thanks man!" the attendant grinned and waved before running back to his post where cars were lining up to exit.
"That was a very nice thing to do," Amelia said quietly.
"What, the hat? Oh, well, it was…just an afterthought… Listen, we should go straight back to the house. I'm sorry, Amelia. This wasn't what I had planned at all. I don't think I can guarantee your safety."
Amelia nodded eyes downcast. Her disappointment, although she was silent, could be felt throughout the car.
"Xelloss, do something. Think of poor Amelia!" Filia hissed in his ear.
He spoke up for the first time. "Just a minute. No, go on to the restaurant." He pulled out his cell phone and punched in the restaurant's number. "Hello? Xelloss Metallium. Yes, party of four, that's instead of the Greywords party of two. Private room. Yes. About…five minutes. Thank you." He met Zel's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Guess we'll be joining you at that!"
"Oh…joy…" Zel sighed. And turned at the next corner, leaving the wailing sirens and flashing emergency lights behind them.
A man on guard duty, cleverly dressed up as a waiter, met their car and taking the keys, hurried the four kids through the unmarked door to a waiting elevator. "Third floor," he ordered the elevator operator, and then disappeared.
Zelgadiss shot Xelloss another, certainly not the last, look of quiet condemnation. "Why do I feel like I have just walked into a damned syndicate operation?"
Xelloss affected a British accent and replied, "Because, little brother, you are paranoid. Nasty problem of yours. Ought to get a hold of yourself. Now then, this is our stop, if you would be so good as to follow the nice waiter to our table?"
Amelia, ready to please and be pampered, smiled. "What a nice place, Mr. Zelgadiss. And the service! I feel like a princess!"
To which Zelgadiss answered simply, "Happy birthday."
From another part of the country, a youthful sounding woman triumphantly exclaimed, "We got him!"
"Oh, Sherra…" a bored man replied dubiously. "All you got was a kid caught selling his body for some bucks."
"What? Did you notice how he was able to contrive an escape route out of thin air? Or how quickly he got lawyers and the press working to his advantage? No? That's no ordinary high school teenager we have there. He's trained and has connections. Now to tighten the noose… Drag in the net…"
"Sherra, dearest? Are you planning something else now? Please be careful. I don't want you to blow our cover so soon. I'm beginning to like this job. Authority to wield…and the teachers all look up to me. They listen, Sherra! They like me!"
The woman shot him a disparaging look. "If we play this correctly, you'll have the power of the entire syndicate at your disposal. Minions to cower beneath you!"
"Well, there is that, but it's all so big and so much trouble…" Grauscherra sighed. "As long as you tend to the details, then I suppose so…"
"I'll handle everything. Just put your stamp here."
From the Authors:
Seyruun High Jinx has a home. Please go to the author profile for Kaeru Shisho and choose the link. You will find the contest results as well as pictures under Seyruun High Jinx NEXT. Pictures for each of the other stories are associated with their links.
KS
End Seyruun High Jinx –NEXT! Chapter Twenty-three.