Hey guys... It's nice to see you again...
So, firstly, I want to thank dutchmaniac for another follows! And also thanks to Fenix139 for some questions and helpful advices! About his advices, I took some important points that I will use for this story in the future... here are some :
One, Blu's father... it is true, during this story I only mentioned his father once... in the second/fourth chapter if I'm not mistaken. I never mentioned his father's background, his work, where he lived and others. I honestly didn't think to do it... but, let see what I can do.
Two, Jewel's parents... well, they will appear in this chapter... their first appearance... just wait for it, okay?
Three, about the past of Blu and Jewel... You've known a little bit about Blu's past in the previous chapter, and I plan to talk about it slowly as the story progresses. A little spoiler, in the middle of the story there will be one or more special chapter(s)... so, wait for it as well, yes? Then about Jewel's past... how do I explain about this? Ah, In any condition, I forbid myself to tell you about it, I am sorry. But in this chapter I slipped a little clue about her past. I think you can guess a little, because I believe you guys are very good at guessing, right?
Okay, that's all... and now... happy reading.
Blu's POV
I have remembered everything. One reason why I decided to stop writing is because of me, that kid suffered a pretty bad wound in her cranium, left a bitter scar-memories... because of me... the color of a white flower became red.
Jewel didn't show any reaction, she just sat next to me while bending her face staring at the ground, "Yesterday is history... tomorrow is a mystery... today is a gift..." she whispered to me as she lifting her face, looking at me, "That's why it's called the present."
She once again smiled at me even though I...
"Do not waste your present focusing on the past stories..."
Her words somehow...
"Spend it by picking up a pencil and writing yourself a new journey..."
She then stood up, staring up at the sky and pointing toward the stars which shining so brightly in the darkness, and saying cheerfully under those stars...
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest tonight, look at the stars!"
"Where did you get those words?" I asked with a puzzled expression.
"Snoopy..." she turned around and now standing right in front of me, "You no longer need to hide in the shadows of your past, you just need to go forward and keep looking up... that's the secret of life."
"But still... I... these wings have hurt someone. Blood-stained wings are not worth even touching a pencil. I didn't even dare to meet that kid, until finally that kid has moved somewhere."
I am really the worst... I am a murderer...
She then kneeled down in front of me, so her face was right in front of my face. I can vaguely hear her breath, her gaze shows as if she cares for me, and tries to help, "I don't know who this kid is, but one thing I know for sure... that kid will be sad to see her hero like this, you know..."
"...?" I don't understand her words at all.
"A hero who saved her life..." she continued, smiling.
She then grabbed my wings. Her grip is so comfortable and warm, and maybe without me realizing my face will turn red... this kind of situation really makes me awkward.
"When you're depressed, it always helps to lean your head on your wing. Wings like to feel useful." she said to me while gripping my wings,"Look... your wings color is the same as mine. The blood stain has gone, even your wings are not trembling anymore. As I thought, you're a writer after all, because there's a lot of pencil powder on them."
My heart is shaken... my eyes opened... my beak cannot respond... I really admire her... a girl who is in front of me...
"See what I mean, your wings feel happy to be in my wing..." Jewel smiles when I realize if she still holds my wings.
And instantly...
'Oh no...!' I shouted to myself, my face is now completely blushing, as my heart pumps blood too fast to my face.
"You said you haven't met that kid yet, and you don't know where she moved, right?" Jewel then stood smiling cheerfully, "That's good... you can convey your feelings through your new book, and I'm sure wherever she is, your feelings will surely reach her... I mean, hey... 'I am a writer, my stories will tell you more about me than I ever will...'"
I really didn't like the night since childhood. I always feel worried and scared when I am in it because I cannot see anything, even my own shadow, but somehow, tonight looks more beautiful and shining. Is it because the night stars are shining so brightly? No, but...
It's her own shine which makes darkness night pretty...
"Haaah..." I sighed long enough, before finally I began to speak, "You really win this..." for the second time, she managed to make me smile again, after a week plus a day ago she managed to force me to write her books review, she now managed to get me to write my new story that I've now found.
"So now, what are you going to do?" Jewel asked me.
"Of course go home..." I said as I got up from the bench. "There are things I have to write."
"That's great..."
A beautiful starry night, just me with her in this lonely little park. I hope time can stop, so a beautiful night like this can go on forever...
3rd person POV
Half an hour passed after Blu and Jewel left the park. They both parted at the crossroads after giving a farewell wave, they were now walking towards their own home.
Jewel who was heading eastward, silent for a moment... she stopped her pace and leaned her wings onto a sizable tree trunk. For a moment, she held her forehead, then walked back. She then arrived in front of a small ice cream shop with a large writing emblazoned on a wide glass window like-wall, so that the inside of the store is full of tables and chairs for customers can be seen.
It read, 'Helados Blue Alas'
Jewel opened the door at the same time as an echoing bell sounded. There are no customers in it, because tonight is quite late, and of course at the door of the ice cream shop there is a 'Close' sign.
"Ah, at last..." an adult female bird with darker blue eyelids, similar to hers. With widened eyes, she intercepted Jewel and asked in a high tone, but worried, "Where have you been?"
"It's late at night, you know... why didn't you tell us first?" the heavy voice came from behind the adult female bird, a voice that looked fierce, but seemed worried. He's masculine, with a short crest of flattened feathers on the top of his head.
"I'm sorry mom, dad..." Jewel replied in a rather casual tone, "There was a small sudden thing I had to do after school."
The two birds in front of her are Jewel's parents... Clairine and Eduardo. They both opened a small ice cream business in Moose Lake... opened a successful and well-known store in their neighborhood. They both make the ice cream with their own recipes, thus creating ice cream with a variety of shapes and flavors that are different from other ice cream stores. Although referred to as an ice cream shop, lately they are also trying to make gelato, sorbet, milkshakes and frozen yogurt in their small 'laboratory' under this shop.
Her parents looked at Jewel with curious eyes, but worried...
"I'm a little tired, I'm going to my room then." continued Jewel, stepping toward a small wooden staircase that was behind the ice-cream refrigerator filled with ice cream left over from the sale.
However, her pace was stopped by her mother's words, "Wait! Don't you dinner first?"
Jewel turned and replied, "Sorry mom, I think I'll pass the dinner this time."
"Are you all right, Jewel? Your face looks pale..." asked her father, Eduardo who since her return showed a worried expression on his face.
"I'm fine, dad. I'm just tired, that's all." Jewel replied to her father with a smile.
"Did you take your medicine?" asked her father again, still showing the same expression.
"Yes... I took my pills this afternoon at school," and then she walking up the stairs, "Good night... mom, dad."
On the second floor, there was a long corridor with an iron pipe attached to the wall along the hallway as height as Jewel's waist. There were only two doors there, one of the doors right at the end of the stairs was a lacy wooden board that read, 'Gemma's room'.
Jewel walked to her room with staggering. She almost fainted, but fortunately she was able to maintain her balance using that iron pipe to keep her body from falling. She stopped for a moment, before opening the door of her room, and instantly dropping herself on her bed, closing her eyes in the half-dark room, since there was only a light source coming from the opened door.
.
The next day...
Blu's POV
.
"This is..." my beak gaped, glaring at a room in front of my eyes. A room mentioned by the vice-principal yesterday.
"Not bad, huh?" Jewel who was standing next to me only briefly remarked in a slightly annoyed tone, with a rather surprised face.
"Hahaha..." I laughed nervously.
The storeroom that he talked about, had been established since the first time this school was built. This room is in the attic, at the end of a hall rarely passed by teachers and students. Inside there was nothing, just dust and cobwebs in every corner. In addition, there are also many piles of dusty cardboard boxes piled up near the windows where the glass is so dirty and blackened because dust builds up. There was only a wooden table, and four wooden chairs in the center of the room.
"Well, at least this door is still in good condition." I said, opening and closing the storeroom door. A plain green wooden door, and still looks decent. Maybe because the quality of old timber is pretty good... I guess.
Then, Jewel stepped inside, looked around and inhaled a long breath,"Ahhh..." then smiled, "The air is still fresh. The air circulation here is so good."
'Finally, her positive comment came, after looked disappointed.' I said to myself.
It's true, as I recall the window of this room is always open, there's even a large air vents on it. Although it has long abandoned, this room I think can be a comfortable room.
"Look... there is table and some chairs which are still in great condition." she continued, sitting on one of the chairs.
But...
"What's this?" she lifted her wings. Her feathers became matted and sticky from the cobwebs in the chair, "Well, I think we should have a little cleaning operation."
I walked up to her, "I also think so, but I guess it takes all day."
"Then we will help."
A very familiar voice came from the door behind us. Jewel and I turned to find out the owner of the voice.
"Gracie? Robe?" I'm a little stunned.
"I see... you guys were well rewarded by the vice principal, eh? This is really an interesting room..." Roberto said, grinning.
"What are you doing here? Isn't this morning you should practice?" I asked, confused.
"Don't worry about it. We passed the morning practice." Gracie said, smiling casually.
"So, you guys will help us?" asked Jewel in hopeful tone.
"Of course..." Roberto replied, showing his cool face, "Because I used to use this room as well. And you know what... this room is haunted..." he tried to scare her.
"Really? What kind of ghost? Have you ever seen this ghost?"
This is like the fishermen who are fishing...
"You know, it's said that there's a student who committed suicide by jumping out of that window." the fisherman threw his bait, and...
"Then...!" the fish hit by fisherman's bait.
"He fell with his head first hit the ground. His skull was crushed, his blood and bones scattered, changed the color of the white school wall to red. His blood traces are still visible until now. Then, his spirit haunts this room... a headless spirit, with his bloody feathers...! When there is someone who stayed in this room until late at night, there will be an echoing sound that filled this small room... 'Do you like this smell? do you like this color? do you like my head?' just like that! Firstly maybe only voices, but if you still stay in this room and ignore it... the spirit will appear and ask once again, 'Why do you ignore me?'"
"That's really creepy story..." somehow, Jewel completely not scared to hear that story, instead..."This can be the idea for my story...!" she looks so excited.
'I see, she's the type who likes horror genres, eh?' I said to myself.
"Why, why doesn't this work?" I think Roberto looks a bit disappointed, because the results don't match his expectations.
'At least you tried...' I thought with inner laugh awkwardly.
As I watched their conversation, Gracie tapped me on the shoulder, "Hey... substitute character. You'd better help me move these boxes."
"Why should I help you?" I asked in a sarcastic tone, "It's your fault we're not allowed to use the library anymore."
But Gracie instead throws a box at me, and by reflex I catch and pick it up, "This is... heavy..." 'What the heck is the contents of this box?' I grumbled in my mind
"Shut your beak, and get working..." she replied, but ignoring my words just now.
"What the heck is that? Are you actually listening to me?!" I exclaimed irritably.
"Quickly, move the box here...!" she commanded me.
"Do not telling me what to do...!" I grumbled.
A busy morning... A louder spring breeze in this third floor, through a pile of dust covering this room...
"Okay everyone...!" Roberto exclaimed, and the four of us docked together, and he began his short speech,"This morning we have a clean operation. We're going to clean up this mess, so that Blu and Jewel, uh, I mean... Hyacinthum G and J Gemma can use this room to write their chapters. Let's do it!"
The noise in this small room, giving rise to the beautiful echoes and tones of the breeze in late spring...
It's true what she said, ("...Keep looking up... that's the secret of life.") because now I've found it...
Chapter 11 : Secret of Life
.
.
.
.
.
That little secret...
And we're done...
Before I finish this chapter, there's one thing I want you to know... that's right, about the quotes in this chapter I copied from two iconic characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Actually there are some things that I change a little, but these are the original :
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest this afternoon." -Snoopy.
"Keep looking up… that's the secret of life." -Snoopy.
"When you're depressed, it always helps to lean your head on your arm. Arms like to feel useful." -Charlie Brown.
I think that's it, I really like those characters from Peanuts, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. Maybe along this story I'll be copying more of their quotes, of course with a little change.
Okay guys... thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. If you either like it or not make sure to leave a review... you may criticize, advise, or do whatever you want. But nonetheless, I hope you guys enjoy it...
And, I'll see you later in my next CoL...
.
.
.
.
.
In the afternoon, after many hours, the four of us cleared this storeroom. The black window, now turning into a place where the orange light flooded this room, made the remaining dust sparkling.
A window facing the sunset may be the perfect place to see the beauty of the evening sky, because it's higher than the ground, so that no object will obstruct the scene, and its light.
After we moved the dusty boxes, the room became more quieter. There was only me sitting in a chair facing the window. The table in front of me is filled with electrolyte drink bottles, and snacks are a sign that this room was so crowded.
Roberto and Gracie now have to practice for their important tournaments. Their practice, their cries of excitement sounded clear from above, though it wasn't in the library, but their voice was enough to dampen this silence.
But again... I'm not alone...
Jewel... she sat on the floor, leaning against the wall under the window, closing her eyes. The small sighs of her breath, and her tiny body...
'She looks so cute when she's sleeping. As long as she doesn't do a lot of whim,' I mumble to myself, staring at her. Then walked closer to her slowly and quietly. I take off my jacket, and wrap it around her body, 'She must be tired...' I whispered to myself, then walked back to my chair, and stared at the sheets of paper between the electrolyte drink bottles, and the snack packs.
I sat back on this chair, grabbed my pencil and my white sheet, staring at her once again...
("for whom do you write that story?")
Many things have happened, and maybe thanks to her I've found one answer for one of her many questions.
She who has forced me to write again...
She who has dragged me back into the literary world...
She who has found a way to convey my feelings...
She who has grabbed me out of my shadows...
She who has faded the blood stain on that flower...
She who has made darkness night pretty...
'I am writing... for your...'
