Chapter 7 Coincidence

[6:00 a.m.]

I woke up at my usual time and started eating breakfast. I had a habit of eating early, so I would not need to eat with my so-called 'family'.

If I ate with them, Regina and Ronald would start sneering and bothering me. My mother was never eating with us; Ryan just treated me as though I was invisible. I never fitted in this family. To me, it was never a family. This house was never home, just a temporary residence.

I had promised myself, when I have enough savings, I would leave this house and rent an apartment, never to return.

My mother had never been there when I needed her. She never attended any of the awards evening or performances I participated, never congratulated me on my academic achievements and she always forgot my name. ALWAYS.

Unfortunately, she had inherited all of my dad's possessions and sold them to auctioneers when dad had disappeared. She tried to convince everyone that dad was dead, that he somehow died mysteriously. I was no fool. These lies will never shake my determination.

As soon as I move out of this house, I will find dad.

I will search all over the world if I had to I kept reminding myself.

I dried all of the dishes and walked upstairs, locking myself in the room again. I took out my chemistry homework and started working on calculating molecular mass.

[Aster's POV]

I was reading my duel schedule for monday. Satorius had emailed me and he had highlighted my first match for the day, against a newcomer, Ronald Richardson.

There were rumours about him, about how his father, Ryan Richardson (I think) bribed members of the pro-league to let his son into the duelling business.

I smirked, I decided to show the newcomer how duelling really was done. He played a darkness deck and I was certain that he had little skills, probably worse than Slifer newcomers did in DA (Duel Academy) judging from the statistics and his match winning percentage.

My phone was ringing. I picked it up.

'Hello! Aster Phoenix speaking!'

'Hi, Mr. Phoenix!' A bright and cheery voice had answered. A student, about my age, I guessed.

'I am Robert Winfrey, Captain of Sporting in Siemens Institutional College'

My head perked up as I heard the name of the college.

Siemens Institutional College.

S.I.C.

The same words on the college logo Casey was wearing on her blazer. Robert Winfrey was still talking.

'…My other colleagues were wondering if it was possible if you could attend our interview later this week for our assignment.'

As I asked for details, I couldn't stop thinking where I would see Casey.

In the crowd? Perhaps…?

'My colleagues will contact you as soon as the date is sorted out! Thank you Mr. Phoenix!'

I hung up, getting excited as I imagined spotting Casey in her school.

I headed downstairs to my grand piano plying 'Für Elise' while humming the tune.

[Casey's POV]

I finished all my homework, completed most of my assignments and already read the materials for next weeks' course.

Curiosity took the better of me, so I decided to open Mr. Stevenson's letter.

I untied the red satin ribbon and opened the letter. it smelt like roses, my dad's favourite flower.

Dear Miss Casey Nagoya it wrote

My sincere apologies for not contacting you a bit earlier. Finally, it has taken me great effort to find you at Siemens City. Complications have aroused and I must communicate with you urgently, otherwise all hope will be lost.

Please contact me as soon as possible.

Yours Sincerely,

Peter Stevenson

The writing was flawless, written in a scripture so similar to my dad's, so neat and even, unlike my scrawl.

Complications? Must talk to you urgently? What did he mean by 'It has taken me great effort to finally find you'?

I decided to ask him face to face, so I dialled his number he enclosed on the rose smelling parchment.

to be continued.....

Please R&R. Thank you!