THE USUALLY IGNORED AUTHOR'S NOTES (1):
To those who have waited for this update, I'm very sorry for not updating earlier. I have been preoccupied with a lot of stuff that I haven't had time to think of how to put my ideas into words properly.
Thankfully, I am currently enjoying a very long weekend!
Also, I would like to thank all of the reviews I have received. I really appreciate all of your comments.
If you guys haven't noticed, Fem!Greece is supposed to be named as Helen instead of Hera (Thanks for pointing that out Greece's Kitty) but I have realized that albeit too late. For the sake of consistency, I'll keep using Hera. Sorry about that folks!
Again, thank you guys for commenting. I'll be keeping all of your comments and suggestions to mind as I progress in making this story.
Bewitched!
Chapter 6: The Beginning of Unexpected Events
((POV in this chapter is based on a 3rd person's point of view))
WA Central Branch, Left Wing Dormitory - Francis' Room
4:30 AM, 3 days before the Exchange Program Examination
The spacious bedroom which was normally quiet and peaceful was suddenly filled with an obnoxious heavy metal tunes that jolted Francis Bonnefoy awake. A string of curses left the French's mouth as he fumbled for his phone in an attempt to get rid of Gillian's horrid caller ringtone - by answering the call.
"Gillian Beilschmidt, if you don't give me a good reason why you called me at fucking 4 in the morning, I'll hang up." Francis hissed against his phone as he struggled to sit up.
"Yeah yeah, quit with your yapping Franny. I need your help with my studies." Gillian replied.
A yawn escaped Francis' lips as he replied: "Huh? Studies? You're interested in studying now?"
He must still be dreaming if he heard his friend utter the word study and help in a sentence.
"You're one of the smartest people around. You'll be perfect tutor if you wanted to be one."
"Whatever gave you the idea that I became one of those so-called smart people just to dote on someone else's academic pursuits?" He grimaced.
"I did. It's a calling to be a teacher in the future, Franny. You'll be the head of all those nerds or wannabe nerds out there and they'll scorn and worship you for your ingeniousness," Gillian chirped. "Oh, whoops! I almost got caught by the hall monitor. I'm coming to fetch you at your room."
"What?! Are you serious? You're already on the discipline hot list because of the beer incident!"
No answer came from the troublemaker. Only the monotone beeps of the line answered for Francis. The irritated French got out of bed and let out several curses as he rushed towards his closet to get himself decently dressed. He hadn't fully put his pants on when Gillian entered his room, looking very satisfied with herself.
"Franny, I had to destroy most of your locks. Why do you even lock your room? It took me longer to get in because of that. Are you ready...oohh. Red is the color today huh." The German nodded as she openly ogled her friend, abruptly stopping in her tracks.
"Sacrebleu! Jesus, what are you doing here?!" Francis shrieked an octave higher than his usual voice.
Not only was he mortified that his close friend risked getting herself expelled, she also infiltrated his highly secured room (He regularly changes all of the padlocks at every doors and windows) and manages to look dignified while openly staring at him almost wearing nothing!
"I never knew someone still uses that word." Gillian grinned.
"Gillian, go to the fucking bathroom and let me change so I can finish this hell you're already putting me through!" he ordered as he pushed the laughing German into his bathroom.
WA South Branch, Art Club Room
4:30 PM, 2 days before the Exchange Program Examination
Lovina Vargas, who had finished coordinating with the Drama Club for an upcoming event had decided to take a short break before starting her other club duties. Much to her further relief, no one was lounging at the club room. Satisfied by the amount of privacy, she brought out her laptop and checked her mail for new messages:
Exchange Program Examination
From: WA Administration
To: Lovina V.
Good day Miss Vargas!
We are inviting you to take the annual exchange program examination. The online application for the examination is accessible at this link. The deadline for the application is extended up to the day of the examination.
The results of the examination will be immediately released after you finish the examination. Results of 90% and above qualifies you to be a participant of the exchange program. Once the results are released, you will be given immediate permission to depart on the day itself.
Apply now and have a unique experience at the WA Central Branch!
Lovina immediately thought of her friends and how they were doing with their review for the exam. While she was sure that Francis would pass because of his great academic performance, she wasn't quite sure if her other friend Gillian would be able to get 90% in such a short span of time. She knew it was going to be hard to pass the exam but she never knew that it had such a high cut-off score.
"No," she murmured as she shook her head. "If someone's going to make the impossible possible, Gilly's the one who can pull it off."
She checked her other mail and found one email sent by her dear friend Gillian:
Badly in Need one of those 40 Winks
From: Gillian B.
To: Lovina V.
Hi, I just wanted to tell you that I'm currently catching up with all of the lessons I have missed.
So far so good! Luckily I have a good weapon up my sleeves for academic emergencies.
With one of the smartest people in this school teaching me,
Nothing can go wrong!
Ugh, but Franny is a horrible teacher.
He's even more scary and annoying than the obnoxious teachers here.
I suppose he has the right to get angry at someone who hasn't even touched any of her textbooks...nor has an idea how to use the library for additional reference.
I'm really sleepy right now, but I have to suck it up and prove that a troublemaker like me who gets passing grades all the time can get a high grade without breaking too much sweat!
Kesesesesese!
I hope you're praying for me and Francis to pass the exam.
Especially for me. Pray more for me.
I made a bet that I'd reach 95% above, he'd have to pay for all of my travelling expenses.
Until I get my studies and exams done, I won't be able to e-mail you.
If I pass, you won't have to e-mail me for a while.
I can't wait to finally see you after all of these years.
Bye for now.
Gilly
Lovina smiled at her friend's enthusiasm and decides not to reply. After closing her laptop, she packed up her things and tidied the clubroom until her friend Antonio arrived to pick her up.
"Lovi, I'm really sorry for being late. I had to submit a paper for the upcoming track and field club intramurals." He gave the deadpan Italian an apologetic smile.
Lovina narrowed her eyes at the Spaniard, not replying to his apology. After dusting the cabinets, she placed the cleaning materials back to its rightful place, picked up her bag and began to walk towards the door.
"Err, Lovi?"
"We're leaving." Lovina replied, crossing her arms.
"Eh?! You're not angry?" Antonio blinked.
"Not really. Do you want me to be angry at you after all?" Lovina raised a brow.
"N-No! But it isn't like you to be this passive..."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing! Uh, do you want me to carry your things for you? Your ankle is almost healed but it's better for you not to lift something heavy."
"I can't be invalid all the time, idiota," Lovina scowled. "But if you insist on serving me that much, go ahead. I won't stop you."
Antonio led her to his car, put her things at the backseat and then began to pull away from the parking lot. While driving, he began to ponder on a certain attractive Italian sitting beside him in silence. Antonio felt clueless to what caused the Italian to be softer on him. When it came to her, he didn't seem to understand her. She'd be angry with him, nice to him, angry again, then nice.
"Lovi, you're kinda contradictory aren't you?" he mused out loud while driving.
"Contradictory? What are you blurting out all of the sudden?" Lovina looked away from her side of the road to face him.
"You're nice, then you become angry. Just like the other day, you became nice and cheered me up during the festival last we-
"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! I-I was perfectly the same dammit!" Lovina cut him off, blushing while shrieking.
Antonio just laughed, ignoring Lovina's protests.
WA Central Branch, Right Wing Dormitory – Gillian's Room
Exchange Program Examination Day
4:45 AM:
Francis sighed as he cleaned up after his friend's mess. After countless (not really countless, but it seemed to be countless) hours of teaching Gillian everything, they were finally done. Right on cue after declaring that Gillian perfected all of the questions he had given her, she immediately passed out and slept on him.
"Gill, you're really something aren't you?" he smiled as he covered the sleeping German with a warm blanket.
He wasn't expecting for her to be able to learn every lesson so fast that he felt an urge to stay with her throughout the whole thing. Even though he didn't have a chance to study for himself, he was able to apply what he already knew while he was teaching Gillian. He wagered that tutoring someone else also qualified as another form of studying.
He picked up the scattered litters of papers, cans of energy drinks and other garbage that had accumulated in his friend's room and quietly sat on the edge of the couch and opened his laptop to check any mail from his pen-pal, Lovina:
Inspiration
From: Lovina V.
To: Francis B.
Francis, it has been a while since we have last exchanged mails.
I heard from Gilly that you two have been working hard together.
Gilly told me not to send her an e-mail for a while, but I want you to show this art I made for both of you.
It's a lucky 'charm' I made for both of you.
I know that you two don't need one, but regardless of that, I want you two to know I am rooting for both of you two pass the exchange program examination tomorrow.
1 Photo Attached – download or view
Lovina
Francis promptly downloaded the said photo. As always, he wasn't disappointed at the sight of Lovina's artistic skills. Unlike the ones Lovina has sent him, this piece of art had more emotions in it. The contours of the scenery of a beautiful sunset were more defined, the colors were warm and bold, and the strokes were more gentle yet firm. He grabbed his and Gillian's phone, put it to their phones and made it as their wallpaper.
He sent a short mail saying thank you and took a short nap. He set his phone to alarm half an hour later so that he can prepare their meals and hopefully get their clothes ironed. Satisfied with his plans, Francis drifted off to sleep with a smile on his lips.
2 hours later:
A delicious sent of bacon and egg entered as the sounds of the sizzling frying pan being washed echoed throughout the room. Realizing that he had completely missed the intended time he planned to wake up, Francis literally jumps to the kitchen to find his obviously fresh companion cleaning the kitchen utensils she had used to make their breakfast.
Noticing that her friend has woken up, Gillian dressed in a crisp WA girl's uniform greeted her friend with a grin and instructed him to eat while she prepared his bath.
"G-Gill, when did you...how...I don't even know what I should ask you right now." Francis finished lamely.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a taste of my wifely side, Franny. Better suck it up before I change my mind." Gillian grinned as she put two cups of black coffee on the table.
"I won't," Francis shrugged. "I'm not complaining about eating free breakfast in a girl's room."
"That's not free." She said as she sat down.
"What do you mean?" he blinked.
"I didn't have food supplies and I borrowed some supplies..."
"...I don't like where this is going." Francis frowned.
"I snuck in your room and got us some delicious food and brought some of the stuff you'll be using today. I got everything so you wouldn't have to worry!"
Francis flashed Gillian a murderous glare, stood up from the table with bacon dangling from his lips and sought out his belongings.
"It's on my bed." The German pointed helpfully, following Francis while bringing her plate.
He immediately proceeded to her bedroom and saw his school bag perched on a pillow and his newly ironed school uniform along with his...unmentionables. Red unmentionables. Francis face paled at the sight.
"Shee –munch munch- I thought you'd like –swallow- that ridiculous red underwear of yours. While you were sleeping, I dished that underwear of yours in your laundry basket, hand washed it before using my hair blower to speed up the drying process so that you can use it aga-
"GILLIAN BEILSCHMIDT, SHUT IT! DON'T SAY A WORD!" The highly flustered French said in a loud voice, clutching his clothes while rushing to the bathroom.
Amidst the furious sound of numerous pencil scribbling and erasers being rubbed against papers, a lone student rises from the sea of students nervously filling up the answer sheet with answers with a satisfied grin on her face.
Her fellow students look up to see who had guts to submit his/her paper first and immediately face judgement. To their surprise and dismay, it was none other than...
"Hey pops, scan my answer sheet and get it over with! Kesesesese!" Gillian called out from the other side of the room. "100% here I come!"
"100%? You? Impossible! If it were Bonnefoy over here," the teacher gestured towards Francis, who chose to ignore his teacher and friend's conversation. "I wouldn't be surprised if he scored as high as 95%! No one has been able to get 100% and I certainly won't expect you to get it."
The classroom erupted in small laughter and relieved grins as they watched the lively banter between the famous troublemaker and their uptight teacher.
"Beilschmidt, once you'll get your failing result, you won't be in the mood to make any jokes!" the teacher smirked as he eagerly put the answer sheet through the state-of-the-art machine-scoring device.
The monitor connected to the device glowed with power as the machine analyzed all of Gillian's answers.
"Watch the monitor for the result of your failure Beilschmidt." The teacher instructed.
"Failure? That's really supportive pops." Gillian crossed her arms in anticipation.
After what it seemed a millennia, the students along with their teacher and schoolmate fixed their eyes on the screen when it suddenly made an indication that it had finished checking the answer sheet. Francis, who finished answering the exam, leaned back on his seat and watched the screen with interest.
Student Name: Gillian Beilschmidt
Student Number: 20XX-10-40
Remark: Qualified
Score: 100%
Gillian took out her phone and snapped a photo of her results. The students in the room suddenly shouted different remarks like "Impossible!", "The world must be ending!" and etc. The teacher clutched a nearby table for support as he eyed the monitor flashing the result with shock and disbelief. Other teachers rushed to the room to see the commotion and also stood shocked at the result flashing on the monitor.
"I should get a trophy for this." Gillian snickered.
After the excitement (it was more of disbelief though) had died down, the teachers carefully reviewed Gillian's results multiple times. The security in the room was tightened because of the possibility that Gillian might have copied her answers from someone else.
Unfortunately for the teachers, they didn't find anything that would point out that Gillian cheated. They even reviewed the surveillance cameras inside the room, found some cheaters whom they immediately kicked out of the room, but didn't find Gillian actually cheating.
"I told you guys," Gillian grinned triumphantly. "I didn't cheat."
With a heavy heart, the teachers let her off the hook and reluctantly gave her a plane ticket and written permission to leave the campus.
"You may have won this time Beilschmidt, but you won't get so lucky the next time!" her teacher grumbled as he begrudgingly let her leave the room.
Francis and the other students soon followed and got their results. Francis got a score of 97%, while 3 others got scores within 90% to 94%. This year, only 6 out of 500 students in the Central Branch were qualified to go to the South Branch.
When Lovina had received the news that her friends passed, she was very happy and excited of the fact that she will finally see them face to face. She immediately dressed up and rushed to the airport. To her surprise, Antonio was also at the airport, near to where was to wait her friends. Before she could hide from his range of vision, he had spotted her already.
"Loviiii, could it be that you knew I was going to be here?" his eyes sparkled happily.
"What? No! I'm here to fetch some friends."
"Oh, is that so..." Antonio mumbled, deflated.
"And what are you doing here?" Lovina asked.
"I'm also waiting for my mother, but her flight has been delayed." He replied, frowning.
A ring from Lovina's trusty Nokia phone cut their conversation temporarily. It was a message from her friends:
We're already here Lovina! You still remember our faces back at 3rd grade right? – Gilly
"Sorry, but I have to wait for my friends now. Chat with you later." Lovina dismissed Antonio as she began to walk away.
"Eh? Wait, I'll go with you!" Antonio shouted as he followed the rushing Italian doggedly.
"W-What?!" Lovina's face paled.
She cannot let Francis and Gillian see Antonio just yet. Lovina's mind raced for a valid reason to make Antonio go away.
"You can't do that. How about your mother?" she said, letting out an uneasy smile-snarl.
"She'll arrive much later than expected anyway. I'll drive you and your friends to your home at least."
"I can't possibly impose on you right when your mother is involved." Lovina blocked the way where her friends were suppose to come out and began to push him back to where he was situated before.
Just a little more, she can avert their meeting for the time being.
"A-Ah, Lovi that must be your friends." Antonio blurted, mystified at what he was seeing as he was being pushed by a flustered Italian.
Lovina paused and gulped. It can't be. It can't be, goddammit!
"Lovina," a female voice with an accent called out from behind. "Is that your boyfriend? He's pretty cute if you ask me."
"Mon ami, you don't ask someone that kind of question after meeting them for the first time." A male voice said dryly.
Lovina faced those voices with her heart thumping hard against her chest and came face to face with the distant friends whom she had only seen through a photo several years back and talked through mail and chat. Her eyes widened at the sight of the most gorgeous and sophisticated people she had laid eyes upon.
Gillian Beilschmidt was far from Lovina expected. Rather than having boyish features, she had the height, figure and looks of a model. Her large ruby eyes were the same piercing ones that she had seen before. She had also grown her hair longer this time. Her long shiny silver blonde locks perfectly framed her dainty face and complimented her pale skin tone.
Francis Bonnefoy looked very much the same. His long silky blonde hair, which had grown longer, was neatly tied with a red ribbon. His ice blue eyes looked sharp just like before, albeit a bit more mature and mischievous than before. He was a head taller than Gillian, making him almost as tall as Antonio. As Lovina had expected, he was quite a handsome fellow.
Both of them commanded attention wherever they went.
"Uhm, Hi...welcome. How did your flight go...?" Lovina asked mechanically.
"It was very very fun. By the way, you should see how high I got from the exam," Gillian happily replied as she held Lovina in a light headlock and showed the picture she had taken hours ago. "Kesesese, impressive isn't it?"
"W-Wha...100%! You really got 100%!" The Italian's face flustered with barely concealed delight.
"Thanks to my tutor, I managed to get that score."
"Thanks to the tutor, not only do you get free meals, free quality education, you also get free travelling money." Francis grimaced.
After a few minutes of chatting, Lovina finally became more relaxed in the presence of her distant friends that she had almost forgotten about Antonio. Almost.
"Oh, Lovina, your friend has been standing there for quite a while. Introduce us to him." Gillian pointed at Antonio, who was looking at his feet.
Antonio looked at Lovina with hopeful eyes. Francis and Gillian eyed Antonio with interest and curiosity while Lovina struggled not to run away now that she had no choice but to introduce Antonio to them earlier than she has planned.
"Gilly and Francis, this is Antonio. He's, ah, a friend. Antonio, this is Gilly and Francis. T-They were my pen-pals back at 3rd grade."
"Nice to meet you. I'm one of Lovina's close friends." Antonio extended his hands for a handshake.
Francis extended his hand and gave the Spaniard a firm handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm glad that Lovina has a friend like you."
The Italian caught the hidden implication her friend was making and shot him a warning glare. Francis caught her glare and chuckled. Gillian, who had been watching their exchange, took the hint and decided to join in the fun.
"Yes! I hope you two grow closer in the future." Gillian gave Antonio a pat on the back.
Much to Lovina's amazement and annoyance, the three idiots (Francis, Gillian, and Antonio) instantly became friends and were now planning on going out together while they were on the way back home with Antonio as their driver.
"Right after I drive you to Lovina's home and fetch my mother, I'll tour you guys around. How does that sound?" Antonio asked.
"That sounds great!" Gillian answered enthusiastically.
"You two go ahead. I'll stay behind and make inquiries about where we will be staying and such. I don't know much about this place, so I need Lovina's help with those inquiries," Francis replied. "I'll be contented with Lovina and her younger sister's company for the time being."
Knowing that she couldn't refuse in this situation, Lovina could only agree. She played right into Francis' trap and both of them knew it. There is no backing out of the talk she promised him now.
End of the Chapter
AUTHOR'S NOTES (2): I hope I have satisfied you guys with this looooong chapter. I'm pretty sure my writing skills have grown rusty, but I have tried my best. Once again, please bear with my amateur writing skills. Reviews will always be appreciated.