Tag: anime art

Volume 1

16. The Need to Get Stronger

imeryli

At the Devil’s Lair of Ringmasters Training Academy, Headmaster Devil was at his desk, going through some files when Aiden had entered the office.   

   “Interesting. For once, there’s no sign of a woman here,” Aiden said.

   “Very funny. What do you want?”

   “The new professor for Power Coordination is supposed to be coming in soon. Should I continue to cover for the class till then?”

   “I’m aware. And you’re the best replacement we have right now. So, I trust you’ll keep the students on track till he comes in. Anything else?”

   “One more thing. The nurse said that Runa has been doing a lot better. What should we do with her now?”

   “I have been thinking about that. The child is very powerful. But she lacks control over her powers. And I don’t think it’s right if we let such potential go to waste.”

  “What are you proposing then?”

  “I think we should keep her here for special training. Under the right guidance, she could learn to control her powers. You can work with her and if everything goes well, I can have her admitted into the nearest preparatory school where she can be among other students of her age.”

  “You sure about this?”

  “Why not? After all, she is just a child. If it wasn’t for Heer, Runa would still be under Madame Naga’s control. With that thought in mind, I want you to get Heer to visit Runa.”

   “I don’t think I even have to ask her. She’s been very concerned about Runa from what I’ve heard.”

   “You still need to talk to her. Ask her how she feels about Runa getting some training here. If she agrees, Runa will be more likely to undergo it with Heer’s approval.”

   “As you wish. There’s one more thing I wanted to bring up. Rey appears to be doing better now. He will be discharged from the intensive care unit soon. But still…the scar from Madame Naga’s bite remains. I know the doctors were able to control the spread of the venom in his body, but I still fear for him.”

   “And why is that?”

   “Why would Madame Naga leave that bite, knowing the possibility of the venom’s spread being controlled? Something else is up. And since that scar remains on his neck, it could still pose as a danger to him.”

   “Yes. Make a note of this. Inform Sana to make sure Rey sees the nurse periodically in the mornings for further medication. He’ll need it. Hopefully, we’ll be able to have him under control before anything goes wrong.”

***

   Down in the halls, Sana was making her way towards the intensive care unit as students were walking off to their classes. She opened the door of the room, seeing Rey was sitting up in bed. As she came by, she looked aside, seeing an empty plate that was sitting upon a table with a pile of crumbs left behind. “You look much better now. And you even ate. That’s good,” Sana said. “Did you take your medicine yet?”

   “No, the nurse left for a bit, so I have to wait. I don’t even want to take it. It tastes weird.”

   “Oh, come on now. I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

   Sana turned to the side and was startled as she noticed that right next to the finished plate of breakfast was a glass of orange juice that was untouched. She rolled her eyes and said, “Looks like you didn’t drink the orange juice. How typical.”

   Rey turned away, frustrated, and said, “It’s not my fault the nurse left that crap for me to drink. “

   Sana turned to Rey, grabbing the glass of orange juice. She shouted, “If the nurse gave it to you, then that means you have to drink it!”

   “Would you get that crap away from me?! I hate it!”

   “You’re such an idiot. Orange juice is good for you. It’s vitamin C for crying out loud.”

   “I’ll take vitamin A, B, or even Z, but I won’t take C if it’s in that!”

   “Now you’re just acting like a child! You need some enriching fluids with your medicine. Now drink it!”

   “Enriching fluids?! Those aren’t even real oranges!”

   “Okay, it’s one thing to be petty. But making false arguments? I have no clue how you got into this school with such a miniscule brain.”

   “What’d you say?!”

   “You heard me.”

   “I’ll have you know that I’m pretty smart.”

   “Sure. That was evident from how you landed flat on your face when battling Zayn and Akira yesterday.”

   “Insulting me even more now? Well, now you’ve persuaded me even more not to drink that stuff. So, there you have it! I’m not drinking it!”

   “Fine then,” Sana said.

   She took the tablet, which was Rey’s medicine. And then, she swiftly grabbed hold of Rey by his shoulder, popping the tablet into his mouth and stuffing the orange juice down his throat. She let go, leaving Rey in quite a daze.

   “There. That does it,” Sana said.

   “AAHHH!” Rey screamed to the top of his lungs as he immediately jumped out of bed. He started taking the remaining crumbs of his breakfast and eating them in hopes that the taste would go away.

   “Geez, you’re so dramatic.”

   “Dramatic?! You know I hate orange juice! And you dare to chug it down my throat like that?!”

   “Oh, just grow up already.”

***

   At Energy Enhancement class, students had arrived as they waited for Professor Luna to enter the classroom. As Sana and Rey came in, Krystal and Prince went up to greet the two. Prince high-fived Rey and said, “Nice to see you back in shape.”

   “Hey, man! I’ve always been in shape!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Aww. At least your attitude hasn’t changed,” Krystal said.

   “And why should it? Just because I took a beating, doesn’t mean I should mope around forever,” Rey said.

   “Correction. You got two beatings,” Krystal said.

   “The second one doesn’t count!” Rey said.

   Sana looked over at Neil and Heer, who were sitting in their seats. The two of them were unusually quiet. They usually chatted for a bit before class would start. But they weren’t even looking at each other.

   “What’s with those two?” Sana asked.

   “Who? Neil and Heer?” Krystal asked.

   “Yeah. Look at them. They look so distant from each other,” Sana said.

   “That’s weird. They’re probably just tired,” Rey said as he sat down in his seat.

   “Or there could be tension since yesterday’s little fiasco,” Prince said.

   “Did Neil say anything to you?” Krystal asked Prince.

   “No. He’s been pretty quiet since yesterday. You know something’s off when he’s not running his mouth,” Prince said.

   “All right, class. I want everyone seated,” Professor Luna said as she entered the classroom.

   The students all sat down while Professor Luna placed her belongings on her desk. At that time, Zayn and Akira entered the classroom. “Oh, you two have arrived. Had any trouble coming here?” Professor Luna asked Zayn and Akira.

   “Wow. She’s so nice with them,” Rey said.

   “It’s Headmaster Devil’s son. She would be,” Sana replied.

   “Wait! What?!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Long story. We’ll tell you later,” Krystal told Rey from behind.

   “We’re fine. We just got lost for a bit,” Zayn replied.

   “It is a big school. Anyway, you both can sit in those empty seats beside Krystal and Prince,” Professor Luna said.

   As Zayn and Akira headed over to their seats, Krystal noticed all the students couldn’t help but stare at them. It was as if celebrities had walked in. Zayn took the seat right next to Krystal while Akira sat in the other seat beside him. Krystal looked at him, wondering if he’d say anything. The two were pleasant to be around when she gave them a school tour the other day. But she didn’t know if that was enough to be acknowledged as a friend. It didn’t take long for Zayn to look at Krystal.

   “Thanks again for yesterday’s tour,” Zayn told Krystal.

   “Oh, yeah. No problem,” Krystal said.

   “Okay, let’s get started,” Professor Luna said. “Now class, I’m sure you all remember our focus on the equilibrium. Today, our focus is going to be on how one obtains the equilibrium.”

   “Prince and I were able to use it ourselves!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “Is that so?” Professor Luna asked. “Well, that’s great. Glad to see some students have already learned to use it. I still think it’ll be useful for you all to understand the foundation of the equilibrium technique.”

   Sana looked down at her notebook. It seemed like it had been a while since the time she and Rey used the equilibrium against that dark beast in the library. Even though they were able to execute it, it wasn’t perfect considering how much exhaustion it had caused her. And that seemed to bother her. She wondered if she wasn’t as strong as she thought. Krystal told her about how she was able to execute the equilibrium with Prince and how even Neil and Heer were able to do it as well. There was something wrong and she feared it was her own strength.

   “Let’s have a demonstration of a basic exercise to practice the technique,” Professor Luna said. “Neil and Heer! You two come here for the demonstration.”

   Neil and Heer looked up at Professor Luna, startled. Heer looked over at Neil, who was still looking rather distant, almost as if he didn’t want to be in the room. As Heer began to get up, Neil got up and said, “Sorry. But today’s not a good day.”

   “What?!” Professor Luna questioned Neil.

   “I’m saying no. Go ahead and fail me for today. I’m leaving right now,” Neil said as he then stood up from his seat.

   This surprised Heer. Neil was always one to take on an opportunity when it was presented to him. Neil grabbed his backpack and headed out the classroom, not even turning back once.

   “Good grief. Never mind the exercise then. Let’s take some notes first,” Professor Luna said as she turned towards the board and began writing.

   “What’s with him?” Krystal asked. “Why’s he being such a jerk?”

   “He’s clearly not taking what happened yesterday very well,” Prince said.

   “So, he’s upset because of us?” Akira asked.

   “Nah. He’s just being moody,” Krystal said.

   Heer sat back down in her seat. Rey looked at her, seeing she was hurting. He wondered whether Neil was upset about the battle with Zayn and Akira or if something else was going on. 

   Neil walked down in the hall by himself, pondering. I don’t know what Heer thinks of me, Neil thought. I know she tries her best as my partner. But I want to get stronger. And I don’t know if we can do that together.

***

   Later, during lunch time, Sana, Rey, Prince, and Heer were all seated at their usual table in the cafeteria. As they waited for Krystal, the group began eating their meals. It didn’t take long for Rey to realize that Neil wasn’t coming. When it came to lunch, he was always there around the same time as the whole gang was.

   “Heer, is Neil not coming to lunch?” Rey asked.

   “Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since he left class this morning,” Heer said.

   “He texted me. He said he was heading back to his dorm,” Prince said.

   “Man, what’s his problem?! And why’d he only text you?!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Whatever he’s upset about, it might be best to just give him some space for now,” Sana said.

   Heer looked down at the floor. She couldn’t help but feel sad that Neil was acting the way he was. She wondered if she did something wrong by arguing with him the other day.

   “I’m so mad right now!” Krystal exclaimed as she arrived at the table with her lunch tray.

   “Now what is it?” Prince asked.

   “Once again, my idea for the next circus show got declined,” Krystal said. “I swear, this school must have some kind of agenda against me.”

   “Or maybe people have better ideas than you,” Prince said.

   “What the hell, Prince?! You’re supposed to be supportive!” Krystal exclaimed. “Heer, please tell me you don’t agree with him!”

   “Well, to be fair, I’m not sure how disco would work in a circus show,” Heer said.

   “Disco? Ha! Now that’s just comical,” Rey said.

   “What is the theme this time around?” Sana asked.

   “They picked Aster’s idea again. He’s going with a fairy tale theme,” Heer replied.

   “This school has no respect for my creative vision,” Krystal said.

   “Well, Rey, you’ll have to sit this show out,” Sana said.

   “And why would I do that?” Rey asked.

   “You’re not ready for any strenuous performance work yet. You need to take it easy till your wound heals,” Sana replied.

   Before Rey could answer, he turned to see Zayn and Akira walking by. “Hey! Come sit with us!” Rey called out to the two. Zayn and Akira went ahead and sat down with the others at their table.

   “So, what do you think of our school?” Krystal asked Zayn and Akira.

   “It’s okay so far,” Zayn replied. “Can’t say much just yet.”

   “I honestly like it here,” Akira said. “And I saw the flier for that upcoming circus show. I’ll definitely want to participate in that.”

   “You should. The shows here are a lot of fun,” Heer said.

   “Where were you guys at before coming to RTA?” Rey asked.

   “We went to a preparatory school in Arsen Town, Miliana,” Akira said.

   “Oh, you guys are from Miliana? They have the best beaches in the country,” Krystal said.

   “Well, I’m the one who’s from Miliana,” Zayn said.

   Oh, right. I forgot that Aiden mentioned Akira isn’t from Earth, Krystal thought.

   “Akira, what’s the name of the place you’re from in Euphoceus?” Heer asked.

   “It’s called Elysian City. I was born and brought up there, but I left when I was about thirteen years old,” Akira said.

   “Why did you leave? And how did you even travel to Earth?” Sana asked.

   “People from Euphoceus have the ability to activate portals that go to and from our world,” Akira answered. “As for why I left, it’s really not worth talking about. To be honest, I haven’t even gone back since I left.”

    Hasn’t gone back since she left? That’s strange, Sana thought. Does she not have any family back home? Otherwise, why leave and not go back once in all those years?

   As curious as Sana was about Akira, she felt it was best to leave the subject of her past alone. She didn’t even know her. So, it wasn’t like she had the right to know more about her reasons for leaving her world.

   “So, Rey, how’s that injury of yours?” Akira asked.

   “Oh, yeah. It’s fine. I mean, the wound itself still has to heal, but it’s fine,” Rey said.

   “You sure about that? Seems pretty serious if you ended up in the ICU,” Zayn said.

   “When you put it like that, you realize how stupid he is for even challenging you guys,” Krystal said.

   “Hey, I just wanted to have some fun!” Rey exclaimed.

    Hearing all the talk about Rey’s wound worried Sana again. It was hard not to worry. But it was even harder not to blame herself for what happened. The more she pondered over it, the more she could feel her anxiety eat her up. She stood up from her chair. She looked up, seeing everyone at the table look back at her.

   “I’m going to leave now. I have some stuff to take care of before our next class,” Sana said.

   “Stuff? It’s lunch time, Sana,” Krystal said.

   Sana didn’t say a word. She simply took off, not even looking back at the others. She normally wouldn’t just leave like that. But she just felt like she couldn’t handle being with the others now.

   “First Neil, now Sana,” Krystal said. “Why’s everyone being so moody today?”

   “Sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought up Rey’s wound,” Akira said.

   “It’s okay. Honestly, it seems there’s been a lot on her mind lately,” Prince said.

    Rey sighed. He could now feel what Heer was feeling. Sure, Sana wasn’t angry. But he could tell she was taking everything that happened in the fight with Madame Naga to heart. Even reassuring her the other day wasn’t enough. And now, he didn’t know what to do.

***

   After Sana left the cafeteria, she headed down the halls of the first floor till she reached Aiden’s office. She opened the door, seeing Aiden was inside, analyzing some documents. He looked up, surprised to see Sana.

   “Sana…what are you doing here?” Aiden asked. “And have you ever thought of knocking at least?”

   “I’m sorry.”

   “No worries. I had to speak to you anyway. Headmaster Devil wanted me to let you know to make sure Rey gets his medication from the nurse every day.”

   “I will. But I actually have a question for you.”

   “What is it?”

   “I was wondering…can Rey and I take some extra lessons with you?”

   “Extra lessons? For what?”

   “It’s hard to explain. The point of the matter is…I need to get stronger. And I need your help.”

   “What do you mean? You’re already a strong student. You can’t actually be doubting yourself, right?”

   “Look, Mr. Galloway-“

   “Aiden. I’m kinda getting tired of the formalities around here. After all, I’m literally the same age as you.”

   “Fine then…Aiden…all I can say…is that the strength that I have now is not enough.”

   Sana found herself struggling to speak further. She knew what she wanted to say. But it was as if all her emotions were choking her. She struggled to maintain her composure as her eyes began to water. Aiden could see this. He could see something was eating at her. And he had an idea what it might be.

   “Sana, it’s okay. I’ll arrange for something and let you know by tomorrow,” Aiden said.

   Sana relaxed for a bit. She took a deep breath.

   With that, Sana left Aiden’s office. He put his documents to the side, knowing something wasn’t right about Sana.

***

   Later in the day, Aiden was finishing up lessons with his last class. After passing out homework assignments to all the students, the bell finally rang.

   “Okay, guys. Make sure you all complete your homework tonight. And study it very well because we might have a quiz tomorrow,” Aiden said.

   The students got up from their seats, heading out of the classroom while Aiden cleaned the chalkboard. As he was cleaning, he couldn’t help but think about how Sana was when she came to his office earlier. He may not have known her for a very long time. But he could tell she was far from her usual self. It was clear that the Madame Naga incident had really shaken her up, but he wasn’t entirely sure why she was so adamant on training so soon.

   Before he could ponder any further, he looked to his side to see Heer was standing right outside the classroom. She looked like she wanted to see him.

   “Heer, are you okay?” Aiden asked. “Why don’t you come in?”

   Heer took a deep breath as she entered the classroom and said, “Can I talk to you about something?”

   “Sure. Actually, I had to talk to you as well.”

   “Oh…you go first.”

   “Have you gone to see Runa yet?”

   “No. How is she?”

   “She’s doing pretty well. She’s pretty stable now.”

   “That’s a relief. I’ve been really worried about her.”

   “I had a feeling you would be.”

   “Why? Because all I’m capable of is worrying.”

   “Now why would you talk like that?”

   “Because that’s how people feel about me. All I can do for others is worry.”

   “You underestimate yourself, Heer. You actually proved to be stronger than anyone I’ve known.”

   “How? My strength is nothing compared to Rey, or even Prince.”

   “While Rey and Prince are powerful, there is something to be said about what you did that day. You saved Runa despite her being a dark beast. Now that is something that requires a different type of strength. It’s called compassion.”

   Heer looked back down on the floor. She didn’t know what to say. It was the first time she felt as if she was acknowledged on such a huge scale.

   Aiden cleared his throat and said, “Anyways, I actually wanted to talk to you about Runa.”

   “Right. Go on.”

   “Do you wish to visit her?”

   “Of course. As soon as possible.”

   “You can see her soon. See, Devil and I have been talking about what to do about her now that she’s out of Madame Naga’s control. She’s demonstrated great power. But she obviously lacks complete control over it. Which is why we thought it would be a good idea to give her some training to help her control her powers. It may be unorthodox training a dark beast, but like you’ve seen, Runa isn’t like most of them. This could also allow her to feel more comfortable in new surroundings and around others. What do you think?”

   Heer took a moment to take in everything Aiden had told her. She sighed for a second and said, “It’s funny that you ask that. I was going to ask you something on the same lines. But for myself.”

   “What?”

   “Yes. I want to get stronger. Which is why I wanted to ask you to train me. I really need this.”

   “Does this have to do with Neil?”

   “I know Neil believes I’m not as strong as I should be. But if I have the right training, I can get stronger and be a better partner to him.”

   “Heer.”

   “Please don’t worry about my feelings. Just tell me whether you can train me or not.”

   Aiden stood in deep thought for a little

bit. He wanted to help Heer, but it was going to be a tough task to manage with all the other duties he had on his plate. Especially since Sana had already asked him for training as well. But after some time, he said, “I think I know how to work this out.”

   “What is it?”

   “You and Runa can train together. It makes perfect sense. Runa already trusts you very well. If you train with her, she’ll be much more comfortable. How does that sound?”

   “That’s actually a good idea. When do we start?”

   “As soon as you see Runa.”

Copyright © 2021 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Volume 1

15. Power of The Elite

imeryli

At the arena, Zayn, Akira, Rey, and Neil made their way towards the center stage. Zayn and Akira took the right side while Rey and Neil took the left. Both sides were getting ready for the match, getting into battle stances.  “So, Neil…you sure we can do this?” Rey asked. “I mean, our powers aren’t exactly a match made in heaven.”

   “I know that. That’s exactly what makes a cool combination,” Neil said. “We’ll be twice as powerful when taking these two on!”

   “Good point! We got this in the bag,” Rey smirked.

   “You ready, new kid?!” Neil exclaimed.

   “You really have no idea who you’re up against,” Zayn said.

   “I’d take his word for it,” Akira told Rey and Neil.

   “Whatever! We’re still gonna take you out!” Rey said.

   “You’re still up for this?” Zayn asked Akira.

   “Of course. I could use a little fun on the first day of school,” Akira replied.

   “All right! Enough talking!” Neil exclaimed. “Ready, Rey?!”

   “Hell yeah!” Rey smirked as he transformed into his beast form.

   At that time, Sana had arrived at the arena, seeing Zayn and Akira up against Rey and Neil. “They’re not joking. They actually are going to battle them,” Sana said. “Why doesn’t this idiocy surprise me?”

   Neil stood his ground as he drew out his wand, preparing to fight. “All right! I’m about ready for some action!” Neil smirked. “So, you guys gonna make a move or what?!”

  “Akira…siren form,” Zayn said.

  “Right,” Akira said.

   Akira’s body suddenly gave off a stunning golden glow that was so bright that it blinded Rey and Neil’s eyes, making them look away. As the glow began to fade, she had transformed. A set of bright white feathered wings with gold accents emerged from her back while her arms were wrapped with golden ribbons that completely tied around her arms like the straps of ballet shoes. She wore a gold crown around her forehead and a gold choker that was wrapped around her neck. Her outfit had changed to that of a sleeveless green gown that had an upper portion in the shape of wings. The dress had a high slit, revealing a pair of golden sandals adorned by her feet.    

   Sana was stunned by Akira’s transformation. It was unlike anything she had seen before.

  “She’s a human-beast?” Sana asked. “This transformation is unlike anything I’ve seen before.”

***

   Meanwhile, Aiden had finally arrived at his classroom while the students continued to chatter amongst themselves. “Hello, class. Sorry I’m late. I had some important work to get done,” Aiden apologized.

   As Aiden put down his binder on his desk, the students settled down. Aiden turned to the chalkboard to write down the objective for today’s class. But before he could even grab the chalk, he was alarmed by the sound of running footsteps entering the classroom. He turned to his right to see it was Professor D’Sena.

   “Everything okay, Professor D’Sena?” Aiden asked.

   “No. There’s a fight going on in the arena. Two staff workers reported seeing students over there,” Professor D’Sena said. “They told me that two of the students involved appear to be Rey and Neil.”

   “Wow. Those two get into so many antics that even the staff workers know them by name,” Krystal said.

   “I should’ve known they’d pull something like that,” Prince said, shaking his head.

   Hearing all of this, the students began to chatter once again. Aiden sighed. He knew he had to go take care of whatever shenanigans Neil had gotten himself into.

   “All right. Settle down everyone,” Aiden told the class. “Krystal, Prince, and Heer, you three come with me. Professor D’Sena, do you mind watching the students while I’m gone?”

   “I can do that. No problem,” Professor D’Sena said.

   Krystal, Heer, and Prince followed Aiden out of the classroom, heading towards the staircase to go down to the arena.

***

   “HA! So, you can turn into a bird lady?! Big deal!” Neil exclaimed. “We’re still gonna beat you!”

   “I said it once. I’ll say it again. You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” Zayn said.

   “Shut up! Are we gonna talk all day or fight?!” Neil exclaimed.

   “We could say the same to you,” Akira talked back. “If you’re so pumped up, why don’t you make a move?”

   At that time, Aiden, Krystal, Prince, and Heer had arrived at the arena. They went over to the bleachers where Sana was standing by. She turned around to them and said, “Oh, thank goodness you guys are here.”

   “What’s going on, Sana?” Aiden asked.

   “I just came here. It appears Rey and Neil are challenging the new students to a battle,” Sana said.

   “They’re such morons. Shouldn’t Rey be recovering?” Krystal said.

   “Neil picks up a fight wherever he goes. There’s nothing that can make him stop now,” Heer said.

   “Those two idiots don’t even know who they’re dealing with,” Aiden said as he kept his eyes on Zayn and Akira.

   “Do you know who they are?” Sana asked Aiden. “I was curious about the girl. What kind of human-beast is she?”

   “That girl is Akira Flareborne. And the boy is Zayn Hawkwing…Headmaster Devil’s son,” Aiden replied.

   “WHAT?!” Sana, Krystal, Prince, and Heer reacted in unison.

   “Headmaster Devil has a son?!” Krystal asked. “No way!”

   “I thought the old man’s never been married,” Prince said.

   “He was. Devil’s ex-wife is Tatia Hawkwing, Zayn’s mother,” Aiden began to explain. “Tatia is a ringmaster herself, who happens to be a member of the Ringmasters Society. They were together for quite a while.”

   “No wonder the old man always has women coming to his office,” Prince said.

   “Then that means Rey and Neil are dealing with no ordinary ringmaster,” Sana said.

   “Correct,” Aiden agreed. “You’ll see for yourself.”

   “Or you could stop them since you have the power to do so,” Sana retorted.

   “To be fair, Rey and Neil have to be punished for picking up a fight even if one wasn’t physically fought. So, we might as well amuse ourselves and see what happens,” Aiden countered.

   “Solid point there,” Prince nodded in agreement.

   “But Rey is injured! You can’t just let him fight these guys when he’s supposed to be resting!” Sana exclaimed.

   “Knowing Zayn and Akira, they’ll most likely not be so hard on them. If I’m wrong, I’ll stop things immediately,” Aiden responded.

   “All right, Rey! Start with a fireball attack!” Neil ordered Rey. Rey nodded, emitting a fireball from his roar. Even though he was used to following Sana’s lead, he was comfortable with Neil by his side. As the fireball came towards Akira, Zayn looked up and said, “Sand Strike, Akira!”

   Akira nodded as her wings rose upward and flapped vigorously, launching a mighty sandstorm that hit the fireball, blowing it out like it was nothing. And the strength of the sandstorm was enough to hit Rey directly. The impact wasn’t too bad, so Rey managed to remain standing, holding his ground.

   “Damn it! Let’s do it right this time!” Neil exclaimed as he transformed his wand into his bow and arrow. “Try your Ember Claw move! I’ll back you up.” 

   Rey proceeded forward, leaping upward as he got the claws of his paw ready. And Neil got his arrow aligned with his bow, running towards Zayn and Akira as he prepared to fire. But Zayn wasn’t about to just stand idle. Zayn drew out his wand, tapping it immediately as it transformed into a clarinet.  

   “Akira, let’s go for C-flat major,” Zayn ordered. Akira nodded as she took a deep breath and started to sing. As she began to sing, Zayn raised his clarinet upward, playing it and releasing a sound wave that amplified Akira’s singing voice. Her harmonious vocals stopped Rey in his tracks, making him transform back into his human form. It was an unusual feeling. It felt as though the sound itself from Akira’s vocals and Zayn’s clarinet had taken over his body. He felt a shift of some kind take over inside of him.

   “What the hell?! What are you doing?!” Neil shouted at Rey as he stopped in his tracks.

   “Wow. That’s a beautiful voice,” Rey said.

   “What happened?” Sana asked. “He’s just standing there now.”

   “It’s like he’s in some kind of trance,” Krystal said.

   “That’s the power of Akira Flareborne, especially when she has Zayn around,” Aiden explained. “You see…Akira is no ordinary human-beast. She’s part siren.”

   “A siren?” Sana said.

   “How do sirens even fall into the human-beast category?” Heer asked.

   “You all are familiar with human-beasts that have the forms of wild animals found on Earth. Sirens are classified under mystical human-beasts. They come from Euphoceus, a universe just like ours,” Aiden continued.

   “Euphoceus? That’s an interesting name for a magical world,” Krystal said. “So, this girl’s not even from Earth. I wonder how she even got here.”

   “Many Euphocians have made their way to Earth. Some of them just prefer our simpler ways of life. Others find the ringmaster academies here to be more fruitful in training and understanding their abilities,” Aiden replied.

   It’s actually amazing, Krystal thought as she watched Zayn and Akira closely, paying attention to just how much synchronicity they had on display. They have control over sound and sand. And yet they manage to pull off both with so much grace.

   As Akira continued to sing and Zayn amplified her voice further with his clarinet, Rey was slowly making his way towards Akira’s direction. He had no control over himself. The sounds of Akira’s voice had him tangled in a rope of sound that was pulling his body further and further.

   “What are you doing, Rey?! Attack her!” Neil ordered. But it was no use. Rey remained in a trance-like state as he continued to go towards Akira. Zayn slowly stopped playing his clarinet. This was the signal for Akira.

   In an instant, Rey was tied down by his arm, his body landing on the ground with a thud. The impact was strong enough to snap him back to reality. Akira had Rey tied down with the use of the ribbons around her arms. She smirked, “Got you.”

   “What the hell?!” Rey exclaimed.

   “This is bad,” Neil said.

   Akira spun herself around, twirling as Rey was dragged around and around like a rag doll. She continued to spin as if she was performing ballet, her spins looking more like delicate pirouettes. And finally, she stopped in her movement and raised up her leg, pulling Rey forward by the ribbon and calling out, “Siren Whip!” as she kicked him directly in the chest. This released the ribbon off Rey’s arm as it wrapped itself back onto Akira’s arm. Rey landed onto the ground harshly, his chest hurting from the impact.

   “Rey!” Sana called out.

   “What the hell was that?!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “That’s one of her usual moves,” Aiden said. “It’s a combo attack used to draw in the enemy and then strike them when they’re fully hypnotized.”

   “Hypnosis? It seems his clarinet does a lot more than play music,” Prince noticed.

   “Yes,” Aiden responded. “It’s true. Zayn’s clarinet does more than creating good tunes. Each note he plays releases a different kind of attack to coordinate with Akira’s attacks.”

   “Wow, their battling style is quite different from what I’ve seen,” Heer said.

   “How do you know so much about them?” Krystal asked Aiden.

   “They’re an exceptional team. I’ve seen them in action myself when I was travelling around for training with my master. It’s because they’re so skilled that they were even able to join your class without formally completing their freshman year here,” Aiden explained.

   “Are you sure the connections have nothing to do with that?” Prince asked.

   “Well, yes, there is that. But even connections can’t deny raw talent,” Aiden said.

   “I can’t argue with that,” Sana said.

   “Damn you!” Neil shouted in frustration.

   “Looks like someone’s getting a bit agitated,” Zayn said. “You really want to keep going?”

   “Of course!” Neil replied.

   “So, you still haven’t learned. You might want to back down now while you can,” Akira said.

   “Quit yapping and bring it on!” Neil exclaimed.

   “Very well,” Zayn said. “Akira, you know what to do!”

   “Wait!” a voice shouted.

   Zayn, Akira, and Neil turned around to see Sana coming to the arena stage along with Heer, Prince, and Krystal. She ran over to Rey, who was still on the ground in pain.

   Sana grabbed hold of Rey and turned to Zayn and Akira, pleading, “Listen to me. He was already injured prior to this battle. So, please discontinue this fight.”

   “What?!” Neil exclaimed. “Sana, why are you-“

   “Shut up, Neil! You know better than to influence him to take part in a battle when he should’ve been resting!” Sana shouted.

   “He’s your partner?” Akira asked. “Well, you should keep a better eye on him next time.”

   “I was watching him. I can’t do much when he acts like an idiot,” Sana said.

   “Who are you calling an idiot, Sana?!” Rey said.

   “I told you not to go and fight and look what you did.”

   “And I said I could handle it.”

   “Oh, sure. You were really handling it when you got yourself tossed around like a human yo-yo.”

   “I was doing fine!”

   “No, you weren’t.”

   “All right. Its fine,” Zayn said. “This battle was over before it started anyway.”

   “Hey! I’m not through with you yet! I want a rematch! You hear me!” Neil shouted.

   “You’ll get that when you learn to be more respectful,” Heer said as she shook her head and dragged Neil away from the stage by pulling his arm while Aiden looked on, rolling his eyes.

   Sana helped Rey get up. As upset as she was, she knew she had to calm down. Rey could tell she was upset. And in a case like this, he thought it was best to keep quiet for a while.

   “Come on,” Sana said. “Let’s take you back to the health center.”

   With that, Sana helped Rey walk as the two left the arena.

   Akira transformed back into human form, turning to Zayn. “So, what do you think of this school?” Akira asked Zayn.

   “Eh. Nothing much to speak of yet,” Zayn replied.

   “Wow! You two are quite the duo!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “Thanks,” Zayn said. “And you are?”

   “My name’s Krystal. And this is my partner, Prince. We’re in the same year as you guys,” Krystal said.

   “You two might be the most normal people we’ve met at this school,” Akira said.

   “Trust me. Krystal is far from normal,” Prince said.

   “Shut up, Prince!” Krystal exclaimed. “Anyways, since you two are new here, why don’t we show you around the school? “

   “But we have class,” Prince said.

   “Please. It’s not like we’re missing out on much today,” Krystal said.

   “That’d be nice actually,” Akira said. “Right, Zayn?”

   “I guess. It’s not like I have anything else to do,” Zayn said.

   Aiden looked at both Zayn and Akira as the two headed back inside the academy with Krystal and Prince. It’s a good thing Sana intervened. Otherwise…things could’ve gotten ugly, Aiden thought. This was only a taste of what Zayn and Akira could do. Time will tell…when they’ll show their full potential.

***

   In the hallway on the first floor, Heer continued to pull Neil along until he finally pulled his arm out from her grasp. “What the hell?! I was already gonna take them on again! And you bring me here!” Neil shouted at Heer.

   “Is that all you can say for yourself now?”

   “Whoah! What’s with the tone all of a sudden, Heer?”

   “Neil…you need to understand. I know you want to prove your strength to others. But today wasn’t right. You put Rey’s health at risk out there.”

   “I didn’t mean to. I just thought it would be fun.”

   “Fun? You think it’s fun to have your friend taken out like that? Besides, that’s only half of what’s wrong here.”

   “Well, what’s the other half?”

   “It seems like you always tend to go with Rey for everything. I’m your partner and yet, sometimes I feel like I’m not.”

   “I don’t get it. You were just now reprimanding me for making Rey fight.”

   “I know. And that is wrong. But what’s also wrong is you don’t treat me like your partner. And I don’t know why.”

   Heer sighed, leaving Neil alone as she simply walked away. She couldn’t pinpoint why she was so upset. And she didn’t think Neil would understand anytime soon. Neil watched Heer walk away, puzzled by her frustrations. It was one thing when it was about Runa. But this time, he didn’t know what to think.

***

   Back in the intensive care unit, Sana helped Rey get into bed, tucking him in with a blue fuzzy blanket. While doing so, she looked at the scar on his neck. It was a reminder of what had happened the other day. And it seemed like it had gotten larger. Sana looked away, unable to bear the sight of the wound. Just looking at it makes me feel guilty, Sana thought.

   As Sana began to leave, she was stopped. Her hand had been caught. As she turned around, she saw Rey, who was wide awake, grasping tightly onto her hand. “Listen,” Rey said. “I know you’re worried about me. You don’t have to be. We we’re just having fun.”

   “Rey, this isn’t funny. You could’ve made things worse for yourself today.”

   “But I’m fine. No matter how tough those guys were, it’s not like they were going to kill me.”

   “Rey…you might be able to take this lightly. But I can’t. You’ve never gotten an injury like this before.”

   “And that’s okay. Sometimes things like this happen and you just deal with it. And I’ll get through it. Or should I say, we’ll get through it. That’s what partners do, right?”

   Sana looked at Rey in silence. She knew in her heart that Rey was being completely honest with her. She nodded, but a part of her was left feeling unsure. What challenges would lie ahead for her and Rey?

Copyright © 2021 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Volume 1

14. Old Wounds, New Entry

imeryli

“It’s all your fault,” the voice echoed. Surrounded in a cave of darkness, Sana was down on her knees. Her legs could feel the pain of the rigid ground as she held an unconscious Rey in her arms. A waterfall of tears gushed from her eyes. Sana tried to ignore the voice as its eerie sound continued to repeat itself to her, rattling her fragile eardrums.

   “NO! I didn’t mean to!”

   “It’s all your fault.”

   “Stop it!”

   “It’s all your fault.”

   “NO!”

   Sana got up from her bed, her body shaking frantically. She felt hot, especially with all the sweat that was on her forehead. It was all just a dream. She took a few deep breaths, trying her best to relax. At that moment, Krystal and Heer immediately opened the door of the health center. “Sana! Are you okay?!” Heer asked Sana, concerned.

   “What?! Where am I?!” Sana asked.

   “You’re in the health center. After you passed out, we brought you here to get treated,” Krystal replied.

   “How do you feel now?” Heer inquired.

   “Forget me!” Sana exclaimed. “Where’s Rey?! How is he?!”

   “Rey was taken to the ICU,” Krystal replied. “He should be o-“

   “What?! No! No!” Sana cried as she rushed out of bed to leave, while Krystal and Heer stood before her.

   “Hold it, Sana! You need to rest. You took a pretty bad beating as well,” Krystal told Sana.

   “I don’t care!” Sana shouted as she went past Krystal and Heer and ran out of the room.

   Sana continued to run down the hall until she got to the intensive care unit at the end. She immediately barged into the room, shouting, “Rey!”

   Startled, Prince and Neil turned around, seeing Sana come inside. Sana looked at Rey, who was lying on the bed, still unconscious.     

   “Sana?” Neil said.

   “How’s Rey doing?” Sana asked. “Is he okay? Tell me!”

   “Relax, Sana,” Prince said, putting his hands on Sana’s shoulders to calm her down. “The doctor said he just needs rest.”

   “He also mentioned that we we’re lucky enough to get here when we did, otherwise it could’ve been far worse,” Neil told Sana.

   “Shouldn’t you be taking rest?” Prince asked Sana.

   “How can I when he’s like this?!” Sana asked.

   “Sana, it’s all right. Rey is strong. He’ll pull through this,” Neil assured.

   Sana went over to Rey’s side, watching over him. Prince and Neil looked on and shook their heads as they left the room, leaving Sana alone with Rey.

   “I really hope she’s not beating herself up over this,” Neil said.

   “She can’t help it,” Prince responded. “Besides, there is some concern. We don’t know what this wound is gonna do to him.”

***

   Far outside of the academy, in the streets of Daredevil City, a young boy was walking towards the gates of Ringmasters Training Academy. The boy had scraggly blond hair that looked very voluminous on the top with three hairs standing upward. His eyes were peacock blue, and his ears were adorned with silver stud earrings. He wore a loose, pale yellow infinity scarf around his neck, along with a sleeveless gray tank shirt, gray fingerless gloves, blue pants with a gray studded belt hanging loose around them, and gray boots. Walking along with him was a young girl. The girl had medium-length hair that was violet blue with a light blue streak on the single bang that sat on her forehead. She wore a jade green crop top with a gold band around it along with a dual-colored jacket in blue and green, brown shorts, and green boots.

   “What’s with you? You’ve been awfully quiet this whole time,” the girl told the boy.

   “You really think I’m interested in coming here?”

   “Then why the hell are we here?”

   “It’s all because of Mom.”

   “I can’t believe she’s letting you come here.”

   “I said the same thing. But it actually makes sense now.”

   “Does he even know?”

   “Mom told him.”

   “Okay. Well, honestly speaking, we could probably be doing something better with our time.”

   “Mom’s intuition is usually never wrong. If she thinks it’s worth coming here, I’m not gonna argue with her on it.”

   The boy and the girl kept walking till they reached the academy, entering inside the building through the front gates. They went down the halls, heading towards Headmaster Devil’s office. “You sure we’re going the right way?” the girl asked the boy.

   “Mom said it was the last door all the way down the hall.”

   “She visits here?”

   “Rarely, but her memory is sharp.”

   As the two got to the door of Headmaster Devil’s office, the boy went ahead and opened it, entering inside with the girl to a surprise. Headmaster Devil was at his desk, giggling with a young woman by his side. While they continued to laugh, Headmaster Devil turned to the boy and girl, stunned. He jumped out of his seat and shouted, “Zayn, my son! You’re here!”

   And that was the boy’s name: Zayn. Zayn shook his head, seeing Headmaster Devil with the other woman. “So, that’s your dad,” the girl said.

   “Typical,” Zayn said, rolling his eyes.

   “You have a son?!” the woman asked Headmaster Devil, surprised. “Wait a second. You two are Zayn Hawkwing and Akira Flareborne.”

   “That’s right. My boy is quite famous. He was one of the top students at his preparatory school,” Headmaster Devil pointed out.

   “And he’s your son?!” the woman asked, surprised.

   “Yes, darling. Since he’s here, can we meet later today? I have important father-son bonding to do right now,” Headmaster Devil told the woman.

   “Sure, Devil. I just love a family-oriented man!” the woman exclaimed.

   “Couldn’t be further from the truth,” Zayn said, shaking his head.

   The woman left the office, leaving Headmaster Devil with the two kids. He turned his focus to them, especially happy to see Zayn.

   “So nice to see you, son!” Headmaster Devil exclaimed.

   “Can’t say the feeling is mutual,” Zayn replied.

   “Son! How can you be so cold?” Headmaster Devil said.

   “Now I know why Mom left you. You’ve never even told anyone that you’ve been a married man once, have you? It suits your womanizer image,” Zayn said.

   “Oh, come on. I know your mother tends to say all kinds of stuff about me, but it’s only because she secretly still likes me,” Headmaster Devil said.

   “Sure, if you’re delusional,” Akira said.

   In the middle of the conversation, Aiden made an entry into the office, drawing Headmaster Devil, Zayn, and Akira’s attention towards him.

   “Aiden, have you ever understood the concept of knocking?” Headmaster Devil asked, irritated.

   “Sorry, sir. But you’re urgently needed in the cellar. It’s serious,” Aiden replied.

   “Just give me a few minutes. I’ll be down there in a moment,” Headmaster Devil said.

    After Aiden left, Akira asked “What was that all about?”

   “Never mind that. It’s just school business,” Headmaster Devil replied. “You both are welcome to this school from today. You’ll be joining the regular classes from tomorrow. So, feel free to look around and navigate your way through the building.”

   “Sounds good to me. Maybe we’ll meet some people from our class, too,” Akira said.

   “I’d rather not,” Zayn said.

***

   At the intensive care unit, Sana was still sitting beside Rey as he remained unconscious. She watched over Rey, distressed from his condition. The tears became uncontrollable as she pondered over what had happened in the battle against Madame Naga. I’m sorry, Rey. I failed you. If I had been stronger, none of this would’ve ever happened, Sana thought as she continued to cry.

   Suddenly, Rey opened his eyes, looking straight up at the ceiling. He turned around and slowly sat up, surprised to see Sana. Sana looked up at Rey, seeing he was awake.

   “Sana?” Rey said.

   Seeing Rey up, Sana immediately wrapped her arms around him, hugging Rey as she shouted his name. Rey remained in Sana’s embrace, startled. She continued to hold onto him as her tears overflowed.

   “You’re okay! I was so worried!” Sana cried.

   Rey looked on confused without saying a word. After a couple of seconds, Rey said, “Um, Sana…the hugging is a bit weird.”

   Sana let go of Rey, trying to compose herself while Rey looked on.

   “Sana, how long have you been here?”

   “I came as soon as I woke up in my room.”

   “Sana, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine. You should be more worried about yourself. You got injured as well.”

   “I don’t care. I’m staying right here by your side till you’re okay.”

***

   On the other end of the school, Headmaster Devil was making his way down the stairs that were heading towards the basement. Once he reached the end, he headed straight down the hallway and stopped upon seeing Aiden and some other staff members from the school standing in front of the steel bars of one of the cellar rooms.

   “All right, what’s the deal?” Headmaster Devil asked.

   “See for yourself, Devil,” Aiden replied.

   Headmaster Devil stepped forward while Aiden and the other staff members moved aside. Once he came closer to the bars of the cell, Headmaster Devil was stunned at what he saw. He was looking at Ben Stallion’s body, which was bruised, battered bloody, and almost lifeless.

   “My…God,” Headmaster Devil uttered upon the sight of Stallion.

   “He’s still alive…barely,” a voice responded.

   Headmaster Devil, Aiden, and the staff members looked over in the corner of the cellar where Fida was sitting on the ground. Headmaster Devil sensed a chilling aura coming from her.

   “Shall we call for the doctors, sir?” a staff member asked.

   “Yes. That would be the appropriate thing to do right now,” Headmaster Devil replied. “We’ll also have to move her out as well.”

   “HA,” Fida cackled. “What are you going to do? Put me in a bigger cell? Things can’t get any worse.”

   “Oh, they certainly can,” Headmaster Devil responded.

***

   In Power Coordination class, Krystal, Prince, and Heer took their seats along with other students that were just entering. There was constant chatter among the other students. Most of which seemed to be about the night of the party and what went down. And since Aiden wasn’t present, the chatter was louder than ever.

   “So, I’m guessing Sana and Rey won’t be in class today?” Krystal asked.

   “They’ve been excused for the day. It makes sense considering the beating they took,” Prince replied. “How are you holding up, Heer?”

   “I’m doing fine. Thanks for asking, Prince,” Heer answered.

   “Did you happen to visit Runa since that day?” Krystal asked Heer.

   “I was planning on visiting her at some point. They’ve been pretty strict on letting any visitors come to see her,” Heer said.

   “I’m sure she’ll be fine. She’ll be even happier if you go see her,” Prince responded.

   “Hey, where’s Neil?” Krystal asked. “He’s going to be late if he doesn’t show up.”

   “Please. You really think he cares about missing this class,” Prince said. “After all, remember who’s the teacher.”

   “Good point,” Krystal said as she took her compact mirror and applied a peach lip gloss to her lips. “So, have you guys heard the latest news?”

   “What happened?” Heer asked.

   “Apparently there’s a new student at the academy now. He and his partner joined this morning,” Krystal replied.

   “New students show up all the time. What makes him special?” Prince asked.

   “I don’t know. Someone spotted them in Devil’s office. And students are rarely accepted in the middle of a school year. So, maybe they must be good enough that they got in,” Krystal said. “Who knows? Maybe they’ll end up in at least one of our classes.”

   “That is weird. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any students transfer this late in the year,” Heer said.

   “Then there must be a good reason for it,” Prince replied. “That better not be why that idiot Neil is skipping today.”

***

   “Sana, you really don’t need to worry so much about me!” Rey exclaimed. Back in the intensive care unit, Sana continued to look after Rey as she came back with a new set of clothes and a tray of food for Rey. “Sometimes you really need to just chill out. It’s just a scar on my neck. It’ll go away.”

   “Look, I’m your partner. I have some responsibility in making sure you get better.”

   “Man, you’re more stubborn than my mom.”

   “Anyways, I got you some new clothes. You can change after you eat.”

   “Um…I don’t think I can eat this.”

   “Why?”

   “I’m not really into soup.”

   “I don’t really care. Soup is your best option right now. And besides, I can’t exactly cook much beyond that. So, take it or leave it.”

   “Geez, you’re just as much of a nagger as my mom. Are you sure you two aren’t related or something?”

   Rey grabbed hold of the spoon on the tray and scooped up a bit of the soup with it. He took note of the yellowish-green color along with the little bits of chicken pieces. He gulped at the sight of it, but he took a slurp from the spoon anyway. And that one slurp felt like a bomb had detonated in his mouth. He felt like gagging and Sana took note of a pale color rising in his cheeks. “Is something wrong?” Sana asked.

   “Forget cooking beyond soup! You can’t cook, period!”

   “What?”

   “You heard me! This is the worst thing I’ve ever tasted!”

   “You’re probably just exaggerating.”

   “Taste it for yourself!”

   “You already contaminated that spoon, Rey. If you want, I could just order something from the cafeteria.”

   “Geez, you do the exact same thing as my mom! First, she attempts to cook. Then when she fails, she orders out!”

   Interesting. He’s brought up his mother three times already, Sana thought.

   “Not to change the subject or anything…but how are your parents doing?”

   “I don’t know. We haven’t talked much lately.”

   “Do they know anything about your condition?”

   “Devil told them over the phone. But it’s been hard because Dad hasn’t been doing well lately.”

   “What happened?”

   “I don’t know the details yet. Mom just said he’s been sick lately.”

   “Is it serious?”

   “Well, it’s probably serious enough that they can’t even call or visit.”

   “I’m sorry.”

   The conversation was getting to Rey. While he was going through his own struggles, his parents were as well. And it was a lot for him to process, let alone talk about. He thought it was time to change the subject.

   “Anyways, can you please just get me some real food?” Rey asked.

   “Rey!” Neil shouted as he busted through the door. The accelerated sound of Neil’s voice startled both Rey and Sana.

   “Dude, what the hell?! Some warning would be nice!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Sorry, I got excited,” Neil said.

   “Shouldn’t you be in class?” Sana asked.

   “Class with my brother? No way!” Neil replied.

   “So, what is it? Why did you rush all the way here?” Rey asked.

   “There’s a new team at the school,” Neil replied. “They enrolled this morning.”

   “New team? In the middle of the school year?” Sana asked. “Who are they?”

   “Not sure. But word’s been going around that they’re really good!” Neil exclaimed. “I heard that they went to one of the best preparatory schools in the country. I need to know who they are.”

   “Really?! Maybe we should take them on,” Rey agreed.

   “You’re supposed to be resting!” Sana shouted at Rey.

   “Same goes to you! But instead, you’re playing caretaker and you’re not exactly doing a good job at it!” Rey talked back.

   “At least I tried! There’s no way you’re in any condition to fight!” Sana argued.

   As the two continued to bicker, Neil watched on, shaking his head.

   “Would you two quit the drama here? I’m ready to take on the new team,” Neil said.

   “I’ll take him on with you!” Rey exclaimed as he got up.

   “What the hell?! Don’t be such an idiot!” Sana shouted.

   “I need something fun to do,” Rey said. “Come on, Neil. Let’s find them.”

   “All right!” Neil exclaimed as he and Rey dashed off from the room, leaving Sana behind.

   Those morons! They have no idea what they’re doing! Sana thought.

   “Hey! You two come back here!” Sana shouted as she ran from the room, following Rey and Neil.

***

   Outside of the school, Zayn and Akira were checking out the school’s arena. “So, this is where they do their circus shows,” Zayn said.

   “I like this. Finally, we get a chance to perform!” Akira exclaimed. “I can put my dancing skills to good use here.”

   “I could care less for circus shows. We’re here to train. That’s it. The only students here who do all that nonsense probably have too much time on their hands,” Zayn said.

   “You better watch your mouth, new kid!” a voice exclaimed.

   Zayn and Akira turned around to see Rey and Neil standing right before them. Zayn eyed Rey and Neil, unfazed by their presence.

   “And who are you two? My tour guides?” Zayn questioned Rey and Neil.

   “Please. The only thing we’re gonna show you is who the top dogs at this school are,” Rey said. “We’ve heard about you since this morning. It’s time we see what you’re made of.”

   “That’s right! We’re challenging both of you!” Neil exclaimed.

   “Oh wow. A challenge thrown at us on day one,” Akira said. “This could be fun, Zayn.”

   “Look, I don’t mean any trouble,” Zayn told Rey and Neil.

   “Aww, are you scared that we’ll kick your sorry ass to the curve?!” Rey said.

   “Maybe the rumors about you are false then,” Neil said.

   “You two morons have some nerve,” Akira said.

   Zayn shook his head for a moment, feeling slightly irritable. He sighed and said, “I didn’t think I had to fight on day one. But if I gotta teach you clowns a lesson, I’ll go for it. Let’s see what you guys can do.”

Copyright © 2021 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Uncategorized

…a friend in need

imeryli

“Hey, that wasn’t a fair shot!” Neil exclaimed.

It was noon on a Saturday in Daredevil City. Sana, Rey, Neil, and Heer were at their local park where they were playing a game of basketball. Well, Heer was just watching from the comfort of the bench, working on a knitting project.

“This is what happens when you play two against one, Neil,” Rey said.

“He’s right,” Sana said.

“Heer, are you sure you don’t want to play?” Neil asked.

“I honestly wouldn’t be of much help,” Heer said as she continued knitting. “Besides, I’m almost finished with this scarf.”

Neil sighed and said, “Fine. It’s fine. Things will be even better once I actually kick your asses.”

“Keep dreaming, buddy,” Rey said.

“Come on. One more round,” Neil said.

“I’m fine with that. You’re getting ice cream for us after this,” Sana said.

Sana, Rey, and Neil commenced in another round of basketball. As they were playing, Heer went back to her knitting. As she was finishing up the ends of the scarf, she heard a buzzing sound. She looked down and saw Neil’s phone was ringing.

“Hey, Neil, I think someone is calling you,” Heer said.

“Who is it?” Neil asked as he got ready to block the shot Rey was about to make.

Heer picked up the phone, looking at the caller ID. She said, “It’s your mom.”

Neil became stunned. He turned to Heer and said, “Huh?”

And at that moment, the ball hit Neil in the head, and he fell down. Sana turned to Rey, who had a look of shock on his face. He rushed to Neil and said, “Are you okay, man?!”

“Huh?” Neil said. “I’m good. I’m good.”

“Are you sure? That was quite a hit,” Sana said.

“Um, yeah,” Neil said as he got up. “Can we go now?”

“Go?” Heer asked as she got up from the bench. “I thought you wanted to finish the game.”

“I’m good with heading out,” Neil said as he got his phone from Heer.

“Do you at least want to get ice cream?” Rey asked. “I’ll buy for you…since I hit your head.”

“No, I’d rather just go home,” Neil said as he began to head off.

“What’s with him?” Rey asked. He started to follow Neil, saying, “Hey, man! How can you say no to ice cream?!”

“Heer, who did you say was calling him again?” Sana asked.

“It was his mom. What are you thinking, Sana?”

“I’m thinking that was the reason for his sudden change in behavior.”

***

Later in the day, Neil was in his room at the boys’ dorm house. He was trying to find something to do. Something other than look at his phone. After the call from earlier, he got two more missed calls and five text messages from his mom. He didn’t open or check any of them. And staring at the assignments on his laptop didn’t help with distracting him from thinking about his mom. He got out of his seat and landed flat on his bed, sighing. Before he could figure out something to do, he heard a knock on the door.

Neil got up and hurried to the door. Once he opened it, he saw Rey was standing outside.

“Hey, man. What’s up?” Neil asked.

“Hey! We were planning on hitting up that new bowling alley at the mall. Are you coming?”

“Oh, sure thing. Let me freshen up quick.”

Neil quickly headed to the bathroom while Rey came inside. Rey looked around and said, “So, are you okay? You kinda just took off during our game.”

“Oh, I’m fine. I just had a headache,” Neil said as he washed his face.

“Must have been a hell of a headache,” Rey said as he looked over, seeing Neil’s phone ding. It was a message from his mom. Rey noticed several missed calls and messages from Neil’s mom on his phone. He’s still ignoring his mom, Rey thought. I wonder what’s up with that.

“Okay, I’m ready,” Neil said as he got out of the bathroom.

“Dude, is everything good with you and your mom? She’s texted and called you a dozen times.”

“Oh…it’s no biggie. I’ve been so busy today. I’ll call her back later.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, let’s go!”

Neil immediately walked out of the room, leaving Rey puzzled. He had a feeling something was up, and Neil wasn’t telling him everything.

***

Later on, Rey and Neil joined Sana, Krystal, Prince, Heer, Zayn, and Akira at the bowling alley. As they were playing and munching on mozzarella sticks and churros, Rey could see Neil was still troubled. It wasn’t long till Sana and Heer both came up to him while Zayn was up to strike.

“So, did he say anything to you?” Sana asked Rey.

“No. He says it’s nothing,” Rey said.

“Do you believe him?” Heer asked.

“No,” Rey said. “He’s clearly got stuff going on in his mind. I don’t know why he’s acting like this.”

“Well, family has always been a touchy subject for him,” Heer said. “You can’t blame him for not wanting to talk about it.”

“But there’s a difference between not wanting to talk about it and acting like you’re completely fine,” Sana said.

“Hey, Neil, you ready for your turn?” Krystal asked.

Neil turned around to Krystal. He was pretty distracted, so he didn’t even hear what Krystal said. He asked, “Sorry, what did you say?”

“She asked if you want to bowl now,” Prince said.

Before Neil could say anything, his cellphone rang. He could feel the irritation boil up inside of him as he looked to see it was his mom again. He walked away and answered the phone, saying, “Can’t you understand that I don’t feel like talking, Mom?!”

“How dare you talk to me like that?! Your behavior is getting worse!”

“My behavior?!”

“Yes. You were so much better when you were younger.”

“What do you want?”

“If you read my texts, you would know. Have you figured it out yet?”

Neil sighed. He didn’t read the texts, but he knew exactly what his mom was talking about. What he couldn’t stand was his mother bringing up this conversation over a phone call.

“Hello? Can’t you say something?” Neil’s mom said.

“Isn’t this the kind of thing you talk about in person?!”

“No matter what time it’s brought up, you don’t say anything. You know people keep asking me what your future plans are. What am I supposed to say?”

“I have to go, Mom.”

“We’re not done talking, Neil!”

“Well, I am.”

Neil ended the call. He felt like throwing his phone. Then he remembered how expensive it was to get a new one. He turned around, seeing the others were looking at him, seemingly concerned. Neil grunted, feeling like he was being a damper on everyone’s fun. He went up to Rey, handing him his cellphone and said, “Take it and throw it somewhere. I’m heading back.”

As Neil took off, Krystal said, “Hold on! Neil!”

“Too late,” Prince said as Neil left.

“Whoah. That was intense,” Akira said. “I knew something was off with him, but I never guessed it was this bad.”

“You think he’s heading back to his room?” Zayn asked.

“Looks like it,” Heer said.

“No, he’s not just going back to his room,” Rey said. “I think he’s leaving the school.”

Sana was surprised to hear what Rey said. She could tell everyone else was equally surprised. She asked Rey, “What makes you say that?”

“I have a feeling. Look, I’m gonna go follow and catch up to him before it’s too late,” Rey said.

“Shouldn’t we come with you?” Heer asked.

“No, it’s better if I go alone,” Rey said as he started heading out. “I’ll keep you guys updated!”

***

Back at his room, Neil was starting to pack his backpack. Rey was right. He was leaving school. He didn’t know where he would go. He just knew he had to leave. As he packed a pair of socks in his backpack, he heard multiple knocks on his door. He sighed, knowing Rey probably followed him.

Neil opened the door to see he was right. Rey was there, sweating and panting like crazy.

“You seriously ran a marathon, didn’t you?” Neil said as he let Rey in.

“Well, duh! I had to stop you from leaving! Why won’t you just talk about what’s going on?”

“You know I hate talking about my issues!”

“Dude, that’s exactly what the problem is.”

“Oh, like you’re one to talk!”

“Dude, not cool.”

Neil sighed. He realized he was letting his emotions out on the wrong people. He turned to Rey and said, “I’m sorry. I…I just feel stressed out.”

“So, let me help with that.”

“How? Unless you can have your parents adopt me, I don’t think anything can help me right now.”

“Well, I can’t do that, but I may have something in mind.”

“What?”

“Just trust me on this. We’ll go out tomorrow early in the morning.”

“You know I hate early mornings on Sundays!”

“Well, make an exception this time around.”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see. Just know that we’re going to go somewhere to help you clear your head.”

Rey began to head out while Neil stood by and watched him go. He was confused as to where Rey would want to take him. Rey stopped as he opened the door and said, “Don’t even try to leave before morning, or I will find you and beat your ass.”

Neil grunted at the thought of Rey challenging him. Rey left, leaving Neil alone. The anticipation of waiting till morning was annoying. But Rey was his best friend. He figured he should go ahead and trust him.

***

Early morning, Neil got ready to meet up with Rey at the front of the academy. Rey told him to only bring a few essentials with him and nothing else. He still had no idea where Rey was taking him. As he got to the front doors of the academy, Rey was already there, talking to Zayn and Akira. Sana and Heer were there as well.

“Thanks for letting me borrow your hoverbike, Zayn,” Rey said.

“Just don’t break it,” Zayn said.

“What?! You don’t trust me?!” Rey questioned.

“His hoverbike is pretty precious. I’m surprised he’s even letting you borrow it,” Akira said.

“Yeah. Why are you letting him borrow it, Zayn?” Sana asked as she held onto a hoverboard.

“Look, I’m not heartless. You said it was important, so I’m letting you borrow it,” Zayn said.

“Well, thank you,” Rey said. “Neil, are you ready?”

“Uh, yeah,” Neil said. “You still haven’t mentioned where we’re going.”

“It’s a surprise. Just know that it’ll be a safe space,” Rey said as he got on the hoverbike. “Now, hop on.”

“Are the rest of you guys coming?” Neil asked.

“Sana and I will be tagging along on hoverboards,” Heer said.

“We would come, but we got homework to catch up on,” Akira said.

“All right, we’ll see you later then,” Sana said.

With that, Sana, Rey, Neil, and Heer took off, riding into the sky. Zayn and Akira waved bye to them. As they were waving, Akira looked at Zayn and said, “So, what was the real reason you lent it to him?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t act clueless with me. Prince told me that Krystal practically twisted your arm to lend it to them.”

“Nonsense. So, she said something. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Sure, sure.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“You should know by now. Come on. Let’s get some breakfast.”

***

Later in the morning, Sana, Rey, Neil, and Heer arrived in Salaar, a prominent town in the state of Aroma. It wasn’t too far from New Iris, so it didn’t take that long for the group to reach there. Neil was new to this area of the country, so seeing it for the first time was a sight to behold.

“So, can you tell me where we’re going now?” Neil asked

“You’ll know soon enough,” Rey said.

“How much longer till we land?” Sana asked.

“Coming up in a few minutes,” Rey said.

And in a few minutes, Rey led the group to land right in front of a brick red house that was amongst other alike houses in a small community. They landed right in the front yard and Rey was happy to see his parents and his sister, Alicia, standing right outside.

“Hey, Rey!” Alicia exclaimed.

“Hey, sis!” Rey waved as he parked the hoverbike.

“Wait, is this your family?” Neil asked.

“You bet,” Rey said.

“Nice to see you all again,” Sana said.

“Same to you, Sana,” Araceli said. “When Rey said he was visiting with friends, I was more than happy to accommodate.”

“Son, introduce us to your other friends,” Royce said.

Rey got off the hoverbike, immediately being hugged by Alicia. As he hugged her back, he said, “All right. I want you guys to meet Neil and Heer.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Heer said.

“Very nice to meet you,” Araceli said.

Neil was surprised. Of all the places to go to, Neil was surprised that Rey brought him to his parents’ house. Then again, it was better than visiting his own parents right now.

“Neil, are you good?” Rey said, seeing Neil space out.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” Neil said. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Murgatroyd.”

“Same to you, Neil,” Royce said. “Rey, bring your friends in, and we can start brunch.”

With that, the group went inside to eat brunch with Rey’s family. Araceli had made eggs with chorizo along with tamales. As they were eating and conversing with each other, Neil couldn’t help but pay attention to how nice the atmosphere was. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had a nice family meal.

“Neil, is the food okay for you?” Araceli asked.

“Oh, yeah! It’s been a while since I had tamales this good,” Neil said. “Thank you, Mrs. Murgatroyd.”

“You’re very welcome,” Araceli said.

“I’d argue she makes the best tamales in our family,” Royce said. “Then again, some might say I’m biased.”

“Is it true that this whole community here is just your extended family?” Heer asked.

“Wait, seriously?” Neil asked.

“That’s right. We also have some other fellow Tiger Clan members here. We’ve always been a tightknit pack,” Royce said. “Though Araceli’s side of the family lives in their own community back in Mexico.”

“Wow. It’s amazing how close everyone is,” Sana said.

Hearing all of this made Neil realize how different his family was from Rey’s. It made him understand Rey’s excited nature better.

“Rey, let’s go play outside,” Alicia said as she tugged on Rey’s arm.

“Alicia, don’t you want to wait for your cousins?” Royce asked.

“Oh, who’s coming over?” Rey asked.

“Thiago, Carmen, and Triana are visiting,” Araceli said.

“All right then!” Rey exclaimed. “Ready for a piggyback ride, Alicia?”

“Yeah!” Alicia exclaimed.

Alicia immediately got on Rey’s back and he held onto her, rushing outside to the backyard as she laughed with glee.

“Be careful, you two!” Araceli exclaimed.

“We should go outside, too,” Sana said.

“You coming, Neil?” Heer asked.

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Neil said.

***

Later in the day, after Rey and Alicia’s cousins arrived, it was a complete madhouse at the Murgatroyd residence. Rey and Royce were keeping Alicia and the other kids occupied. They were playing all sorts of games while Araceli was cooking dinner. Sana, Neil, and Heer were watching them have fun.

It was taking Neil back. He remembered the times that he would play such games with Aiden and Shuto after a long day of training. He took himself back to one day in a quiet winter. After completing their training, Neil and Aiden were having a snowball fight to themselves. Neil was in the middle of creating the biggest snowball he could ever make. When he got it ready, Aiden struck with three snowballs to his face, making him fall.

Neil got up and said, “No fair!”

“Ha! It’s not my fault you’re slow!”

“I’m not!”

“Yes, you are!”

As the two bickered, Shuto came in and struck them both with snowballs. Neil got up and said, “No fair, Uncle Shuto. You never said you were playing.”

“How else would I get you two to shut up?” Shuto asked.

“Neil, let’s team up and take him down!” Aiden exclaimed.

“Yeah, good idea!” Neil said.

“All right. Bring it on,” Shuto said.

Neil couldn’t believe how long ago that memory was. Sometimes he thought about how it was hard to believe there was a time where he and Aiden got along.

“Neil, are you thinking about something?” Heer asked.

“Oh, yeah. I was just remembering something from my childhood,” Neil said.

“Something good?” Sana asked.

“Actually, yes,” Neil said. “I guess seeing Rey and his dad having fun reminded me of a time in my life where things didn’t feel so bad. I’m sorry. I’m being a downer, aren’t I?”

“No. After all, there’s a reason Rey made us come here today,” Sana said.

“What is that?” Neil asked.

“He knew that you were having issues with your mom. So, he wanted to bring you to a family environment that was warm and welcoming,” Heer said.

Neil watched Rey joyfully play with his cousins. After understanding his gesture, it made him see just how great of a friend Rey was.

“Rey really takes after his dad, doesn’t he?” Sana said.

“Yeah, the resemblance is uncanny,” Heer said. “Do you think Mrs. Murgatroyd needs help in the kitchen?”

“You could go ask her,” Sana said. “I’m going to join Rey and the others.”

“Uh, Heer, I’ll come with you,” Neil said.

Heer nodded. Neil and Heer went inside the house while Sana played with the others. Once they got to the kitchen, Heer helped Araceli with cutting vegetables while Neil stood by. He wanted to talk to Araceli, but he wasn’t sure what to say. Araceli herself noticed Neil was aloof. She said, “Rey told me about your mother.”

“Oh, yeah. I figured as much.”

“He didn’t go into detail. He figured that it was up to you on how much you wanted to share.”

“It’s fine. I’ll be honest. Part of me thought that seeing you all so happy would make me jealous. But I know Rey. He wouldn’t want to make me feel that.”

“You’re right. My son has a good heart.”

“He sure does.”

“Mrs. Murgatroyd, I finished cutting. Is there anything else I can do?” Heer asked.

“No, that’s it. Thank you, Heer,” Araceli said.

Heer nodded and headed out of the kitchen to go back outside. As Neil watched Araceli get hold of the cut vegetables, he said, “Seeing them outside, I remembered this time I was playing with my brother in the snow.”

“Aah. Rey mentioned you had issues with your brother.”

“I do. Though I’ll admit…a lot of it might just be projecting…from me. I don’t know.”

“Is it related to your mother?”

“Look, I don’t know what moms are supposed to be like, but with mine, she’s always on my back. It wasn’t like that when I was a kid. It was so much easier. Now that I’m in the academy, she’s always harping about my future and how I have to have a plan. She always talks about how my brother and all my cousins know what they’re doing. And I don’t. I just…I can’t take it…”

“Do you think she’s worried and trying to help you, but ultimately it’s not helping you?”

Neil was surprised to hear Araceli ask him such a question. In his life, it felt like most of the adults he encountered never asked such thoughtful questions.

“Yeah,” Neil said. “That’s exactly how I feel.”

“Look at that. You were able to share how you felt.”

“Yeah, I did do that. So, do you have anything else to say?”

“Well, I’m a mother myself. Rey is growing up, and I think after what he’s been through, he’s trying to focus on the present.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“While the future is important, you can’t spend too much time on it. There are so many unknowns. You’re a good kid, Neil. You may not know the answers to your mother’s questions now, but you’ll figure them out in your own way. On your own pace.”

Neil could feel a lightness in himself that he hadn’t felt in a while. It was almost overwhelming. He looked at Araceli and said, “Mrs. Murgatroyd, this might be an odd request, but…would you be okay with giving me a hug?”

Araceli smiled and did just that. She hugged Neil, and the warmth of this gesture gave him peace. This was something he desperately needed.

As Araceli let Neil go, she said, “If you ever need somewhere to go, you’re always welcome here.”

Neil wiped a few small tears that came from his eyes and said, “Thank you.”

“Now, I should finish preparing dinner,” Araceli said. “How about you go outside and play with the others?”

Neil nodded, leaving the kitchen. As he went outside, he saw everyone was continuing to have so much fun. Rey stopped, looking at him. It didn’t take long for Rey to go up to him, put his arm around him and say, “You coming to play?”

Neil smiled and said, “Yeah.”

Copyright © 2022 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Books, fantasy, Uncategorized, writing

A Not So Quiet Beach Day

imeryli

“Come on, Prince!” Rey exclaimed as he tugged at Prince’s arm along with Neil.

No matter how much Rey and Neil pulled, Prince was as solid as a rock. He didn’t want to budge. With a day off from school, Rey and Neil wanted to go out for a beach day. It was something they needed with all the stress in their lives as of late.

“I don’t understand why you need me to come with you guys,” Prince said.

“Come on! It’ll be fun!” Neil exclaimed. “Besides, we want as much of the gang there as possible.”

“Heer, Zayn, and Akira are busy with homework. You definitely don’t have an excuse better than that,” Rey said.

“I do. I’m just not interested,” Prince said.

“You say that all the time!” Rey exclaimed. “It’ll be fun. We’ll hang at the beach while you just chill. You can relax as much as you want. Maybe even take a book.”

“Or a candy cane,” Neil said.

Prince sighed. He would rather stay in his room, but he also felt some relaxation elsewhere wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“Fine. I’ll go, but I’m just going to chill there,” Prince said. “Got it?”

“All right! We’re heading out in an hour, so be ready!” Rey exclaimed as he and Neil left the room.

***

 In the late afternoon, Prince met up with Rey, Neil, Sana, and Krystal at the front of the academy. They headed downtown and boarded the bus. It didn’t take long for them to reach Swiftside Beach. As soon as the group arrived, no one was more excited than Krystal. She made her way towards the sand, saying, “Isn’t this so nice?! Zayn and the others are missing out!”

“Hell, I’m surprised Ms. Bookworm here wasn’t busy with homework,” Neil said, looking at Sana.

“Are you trying to say I don’t know how to have fun?” Sana asked.

“He isn’t trying. He’s just saying it,” Rey said.

“Well, let me prove you wrong then!” Sana exclaimed. “Who’s up for volleyball?”

“Sounds fun!” Krystal said. “Prince, join us!

Krystal and the others turned to see Prince was already settled. He laid on the towel he had set on the sand. Krystal said, “Prince, really?”

“I came here to relax,” Prince said as he got out a book from his backpack.

“Come on. Just one game,” Neil said.

“I’m good,” Prince said as he opened his book and began reading.

Rey, Neil, Sana, and Krystal walked off to set up for volleyball. Sana whispered to Rey, “Why did you invite Prince?”

“I thought he’d possibly lighten up and hang with us,” Rey said.

“You thought that by enticing him with relaxation only?” Neil asked. “And you guys make fun of my intelligence.”

“Who said that makes you any more intelligent, Neil?” Krystal said.

“You know what?! I’m gonna beat the crap out of you guys at volleyball!” Neil exclaimed.

“Dream on,” Krystal said.

As Rey, Krystal, and Neil got ready to start playing, Sana turned and looked at Prince. He didn’t seem bothered. If anything, he looked very much at peace, reading his book. She decided it was probably best to just leave him be.

Prince was deep into his book. He was reading a new novel called Lightning Strikes Silent Street by Rana Sandesh, and it was an engrossing read so far. He could feel the tension as he was getting through an intense chapter. The main character, Roohi, was wandering around in her apartment at night, unaware that someone was inside. As he got to the next page, he was startled as Sana, Krystal, Rey, and Neil were loudly commencing in their volleyball game.

“HA! We’re in the lead!” Krystal exclaimed after delivering a winning serve. She high-fived Sana while Rey and Neil looked ready to continue.

“It’s not over yet!” Neil exclaimed.

Prince shook his head as he looked back at his book. He tried to focus on the chapter. It was a lengthy read, but he was doing his best to pay attention while the others continued their game. After some time, his focus became disrupted again upon hearing Krystal shout, “Prince, watch out!”

“What?!” Prince said as he turned around. Before he could do anything, the ball smacked him in the head and he fell back, his book falling out of his hands.

Sana, Krystal, Rey, and Neil all ran up to Prince. Sana and Krystal helped him up with Sana asking, “Prince, are you okay?”

“If you want to get mad at someone, be mad at Neil! He served the ball!” Rey exclaimed.

“Really, dude?! You gotta blame me?!” Neil said.

“Well, you’re the one who threw it,” Rey said.

Prince hadn’t said a word. He was feeling a variety of things, but he was mostly agitated and angry. His head hurt, and he lost his place in his book, which was now dunked in sand. The others looked at him, and Rey and Neil looked particularly fearful of him. Maybe his agitation and anger were showing on his face.

“You know what?” Prince said. “I’m just gonna go get something to drink.”

Prince left while the others watched him leave. As he headed off, Neil said, “Damn. Is it me, or did he look mad?”

“It’s either that, or he’s annoyed. Probably both,” Krystal said.

“What should we do?” Sana asked.

“We should just leave him alone for a while,” Rey said. “Let’s get back to our game.”

“You guys go ahead. I’m gonna get a drink,” Sana said.

Krystal, Rey, and Neil got the ball and got back to their game. Sana picked up Prince’s book. She headed out towards the snack shack where Prince was at. He was drinking a large strawberry lemonade, and Sana could tell he was very irritated. She went up to him, handing him his book. Prince looked at her and took the book, saying, “Thanks.”

“How’s the book so far?” Sana asked.

“It was good until certain idiots smacked me in the head and made me lose my place.”

“Sorry. I know they can be a handful, but they didn’t mean to hit you.”

“So? They literally made me come here just to annoy the hell out of me. All I care about is relaxing. Is that so much to ask?”

“Is there something going on? You’re crabbier than usual.”

“Oh, wow, that’s so helpful.”

“Come on. Seriously, is something bothering you?”

Prince finished his strawberry lemonade. He got out of his seat and headed out while Sana watched him leave. He had a hard time explaining how he was feeling. He certainly felt that whatever he was feeling was nothing compared to the stuff that Sana and Rey had dealt with recently.

As Prince got back to where his towel and things were, he saw Krystal, Rey, and Neil were out in the water, swimming. They were having a lot of fun, splashing each other and everything. Krystal looked at Prince and said, “Hey, Prince! Do you want to join us?”

“I’m fine,” Prince said as he tried to figure out where he was in his book.

“You came to the beach, and you won’t even get in the water?” Krystal asked.

“Some people come to the beach to just chill. It’s clear you guys don’t get that,” Prince said.

“Hey, man! I know you’re upset, but you don’t have to be a jerk,” Rey said.

“Oh, right. I should be an absolute ray of sunshine after getting smacked in the head during your stupid game of volleyball,” Prince said.

“It was an accident,” Neil said. “I didn’t mean to hit you.”

“Oh, like that’s supposed to make me feel better,” Prince said.

“Okay, enough of the arguing!” Krystal exclaimed. “You can just sulk while we have some fun here!”

“To hell with the drama,” Prince said as he rolled his eyes and went back to focusing on his book.

While Prince tried to find the page he was on in his book, a gust of wind wavered over the waters. Prince was splashed by the water, himself and his book drenched. Prince could see the others look at him, clearly horrified. Though they were probably more horrified at how mad he would be. He got up, grabbing his book and towel. Sana was there and asked, “You need help?”

Prince sighed. He didn’t want to admit it, but he could use some time with a friend.

“Yeah,” Prince said.

***

Sana got her things and walked further down the beach with Prince to get a private spot for himself. She helped him dry off, using his towel to dry his hair. As she helped, she said, “I’m sorry this beach day hasn’t been going well for you.”

“It’s not your fault. Karma must hate me or something.”

“Don’t say that. Now, you did take my help. Is there anything you want to talk about?”

“I don’t even know how to explain it.”

“That’s fine. You just take your time with it.”

Prince took a deep breath. He wasn’t really used to opening up about his feelings to anyone. Sana was cool though, and he did think she was a relatively easy person to talk to. He said, “I’ve been feeling pretty tired lately.”

“You mean like tired as in annoyed? Or tired as in exhausted?”

“I don’t know. Maybe both. I don’t even know how I can talk about this with you specifically.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, you and Rey have gone through a lot with the whole Madame Naga fiasco. My struggles are nothing compared to yours. I’m not like doing horribly, but I also feel like so much has been happening, and I just want a break.”

“Prince, whatever you feel is just as valid as what me and Rey are feeling. I’ll admit, things have been pretty hard with all the new revelations, but that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to feel tired. In fact, I think the entire group has been affected one way or the other. We just have to stick by each other through all of it.”

Prince agreed with everything Sana was saying. He realized he should’ve known Sana would care. She was a very caring person after all.

“So, I guess that’s why you wanted the perfect beach day all to yourself,” Sana said.

“I just wanted to relax and not think about anything. You guys love hanging out and spending time together, but sometimes I just enjoy being alone.”

“I understand.”

“Anyway, thanks for hearing me out.”

“Of course. That’s what friends do.”

Prince looked up, seeing Krystal, Rey, and Neil walking over to him. Neil said, “Hey, man. I’m sorry about earlier.”

“We should’ve been more direct with our apology,” Rey said.

“Thanks. I appreciate it,” Prince said.

Rey nudged Krystal. She said, “And I’m sorry for mocking you for wanting to be alone.”

“Look at that. Krystal can shake away her ego,” Sana said.

“Oh, shut up, Sana!” Krystal exclaimed.

Prince was pleased with his friends’ apologies. He did think that he should apologize as well.

“I’m sorry, too,” Prince said. “I shouldn’t have been so crabby with you guys.”

“Hey, it’s all good, dude,” Rey said. “We’re all cool here!”

“Anyway, we were gonna go to Devil’s Diner for dinner. Zayn, Akira, and Heer said they can join us there,” Neil said. “You guys want to go?”

“I’m cool with that,” Sana said. “Prince, since you wanted to have some alone time here, you don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”

Prince was surprised at Sana’s gesture.

“Really?” Prince asked.

“Yeah, man. If you want some alone time here, it’s totally cool with us,” Rey said.

“Well, thank you then,” Prince said.

“All right. See you later then,” Krystal said as she headed off with Rey and Neil.

Sana went up to Prince, taking out a book from her bag and handing it to him. Prince looked at it, seeing it was a Rana Sandesh novel titled Silence Sounds Swell.

“I like Rana Sandesh books myself. It may not be the same one as what you were reading, but I figured you could read it until you get a new copy of the other one,” Sana said.

“Thank you, Sana. This is nice of you.”

“No problem. See you tomorrow then.”

“Actually, maybe I’ll join you guys later. After some time that is.”

“Okay. See you.”

After Sana left, Prince was by himself. It was a good kind of solitude. He finally had some peace all to himself.

Copyright © 2022 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Uncategorized

Stuck in an Old Story Part 2

imeryli

“We’re so screwed!” Neil cried as he shrieked at the sight of the dark beast coming their way.

“Shouldn’t we at least try to fight it?!” Rey asked.

“Dude, the size of that thing could crush us alone. We’re no match.”

“Krystal is right. We’re chickens.”

“Wherever Krystal is now is probably better than this!”

“Come on! Why don’t you fire an arrow or something?!”

“Wait! What’s that?!”

Rey looked up to see someone coming down from the sky. The dark beast was seemingly distracted by the sight. The closer Rey looked, the more he realized he knew exactly who he was looking at. Dropping from the sky was Sana. She drew out her trishula, unleashing a gorgeous fire from it towards the eyes of the dark beast. The dark beast began to tumble as its eyes stung from the fire. The ground shook as the beast got down to the ground. Sana landed before Rey and Neil. Rey was shocked to see her, but he was even more shocked that she changed clothes as well. She was wearing a short-sleeved red blouse with an orange saree cloth draped around her with matching red pants.

“Sana, what are you doing here?!” Rey exclaimed. “And you changed clothes?!”

“That’s the least confusing thing at this point,” Neil said.

“I was looking for you, and we stumbled upon that fairy tale book. Then, we ended up here,” Sana said.

“We? Who’s we?” Rey asked.

“Me and Zayn. I don’t know where he ended up though,” Sana said.

“Damn,” Neil said. “All of us are scattered at this point.”

“You mean Krystal isn’t with you?” Sana asked.

“No. She disappeared after stepping on some arrow thing,” Neil said.

“Okay, I know we have a lot to talk about, but we should maybe hide somewhere before the beast wakes up,” Rey said.

“Let’s go back to the cave!” Neil exclaimed.

Sana nodded and followed Rey and Neil.

***

On the other hand, Krystal got up from the bed and looked around her surroundings, getting increasingly confused. She didn’t understand how she got in the new place to begin with. Her incredibly long hair was tiresome and dragging.

“How did I even get here?” Krystal asked. She went to the nearby door and tried to open it, but it was locked tight. “Great. How the hell am I gonna get out of here?!”

Krystal looked at the window again. She walked towards it and shouted, “Hello! Anyone out there? Hello!”

Krystal could faintly hear a voice nearby. The person was saying hello, and they sounded familiar. She looked outside the window and was stunned. Way down on the ground was Zayn. He was wearing a gray kurta with purple pants and silver sandals. She said, “What are you doing here?! And why do you look so nice in that outfit?”

“What?”

“Never mind! Pretend you didn’t hear that last part.”

“Okay…what happened here?”

“Well, me, Rey, and Neil got zapped into this fairy tale book. We were in the same story, and somehow, I ended up here and now I have this ridiculously long mane.”

“I’ll need to come up there. We can communicate better when we’re in close contact.”

“You can’t. I think everything is locked. The door won’t open.”

“There’s another way. Let down your hair.”

“What?!”

“You just have to do it.”

“Why the hell would I do that?!”

“Ask less questions and throw down your hair.”

Krystal looked at her long braid and sighed. She grabbed hold of all her hair and threw it down out the window. Her braid went all the way next to where Zayn was. Zayn grabbed hold of her hair and began to climb up the tower with it.

“Oww!” Krystal exclaimed. “Watch how you grab my hair! I don’t understand how anyone would think this is practical. If the girl in this story had to go through this, imagine what else she went through!”

Before Krystal could complain some more, Zayn had arrived by the window. She didn’t know why, but she found herself to be flustered as he was nearby. She watched as Zayn quickly drew out his wand, transforming it into his clarinet. He said, “You might want to stand back.”

Krystal nodded as she took a few steps to back away. Zayn began to play his clarinet in the B-flat major scale. Twisting sand began to flow out from the clarinet onto the bars, building up further and further until it encased them like a cocoon. Zayn waited a moment before he kicked the bars down and entered the room.

“I’ve never seen you use your sand like that,” Krystal said.

“Well, it can work like that. Are you okay?”

“Not really! I don’t even know how I got here! How did you get here?”

“Sana opened the fairy tale book, and we got zapped into it.”

“Wait, is Sana not with you?”

“No. She may have ended up in the story with Rey and Neil.”

“Speaking of stories, why’d you tell me to throw down my hair?”

“So, you don’t know the story of Rajamani?”

“Rajamani?”

“It’s the story of a maiden with incredibly long hair that gets abducted by an evil witch away from her kingdom. In the story, she lets down her hair for the prince to climb up and rescue her.”

“Seriously? When did you read this story?”

“I read a lot of books when I was in…well, in my childhood.”

Krystal could sense Zayn was withholding information, but she found it was best to not question it.

“Anyway, I meant to say, I read a bunch of different stories at that time. My mom is half Iranian, so she had all these books of folktales from Asia. This story was one of the ones I read,” Zayn said.

“I see. I honestly didn’t expect you to read folktales.”

“Well, it was the best thing I could indulge in at the time. Anyway, we should focus less on small talk and get out of here. “

“You’re right. You want to try breaking the door? I would, but I’m not sure my sonic bell can do that.”

“Well, there’s another route.”

Krystal was puzzled, but she noticed Zayn looking at the window. She shrieked and said, “You want us to jump out the window?! Are you nuts?!”

“I know it’s scary, but I have a feeling you have to.”

“Wouldn’t breaking the door be easier?! I thought you at least had that much knowledge.”

“Look, we don’t have time to break the door and run around the tower to find an exit. There’s another reason I have, but it’s best to explain after we jump.”

“You mean after I die?”

“You’re not going to die. I’ll hold onto you as we jump.”

Ugh. I don’t know about this. My heart rate is going up, Krystal thought. I guess I have to trust him.

“Fine, let’s just do this already,” Krystal said as she walked towards the window. She looked down, startled by the height of the supposed jump. She gulped, unsure if she could handle it when suddenly, Zayn grabbed hold of her around her waist.

“Is this okay?” he asked. Krystal nodded, feeling flustered but secure. She wrapped her right arm around Zayn, so she could hold onto him.

“Ready?”

Krystal nodded. Zayn proceeded to jump along with Krystal. She held her screams inside as they dropped down to the ground. Zayn quickly drew out his clarinet to emit a sound energy beam that allowed them to gently bounce onto the ground. Krystal took a deep breath while Zayn looked at her and said, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks. Now explain why you needed to do this instead.”

“If I’m correct, our best way of getting of the story is by completing it. You see, in the original story, Rajamani is rescued by Prince Mahendra and they escape by jumping out of the window.”

“Oh! So, how did I end up here? I mean, I left from the other story and landed in this one.”

“Do you remember anything before you got here?”

“I remember I stepped on something. It looked like an arrow.”

“An arrow? That means you must’ve gone to the next story. The arrow was probably a way of doing that.”

“That is a possibility. So, if you think we have to complete the story to get out, what happens next?”

Before Zayn could answer, he sensed a presence coming. He looked up, seeing a woman with a dark, long-haired mane, wearing a wine-red saree, and silver cuff bracelets floating above in the sky. Seeing her made him realize something.

“Krystal,” Zayn said.

“Yeah.”

“This is the part where we run.”

“What?!”

The woman immediately shot dark energy blasts from her eyes towards Krystal. Zayn got Krystal out of the way, and he grabbed hold of her hand. The two of them ran as the woman continued to launch her attacks.

“You can’t run away, Rajamani!” the woman shouted as she launched a dark energy blast from her hands.

“I’m not Rajamani!” Krystal exclaimed.

“Don’t tell her that!” Zayn said.

Krystal got struck in her back by the beam, alarming Zayn. He quickly countered with a sound energy beam from his clarinet, striking the woman in the face. It bought them some time, so Zayn quickly got hold of Krystal and took her under the refuge of a tall plant that was leaning downwards, creating a shade effect. It was amongst several other plants and provided good cover. He signaled Krystal to keep quiet as he kept an eye out for the woman. Krystal controlled her breathing as she rested against the plant, still feeling the pain from the attack.

***

For Sana, Rey, and Neil, the three were taking cover inside the cave. Rey looked at Sana, who seemed to be strategizing something. He asked her, “Okay, you have a plan?”

“What makes you think I have a plan?”

“Because you’re thinking too hard.”

“At least one of us is thinking here.”

“Hey! It was my idea that we hide in the cave!”

“Rey, how long can we sit in this cave like ducks?” Neil asked. “We have to do something to get out here.”

“What can we do?” Rey asked. “This story makes no sense! I thought after Krystal left and Sana came, she’d be the same character. But look at her getup!”

“Rey, didn’t I tell you this story before?” Sana asked.

“Yeah, and I don’t remember,” Rey said. “All I remembered was the title and the ten-headed monster.”

Rey’s words made Sana realize something. She was trying to figure out the logistics of the story, and how it tied to a solution to getting out. Something finally clicked for her.

“I think I’m starting to understand something,” Sana said.

“Okay, share,” Neil said.

“You two mentioned a barrier when you tried to run away from the dark beast, right?” Sana asked. “The barrier is probably preventing you from leaving because the story hasn’t been completed.”

“You mean like we should be following the story?” Rey asked.

“Something like that. This whole time you’ve been trying to find an exit or something to get out of the story, but stories don’t just end like that,” Sana said. “I think to get out, we have to complete the story.”

“You mean complete it exactly how it was originally written?” Neil asked.

“Not exactly. See, these stories aren’t exactly like the ones I read. The one we’re in has a dark beast, so I can only assume someone or something casted a spell on this book to change that aspect of the story,” Sana said. “If we’re going to get out, we have to complete the story in a way that’s authentic to the way it is set up right now.”

“And how do we do that?” Neil asked.

“I know! You must remember the details of the story, right?” Rey asked.

“Based off the clothes, you two are the village boys that befriend the princess,” Sana said. “In the story, the two boys go into hiding after the princess’ supposed demise.”

“Demise?” Neil asked. “You mean Krystal could’ve gotten hurt or something?”

Sana pondered for a moment, remembering that Rey told her about Krystal stepping on an arrow before disappearing. It made her think that she must’ve exited the story, rather than disappeared.

“No, I think Krystal went to the next story. That’s what the arrow probably meant,” Sana said. “But I think the story must’ve replaced her with me once I entered.”

“How? You’re wearing a completely different outfit than what she wore,” Neil said.

“In the story, when the princess disappears, the two boys try to fend off the monster, but struggle to do so. They plead for the princess to come back, and she reappears, fully transformed,” Sana said. “She rises as the avatar of fire, Agni.”

The details of the story started to come back to Rey as Sana explained them. After thinking for a bit, he said, “So, if you hadn’t come to the story, we’d be stuck here forever?”

“Consider yourselves lucky,” Sana said, shaking her head. “Anyway, Agni takes out the monster and everyone is saved.”

“Hold on. I’m not gonna stand in the background while you get to have all the action,” Rey said.

“Yeah, me neither!” Neil exclaimed.

“You don’t have to. Remember, we’re taking on the story in our own way,” Sana said. “I have a plan that should work.”

***

On the other hand, Zayn and Krystal were still hiding under the giant plant. The plant’s shade protected them, and Krystal found comfort in how it almost felt alive, like the plant was trying to conceal them. Its soft yellow color was pleasing to her eyes. Krystal could feel the pain from the attack was going down a bit. She looked over at Zayn, who was rather quiet. She couldn’t tell if it was because he was actively looking out for the woman or if it was something else.

“Something on your mind?” Krystal asked.

Zayn turned to Krystal and said, “Huh?”

“I asked if something was on your mind.”

“Why do you ask?”

“You’ve been staring into nothingness for the past few minutes while I’m over here in pain. You haven’t even bothered to ask if I’m okay!”

“Are you complaining to me after I saved us both?”

“Complaining?! You think I’m complaining?! You think it’s cool that I sit here like a duck while you drown yourself in your loner thoughts?”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous.”

“The only thing ridiculous here is that you haven’t said much of anything since we started hiding here. There’s nothing ridiculous about me wanting you to show care for me!”

Krystal realized how strong her words came off upon seeing Zayn’s stunned expression. She found herself flustered, unsure as to why she said what she said. She turned around for a moment, trying to figure out what to say.

“Okay, sorry about that last part. I think I came off too strong,” Krystal said. She could feel her cheeks were getting red.

Zayn found himself to be a little flustered as he tried to figure out what to say. He looked at her and said, “No, you’re fine. I should apologize. I wasn’t paying attention to anything else this whole time and you’re in pain. Are you okay?”

“I’m feeling a little better.”

“I’m sorry. I wish I explained things before she showed up and attacked us.”

“Who was she by the way?”

“She’s Rajamani’s stepmother, Tanveer. She’s the evil witch that kidnapped her when she was a child, wanting to auction her for her magical hair.”

“Okay then…that’s pretty dark. So, now what?”

“Well, we have to follow the rest of the story to get out of here.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I’m just thinking we might have to approach this differently. Like, think about it for a moment. No matter what the story is, all these fairy tales have something in common.”

“And that is?”

“They’re all about the battle of good verses evil. Sure, there’s unique morals in all of them, but the overarching theme is there.”

Krystal’s words made Zayn see things differently. Maybe she was onto something. He didn’t know for sure, but with the way things were, he figured there was no harm in going with Krystal’s approach.

“So, you think the important thing is to take down Tanveer?” Zayn asked.

“I think if we take her down together, we have a chance of getting out of here.”

“Okay, in that case, I may have an idea of what we should do.”

“You do? But we don’t know where she probably is now?”

“I was watching for her, and she may be in the forest right now, waiting for us. It’s what she did in the original story.”

“All right. Let’s hear this plan then.”

***

It didn’t take long for Zayn to explain his plan to Krystal. When they agreed on everything, they set out to put it into action. They made it into the forest and Krystal walked off on her own while Zayn hid amongst the trees and bushes. The forest was dense and oddly quiet. The tree branches hung like the hands of a witch reaching for its prey. Krystal gulped. She tried to remain calm, trusting the plan and Zayn. As she walked further into the forest, she said, “Hey, Tanveer! I’m here now.”

Krystal waited for a response. She tried to refrain from clenching her skirt to not look scared. It didn’t take long for her to sense a presence coming near.

It was Tanveer. She hovered before Krystal, seemingly ready to take her away with her sharp purple fingernails.

“At last, you finally come back,” Tanveer said. “It’s not like you have a choice.”

Krystal smirked and said, “Think again.”

This was Zayn’s cue. He rushed out from hiding, launching a sound wave from his clarinet at Tanveer. With Tanveer distracted, he stood by Krystal as she transformed her wand into her sonic bell. She launched a sound wave from her sonic bell to further boost Zayn’s attack on Tanveer. A visibly irritated Tanveer quickly rose back from the ground, her neck twitching as she tossed a dark energy beam towards Krystal like a football. Zayn quickly pulled Krystal out of the way as the energy beam hit one of the trees.

Zayn looked at Krystal and said, “Are you okay?”

“I’m good. Dodging is a lot harder with this much hair!”

“You’re gonna have to use it as an advantage somehow? Think of anything yet?”

“No! I’ve never exactly fought with ten feet of hair before.”

“I’ll keep her busy while you get an attack ready.”

Tanveer created a spiraling dark energy beam in her hands and tossed it while Zayn countered, calling out “B-flat major!” He played his clarinet in the key and a spiral of sand emerged, countering the energy beam.

Krystal tried to think of a way to use her hair to attack. It was crucial as Zayn told her that in the original story, Rajamani destroyed Tanveer with the powers of her magical hair. Krystal had to do that in combination with her sonic bell. She realized she had to trust herself that she could make it work, but it was hard to think on her feet so quickly.

Before she knew it, Zayn was being pinned down by Tanveer’s nails. She knew she had to step in. Krystal immediately grabbed hold of her braid, whipping it like a lasso as she threw it and it wrapped around Tanveer’s arm. Krystal rang her sonic bell against her braid, and the sound wave rippled through her hair as it combined with the golden glow that shimmered through the strands. The powers of the hair and Krystal’s sound wave struck Tanveer, releasing her from Krystal’s grip as she fell to the ground in defeat.

Krystal quickly rushed to Zayn, helping him get up. She asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Zayn said. “Nice work by the way.”

“Look at you! You’re actually complimenting me!”

Before Zayn could say anything, he could feel something shaking beneath the ground. A portal began to open, taking Zayn and Krystal with it. It wasn’t too long until the two had landed back in the library. Krystal looked at her hair and clothes, seeing they had returned to normal.

“Yes! Hello, normal long hair!” Krystal exclaimed. “I can’t believe we did it!”

“That’s a relief. Imagine if we ended up in another story.”

“What about the others? Do you think we can do something?”

“If we open the book again, we’ll get sucked back in the story. We have to trust they know how to get out like we did.”

“You think they know?”

“They have Sana on their side. There’s no way they won’t know. For now, we can wait here for them.”

***

Sana looked outside the cave, trying her best to remain hidden. She could see the dark beast was still outside. She looked at Rey and Neil and said, “All right. We got one shot at this. Ready, Neil?”

“I don’t know about this,” Neil whimpered. “You’re sending me in like a headless bird.”

“Come on, man! You got this!” Rey exclaimed.

“We’ll back you up sooner than you think,” Sana said.

Neil gulped as he looked outside. He took a deep breath and said, “Okay. I’m going in.”

Neil immediately charged outside, screaming like a lunatic. Sana put her hand to her face in embarrassment while Rey began to chuckle.

“All right, dark beast! Come and get me!” Neil exclaimed as he flailed his arms.

“That idiot,” Sana said, rolling her eyes.

“He’s really taking this role seriously,” Rey giggled.

Neil waved his arms to get the beast’s attention. It didn’t take long for the dark beast to let out a loud growl as it stomped its way towards Neil. It moved its paw to grab him. That’s when Sana and Rey jumped in. Sana immediately struck the beast’s paw with embers coming from her trishula. The beast stepped back as Rey transformed into his beast form while Neil transformed his wand into his bow and arrow.

“You overacted,” Sana told Neil.

“Hey, I’m not a professional!” Neil exclaimed.

“Well, you’re a professional goof!” Rey laughed.

“All right, focus, guys. Remember the plan,” Sana said. “Neil, attack the legs. Rey and I got the rest.”

“Got it!” Neil exclaimed as he prepared his bow to fire. He charged up his energy for the perfect ice arrow and struck it at the beast’s feet. Its feet were frozen solid, providing the perfect distraction.

Sana and Rey got to work. She directed Rey, and he jumped, pouncing onto the beast’s body. He lifted his paw, using his Ember Claw attack to pierce his fiery claws into the beast’s chest. These distractions allowed Sana to keep close eye on what the beast’s next move would be.

The dark beast seemingly had enough. It was boiling with rage. Suddenly its face began to transform, shocking Rey and even Neil as he too watched. The beast grew an additional nine heads, each one with the same scary face. It didn’t take long for all ten heads to emit dark energy beams towards Sana, Rey, and Neil. Rey fell off while Neil turned to Sana and said, “Now it decides to be the ten-headed monster in the story?!”

“Don’t worry, I’m prepared for this,” Sana said. “Neil, aim for the heads on the left.”

“What?!”

“Just do it! You need to fire at least four arrows.”

Neil realized he didn’t have time to think as the heads started launching a dark energy wave towards the group. Sana quickly charged up the wave with her trishula and said, “Rey, aim for the heads on the right! Leave the two in the middle!”

Rey nodded, turning to Neil. He nodded back and they proceeded. Neil began to fire one arrow after the next at the heads on the left. Each arrow struck each head, freezing it entirely. Rey quickly launched fireball attacks at each of the heads on the right. During this, Sana continued to charge through the dark energy wave, making her way towards the top where the middle heads were at. The two middle heads were seemingly putting more power into the dark energy wave to get Sana down, but she kept pushing. She powered her trishula through the wave, allowing its dark power to envelope it as the fiery power began to charge through it. Once she got closer to the two heads, she raised the trishula to prepare for the strike. Sana jumped, holding up the dark and fiery trishula as she plunged it through the heads, piercing it further through the body as she powered through to the ground. The dark beast split in two and slowly evaporated into dark purple ash.

Rey transformed back. He looked at Neil, whose mouth dropped wide open. He couldn’t blame him as he too was astonished at what he saw. At the same time, he knew he shouldn’t be surprised. This was Sana after all.

Sana slowly got up from the ground. Rey and Neil rushed to her side with Rey asking, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Sana said.

“That was so awesome!” Neil exclaimed. “Now was the girl in the story as badass as you were just now?!”

“You’d have to read it,” Sana smirked.

Before anything else could be said, a portal opened and took Sana, Rey, and Neil with it. The three screamed as they were transported back into the library, returning to their old clothes. As they got up, Krystal said, “You guys made it!”

“Yeah, we did. Was there ever any doubt?” Rey asked.

“She certainly did for a bit,” Zayn said.

“Hey!” Krystal exclaimed. “Anyway, you won’t believe what happened!”

“Damn it! It’s almost midnight!” Rey cried.

“Seriously?! We were gone that long?!” Neil exclaimed.

“And we still have to write the paper,” Krystal said as she sulked into her chair.

“Why don’t you guys just ask for an extension?” Zayn asked. “I’m sure getting sucked into a fairy tale book is a valid excuse.”

“Please! Professor D’Sena is such a miser. He could care less,” Neil said. “What are we gonna do?!”

“Well, if we work fast tonight, we can get this done,” Krystal said.

“How exactly?” Sana asked.

“With the way we had to strategize in our stories, this sets up the perfect foundation for our paper!” Krystal exclaimed.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Rey said. “We can finish this with no problem.”

“All right! Let’s get cracking then!” Neil exclaimed as he turned on the lights.

“Please tell me you can get us out of here,” Sana said to Zayn. “I don’t want to have a sleepover at the library again.”

“Luckily I got my dad’s key,” Zayn said.

With that, Sana and Zayn headed out of the library while Rey, Krystal, and Neil stayed behind to work on their paper.

***

The following morning, Rey, Krystal, and Neil managed to finish the paper. Of course, it did take the entire night. So, when the afternoon rolled and they handed it in, they crashed after school for long naps.

The day after, the trio were in Combat Strategies I. Sana looked at the three of them as they were all snoring for a solid five minutes until she woke them up. Rey yawned and said, “Why do you have to wake us?”

“You want to get in trouble again?” Sana asked.

“It’d be worth it since we lost so much sleep after that whole paper,” Neil said.

Once the bell rang, students started gathering things. As Professor D’Sena cleaned the chalkboard, he said, “Rey, Krystal, and Neil, let me speak to you three for a moment.”

“Good luck,” Sana said as she exited the classroom with Prince, Heer, Zayn, and Akira.

Krystal gulped as she got up with Rey and Neil. The three walked up to Professor D’Sena. He turned around and said, “I finished reading your paper.”

“Oh God,” Krystal said.

“All right. Just tell us already,” Rey said.

“I was very impressed,” Professor D’Sena said.

“Wait, what?!” Neil exclaimed.

“Yes,” Professor D’Sena said. “The way you described the importance of combat strategies and applied them with the context of real examples was exhilarating. It was like you were actually in those battles.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” Krystal said.

“Anyway, I’m happy to give you all an A on this paper. You three will pass this quarter,” Professor D’Sena said.

“Yes!” Neil exclaimed as he high-fived Rey and Krystal.

“And Neil,” Professor D’Sena said. “Try to skip class less next quarter.”

Rey and Krystal chuckled at Neil as they started leaving. Neil protested, “Me skipping class is nothing compared to what you guys do!”

Copyright © 2022 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Books, fantasy, Uncategorized

Stuck in an Old Story Part 1

imeryli

“Rey! How dare you eat my Marigold Surprise?!” Krystal shouted.

 It was a casual Wednesday at Ringmasters Training Academy. In the afternoon, Sana, Rey, Krystal, and Prince were hanging out in the sophomore lounge area during their break time. Of course, things weren’t casual for long.

  “I didn’t know it was yours,” Rey said as he finished eating the Marigold Surprise.

  “I left it on the table to go get some water. Did you not hear me say that to everyone?”

  “You sure you said that?”

  “Ugh! Even so, you just eat food left on the table that you clearly didn’t buy?! Like a heathen!” Krystal exclaimed. “And why did you two not do anything about it?”

   “I was in the bathroom,” Sana said.

   “I just didn’t care,” Prince said.

   “Ugh!” Krystal exclaimed. “You owe me another one!”

   “What is happening?” Neil asked as he came up to the group in the lounge.

   “Rey ate my Marigold Surprise,” Krystal said.

   “Big deal. You can get another one,” Neil said. “Anyway, Devil apparently wants us in his office.”

   “What?! Who told you that?” Rey asked.

   “My brother casually dropped that while I was walking by in the hall,” Neil said. “Quite rude if you ask me.”

   “You guys better not have done anything,” Sana said.

   “Knowing them, trouble is their best friend,” Prince said.

   “Oh, shut up, Prince!” Krystal exclaimed. “Let’s just get this over with!”

***

   Rey, Krystal, and Neil headed straight to Headmaster Devil’s office. Once they went inside, they found Headmaster Devil wasn’t alone. He was with Professor D’Sena.

   “Professor D’Sena?” Krystal said.

   “Hello, kids,” Professor D’Sena said. “Should I stay for this?”

   “No, Arun,” Headmaster Devil said. “I’ll take it from here.”

   Professor D’Sena nodded and headed out of the office. Krystal was confused and could see Rey and Neil were as well.

   “So, what’s going on?” Krystal asked.

   “You three should probably know,” Headmaster Devil said.

   “Know what?” Rey asked.

   “Professor D’Sena just informed me that you three didn’t do so well on your recent exam,” Headmaster Devil said.

   “What?! I actually studied this time,” Rey said.

   “Hold on. He didn’t even hand them back to us yet,” Neil said.

   “I know. But he informed me that you all are now on the verge of not passing the class this quarter,” Headmaster Devil said.

    “What?!” Krystal exclaimed. “That’s impossible. I had a B this quarter.”

    “Yeah, and now you currently hold a solid seventy,” Headmaster Devil said. “Needless to say, it’s not looking good for you three. You know that Combat Strategies I is a crucial class to pass this year.”

   “We’re not getting kicked out of the academy, are we?!” Neil asked.

   “No, but I did talk to Professor D’Sena just now. He’s giving you three an opportunity that could ensure you three don’t fail this quarter,” Headmaster Devil said.

   “Okay, what is it?” Rey asked.

   “Well, he wants you three to write a six-page paper on the importance of combat strategies and how they’re applicable to real life scenarios,” Headmaster Devil said. “That shouldn’t be too hard.”

   “Six pages? When is it due?” Neil asked.

   “Professor D’Sena wants it by class tomorrow,” Headmaster Devil said.

   “Ugh! How can I write a six-page paper by tomorrow?!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “That’s why he wants you to write it together,” Headmaster Devil said. “A group paper.”

   “Suddenly it gets worse,” Krystal said.

   “It’s a pretty fair opportunity. As long as you get at least a B on the paper, you three will pass this quarter,” Headmaster Devil said. “You three can work on it at the library after school. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

   Krystal sighed. Rey looked at Neil and could tell he was feeling just as irritated.

***

   After school, Rey, Krystal, and Neil went to the library to begin work on their paper. Krystal was going through the many sections of books to find relevant materials, Rey was going through the bits of lectures he recorded on his phone, and Neil was staring at his laptop screen. As Krystal arrived back to the table with the books, she sighed and said, “What are you two doing?! The laziness here is unacceptable.”

   “Hey, I’m actually doing something here!” Rey exclaimed. “I’m looking through the lectures I recorded in class.”

   “Those blurry videos with poor audio?” Krystal said.

   “It beats trying to learn from a book,” Rey said. “I’m a visual learner. The only reason I did bad on that exam was because I forgot to study.”

   “And your excuse is what?” Krystal asked Neil. “I told you to start writing the intro, and you’re just staring at the screen.”

   “I have writer’s block,” Neil said. “And since when are you such a taskmaster for school? Isn’t that Sana’s thing?”

   “Because of you guys, I’m missing out on the release of the new Reshawna Fruit Fest bag collection,” Krystal said as she sat down at the table. “I was going to snag the Strawberry Milkshake bag at the mall, and now it’s probably sold out! Ugh.”

   Krystal sighed. She looked at Neil’s laptop screen and said, “I don’t even know how to start this paper.”

   “I would’ve rather gone on some mission where we kick some ass,” Rey said. “Writing about fights isn’t exactly as fun as actually fighting.”

   “Well, we can’t sit here and complain all day,” Neil said. “The sooner we finish this, the better.”

   Krystal got ready to crack open one of the books. As she opened one, she noticed one of the books fell on the floor. She got up to pick it up but was puzzled. It didn’t look like a book that she picked up from the shelves. It had a lavender cover and gold writing on the front that was in a language she didn’t recognize. There was a small golden fairy in the top right corner as well. She knew she had to focus, but she couldn’t help but be intrigued.

   “What are you doing, Krystal?” Rey asked.

   “Oh, I just picked up this book by mistake,” Krystal said as she put the lavender book on the table. “It looks really cool though.”

   “What language is the writing?” Neil asked.

   “Not sure,” Krystal said. “Maybe we can open it and see what’s inside.”

   “I thought we were supposed to focus on the paper,” Rey said.

   “We are. This is just a quick peak,” Krystal said.

   Krystal opened the cream pages of the book. As soon as she opened it, the book emitted a golden glow that stunned her, Rey, and Neil. Suddenly, she could feel herself being pulled into the book along with the others.

   The three of them screamed as they were pulled into a golden portal. After a few fleeting moments, they fell onto a ground. Krystal could feel her back was hurting from the fall. She quickly grabbed her wand, which had fallen on the ground. As she grabbed it, she noticed something different. Her clothes had been changed. She was now wearing a long-sleeved orange dress with intricate gold embroidery.

    “Damn, what the hell just happened?” Rey asked as he got up along with Neil.

    “Your clothes! They changed,” Neil said to Krystal. He looked at Rey, seeing him in a white long-tunic, blue billowy pants, and brown boots. He looked at himself to see he was dressed in the exact same outfit. “I changed clothes! What the hell just happened?!”

    “I just asked that,” Rey said.

    Krystal was puzzled. She couldn’t understand what was going on. The more she pondered over it, the clearer it became to her.

    “I think…we maybe got transported into the book,” Krystal said.

    “What?!” Neil said.

    “Wait, she might be right. Things went whack when she opened the book,” Rey said. “What did it say on the cover?”

    “I don’t know. I couldn’t read it,” Krystal said. “Though there might’ve been a fairy in the corner of the cover.”

    “Fairy tales! We must be in a book of fairy tales,” Neil said.

    Krystal couldn’t believe it, but the more she processed it, the more she realized how true it was.

    “This can’t be happening. So, what fairy tale involves clothes like these?” Krystal asked.

    Before anyone could answer, Krystal heard the sound of loud thumps. She turned around along with Rey and Neil, horrified at what she saw. A giant three-eyed dark beast that had the form of a bear was coming towards them. The creature roared at Krystal, Rey, and Neil.

    “Maybe we should run and discuss this later,” Rey said as he took off.

    Krystal and Neil followed Rey, running off as the dark beast chased them with its loud thumps. It didn’t take long for the dark beast to start launching dark energy beams their way. The trio kept running, dodging each one.

    “I thought you two were always in a fighting mood,” Krystal said to Rey and Neil.

    “Not when we’re being chased by a giant bear!” Neil exclaimed.

    “Look! There’s a little cave thingy!” Rey pointed out.

    Rey quickly led Krystal and Neil towards the cave he found. He pushed the green branches away and headed inside with Krystal and Neil, making sure the dark beast didn’t see them. They sat down and Rey took a deep breath.

    “That was scary as hell,” Rey said. “Man, I’ve never seen anything like that.”

    “I’m confused. I’m scared,” Neil said. “What the hell is happening?!”

    “Neil’s the one that said we’re in a book of fairy tales,” Krystal said. “What fairy tale is this?”

    “I don’t know,” Neil said. “First off, none of the fairy tales I’ve read mentioned dark beasts in them.”

    “Wait a sec. Krystal, was there any writing on the book?” Rey asked.

    “Yeah, but it was in another language,” Krystal said. “Why?”

   “Well, our clothes and the giant monster remind me of this Indian fairy tale that Sana told me about once,” Rey said. “I don’t remember the Sanskrit title, but it translated to Three Kids and a Giant.”

   “So, we’re in an Indian fairy tale book?” Neil asked.

   “I guess so,” Rey said. “But it doesn’t explain why we got sucked into the book. Also, the monster in that tale is a ten-headed giant. So, why the change?”

   “I don’t know what’s worse between the monster we got and that one,” Neil said.

   “Okay, so, does this fairy tale book have some kind of spell on it? I mean how else can you explain us getting sucked into the book,” Krystal said. “Whatever spell was cast on it must’ve transformed the creatures in the stories into dark beasts.”

    “Creatures?! Let’s deal with the story we’re in right now,” Neil said. “Rey, what do you remember about this story?”

    “Ugh, it’s kinda fuzzy,” Rey said. “There were three characters that were being chased by the giant. That’s all I remember right now.”

     “Well, that’s certainly not helpful,” Krystal said.

     “Krystal, it’s something. Anyway, we should be focusing on getting out of here,” Neil said. “Maybe there’s some passageway that leads us out of the book.”

    “It’s worth a shot,” Rey said. “Maybe the end of this cave can lead us out somewhere.”

    Krystal nodded as she got up along with Rey and Neil.  The three kept moving through the cave till they reached the other side. Once they stepped outside, Krystal took in the surroundings. The scent of fresh jasmine flowers was in the air and the trees were covered in a variety of greenery.

    Rey looked ahead, seeing the sun was still bright as ever. He wondered how time worked within the world of the story they were in. There were hundreds of other questions on his mind as well, but he had to focus on getting out.

    “I don’t see the giant bear in sight,” Rey said. “Maybe if we keep walking, we’ll find an exit.”

    “Sounds good. Let’s go,” Neil said.

    Krystal was about to follow Rey and Neil until she could feel her foot press down on something. She looked down, seeing what looked like an arrow imprinted within the grass. She fell through the ground, screaming as a bright glow surrounded her.

    “Krystal!” Rey shouted as he turned around with Neil. It was too late. Krystal had disappeared.

    “Damn it. Where did she go?” Neil asked.

    “I don’t know.”

    Before Rey could even think of what to do, he heard the same giant thumps from before. He looked up along with Neil to see the giant dark beast had returned. As it roared at them again, Rey and Neil ran forward. They ran as fast as they could until they smacked into something that made them fall back. Rey was puzzled as he didn’t see anything in their way. He got up, trying to run again only to fall back again.

    “What’s happening?!” Neil exclaimed. “Why can’t we keep going?!”

    “I don’t know! It’s like there’s some kind of barrier!”

    “So, we’re trapped?!”

    Rey could barely think as the dark beast was getting closer to them. He could feel the pressure as he didn’t know what to do.

***

   Krystal opened her eyes, feeling the heaviness of her pounding head. She sat up, finding herself to be more confused than ever. She was now in a soft pink bedroom that had intricate paintings hanging on the walls along with the usual essentials like a dresser, nightstand etc. What was jarring to her were the steel bars on the window that looked like they were in place to keep her locked up. She looked at her dress, seeing it had changed again. This time she was wearing a bejeweled lilac blouse with a matching skirt. The thing that made her most confused was her hair. It was now incredibly long, tied in a braid that reached all the way to the floor.

    “What the hell is going on here?!” Krystal said.

***

   Back at Ringmasters Training Academy, Sana was heading over to the library. As she walked towards the door, she saw Zayn was heading there as well.

   “Hey, Zayn,” Sana said as she walked up to him.

   “Oh, hey, Sana.”

   “What are you doing here?”

   “I wanted to check out some books here before they close. What about you?”

   “I came to check on Rey. I tried calling him, but he didn’t answer.”

   “He’s probably just busy, but we can check.”

    Sana and Zayn entered the library. The two walked around to find Rey but couldn’t find him anywhere. Then, Sana saw something that caught her eye. She walked over to a table, seeing a bunch of belongings left behind.

    “Do any of these belong to them?” Zayn asked.

    “Yeah. I recognize Neil’s laptop. It has the same blue cat sticker.”

    “Is it possible that they stepped out for a bit or something?”

    “If they did, it’s clearly been a while. His laptop is on lock mode.”

    “What’s that book on the ground?”

   Sana looked down, seeing the book Zayn was referring to. She picked it up, seeing the writing on the front. She recognized it to be in Sanskrit.

    “It appears to be a book of fairy tales,” Sana said as she opened the book. “This actually looks similar to the fairy tale book that my dad gave me when I was younger.”

    It didn’t take long for the book to give off its golden glow. Sana was stunned, and she could see Zayn was equally surprised. Soon, Sana and Zayn were sucked into the book, and it closed, falling to the floor.

Copyright © 2022 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

Uncategorized

With Friends Like These

imeryli

It was a cool, breezy Sunday afternoon. Sana, Rey, Neil, and Heer were hanging out at Devil’s Diner for lunch. After paying, they began to head out when Rey said, “Do you think Krystal is gonna be pissed that we got Marigold Surprises without her?”

   “I saved some of mine for her in my leftover box,” Heer said.

   “There you go,” Neil said. “When in doubt, we always got Heer to the rescue.”

   “Oh God,” Sana said.

   “What? What is it?” Rey asked.

   Rey looked to see exactly what was agitating Sana. A boy in a gray hoodie and blue jeans was seemingly taking her picture with his cellphone. Before Rey could say anything to Sana, she started marching over to the boy. He knew this wasn’t going to go well.

   “What the hell are you doing?” Sana asked the boy.

   “What?”

   “Are you taking my picture?”

   “No.”

   Sana grabbed the phone from the boy’s hand, looked at the screen and said, “Then what is this?”

   “Oh, come on,” the boy said. “You’re pretty famous around here. You should take it as a compliment.”

   “I don’t appreciate my photo being taken without my permission.”

   “Oh, come on. It’s a public place. I have the freedom to do so.”

   Sana was about ready to smack the boy until Rey immediately stepped in and did the smacking for her, much to her surprise. The boy let out the biggest ouch Sana had ever heard.

   “She said she doesn’t want her picture taken! Respect that, boy!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Yeah, you get him, Rey!” Neil exclaimed.

   “Thank you, but you already knew I was going to hit him,” Sana said.

   “I was doing you a favor!” Rey exclaimed. “Krystal did your nails earlier today. Do you really think she’d want you to ruin them?”

   Sana sighed and grabbed the phone from the boy, deleting the pictures off it. She handed it back and began to leave with Rey saying, “I better not catch you taking anyone else’s picture again!”

   The boy took off with Sana saying, “The nerve of some people.”

   “Man, Rey, you really whacked that guy,” Neil said as he came up to Rey and Sana.

   “You know I would’ve whacked him just as hard,” Sana said.

   “Yeah, but we’re used to you whacking people,” Neil said.

   “Hey, I’m fully capable of giving people a smacking!” Rey exclaimed. “Especially when my friends are being wronged!”

   Sana noticed Heer was looking at something, seemingly startled. She asked, “Heer, what’s up?”

   Heer turned around, looking like she had seen a ghost or something. Sana turned to see a guy standing across from them. He had dark eyes and short black hair, covered by a blue baseball cap. He wore a blue hoodie with black shorts and gray sneakers.  

   Neil was surprised to see Heer walking away, not saying a word. She started pushing her long hair, hiding her face.

   “Heer, where are you going?” Neil asked, calling out to her. Heer didn’t answer. She just walked away. It was quite unlike her to just leave without saying anything.

   “Hey, dude, did you say anything to our friend?” Rey questioned the guy.

   The guy rolled his eyes and scoffed. His attitude annoyed Rey.

   “Hey, man, we asked you a question,” Neil said.

   “I didn’t do anything aside from just walking by,” the boy said. “If you should be questioning anyone, it would be her.”

   The boy shook his head and left. Sana was very confused, and she could tell that Rey and Neil were as well. She knew there was more going on that she didn’t know about.

***

   Later on, in the evening, Sana was alone in her room at the dorms. She pondered over what happened earlier in the city. What could have happened to Heer? Sana tried to talk to her when she got back, but she said she was tired and needed to rest. Sana wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth or just making an excuse for space, but she wanted to respect her need to be alone.

   Sana was about to get out her notebook to do some studying until she heard a knock on the door. She got up to answer it. It was Krystal standing outside in the hallway.

   “Krystal, what’s up?” Sana asked.

   “What’s up with Heer? She handed me the rest of her Marigold Surprise and wasn’t happy about it.”

   “Really? That’s how you figured she was upset?”

   “You don’t get it. Whenever Heer does something nice for someone, she gives the most wholesome smile. This time she just handed it to me and left. That’s not the Heer I know! What happened?”

   “I’m not really sure. Things were fine until this boy showed up.”

   “A boy?”

   “Yeah, it seemed like they knew each other. She like turned away and just left without saying a word. Rey and Neil questioned the guy about it, and he just gave us an attitude and said we should ask Heer.”

   “Did you get the boy’s name?”

   “No, we didn’t. It was really unusual.”

   “Can you give me some details about his appearance?”

   “What are you planning to do? Conduct a search?”

   “Hey, I have ways of getting information. Just tell me some details about his appearance. Let’s start with what he was wearing.”

   “Uh, blue baseball cap, blue hoodie…”

   “What shade of blue was the hoodie?”

   “What?”

   “What shade of blue was the hoodie? Was it a cobalt blue? Or a sky blue?”

   “I don’t know! Why is this important, Krystal?!”

   “Heer clearly doesn’t want to tell us who this guy is, so I have to gain as much intel and find out myself. I’m gonna go work on that now.”

   “Krystal, there’s no way you can find out who someone is based off such little information.”

   “Don’t underestimate me, Sana. I have my ways.”

***

   The next day, Sana was getting her books from her locker. She turned to see Heer was coming up to her. Heer said, “Sana, I wanted to apologize about yesterday. I shouldn’t have left so suddenly.”

   “You don’t have to apologize, Heer,” Sana said. “Are you okay?”

   “Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

   “If you don’t mind me asking, who was that guy?”

   “Um, it really doesn’t matter. Anyway, I actually have to do some stuff before class, so I’ll see you later.”

   Heer left and Sana sighed. She wanted to help Heer, but it seemed like Heer didn’t want to talk about the situation. She turned to see Rey and Neil come up to her.

   “Did Heer talk to you?” Neil asked.

   “Yeah. She just apologized for what happened and jolted upon me bringing up the guy,” Sana said.

   “She did the same thing with us,” Rey said.

   “Man, I wish we could know who he is. She’s clearly affected by him,” Neil said.

   “Me too. But at the same time, it’s her personal matter. We shouldn’t force her to talk to us about it,” Sana said.

   “But we just want to help her,” Rey said.

   “His name is Jac Ashton,” Krystal said as she walked up to the trio.

   “Huh?” Sana said. “How do you know?”

   “I told you I’d find out who he is,” Krystal said.

   “How did you find out who he is?” Neil asked.

   “Well, all I had was a lousy description from Sana, but I did some snooping on the web and I found out about some new transfers to this one high school downtown, Red Rock High. So, I contacted my friend whose father’s sister’s cousin’s daughter went to middle school with him,” Krystal said.

   “Is anyone else scared of her?” Rey asked Sana and Neil.

   “Shut up, Rey. The point is she said that Jac and Heer were really close friends in middle school and around the time of graduation, he just cut her out without warning,” Krystal said.

   “Well, that explains why she reacted that way,” Sana said.

   “Seriously? Is no one scared at how she gathered intel like that?” Rey asked.

   “Forget that. What’s our plan for standing up to the guy?” Neil asked.

   “Plan? Guys, we don’t need to do anything,” Sana said.

   “What?! Why?!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Heer didn’t even want to talk about this. Do you really think she would want us to get involved?” Sana said. “The best thing to do is to leave it be.”

   Sana closed her locker and left with her books in hand. Rey couldn’t accept that Sana didn’t want to do anything. He looked at Neil, who looked like he had an idea in mind.

   “Krystal, what school did you say this Jac guy goes to?” Neil asked.

   “Red Rock High,” Krystal said. “Why?”

   “Oh, no reason,” Neil said.

***

   Later on, during after school hours, a group of kids were playing kickball outside at the playground of Red Rock High School. Among those kids was Jac. Rey and Neil came to see him playing without a care in the world. Rey looked at Neil and said, “Neil, are you sure this is a good idea?”

   “This is perfectly fine. We’re gonna show Jac not to mess with Heer.”

   “I know, but don’t you remember what Sana said?”

   “Sana is taking the easy way out. We gotta teach this boy a lesson. He has no idea who he’s dealing with. Now, are you ready?”

   “All right, let’s do this.”

   Rey and Neil walked up to the group as they continued playing. Jac turned to them. Rey could see that Jac recognized them.

   “What are you guys doing here?” Jac asked. “Your school doesn’t have a playground?”

   “Our school happens to have a lot of cool stuff!” Rey exclaimed.

   “We’re here to tell you personally that we don’t like how you treated our friend, Heer,” Neil said.

   “And what do you know about that?” Jac asked.

   “Well, not much, but considering how well we know Heer, we know you must have been a real jerk to her,” Neil said.

   “Right. Because Heer is so innocent and nice,” Jac said. “Perfect little angel that could do no wrong.”

   “Are you mocking her?!”  Rey exclaimed. “Dude, we could give you quite the beatdown for that.”

   “Really?” Jac scoffed.

   “You bet,” Neil said as he drew out his wand while Rey got ready to transform.

   “What are you two doing?!” a voice questioned.

   Rey froze, knowing who it was. He turned around with Neil to see Sana with Krystal. Sana certainly looked displeased.

   “Wow. Sana was right,” Krystal said. “You two would do something stupid.”

   “How’d you know we were gonna be here?” Rey asked Sana.

   “Krystal told me that she told you guys about Jac’s high school, and I knew you two would come to jump him,” Sana said.

   “Hey, are you saying we’re predictable?!” Neil exclaimed.

   “That and stupid,” Krystal said. “You’re lucky Prince is too busy hanging out with Zayn and Akira at Devil’s Delights to see this.”

   “We have every right to jump someone in this scenario!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Look, if you guys aren’t going to beat me up, I’m gonna get back to my game,” Jac said as he turned around to continue playing with the other guys.

    Sana pulled Rey by his arm and Krystal did the same with Neil. She said, “This isn’t what Heer would’ve liked.”

   “Yeah, but he deserves a beating for being such a jackass,” Neil said.

   “You know what? Since you two are so hung up on this, why don’t we just talk to Heer?” Sana asked.

   “I thought you said we shouldn’t ask her about it,” Rey said.

   “That was before you guys started throwing tantrums over it,” Sana said. “Come on.”

***

    Back at the academy, Heer was baking cupcakes in the home economics classroom. She was in the middle of frosting the vanilla cupcakes with a strawberry buttercream frosting when Sana, Rey, Krystal, and Neil entered. Before Heer could say anything, Rey said, “Ah! Cupcakes!”

   “Really, Rey?” Krystal said as Rey immediately grabbed one of the frosted cupcakes.

   “What? I’m hungry,” Rey said as he took a bite from the cupcake. “Damn. This is so good!”

   “Thank you,” Heer said. “What are you guys doing here?”

   “Well, we thought we’d talk to you about Jac,” Sana said.

   “How do you know about Jac?” Heer asked.

   “I did some snooping. I have quite the talent for it,” Krystal said.

   “I’m sorry. I really didn’t think she’d dig into it,” Sana said. “Or that these two would go hunt him down.”

   “We had good reason,” Neil said.

   “You don’t have to apologize. I probably should…for not talking about it this whole time,” Heer said.

   “Have you been baking to distract yourself from talking about it?” Krystal asked.

   “I guess so,” Heer said.

   “So, who is he?” Rey asked as he grabbed another cupcake to munch on.

   Heer sighed. She took a deep breath, knowing she had to explain herself. She looked at the others and said, “Jac was a close friend since I was in middle school. I didn’t have a lot of friends, but he was one of the few people who I felt like I could talk to about anything. We had a lot of common interests. From cartoons to baking, there was a lot we could share. It felt nice to have a friend like that.”

   “So, what happened?” Sana asked.

   “Well, there was a point where I noticed he would say things that I didn’t like or things that hurt me. When I would confront him about them, every time, he’d have an excuse or get upset,” Heer said. “It made me think I was doing something wrong. There was one time that led to an argument…or more so me getting yelled at. After that happened, I apologized in hopes we could move on and not let it escalate. And it seemed fine. But then one day, he basically said he didn’t want to be my friend anymore.”

   Sana could tell that Heer was hurt just by talking about everything. It may have been something from the past, but Sana understood that memories from our past can still hurt in the present no matter how much time has passed.

   “The reason I couldn’t talk about it is because sometimes…I feel like it’s my fault somehow,” Heer said. “Sometimes, I think about all the good times we had. I just wish it didn’t end like that.”

   “I understand,” Sana said. “But you should know it’s not your fault.”

   “Yeah. Dude was clearly an asshole,” Krystal said. “Ugh! Some people want to act like saints that can never do any wrong. Besides, who wants to have a friend who gets upset like a five-year-old child at a toy store every time you bring up something?”

   “The only loser in this situation is him,” Neil said. “He lost a great friend.”

   “And we gained one the moment we met here at RTA,” Rey said. “By the way, you need to make more of these cupcakes.”

   Heer chuckled along with the others. It was the first time she felt a hint of joy since she encountered Jac.

   “Thank you, guys,” Heer said. “I actually feel a little better now that I’ve talked about it.”

   “Well, let’s make you feel even more better,” Krystal said. “How about we go to Devil’s Diner for dinner? My treat!”

   “That sounds like a plan,” Sana said. “Is that okay with you, Heer?”

   “For sure,” Heer said with a smile.

***

   Later that night, Sana, Rey, Krystal, Neil, and Heer went to Devil’s Diner. Once they went inside, they were escorted to a table. As they sat down, Heer was stunned to see Jac sitting at a table not too far from them. Seeing her stunned expression, Sana turned around and said, “Wow. He’s here as well.”

   “I swear that guy is everywhere,” Krystal said.

   “Are you comfortable, Heer?” Rey asked. “We could ask to be moved away.”

   “Or we could go somewhere else for dinner,” Neil said.

   “No, I’m fine,” Heer said. She could see Jac had looked at her and went back to looking at his cellphone in hand. “I don’t want to run away like last time. I’m here to have a good time with you all. That’s all that matters.”

   “Aww, that’s our Heer,” Sana said.

   “Still, I’d love to give that jerk a piece of my mind,” Rey said.

   “Same here,” Krystal said. “Just look at his outfit. His shirt looks like it was made of duct tape.”

   “You know what?” Neil said as he got up. “Why don’t we say a few words to him?”

   Krystal smirked and saw Rey smirk as well. The two of them got up with Neil and Sana joined them saying, “No fists. I don’t wanna get kicked out of the restaurant.”

   Heer watched as her four friends circled Jac at his table. Jac looked up at them and said, “Now what do you losers want?”

   “Ha. Losers? We should be calling you that,” Rey said. “For someone with such a huge ego, you don’t seem to have decent comebacks.”

   “Whatever. I’m not the one trying to create a scene here,” Jac said.

   “We’re not creating a scene. We’re here to let you know that the only loser around here is you,” Neil said. “You could’ve had a great friend in Heer. And you blew it because you’re a little baby that can’t handle a bit of honesty.”

   “If you ever hurt Heer again or do anything to make her uncomfortable, we’ll be coming for you,” Rey said. “My partner here is pretty good at giving a smackdown.”

   “It’s true,” Sana said. “I’d smack you in the head right now, but I don’t want to get kicked out before dinner.”

   “We’re gonna be sitting close by. I hope us having fun doesn’t make you cry out of regret for what you could’ve had,” Krystal said.

   As the group turned around to head back to their table, Krystal turned back and said, “Also, that shirt is ugly as hell. I’d burn it if I were you. Bye!”

   Krystal joined the others back at the table, laughing with the others. While they were laughing, Heer watched them. She didn’t even bother to look at Jac anymore because she no longer cared about what she had lost.

   “Hey, guys,” Heer said. “I’m really glad you all are my friends.”

   “Aww, same here, girl!” Krystal said as she hugged Heer.

   “Now let’s order food,” Rey said. “I’m starving.”

   As her friends laughed some more, Heer realized that what she had right now was exactly what was meant to be.  

Copyright © 2022 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

blog, Books, fantasy, Uncategorized, writing

When Friends Fight

imeryli

“No! No! No!” Krystal cried. “Sana, how many times do I have to tell you?!”

    It was a regular morning at Ringmasters Training Academy. In the gymnasium, Krystal was directing everyone for a stage rehearsal. The next circus show was coming up and Krystal was made lead ringmaster. Sana, Rey, Prince, Neil, Heer, and Akira were all present for rehearsal amongst other students.

    “Krystal, I’m literally doing everything you want me to do,” Sana said.

    “No, you’re not!” Krystal exclaimed. “In step three of section one, you’re supposed to pivot your foot to the left. You keep starting with your right! It’s ruining the flow of the routine!”

    “It’s really not that big of a deal,” Prince said. “Who the hell is gonna pay attention to her foot going wrong?”

    “Well, if I can see it, anyone can,” Krystal said.

    “Aww, Miss Perfectionist is throwing a tantrum,” Rey said to Neil, chuckling.

    Krystal turned to Rey, annoyed, and said, “Rey, I’m this close to smacking someone, so you better hope it’s not you!”

   “At this rate it could be you,” Sana said, quietly.

   Krystal looked at Sana, trying to think she didn’t hear what she heard. Akira could see Krystal was getting angry and said, “Okay, Krystal. Let’s not create a scene.”

   “What was that you said, Sana?” Krystal questioned.

   “Krystal, I really think you should take a breather,” Heer said. “Let’s just get back to rehearsal.”

   “No! I’d like to know what she said!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “Damn. This is gonna get ugly,” Neil whispered to Rey.

   “Krystal, I’m already annoyed. Let’s just move on,” Sana said.

   “No! You can’t just say something about me and get away from the situation!”

   “This is so unnecessary.”

   “Please. The only thing unnecessary around here is your inability to comprehend basic dance steps! One would think a bookworm such as yourself could at least do that.”

   Before Krystal could say anything else, Sana smacked her on the head, and she fell to the floor with a thud. Rey looked at the others and could see everyone including the gang were shocked. Krystal immediately got up, appalled.

   “How dare you smack me, Sana?!” Krystal shouted as she was about to go up to Sana with her hands ready to fight back. Heer and Prince quickly grabbed hold of Krystal by her arms to prevent her from escalating the scene.

    “Krystal, you have to calm down now,” Heer said as she struggled to hold down Krystal.

   “Ugh! Let me at her! Just let me at her!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “Ugh. Quit embarrassing yourself,” Prince said, rolling his eyes.

   “You’re the one who basically asked for it,” Sana said to Krystal.

   “Damn, Sana. You seem to go off on anyone,” Akira said.

   “Man, this really did get ugly,” Neil said to Rey.

   “Okay, everyone! Why don’t we call off rehearsal today?” Rey exclaimed. “Let’s all head out now!”

   Rey tried to get everyone else to leave while Heer and Prince took Krystal away.

***

   Later on, at lunch, Rey, Neil, Prince, Heer, and Akira were seated at their usual table. Once Zayn arrived with his lunch, he sat down and said, “So, it seems I missed quite the drama this morning.”

   “You heard?” Neil asked.

   “People couldn’t stop gossiping about it when I was in line,” Zayn said as he took a bite of his grilled cheese sandwich.

   “You never said why you didn’t show up to rehearsal,” Akira said.

   “I didn’t show up because I didn’t feel like it,” Zayn said. “So, what happened?”

   “Krystal got on Sana’s case. Sana smacked her. There was almost a brawl. End of story,” Prince said. “It’s really not that big of a deal.”

   “You’re taking it quite lightly, Prince,” Heer said.

   “Well, yeah. Sana smacking people when they piss her off isn’t new,” Prince said. “Just ask Rey.”

   “To be honest, I thought she was improving,” Rey said.

   “Is it really any different from you and Neil jumping Aiden all the time?” Akira asked.

   “Hey! We would give him a heads up before attempting to battle him!” Rey exclaimed.

   “Failed attempts are more like it,” Prince said.

   It didn’t take long for Sana to arrive at the table. And right after her, Krystal arrived. The two sat across from each other and Rey could see them exchanging scowled glances. To break the awkward silence amongst everyone, Rey said, “So, did anyone do the homework for D’Sena’s class?”

    “You didn’t do it, man?” Neil asked.

    “Interesting coming from you since you’re not one to do homework,” Prince said.

    “But I did do it…last period,” Neil said.

    “So, Sana, did you do the homework?” Heer asked.

   “Why are we talking to her like she didn’t smack me in front of everyone today?” Krystal questioned.  

   “The same way no one wants to tell you how annoying and bossy you are,” Sana said.

   “You take that back!” Krystal shouted as she got up from her seat. As she got up, she threw her sandwich at Sana’s face.

    The act got Rey and everyone else on edge. It didn’t do much to Sana, but Rey looked at her and she was visibly pissed. He watched her stand up from her chair. She looked like she was close to giving Krystal another slap. Instead, she grabbed one of the slices of pizza on her plate and smacked it directly onto Krystal’s face. Seeing this, Rey could see it was far worse. The sauce and cheese were all over Krystal’s face. It didn’t take long for her to shriek, “Not my makeup!”

   “Oh God,” Prince said, shaking his head.

   “Sana J. Malik, if my face wasn’t melting right now, you’d be dead!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “Yeah, right,” Sana said, rolling her eyes.

   Rey watched Sana and Krystal throw one comment after the next at each other like ammo on a battlefield. He looked at the others and could see how annoyed they all were. Except Heer, she just seemed concerned. He thought he would have to take matters into his own hands.

***

   At the end of the school day, Heer and Akira were at their lockers, chatting while getting their stuff together. As they were talking, Heer turned to see Rey was coming up to them. She looked at him and said, “Hey, Rey. What’s up?”

   “Can I talk to you guys for a sec?” Rey asked.

   “Is this about the Sana and Krystal fiasco?” Akira asked. “Because while entertaining, that whole thing is a mess.”

   “I know. And we need to do something about it,” Rey said. “As stubborn as they both are, they’re friends and need to move on.”

   “Even I think something needs to be done,” Heer said.

   “Did you talk to the guys about this?” Akira asked.

   “Yeah, and they don’t want to get involved,” Rey said.

   “Even Prince?” Heer asked.

   “He said they should figure it out themselves,” Prince said.

   “Well, he’s not wrong,” Akira said. “I could expect this childishness from Krystal, but Sana, she’s typically above this…when she’s not being overly aggressive.”

   “Well, we should give them a push. That’s why I’m coming to you both,” Rey said. “Can you two plan something to get them to confront each other civilly?”

   “That could be a good idea. If we get them together in a calm environment, we could get them to talk things out,” Heer said.

   “That sounds good!” Rey exclaimed. “Have fun with that!”

   “Hold it! You come to us asking for help and you’re not going to do anything?” Akira asked.

   “I did my part,” Rey said. “I was the messenger.”

   Rey walked away before Akira’s piercing glances could scare him into staying. Akira shook her head and said, “Boys just love not taking responsibility sometimes, I swear.”

   “I think I have an idea that could work,” Heer said.

***

   The next day, Heer and Akira set the plan in motion. Well, it was pretty much Heer’s plan. Heer invited Krystal to Sage Park downtown and Akira did the same with Sana. They brought both girls to the park right after school. Once they all ran into each other, Heer could see Sana and Krystal were instantly heated.

   “What is she doing here?!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “I could ask the same to you,” Sana said.

   Akira rolled her eyes as she watched Sana and Krystal have a literal glare competition. Heer said, “Now, now. It’s a nice day out and the park is looking lovely. Why don’t we just enjoy the scenery?”

   Sana sighed in frustration. “Fine, I’ll be civil,” Sana said as she walked ahead. “I can do that better than some people.”

   “Oh, please! You are the last person that should be talking about being civil!” Krystal exclaimed as she started walking as well.

   “You sure this will work?” Akira asked Heer.

   “We’re in the presence of nature. It should calm them both down,” Heer said and then walked with Sana and Krystal.

   “If you say so,” Akira said as she shrugged her shoulders and followed.

   As the girls walked around the park, Sana and Krystal were keeping their distance. Heer could feel that there was an unusual amount of silence as they all walked together. She looked at Akira, who was visibly frustrated. She knew she had to do something to get Sana and Krystal to talk like normal. Heer looked at the array of pink tulips in the field. She said, “Aren’t these some beautiful flowers, Krystal?”

   “Hmm? Oh yeah, they are nice,” Krystal said as she looked at the tulips. “They’re so bright and beautiful!”

   “Do you like them, Sana?” Heer asked.

   “Heer, why do you care about her opinion?” Krystal asked. “After all, it’s not like a brute such as herself could appreciate nature.”

   “You know, I was going to say they look beautiful,” Sana said. “Maybe I should add that they’re prettier than your face.”

   Once again, another argument ensued between Sana and Krystal. Heer began to whimper, seeing her plan was failing miserably. Akira looked at her and shook her head, thinking, They are fighting over flowers. It’s time to put an end to this.

   “Okay!” Akira intervened, silencing Sana and Krystal. “Since you guys aren’t enjoying the park, I have another place in mind for us to go.”

***

   Sana was stunned, Krystal was shocked, and Heer was surprised. Akira led the girls inside Splash Attack, a paintball center in Daredevil City. Heer would’ve never picked such a place for them to handle the situation, but she acknowledged Akira’s methods were probably going to be different from hers.

   “Um, why are we here, Akira?” Sana asked.

   “You guys clearly need to blow some steam,” Akira said as she stepped up to the counter. “If you can’t do it peacefully, you might as well come here. Krystal, give me your credit card.”

   “What?!” Krystal exclaimed. “Why would I give you my credit card?! This wasn’t my idea.”

   “That’s true, but if you don’t want me to smack you harder than Sana did, you’ll give it to me,” Akira said.

   Terrified at the thought of Akira smacking her, Krystal quickly handed her credit card to her Akira handed it to the receptionist. After paying, they were directed to a room to get their gear and suits. As Sana and Krystal went ahead, Heer asked Akira, “Are you sure about this?”

   “They want to be aggressive,” Akira said. “This is how you get out aggression.”

   The girls got suited up and loaded up their paintball guns. They went outside to the actual park where people were already commencing in paintball fights. While Sana and Krystal were in the field, Akira went in blazing. She was having a grand time, striking one person after the next. She took a moment to stop as she looked at Heer, who looked like a frail deer amongst a pack of lions. She went up to her and said, “Heer, why aren’t you shooting?”

   “Um, I’m not sure if this is my scene. I don’t really like hurting people unnecessarily.”

   “Oh, come on, Heer. They’re just paintballs.”

   “I know. But this is pretty aggressive.”

   “That’s the point. Hey, we should check on Sana and Krystal.”

   Akira and Heer went further into the field to look for Sana and Krystal. As she squared off with a few people amidst the lookout, Akira stopped upon seeing Sana and Krystal engaging in a shootout with each other. Aside from them having bad aim, it seemed like they were both pretty angry.

   “You know, I should thank Akira after this,” Krystal said.

   “After what?” Sana asked.

   Krystal struck Sana in the stomach three times with her paintball gun and said, “That.”

   Sana immediately got up and started hitting back. This time, she hit Krystal at her shoulders. They both started angrily shooting at each other. Heer was afraid of what would ensue, and Akira was borderline amused and annoyed.

   “You know, only someone as immature as you would resort to smacking people for everything!” Krystal shouted at Sana.

   “Immature? That’s rich coming from you. You’re the spoiled crybaby that whines whenever Prince doesn’t want to wear a stupid matching outfit with you.”

   “That has nothing to do with this! And you wish you had my sense of style!”

   “Oh, please. I don’t need fashion advice from a designer brand billboard.”

   “You take that back! You’re just jealous! No wonder you ruined my dress at Headmaster Devil’s birthday party!”

   “Oh, get over it. You took it to the dry-cleaners.”

   “Yeah, but the resale value plummeted thanks to you!”

   Sana and Krystal continued to argue and strike each other with paintballs at the same time. Heer looked at Akira, who was more frustrated than ever. Akira handed her paintball gun to Heer and walked up to Sana and Krystal. She took both of their paintball guns and they turned to her, saying, “Hey!”

   “What are you doing?” Sana asked.

   “You know, I should smack both of you right now,” Akira said. “But I’m not going to stoop to your level.”

   “I haven’t done any smacking this whole time,” Krystal said. “I was the one that was wronged here.”

   “Honestly, you both need to shut up,” Akira said. “I’m gonna say this to your faces, so that you two can stop embarrassing yourselves. Sana, you don’t need to smack every person who pisses you off for the slightest thing. It’s unbelievably childish.”

   “Um, Akira,” Heer said.

   “And Krystal, you’re bossy, rude, and you shove your perfectionist ways down everyone’s throat to the point where it’s annoying,” Akira said. “Heer and I took it upon ourselves to help you guys make up since Rey asked us to. Now we understand why he didn’t want to get involved because you two are irritating as hell. I’m done dealing with your stupidity. So, do everyone a favor and just shut up and sort this out yourselves.”

   Akira walked out, leaving Heer, Sana, and Krystal. Heer could see Sana and Krystal were speechless and in disbelief.

***

   After some time passed, Sana, Krystal, and Heer got cleaned up and sat in the lobby. After storming out, Akira went back to the field to play some more paintball. Heer figured she needed it to blow off some steam from her earlier lecture. Heer looked at Sana and Krystal, who were awfully quiet and clearly down. She wanted to say something to lighten the mood, but thought it was better to wait and see if one of them would talk.

   “She really went in on us,” Sana said.

   “I’m not bossy and rude,” Krystal said. “Am I, Heer?”

   “Well, I wouldn’t have framed the way Akira said things so bluntly,” Heer said.

   “So, you agree with her?” Sana asked.

   “I agree with the notion she was going with. You both are wrong in this situation. One of you wants to feel more justified than the other, but neither of you are,” Heer said. “I know you’re both better than this. You two have been friends for so long that you can’t let something like this drag on.”

   Sana couldn’t help but think that what Heer was saying was true. She couldn’t believe how far things had gotten. She looked at Krystal and could tell she was feeling the same way.

   “You know, if it was put this way, it probably would’ve landed better,” Krystal said.

   “Maybe. But Akira’s method certainly made you guys listen,” Heer said.

   Sana and Krystal chuckled. They looked at each other and Sana said, “I’m sorry for smacking you that day. And for all the insults that I didn’t mean.”

   “I’m sorry for being harsh on you at rehearsal and my share of insults. I guess I should work on not bossing people around like a crazy person.”

   “I should probably work on not smacking people.”

   “I know some people that would love that,” Heer said.

   The three of them chuckled. Akira entered the lobby and upon seeing the three girls, she said, “So, you two made up?”

   “Yeah, we did,” Krystal said.

   “As much as we hate to admit it, you certainly made us wake up a bit,” Sana said.

   “Good. I should be blunt with you guys more often,” Akira said.

   “Or you can hold back next time,” Krystal said.

   “Anyway, do you guys want to head back?” Heer asked.

   “Well, since Sana and Krystal made up, we should do something fun to celebrate,” Akira said.

   “I agree,” Sana said. “You got something in mind, Krystal?”

   “Actually, you can take the reign on this one, Sana,” Krystal said.

   Sana was surprised, but happy with Krystal’s gesture. She said, “Well, I did want to check out the new indie bookstore that opened downtown.”

   “Books A Plenty?” Heer asked.

   “That’s the one,” Sana said. “And maybe afterwards, we could go to Devil’s Diner for dinner.”

   “Yes! I can treat everyone to Marigold Surprises!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “You guys okay with that plan?” Sana asked.

   “It sounds good to me,” Heer said.

   “All right. Let’s head out then,” Akira said.

   With that, the girls all headed out together for grand night ahead.

Copyright © 2022 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.

blog, Books, Uncategorized, writing

Prince’s Valentine’s Day

imeryli

“Pink or red, guys?” Krystal asked Rey and Prince. It was a Sunday afternoon in Daredevil City. Krystal, Rey, and Prince were at the Reshawna store inside Daredevil Mall. Krystal had dragged the two along for a shopping trip. She was hoping to buy a new outfit for Valentine’s Day.

   “Hello?!” Krystal exclaimed. “Did you guys hear me?”

   “We did. I just don’t understand what the big deal is,” Prince said. “Buy whatever you want.”

   “I’m asking for your opinion!” Krystal said.

   “I like the red, but I think the pink one brings out your eyes,” Rey said.

   “See, Prince! Rey is giving a solid opinion here,” Krystal said.

   “Fine. You want my opinion?” Prince said. “The red one makes you look like a firetruck and the pink one makes you look like a flamingo. Happy?”

   Krystal could feel the anger in her boil up. She couldn’t stand the attitude Prince was giving her and she certainly didn’t like being called a firetruck or a flamingo. She calmed down and said, “Prince, you don’t need to have an attitude.”

   “You’re the one who dragged us both here,” Prince said. “Don’t be surprised that I’m not exactly ecstatic right now.”

   “That’s because everyone else was busy,” Krystal said. “I have to have the perfect dress for Valentine’s Day.”

   “It’s not like you have a date or anything,” Prince said as he started chewing on a lemon-flavored candy cane.

   Krystal could feel her irritation get to the brim. Even Rey took note of how annoyed she was by Prince’s words.

   “So?! Are you trying to say I need to have a date to look good on Valentine’s Day?!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “No,” Prince said. “I just don’t understand the effort. That too for such a lame holiday.”

   “Oh, someone has beef with Valentine’s,” Rey chuckled.

   Prince didn’t say anything. He rolled his eyes, turning away. The only way to deal with the situation was to not look at anyone.

   Krystal, in her frustration, said, “Whatever. I’m just gonna go with the pink one.”

   Krystal headed back to the fitting room to change. Rey looked over at Prince and said, “So, are you coming for lunch?”

   “Nah, I’m gonna slip out now,” Prince said as he got up. “I need to do some things before tomorrow. See ya.”

   Prince left and Rey watched him leave. He shook his head, knowing Krystal was going to have a tantrum once she stepped out. And the moment she came out of the dressing room, she said, “Did he seriously leave before lunch?!”

   “He said he was busy.”

   “Busy?! Ha! All he does is sleep and eat candy canes. What could possibly keep him busy?”

   “So, now what?”

    “I’m gonna pay for this and we’ll go to lunch.”

    “Just us?”

    “Well, I’m not going to lunch alone! Or are you busy as well?”

    Rey thought he could make something up, but he did feel bad about Prince ditching. Plus, there was the possibility of Krystal paying.

   “No, I’ll tag along,” Rey said.

***

   The next day, it was Valentine’s Day. It seemed like a normal day at Ringmasters Training Academy, but there were some students engaging in the exchanging of cards, candy, and flowers. Prince was certainly not one of them. He went to his locker and opened it, looking at all the candy he had stocked up. He had boxes of chocolates and a box of Valentine’s Day themed candy canes that were hard to find. Prince took one of the candy canes from the box. As he started chewing it, Neil walked by along with Rey and said, “Whoah, Prince. Look at all the candy. You have a valentine?”

   “Yeah,” Prince said. “Myself.”

   “Did you really think Prince was into Valentine’s Day?” Rey asked Neil, chuckling.

   “Well, he seems to be…for the candy at least,” Neil said. “Can I have some?”

   “Do you think I hoarded all the leftover candy at the grocery store just to share it with people?” Prince asked.

   “Well, damn,” Rey said.

   Neil whimpered and said, “Sheesh, Prince. You don’t have to be so mean.”

   “What else can you expect from him?” a voice said.

   Krystal showed up with Sana and Heer at her side. She was proudly wearing the new outfit she bought the other day, but she was indeed upset.

   “What do you mean by that?” Prince asked.

   “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

   “Is this about yesterday? You’re really upset about that?”

   “Yes, I’m upset. And since I’m upset, you should wait two to three business days before fighting me on it.”

   “Damn,” Rey said.

   “Okay, what’s going on here?” Neil asked.

   “I don’t have time for this,” Prince said as he shook his head. He grabbed his books and some candy from his locker and then slammed it shut, leaving.

   “Well, that certainly didn’t go well,” Sana said.

   “Who cares?!” Krystal exclaimed.

   “Krystal, I know you’re upset with Prince, but maybe you guys could talk it out?” Heer asked.

   “Heer, I don’t have the energy to talk to him,” Krystal said. “I’d rather enjoy my Valentine’s Day in peace.”

   “Do you even have a valentine?” Neil asked Krystal.

   “Who says I need to have one to enjoy the festivities?! Sheesh!” Krystal exclaimed. She left the group, feeling even more annoyed.

   “Wow. I’ve never seen her this mad,” Sana said. “She doesn’t even get this mad when directing a circus show.”

   “Sana, she doesn’t even get this mad when Prince won’t wear the matching outfits she buys him,” Rey said.

   “You know, I wish she would gift me new outfits. I would at least wear them,” Neil said. “I don’t have any money for shopping.”

   “Guys, shouldn’t we do something?” Heer asked. “It’s not good for them to have tension like this.”

   “Yeah. Like talking to them is gonna be something easy to do,” Rey said.

   “No, Heer is right. We should do something,” Sana said. “I think I have an idea.”

***

   Later, at the end of the school day, Prince went to his locker to retrieve the remaining boxes of candy he had. As he was getting everything together in his backpack, he could feel someone was coming up to him. He turned around to see Heer standing before him. He was surprised to see her. Prince said, “Heer…what brings you to my locker?”

   “I hope I’m not bothering you.”

   “No, you’re not. What’s up?”

   “Are you doing anything right now? I could use some help if you’re free.”

   “Help with what exactly?”

   “I’m volunteering for a class at an elementary school today. The kids there are having a Valentine’s Day party and I need to take some baked goods I made. Do you mind helping me?”

   Prince sighed. He was planning to go back to his dorm to work on some homework and finish his candy. And he very well could do that, but at the same time, he didn’t think it was right to say no to helping Heer out.

   “I guess I can help you out,” Prince said.

   “Great,” Heer said. “We can go to my room and get them.”

   Prince nodded and followed Heer down the hallway.

***

   On the other hand, Sana, Rey, Krystal, and Neil had gone to Lola’s. Sana thought a hangout with Krystal could help her cool down from her anger with Prince. It was also a good way to talk things out with her while Heer handled things with Prince. As they passed by the candy aisle, Rey said, “Wow. Prince wasn’t kidding when he said he hoarded all what was left of the Valentine’s Day candy.”

   Sana shoved Rey in the arm with her elbow. She directed his attention to Krystal, who shifted from being perfectly calm to frustrated again.

   “Nice work,” Sana said.

   “Hey, I was just saying,” Rey said.

   “Rey’s right. It’s not like Prince is one to share,” Krystal said as she looked at a pink teddy bear on the middle shelf. “In fact, he’s the least caring person I know.”

   “Come on, Krystal,” Neil said. “You don’t mean that.”

   “Yes, I do!” Krystal exclaimed. “He’s a big jerk! I can’t believe we’re even partners!”

   “Krystal, remember, you two do make a good team,” Sana said. “A unique team certainly…but a good team nonetheless.”

   “It doesn’t matter!” Krystal exclaimed as she grabbed hold of the pink teddy bear. “It doesn’t change the fact that he’s a jerk!”

   “Oh, sheesh,” Neil said. “Is it really that big of a deal? I mean you did drag him to the mall.”

   Rey looked at Neil, knowing he shouldn’t have said what he said. Sana shook her head, seeing Krystal get even more angry than before. Neil could tell he messed up, seeing her face get red.

   “Not a big deal?! You really have the nerve to say its not a big deal?!” Krystal yelled. As she yelled, Krystal ripped the head of the pink teddy bear. She only realized it upon seeing the faces of her friends.

   “Damn, Krystal. You don’t have to take it out on the bear,” Rey said.

   “And now you’re gonna have to pay for it,” Sana said.

   “Ugh!” Krystal exclaimed. “Neil, why did you have to set me off?!”

   “I didn’t know you’d act so ballistic,” Neil said.

   “Um, its Krystal,” Rey said. “How could you not know that?”

   “What did you just say, Rey?!” Krystal said.

   “Nothing, nothing at all!” Rey exclaimed.

   Sana shook her head. I swear, these two aren’t the brightest bulbs sometimes, she thought. I hope Heer has an easier time handling Prince.

***

   Heer and Prince took a bus from the academy to reach Lillian Crossing Elementary School. The two got off the bus, each holding three boxes of pastries and baked goods that Heer made. Heer led them inside the school building and walked all the way to room 3B. As soon as they entered the classroom, they were welcomed by several children. Heer was happy to see all the kids. She had gotten to know them through the many times she had visited. She could tell it was something new for Prince, who seemed overwhelmed by all the attention.

   Heer saw the classroom teacher, Ms. Williams, walk up to her. She had dark eyes and curly brown hair. She was wearing a beautiful flowy red dress with a pink heart pattern in spirit of the holiday.

   “Hi, Ms. Williams,” Heer said.

   “Hello, Heer,” Ms. Williams said. “Thank you so much for bringing your amazing treats. Is this a friend of yours?”

   “Yes, this is Prince,” Heer said. “He goes to RTA with me.”

   “Hi,” Prince said.

   “Nice to meet you, Prince. I’m glad you could join us,” Ms. Williams said. “You guys can set up everything on the table right over there.”

   “Sounds good. Thank you,” Heer said as she moved towards the table in the corner with Prince following.

   Ms. Williams got all the kids together and had them settle down while Heer and Prince started setting up. There were plenty of items to unpack. Heer took out the cookies and cherry tarts while Prince got out the cupcakes and brownies. Prince couldn’t believe that Heer had made so much. He knew she was an avid baker, but this felt like a whole catering job. Once everything was set, Ms. Williams had the kids get their treats. Heer and Prince helped with serving. Even though Prince could’ve been chilling back at his dorm, he didn’t completely mind helping Heer.

   “So, are you having a good time?” Prince asked Heer.

   “Yeah, this is nice. I’m glad the kids are having fun.”

   “I gotta ask you something. What made you decide to volunteer for this?”

   “Do you see the boy over there in the purple cat shirt?”

   Prince looked at the kids to see who Heer was referring to. He did see the boy in the purple cat shirt. He had the biggest smile on his face as he dove right into the pink frosted cupcake. The boy had scraggly black hair and big chocolate brown eyes.

   “That’s Karthi,” Heer said. “One day, I went for a walk at the park nearby and he was there with some kids. He was getting picked on, so I stepped in and helped him out. He wanted me to come to the school and meet Ms. Williams and the other kids. So, I just like to come by and help out every now and then when I can.”

   Prince wasn’t surprised that Heer had so much kindness in her. What did surprise him was how much she could do for those who weren’t even close to her.

   “Something on your mind, Prince?” Heer asked.

   “I hate admitting it. But the whole thing with Krystal does bother me. I don’t know why she has to be so dramatic sometimes.”

   “She’s Krystal. It’s just how she is.”

   “I know, but she doesn’t have to get mad at me. She’s the one that dragged me to the mall to begin with. Hell, she drags me everywhere.”

   “I understand where you’re coming from. Have you ever thought about why she’s like that?”

   “Why? Do you know?”

   “I think she just wants to feel like she’s friends with you. You’re not the most outgoing person, so she probably feels like she has to drag you around to wherever she wants to go. She’s your partner, so it makes sense that she wants to feel like she matters to you.”

   “Matters to me?”

   “Yeah. Neil may do some crazy antics, but I always want to be there to look out for him. And I know he’d do the same for me. For Krystal, being your partner also means being your friend. Now, she could definitely approach this in better ways, but I think she does what she does because that’s what she knows.”

   Prince was surprised. He could understand Heer’s perspective. He hadn’t even thought about seeing things from that angle. As he thought over what Heer said, Karthi walked up to Heer. She looked at him and said, “Are you having fun, Karthi?”

   “Yes,” Karthi said. “Thank you for the treats.”

   “It was my pleasure,” Heer said.

   “Hey,” Prince said. “Your name is Karthi?”

   “Yes,” Karthi said. “What’s your name?”

   “I’m Prince,” Prince said. “You want to see something?”

   Karthi nodded his head. Prince got his backpack, unzipped it, and took out one of the Valentine’s Day candy canes he had. He could already tell Karthi was in awe of it.

   “These are special candy canes. They’re pretty hard to find,” Prince said. “You want it?”

   Karthi nodded happily. Prince handed the candy cane to him. He got out the box from his backpack and handed it to Karthi saying, “Can you give these to everyone else?”

   Karthi took the box from Prince and went off, handing the candy canes to his classmates. Heer was surprised by Prince’s gesture. She looked at him and said, “Wow. This is a first.”

   “Oh, come on,” Prince said. “I can be nice. Now tell me, where did you find the time to make all of this?”

   “I like to bake after school. It helps me relax after a long day of school,” Heer said.

   “Interesting way to relax,” Prince said as he took a bite out of one of the cupcakes.

***

   Back at the dorms of Ringmasters Training Academy, Krystal was painting her nails, trying to relax. She was finishing up the last of her fingernails when the sound of a knock on her door made her mess up. “Great, now my nails are ruined,” Krystal said as she got up from her vanity chair. “Ugh!”

   Krystal walked up to the door and opened it. She was surprised to see Prince was there. She folded her arms and said, “Yes?”

   Prince cleared his throat. He took a few seconds of silence before saying anything.

   “I’m sorry,” Prince said. “I shouldn’t have been so rude to you the other day.”

   Krystal was surprised to hear Prince apologize. She could tell he was being sincere, and it meant a lot to her. She smiled and said, “It’s okay.”

   Prince smiled back. It was a rare sighting for Krystal. She said, “Wait here for a sec.”

   Prince nodded and waited while Krystal headed back to her room. She quickly came back, handing him a pink teddy bear and saying, “I’m sorry, too.”

   Prince chuckled as he took the teddy bear. He looked at it closer and said, “Why does this bear look like it’s been to the hospital?”

   “Now that’s a story,” Krystal said. “Do you wanna grab breakfast tomorrow?”

   “Sure.”

   “Sounds good. Good night.”

   “Good night, Krystal.”

   Krystal closed the door and Prince went on his way.

Copyright © 2022 Meryl T

All rights reserved. All illustrations created by Meryl T.