“What’s with that letter anyway?” I spoke, still chewing the juicy pulps in my mouth. River’s face partially twisted in disgust. He had only taken one bite from the cake. I don’t think he likes it, but when I attempted to take a chunk from it, he took it away from my reach, the nerve.
“It has an inhalable drug which will let him control you.” Finally, he took a small bite from the cake.
I scoffed. Yeah, right! That kind of stuff is only valid in X-files and video games like Resident Evil but that’s a virus. The point is, schizophrenic stuff like the CIA or FBI or Indiana Jones will have those things come to life.
“What about me being a quote summoner unquote as said by Shade? Don’t you know him at all? Both of you have that same thing with your eyes.” A small berry fell on the table. I wanted to snatch it up and squeeze it, but refrained to do so and read the posters on the wall instead.
Silence.
No throwing of food at the cafeteria lady.
Don’t play with your food.
River is HOT.
Silence, please.
Make sure that your tables are clean when you leave.
No sleeping in the cafeteria.
I love River Zardis.
What are these people, retards? River has fans, huh… At the corner of the room, I saw my name in a vandal.
Lily Rione sucks.
Never mind.
“I don’t know him at all.” His defensive tone made me gulp the almost-forgotten mass of cream cheese and chewed fruits rippling in my mouth.
But they both have changing eyes? That’s no exemption. No human on earth could ever change their eyes except those people who wear contacts and have eyes similar to monitor screens.
Shade came into sight, stepping out from the building where the principal’s office is at. River watched him disappear into the gym. He obviously knows what Shade is.
Is there something they’re not telling me, here?
Of course there is, a LOT of things.
“I was trying to keep you from Justin’s curiosity but you had to tell him about my eyes.” River grumbled.
I always have to throw his crabby personality into consideration.
A small flock of pigeons perched on the statue outside. The statue used to be green, but now, it’s striped with white and brown pigeon poop. Obviously, it has become their favorite perching and defecating area.
“You have nice eyes. You shouldn’t hide it.” My gazed remained outside, at the birds.
“These eyes…are the mark of a monster…and everything else you should fear.” The depth of his sad voice surrounded my ears; I feel like I’m listening to water deep under the ocean. How could this guy hide all the beautiful qualities that he has?
I placed my chin in between my hands and looked closely at him. “Really? Well, you don’t look like a butterfly to me.”
He ignored my statement and crossed his arms on his chest… make that masculine chest. “You can read these scriptures on me…and on others who have it? “
I shrugged. I was only able to read the ones on him, on Shade. Who knows if I could read those on others-dear God, are there more of these guys?!
“Shade knows about you-then, it must be the reason why Fathom came after us.” His usual steady and hypnotic gazes diminished to this wandering, extremely bothered look which really doesn’t suit him. It’s worrying me too.
“What did he want from us?” Fathom is that murderer who slaughtered Dr. Burke’s guards the other day, why is he suddenly involved in this? He doesn’t have tattoos on him. However, he has those pointed teeth.
“You...and if Neon finds out…” he took a deep breath and drummed his fingers on the table, creating an irritating but tolerable noise.
“River, what is it with Neon this time? Have you even seen the guy? He’s harmless, wounded and recently, he’s been avoiding us.” Neon is my ex and I hate him, but he still deserves respect as a…uhm…human on the outside.
Oops. I shouldn’t have said that. The black iris loomed in again.
Get ready for another lecture. I told myself.
A hand laid on my shoulder, squeezed it until I turned around to see whose hand it is.
“Neon!” I sounded more scared than surprised. The wound on his cheek earlier is totally gone!
Vampire.
“Can I talk to you for a while?” He politely asked. Imagine that, politely. I must be dreaming to think that he’s being a bona fide gentleman without the baseball bat and the gun. My mouth hung from my jaw for a moment.
“Y-yeah…” My mind painted the long, sharp fangs in his mouth stuck on my neck.
“Outside?” is it really necessary for him to ask that?
Dreading the visual clip I had to come true, scouted for a vacant table-relieved to find one in the middle, a table away from where River and I sat.
“Can we just talk there?” I quailed a little, pointing to the unoccupied table and hoped he won’t change eyes too. Speaking of which, if vampires are dark and all that, why can he stand in broad daylight without melting or evaporating? He is wearing a snug shirt instead of long sleeves or leather over-alls and my ex is also known for his body…come to think of it, he has the same testosterone-stimulated muscle monument body like River. They’re pretty much the same in height and build. Now, if only I had a rosary, silver cross pendant or in desperate situations, a chain of garlic around my neck then maybe, I’d feel safe talking to him alone.
He smiled and walked to the table, sitting comfortably on the chair with a pool of sunlight soaking the whole of the chair and floor.
Good grief.
I walked stiffly and had a small battle with my brain-to sit beside him or in front of him. Either way, he can pull me and get a good chunk from my neck.
Ugh. River’s just a look away and if anything goes wrong, he will know.
Odd; he always seem to know if something wrong will happen, like when the explosion took place, when I nearly fell from Dr. Burke’s hallway-
“I want us to be friends.” Neon jumped in, disrupting my thoughts.
“Friends…” I croaked the word. Really?
He nodded.
River walked by us and made his way to the door. My face just lost its color. Why is he leaving me with this vampire in here?! Doesn’t he know that I might be dead when he comes back?
I nervously flicked at Neon’s eyes and mouth for any inhuman changes.
“Sure. We could be…friends.” And please don’t expect me and Trish to smile at each other.
“Thank you.” He clasped my trembling hands in his and stood.
His hands are cold. Again, vampire.
I smiled, more like grinned and stayed that way until he released my hands and went away.
After a few minutes, River returned.
“Where have you been?!” I wauled. Forgive me for being a crybaby but being left alone with a vampire isn’t what I had expected.
“Fathom’s here.” He uttered.
How could the people I fear show up at a time and place like this? I grieved.
“Is he after me again?” I whispered River.
“Yes...and he’s not the only one here.”
Cold sweat beaded on my forehead. Today is the day I was meant to die from fright.
My eyes rambled around in search of a near exit…and stopped at two separate groups of people standing at opposite ends. I recognized Fathom, wearing decent clothing this time, together with Shade and other students whom I have seen once or twice in some of my classes situated on the way to the front gate. On the other hand, Neon and his social group gloomily gathered outside the school gym; both groups watched us; both groups blocked the two possible exits I know of. Now, River and I are stranded in the middle. What is going on, I don’t care. As long as there won’t be any bloodshed in this school or unexpected drama going on, I will, with every drop of sweat, walk the way to Dr. Burke’s office without screaming my head off.
“Don’t let them smell your fear.” He murmured.
I swallowed. That didn’t calm me down. It made me want to dig a hole and bury myself, hide until Alcatraz is built around me.
How can I not let them smell my fear? I didn’t even know that fear has a smell.
River doesn’t look as terrified as me.
Of course, he won’t be terrified. He’s no human…None of them are humans!
“Which side are you on?” I suspiciously asked him. He’s not preserving me just because he cares or has a soft spot for me in that thick shell of his. It’s either he works for Fathom or double-crossed them and planned to hand me over to the vampires for a bigger reward.
“None.” He replied. The dark pool of black in his eyes spread further, devouring every other visible color
“So, what are you doing here with me?” since he has no specific use for me, then, he shouldn’t be helping me out, left alone any concern for me-or maybe he’s just guilty that his problems brought me to a situation I shouldn’t be in.
“Making sure that none of them gets you.” He grabbed my arm and looked outside.
Making sure that none of them gets me?... My mind repeated. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
I observed both groups outside, wondering what will happen after I blink, breathe or step out of the door. What is it about being able to read these tattoos that make it so dangerous? Everybody who has a working eye can read them. If I didn’t read what was on River’s nape, would that have made any difference? If I didn’t show Shade that I read his obvious tattoo, remained quiet about the changing eyes, will River be sitting in this table with me, saying those things he just said?
“Just stay close. We’re going out.” He instructed. I don’t want to get out of here. Going out might make the vampires grow wings and snatch one of us from the ground, or Fathom and his pack might pounce on us and shred us to pieces.
To be left behind without River and lock the doors so that nobody gets in, wait for Alcatraz or walk out with River under a fifty-fifty chance of being attacked and killed?
No definite prevision of survival.
Not given a chance to comb through my choices, River pulled me to the door.
They all turned their heads as we moved. Every step I took felt like eternity. Their eyes hovered around us like laser beams-now I know how it feels like to be a dying and scared animal, struggling to keep its last breath to avoid being feasted on by vultures or hyenas.
I won’t even make a good snack. My blood’s bitter and lumpy, it’ll be like sucking on bitter gourd.
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