It's Magic --- PART I - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 

        Clear as a sound of a single chant, it gets in my ears. They’re ordering me to stay away from Lawrence, who is my close friend, and Kevin, who I am starting to fall into.

        “Why them?”

        “No more questions, brat.” She says. “Once you get out of this place, just stay away from them. And also remember what I told you, that telling anyone about this will be pointless.”

        “But why?”

        “Just follow my orders, brat, or this incident may happen again, or worse…”

        I try to speak, but as my mouth is about to open…

        “Sssssh.” And I feel something hurts from my arm. I get a glimpse of her mate coming towards us before everything goes black.

 

        I wake up, lying flatly on some hard cement. I rouse myself and look around. I’m in the park bench, the place where I first and last saw Ron. By the way, it’s evening already. About eight in the evening… what happened, was it a dream? I mean, was the abduction real? Or am I just dreaming? I feel the hurt on my arm, and seeing a small point of red tells me that it’s real, and then I’m horrified. They have been using sleeping syringes to knock me out.

        It’s real, and now I’m free. Now what? I recall her saying, “Stay away from Lawrence Foster and Kevin Smith.” But why should I? I really don’t know, but now that I’m free, I’ll get help with mom, dad and Camille. But that reminds me that my abductor said that telling my family is pointless, and she even made a threat that I will just put those that I would tell about in danger. Well, I can’t risk them just to know my abductor. But sooner or later, I would know about this.

        The coldness of the pendant in my chest resonates the evening breeze reminds me of a necklace I have recently seen, and the carving of the word “Yen” in it. Yen… It sounds like a name to me.

        But for now, I absolutely have to go home. My family must be so worried of me. And it’s cold out here in the open.

        So I take my walk towards home, watching my way and my back, if my abductors are following me. But thank God I reach our house safely.

        As I get inside, mom reprimands me for being late, dad asked why, but I gave them other reasons so they would not worry, and it played well. I head directly to my room, and then I see Camille lying freely on my bed, reading a comic book.

        “Where have you been, little sis?” she asks, bubbly.

        “Camille…” Then I give her a stare, and she understands that I’m not in the mood.

        “What’s the matter? What’s the problem? Kevin?” she still insist, trying to provoke me. But I just answer her silence, then jump into my bed, pushing her aside, cover myself with my blanket and a while later, I’m into dreamland.

 

        The next day comes like a rush, and I even thought in the morning that the abduction yesterday was just a dream with exasperation, but I was quickly taken to my senses when Camille asked me about last night.

        This day is only for two subjects, Music and Arts. And my classmates in the first subject are so warm in greeting me and they keep on telling me that I did my job well in the play. I only exchanged smiles, and added compliments. Well, Lawrence has been so nice today. We have been talking frequently that I have almost forgotten that I should avoid him, with unknown reason, but I can’t help it. We keep on talking until we get with a kind of sensitive topic.

        “Well, I’d like to give you a hug after the play but then I saw Kevin hugging you…”

        “O-oh…” is all I can say. “Then why didn’t you?”

        “You’re preoccupied, and it’s not my trait to distract anyone.” He says with edge.

        I look at him, directly in his hazel eyes for long, with silence enveloping the two of us. Well, I don’t even know why I do so, but I just feel like there’s something… wrong.

        “Is something wrong, Lawrence?” after the long stare, I ask.

        And he lets silence fill in before he lets out a sigh as he says, “I think so.”

        “Then you can tell me about it. We’re friends, right?” I say with enthusiasm, to brighten up the mood.

        “Well, I just can’t. I don’t even know what that ‘something wrong’ is.”

        I chuckle, but he’s serious. “Well, it seems like even we can’t understand ourselves sometimes.” And there it hits me, because I can’t understand myself, especially when it concerns me, Kevin and Ron. What I say is purely out of the blue, it just comes out from my mouth. I don’t even know why I mouthed that without thinking.

        “Yeah,” he readily replies. “But I’ll try to figure it out first.”

        “Okay.” I say. And there it hits me again. I just hope it helps, because that’s also my first solution with those concerning my feelings for both Kevin and Ron, but I end up with another problem, just as I found out what I should do.

        And then we talk again, little by little, until we finally get to our “point of normalcy.” The state in which everything we do is normal. There is no awkwardness, nor weirdness. But he seems to be sober, like he’s hiding something. Well, I’d know about that sooner or later. I’m sure he’d tell me, or wouldn’t he? Well, I don’t know.

        Mrs. Angelina Angels enters the class, one-hour late, and she apologizes, but the class goes on after that. We had fun, because she’s good in teaching.

        Well, she recognized those from our class, who worked for the Theater Department, like Lawrence and fourteen others. As for me, she recognizes me, and tells me something I could never forget. “Your talent would lead you somewhere far and up high, Ms. McGraw.”

        Lawrence poked me after that, and he told me that he agrees with Mrs. Angels. It made me blush, and inspired, so I told him, “I’d do better. Thanks, anyway.” And said that I could and I would…

        After our music class in the morning, we had our lunch break. And I went directly to the art class as the only period in the afternoon, and seeing Kevin from quite a distance makes me feel my unusual heartbeat. I still remember everything that happened yesterday, especially the last kiss, and the thought makes me smile. He avoids looking at me, but I have seen the smile through his sleepy-looking eyes the moment our eyes set upon on each other, but he quickly glanced the other way. He’s shy, of course. Well, why would he run away yesterday if he’s not? I’m also shy, but I must show that I can get over my shyness. Well, I developed that on the Acting Department during our workshops.

        I also avoid talking to him, but I can’t help it, I just can’t.

        Lawrence goes to Erica, our classmate, says that they will have to talk about their unfinished business in the Theater Department. And I sit on my chair, which is only ahead, three chairs to the left to Kevin, silently.

        A paper plane flies on my desk. Have I told you that our chairs have small desks? Well, now you know. The plane is not crumpled, but neatly done. I see to it that it has a letter, no, more like a sign: “Read what’s inside,” written in a good penmanship. The penmanship is familiar, but instincts tell me who the sender is.

        I open it and read it silently.

 

        I’m so sorry about yesterday. I know I acted stupid, but I don’t even know why I did so, something urges me to. I know my reason is not enough, but please bear with me. Don’t stay away from me. And I ask for apology. �"Kevin.

 

        I smile, and then I look at him. Seeming so innocent and having no care in the world, he is just silent, looking ahead, with an unreadable red lips, as if he’s not responsible for anything. So I get my pen and write in reply just below his message.

 

        You don’t have to be sorry. In fact, it was so sweet of you. And you can talk to me, you know… You don’t have to act innocent there and just send me paper planes with written messages, Kevin. J -Kate

 

        I fold it the way he folds it, as if never opened, then I stand up, sneaking up behind him.

        Holding the paper airplane with my right hand, it goes to his shoulders but I’m surprised by what I did next, I quickly locked it around his neck and pull him to an embrace, which is more like when he “side-hugs” me. I drop it and it goes right to his desk as my embrace loose. It seems like I miss him already. I don’t look as I go back to my chair then. Well, I could move freely since my seatmates are not yet on their seats. Only a few of us are pinned on our seats, since Professor Collins is not yet around as well.

        I just look at Kevin and my heart beats fast when he opens it. I see the corners of his lips raise as he reads my reply, and I am driven to smile as well. He then turns to face me, and we are looking at each other eye-to-eye. From raising the corners of his lips, it turns to a smile which greatly contrasts with his sleepy-looking eyes. And he stands up and sits on the vacant chair beside me, not on where Lawrence sits.

        “Hey, Kate…” he starts.

        “Hey, Kevin…” I reply. It seems… awkward to start conversations this way.

        “How’s the bear I gave you yesterday?” and I laugh a bit at that. I think he’s the one who feels more of the awkwardness, because it’s funny of him to ask about that, like a kid. But it’s cute of him, anyway.

        “What’s funny? I was just asking, you know.” He says in a tone which makes me feel the guilt. Is my laughter that offensive?

        “There’s nothing funny really, Kevin.” I say. “It’s just…” and I can’t finish because the thought is making me laugh inside. “Oh, never mind.”

        “Oh…” and there’s a long pause of silence. But all the while I’m just looking ahead at the vacant chair. Oh, Mylene’s not here yet, anyway.

        “Umm, Kate, sorry again…” he begins.

        “Because of yesterday?” I say with a smile. “I’ll tell you what, it’s so sweet of you, and I already told you that. So don’t mind it, okay?” Then I pinch his cheek hard, then his nose with my other hand.

        “Hey, what’s that for?” he complains, holding his nose.

        “You’re just too cute Kevin.” And even I don’t know how the words managed to get out of my tongue. But I just ride along with a smile and addition, “and that’s true.” Then I see the redness on his cheek. He blushes.

        “T-thank you.” He replies.

        “Say, why are you so sweet Kevin?” I ask, to keep the conversation and to flatter him as well, but I am a bit surprised why I asked this way.

        “What?” he asks, he’s maybe confused. Or doesn’t he get what I mean?

        “Umm, about… the hugs, the kisses…” I say in a shy manner. Well, I am shy!

        “Oh…” then his hand reaches for the back of his neck. Cute! “I… I�"I just can’t help myself?” He can’t help himself? Huh?

        “Huh? Well, why?” I ask persuasively.

        “Well, I don’t know.” And his weird side gets into him again. Or am I just not yet used with his weirdness?

        “Well, you should know.” I say, and without thinking, I fill in, “because hugs and kisses are not just done for nothing.” It surprises me myself, and I can see through Kevin’s sleepy-looking hazel eyes that he, too, is pretty surprised.

        “Y-yeah…” he says, and in a way, it mocks me. “I think so.”

        Then he stands up and gets some things in his backpack on his chair, but then returns beside me. Well, what he got are colored pencils and a sketchpad.

        And he is just silent as he starts to draw. Well, I am just looking at what he draws, also silent, and then it turns out that he first draw the environment in a sketch. I can tell by the way he’s drawn them. Moon, creepy skies, crooked leafless trees, and darkness �" I can tell by the shading. It reminds me of last night, when I was abducted, and it horrifies me.

        “K-Kevin… what’s… that?” I ask, unable to ask right, my index finger pointed on his sketch. He stops sketching, and then turns to me.

        “I’m just drawing a creepy environment. I’d like to draw a witch walking a distance to Snow White.” And then he smiles. Then I’m relieved a bit so I manage a smile. “Like what you did on the play as the witch.”

        “O-okay.” I say.

        And he’s back to his world of art. He then sketches the witch in a robe and a cloak, in the center of the environment, seemingly on the way towards Snow White, holding a basket full of apples with green and red sides. The apple on the top is given emphasis, and by looking at it first-hand, I could say that that apple is the poisoned one. Impressively drawn, Kevin…

        “I guess, I’d color it later.” He says as he stops and puts away his colored pencils, his hands on the top of the sketchpad. “But let me show you something, Kate.”

        I just nod as an answer. He then flips pages of his sketchpad until he gets to an image I have never seen, yet I have felt and imagined.

        The environment is striking! And it’s in color, of course. It looks like an abstract reflecting the afternoon colors of the sun, but there is something more he is hiding. His hand raises and uncovers it, maybe he did it on purpose, and my hand immediately goes to cover my mouth as I feel the heat in my cheeks and the race of my heartbeat.

        “K-Kevin, that’s…”

        “Yeah, Kate. I’m sorry. But it just won’t get off my mind, so I just drew it. Do you mind?” he asks as he looks at me, but merely trying to avoid my eyes.

        Well, the picture? It is just what exactly happened yesterday when we bid goodbye. What he uncovers is the image of him, holding my face, kissing me on the forehead with my eyes closed. I’m stunned! And right now it seems like I could still feel his hand on my face and his lips on my head. S**t, I’m sure I’m blushing right now.

        “Silence means yes.” And then he closes his sketchpad.

        “Kevin… why did you draw that?” I ask, still stunned and shocked.

        “I said it just won’t get off my mind, so I just drew it.” He says, but not directly looking at me, instead his eyes roam freely around. But my eyes seem to try to make an eye contact.

        “And I’m sorry, Kate. I can’t help myself.” Then his hand reaches for mine, squeezes it gently, and whispers. “I gotta go.”

        He silently goes back to his seat, and later on Lawrence sits beside me.

        “You seem to have a good time with Kevin, Kate.” He says in his usual tone.

        “Y-yeah…” is all I can answer.

        “You like him, don’t you?” I look at him when he asks. It seems so trivial to be asked by something like that in a time like this, but I just answer him with, “I don’t know.”

        He concludes with, “Oh well…” and then minutes later Professor Collins comes with Mylene trailing behind him.

        I smile at her, and she smiles back, but as soon as she sits on her chair, I see the way her eyes roll. Something is wrong.

        The art class went well, and I’m not the type of a person who would get another to talk to me when I notice something wrong with them, so I just observe Mylene all the while thinking about that. When she catches me looking at her, she raises one eyebrow which is more like asking “What?” so I just glance the other way as if I didn’t notice her. Something’s really wrong. And I think it concerns me. She seems to be acting pretty different since yesterday.

        After the art class, as we are leaving, I immediately get a hold of Mylene’s arm. I should at least stop her at this point, maybe ask her what’s wrong.

        “What?” she asks loudly, eyes narrow.

        “Is something… wrong?” I ask her in a concerned tone.

        “Yeah, something’s wrong, Kate.” She says with edge. “Someone is wrong.”

        I really don’t get what she means, so I ask, “Huh?”

        “Oh, never mind.” She says loudly with a roll of eyes. “You don’t get it. You’ll never do.”

        As she leaves, I hear her saying, “I should’ve chosen the correct friends. Not someone wrong.” And I exclaim, “Hey, Mylene, what do you mean?”

        I see Kevin and Lawrence looking at us with confusion on their faces…

        “What happened?” Lawrence asks me.

        “I�"I don’t know.” I answer plainly. “Something’s wrong right now.”

        “Well then let’s find out.” Lawrence insists.

        “Yeah, she’s our friend after all,” I say, and one look at Kevin makes me realize that he feels out of the conversation, so I add, “right Kevin?”

        “Yeah.” He blankly answers. Huh? I think he’s out of his mind.

        “Excuse me…” I excused myself, and leave then.

        I immediately go to my locker. Well, I think I forgot to tell you that I have one in school, and each student has that. So don’t expect to see only one set of lockers.

        I find my locker, which has a small name tag held back by a plastic inserting space, with the name “Katherine McGraw” printed in yellow special paper. I open it, to check for anything like some mails. Well, the locker is used to store important mails, some short messaging post box, and School Facilities General Access Card.

        I see a new plain white folded paper. It has no name, or any means of reply.

        I open it, and reading what it contains shocks me.

 

        Hello Katherine. Seems like you forgot what we talked about last night… You’re still sticking with Lawrence Foster and Kevin Smith.

        I wrote this as a reminder, Katherine. Don’t stick with them too much, stay away. Don’t wait for me to take action again. Also take note that I am watching you. No, we are watching you. I know that you know me, or do you?

        Sincerely yours… You’re in serious trouble.

 

        So my abductor is blackmailing me… It seems like she really knows me personally. After all, she even stated that she, I mean they, are watching me. They? It speaks of numbers. And it also speaks of serious trouble which is more like danger. Whatever I get myself into, I really don’t know what this is, but I think, whoever they are, they are really serious of putting me in danger.

        It takes a while before I realize that I am trembling, my fingers deliberately tracing the very delicate penmanship of the writings. Well, this is a real stranger to me, because the penmanship is the kind I have never seen before. I’m really in danger, in danger in the hands of a phantom stranger who just simply wanted me to do her a favor, to stay away from Lawrence and Kevin. But why should I? That I didn’t and don’t know…

        In any case, I should know who this person is, sooner or later. And I will confront her maybe. I should. I just hope that this is all a joke. But it’s not really funny!

        I fold it again the way it is folded and then return it back in my locker. One look of it reminds me of last night and everything they want me to do. I blow from inside my mouth.

        And I realize, I’m being indirectly threatened.