Sacred Heart Catholic High.
That’s the name of the school he’s standing outside. The structure looks ancient, with ancient brown brick walls with creeping leafy ivys. The windows are huge square paned glass, and the doors are mahogany brown. The bright green lawn surrounding the building looks like a huge green pool, decorated with colourful flowers. The gravel path which leads up to the school is also earthy brown. Everything about it reads earthly, calm and relaxation.
While waiting for the bell to ring, he’s munching on Pane carasau, or carta da musica, is a traditional flatbread from Sardinia which Scorpio baked himself. Buttery and freshly baked from the oven. He had munched on it halfway when the bell rang. It sounded like a bell calling for prayers, except it’s signaling the end of school.
The doors opened and boys and girls, aged 13 to 17 came piling out with bustling sounds and chatters. The boys wore cream coloured blazer with a white long sleeved shirt, coral blue necktie and light grey pants . The girls wore cream coloured long sleeved blouse with a black white collar, a bright sunshine yellow scarf, long or knee length grey pleated skirts which are similar to the sailor uniforms in Japan. The only thing they wore in common are dark socks with brown loafers.
Gemini spotted him and she came over, ignoring the stares she’s getting from others.
“Hi, Blitz. Where’s Virgo?”
“He’s sleeping in. So I came to pick you up.”
“Why don’t we head to the tea shop and talk? We’re getting stared at by everyone…” She said, glancing at the girls whose look of jealousy. Oops, Blitz thought, I don’t think they seen me before…
The tea shop is actually a bubble tea shop. Everywhere he observes, the staffs are mixing the milk and tea together and then putting them on a machine where it shakes hard til the tea becomes bubbly and added coconut pearly jellies at the bottom. And everywhere is calm and tranquil, and decorated in a Japanese style. Low tables with soft squashy cushions and all with dangling paper lanterns.
“What is it you want to talk about?” Gemini asked as the waiter brought their cups of bubble tea over, chilled and sealed at the top with fancy thin plastic strips.
“Scorpio said that the shrine maiden is associated with the Phantom.” Blitz said, stabbing his straw hard into the thin plastic strip.
“Oh, that’s not really true…” Gemini said, stabbing her cup and taking a huge slurp. “The shrine maiden is weird, but it’s just that she doesn’t want to get involved with the Phantom trouble.”
“Tell me…”
Gemini took another huge slurp, sucking the tea with the pearl jellies, and then went, “After she arrived here a few years or so, girls started disappearing. At first, no one took much notice. But after seven girls disappeared, well, people started whispering at her, since she’s plain looking and regularly does her strange rituals. The Mayor was the one who took her in, so no one dared to say anything directly to her face or him. But when more and more girls started disappearing, well, the teenagers then started assaulting her. Stealing the shrine stuff, chopping off all of her plants and throwing stuff at her, you get the picture. Sheriff Moses put a stop to that as soon as he heard it but when he’s not around, that’s when they start getting nasty with her. Il mio punto?”
Blitz shook his head. “That sounds so wrong.”
“Well, what can you do about it?” Gemini said, fishing out the pearl jellies. “The teenagers here are aggressive. Did you see how they glare at me?”
“I noticed.”
“Well, our school dance is coming up…” Gemini said, shrugging. “And we don’t have much American guys here. Most of them are Asians…so you can’t exactly blame them…” Her eyes then flicked past his shoulders. “Speak of the devil.”
“Hi, Gemini.” A group of girls in Sacred Heart Catholic High uniforms had came over to their table. Asians, Blitz noted, their petite frame, naturally straight hair and silted chocolate brown eyes and fair skin. “Who’s your boyfriend?”
“He’s not my boyfriend.” Gemini retorted. “’He’s my cousin.”
“We never seen you before. What’s your name?” One of them asked.
“Blitz…Blitz Worringthon.”
“Oh my gosh, he’s American.” One of the girls swooned.
“He’s accent is so sexy.” Another said.
“Will you be coming to our school dance?” A third asked.
“Blitz graduated in Washington since last three months ago.” Gemini said stonily.
“Oh, but we are allowed to bring guests right?” The girl who spoke first said. “You should bring him to the dance, Gem.”
“We’ll see.”
The girls then left, glancing back every now and then with eager curiousity.
“Well, that’s…unexpected.” Blitz said.
“Hmph. They’re only being friendly because they want you to come.” Gemini said, plonking a ten dollar bill on the table. “Come on, we better head back before Scorpio starts hopping.”
************
Demise was waiting for him at the usual place when Sigan touched down.
“Hey,” He said.
“Want is it?”
“I got a message for you from him.” When Sigan didn’t answer, he then continued. “’Bring her back alive.’”
“Easier said than done.” Sigan muttered. “That witch flung her broomstick at me.”
“Probably trying to get rid of you.” Demise snickered. “I’m just joking,” He hastily added as Sigan turned to him. “Anyway, did you get the message or no?”
“Did he say I could hit her?”
“Uh, about that…” Demise said, shifting a little uneasily in his seat. “He also said, “If you hurt her even by a scratch, I’ll kill you .” ”
Sigan grunted. “Fine.”
“Where are you going?”
“He wanted her back, then I’ll bring her to him.” Sigan said.
“You know where he is right?”
Sigan nodded and said, “Once we bring her back, we’ll be out of this place. The food here stinks.”
“Harsh.” Demise said, poking the fire when he left. ”The girls here are cute…”
*************
The next morning before anyone was up, Blitz raided the kitchen by taking a large portion of pasta, some caramel rolls leftover from last night, and two Italian sodas from the huge storage fridge. These he sorted the meal into two carrier bags and headed up to the shrine.
He was unaware that a large raven was staring at him with its blood red eyes from the top of a tree.
No comments:
Post a Comment