“It’s getting late. Aren’t you going to go home now?” he asked. However, I figured out his words sound a little harsh even knowing his voice was soft.
It reminds me of someone that cannot trust anyone so whatever comes out of their mouth seems as if they doubt you or was struggling to believe someone they blatantly don’t trust. I don’t wonder why he talks like that, everyone has secrets hidden, but it catches my attention whenever he speaks. It was as if I want to correct him and make him believe that, I am not the enemy or some strange girl who always wants to look at his feet.
Shrugging, I turned back to the board and murmured, “Soon.”
“Well, don’t make it too late. Mage Academy isn’t exactly the safest at night and also . . .”
He trailed off, and it made me turn in wonder on why it would be hard to say what he has to say. I have never gotten that part of communication. Trailing off as if it was a struggle or debating whether you should tell them even knowing you have caught their attention. Yes, I trail off sometimes, but I only do that when I want someone to leave me alone or do as I say. He, on the other hand, glared down at the bottle, the words were looking as if they’re stuck in his throat.
“. . . This is so stupid,” Lawliet muttered and then looked up at me as he swung the door all the way open. “I’m out.”
With those simple words, I watched him leave and shut the door softly on his way out before I looked back up at the board. I was supposed to be concentrating on the rune, however, with every stroke and flick of the white chalk that dragged along, I wondered what Lawliet wanted to say. No being alive other than runes has peaked my interest. Not until now.
I wonder if it was because I too want to talk to him, but I can’t exactly find the right words to say. It seems I have become like one of those creatures who cannot get a sentence out of their mouths. Except what I want to say wasn't anything more than me wanting to ask how he created that rune on his shoe. The reason I haven’t spoken to him about it is that at first, rejection of telling me or to cast me as a copier. I also don’t want him to expect that because I asked a simple question that he could always talk to me. I doubt the last one but to listen to another mage all day every day in this confined space nauseated my senses.
Accidentally creating a mistake on the board, I grabbed the duster, cleared it and started again.
It was well past midnight, my wrists began to ache, and eyes droop as I stepped back from the board and noticed a disaster of a non-existent rune. Dragging a hand down my face, the dryness of my palms and the smell of dusty chalk made me feel nauseated. Yawning, I sat down on the ground, lifted knees up to my chest and opened the book I was reading earlier. After a time, I fell asleep on the ground with my head pressed against the pages. I didn’t make it home in a nice comfortable bed, but I did feel warmth envelop me sometime during the night. Too far gone to comprehend the irritated sigh from above, I tucked knees to chest, laced fingers around something fluffy and warm, and tucked the blanket closer to me as I fell into a reassuringly pleasant sleep filled with bubbling artistic runes.
I tend to sleep in a lot. Therefore, without the sound of the tweet bird or constant insane banging on the front door, I only woke to the familiar sound of class that was already starting. The bell high above the mage academy rung thunderous and loud
With a yawn, I peered out through blurred eyes to the not so familiar surroundings.
This was not my bedroom. I am not on a fluffy white bed with cuddly soft blankets over the top of me, and that is not my alarm that was screeching in my ears.
I lifted into a sitting position. A woollen blanket dropped from my shoulders and rested on my lap. I recall seeing this in one of the draws in the far back corner of the classroom on the first day when I looked around.
I looked up at the board, and if I could respond outwards to excitement and shock, it would register. Instead, the bubbly feeling in my chest fluttered, as I noticed arrows were pointing to different symbols and designs I did with a little description on how to make this rune work. Utterly shocked on the inside, I rose quickly and reached for it when an intake of breath made me whirl around to Lawliet who was sleeping on the desk at the back. His usual position I see him in whenever I get to class. However, there was something different. The table beside him had a book with a yellow note over the top. Eyeing the description on the board, I struggled to tear my gaze away and moved to where Lawliet was sleeping.
Lifting the book, in small elegant cursive was a simple demand that strange enough, made me remember Mums letter that told me to go downstairs.
Read this.
L.
Removing the sticky note, I pulled the chair out, sat down, lifted legs up to my chest and opened the book. Widening eyes slightly, I glanced at Lawliet sleeping beside me and then back at the book.
For three days, we haven’t communicated at all. This is the first time Lawliet has helped me out. It makes me feel as if we’re a class now instead of two mages that have to share the same space as one another.
Opening grandfather’s book, I read and drew as Lawliet slept silently beside me.
Chapter 9
Eileen – who lurks in the cafeteria?
Lawliet woke close to midday. In the corner of my eyes, I noticed him shuffle slightly. Melancholy gold eyes opened, and he looked off into no particular place. I saw the set of his eyes focus everything. He rose up, straightened his back and turned to look at what I was doing. Seeing that I was reading the book that was beside him, he leant to the side and rested his head on the glass portion of the window.
I tried to focus back to reading.
It was difficult. Absorbed in this book that I didn’t register the hunger until my stomach growled. Pretending that I didn’t hear it, I tried to push down the fact that I haven’t showered and was wearing yesterday’s clothes. The hunger rose, and I puffed cheeks when the sound of rumbling thunder came from deep within my belly.
I at least have to finish these two chapters thoroughly before I can think of eating. It was straining as I hugged my legs closer to my chest as if that would cut the hunger off from developing somehow.
The answers, evaluation and description of creating runes were simply so engrossing that I could make myself starve until I finished reading every single word of this vast textbook-styled book.
Except the hunger was overwhelming. I don’t feel like going down to the chaotic mess of the cafeteria as well and to listen to everyone’s conversations around me. I hope Hopper comes back tonight so I can make him create lunch for me so that I could eat up here from . . .
“Here.” A voice cut through my bitter thoughts of hunger, and I looked up to see a sliced triangle sandwich with ham, lettuce and mayonnaise wave in front of my face. “Your stomach is annoying me.”
Raising my head, I bit into the side, and he released his grip. Feeling weird on the inside, I stared back at the book and nibbled on the sandwich.
“Yum,” I murmured dully. A word I only use when I eat dragon eggs escaped my lips.
The sandwich looked ordinary, but the flavours erupted like a volcano in my mouth. It was moist, silky and a hint of sweetness. The bread was sweet. Indeed, not an ordinary human food. Something only mages can get in various places with different ingredients.
“Let’s make a deal,” he said with a small smile.
“Ok?” I questioned.
“I will make you these sandwiches every day if you give me that o-d-h stick thing you were eating the other day that dissolves the more you suck.”
“Lollypop?” he nodded, and I looked away as I nibbled on the crust. “Ok.” I agreed.
The only reason I eat lollypops was to cure my sweet tooth. Now that I have the sandwiches, I don’t necessarily need it because this bread is sweet enough and has satisfied me for with hunger. It reminds me of when I was younger. Isilies and I used to swap lunch food in school. Probably because Hopper dealt with my food with care, precision, and gave me what I need that wasn’t s
ugary and all healthy foods. Isilies got lunch money, and we would swap because we both didn’t like what we got. It was a warm fuzzy feeling and images of last night popped into focus. Remembering the warmth of the blanket over the top of me when I woke came back to the surface as I ate the sandwich.
“Thank-you,” I mumbled.
“For what?”
“The blanket.”
“Oh,” he sighed, looked away and muttered, that same hint of annoyance and little trust leaked out when he said, “Thanks.”
“Why?”
“For the bottle of water,” he answered. A vibration shook the table we were both seated at, and we both looked down. “Are you going to respond to that?” he asked.
I picked up my phone and pressed it to my ear. The doting voice of Hopper came through on the other end.
“Mistress, are you alright? Your brothers said that you didn’t come home last night. Where are you?”
“Classroom,” I said. Lawliet that was beside me rolled his eyes and looked out the window. “I slept in the classroom. Sorry.”
“As long as you’re fine. That’s all I care for. I will be home shortly. I am here with your parents, would you like to speak to them, my Mistress.”
I went quiet.
“Eileen –”
“Goodbye, Hopper,” I spoke and hung up.
I placed the phone down on the table when Lawliet spoke.
“Why didn’t you want to talk to your parents?” he asked in a harsh tone. I shrugged and opened up the book that I was reading. “Some people don’t have parents. You should be grateful, Highborn.”
“I’d rather that they were dead,” I admitted coolly. “At least then there would be a reason as to why they don’t see me.” I looked up and away from my book and felt my heart flutter at his softened expression. I haven’t seen that look before. It made my face flush, so I had to look away.
After that, I went back to reading, and he went back to sleep. We were already figuring out how we both work. Class time consists of silence. That was the longest conversation and probably our only valid conversation we ever had. Other times we respect each other’s privacy and barely look at one another.
I enjoy this consistency.
The bell for the end of school rang out moments after I deconstructed the symbols and designs of the rune that will be initially mine and mine alone.
Staring at the page intently, Lawliet glanced down as he shuffled to a stand. He didn’t say anything, so I guess that may be a good sign. Closing my book, I stretched my hands in front of me and pulled down the sleeve of my top. Rising to a stand also, I turned to move the chair back in at the same time as Lawliet was walking around. I bumped into him, and Lawliet tsk with annoyance and went around as I pushed the chair back in and hugged my grandfather’s book in one hand and tried to grab the comprehensive textbook that was too thick for my fingers.
“You could ask for help,” he muttered from behind me, as he reached for the book. “Or are you scared of me as well?”
“No,” I replied honestly and turned around. “But . . . give it to me; I want to put it back.”
Rolling his eyes, he dropped the textbook, and it landed with a thud on the table.
“Whatever, I am out,” he said. He shrugged his hands into his pocket and left the classroom.
It didn’t work on him. At least, I don’t think it did. He did drop the book but was it because I said so or out of - he was offended because I didn’t need his help.
It wasn’t as if I was intentionally rude. All my life my family has helped me and cradled me and treated me as a child. I didn’t want someone else to think I am some weak mage who can’t carry her book. We have to share this classroom. I don’t want him to expect that he would have to help me with hard or heavy things for the remainder of the school years.
Puffing cheeks, I set down my grandfather’s book, grabbed the textbook and went to the bookshelf. When I was about to place it back, I noticed a letter that must have been between the two books. Grabbing it, I put the book back and went to open the paper when the billowed wind outside pushed the window open. Looking up, I put the note on the desk, went to the window and forced it closed and twisted the lock when a lone black feather slipped through the crack. Distracted, I looked at it as if I never saw a feather before. It was shiny in the sunset and gleamed majestically as if it held a strange power. I went to reach for it when I heard a slapping sound. Heaving a deep breath, I grabbed grandfather’s book that was on the ground and left.
The home consists of loud noise, arguments and the exasperated Shapeshifter who must have come back when I was in class. When I opened the door, there were the argumentative twins with Isilies in the hallway while Hopper was in the kitchen. I ignored Hopper who was in a cheerful mood, went up the hall to Nixon who immediately looked me up and down. It was a thing that Nixon does when he is annoyed and confused. He was annoyed at me, and by looking me up and down, he was confused on the reason as to why he was annoyed. The last time Nixon has done that was when I apologised to him because I broke his laptop because I pulled it apart to get the tics out. He was annoyed because I broke it, but confused because he didn’t remember he had a laptop.
“Eileen, dear sister,” he called when I opened my door and was about to walk in. Craning my neck, I noticed he looked displeased with me. “Why do you ignore us?”
“I don’t,” I answered.
“You always ignore us. Aren’t we good enough to talk to?”
I shrugged, shut my door and locked it. As I leant against it, I heard their conversation through the wall.
“Don’t worry, Nixon. Eileen is always the quiet type,” Isilies reassured Nixon and Donte. “But her avoiding you in the cafeteria is no excuse for the both of you to pick a fight soon after with Lowborn mages. What were you thinking? Ignore them. It is that simple.”
“They called Eileen a dysfunctional disordered Highborn!” Donte screeched, and I stared down at my feet. “Because she doesn’t talk and is antisocial, they had to call her a disease Highborn. I am not fucking taking that!”
“Agreed,” Nixon, piped in. “Eileen is our baby sister and our triplet. I don’t want her hated because of how she is. We know she is quiet, but it sometimes gets to me how she is bluntly ignoring us. It is bad enough that she is in the master’s class. Everyone is calling her and that other one a real threat.”
“A threat?” Hoppers voice came through, and I puffed cheeks at my whole family who was talking about me in front of my door. “What do they say about my Mistress, Masters?”
“Is it the girl?” Isilies intervened.
“Yeah,” Donte and Nixon answered.
“I will have a word with her –”
“No,” Donte said harshly. “You will cause more problems with the Lowborn. We will deal with it.”
“I cannot condone such actions.”
“Then look the other way,” they both said, and I heard the slamming of a door.
“Hopper, what should I do?” Isilies said after a moment’s pause and an exasperated sigh. “It hasn’t even been a week, and they’re already causing mayhem.”
“My Master, the boys, maybe hot-headed at times, but you know as well as I when a threat arises with Eileen, they cannot be stopped. However, I don’t believe you should do nothing or something. Donte and Nixon have perfected the art of doing things without being noticed. As long as they stay like that, keeping things hidden and in the shadows, the rumours about young Mistress will shortly stop.”
“So, you’re telling me to do nothing?”
“I didn’t say that, Master.”
Taking steps, I stopped listening to their conversation and went to my bed. Crawling to the pillows, I wrapped my arms around my pillows and hugged them as I gazed off at the wall.
It seems I have gotten myself into a lot of trouble for doing absolutely nothing. It also seems that my brothers believe they have to solve and fix the problems created by my inept ability to have a conversati
on with others. I want to do nothing like I always do and let my brothers handle it, but it is their academics that would be on the line. I would feel guilty if they get expelled for doing something stupid on my behalf.
Socialising doesn’t appeal to me. I would like to read more books in the east tower and construct the symbols and designs to finally complete the rune that won’t be seen anywhere for anyone to replicate. I guess the only other option for me is to talk to the culprit that is spreading rumours about me in an accordingly manner. This is where my mum and Dad’s upbringing towards us comes into motion.
I don’t want my brothers to get into trouble by my mistakes. It is my turn to make sure they don’t do what they do best. Torment others to the extent of fear.
Yawning, I ended my thoughts bitterly and went to bed.
The next day, the motivation to talk to them blew out of the water. I had another dilemma. Going up the stairs to the classroom, I had to push the door open with my foot. It creaked lightly, and when I stepped in, my mood shifted a little more. There were two large crates with a note on top of the two twin tables that pushed together.
Placing my bag beside the door, I picked up the note. It told us to use a drop of liquid in these potions into a pot, figure out what they’re, from the list and label them all. Putting the note down, I noticed there could be potentially more than five hundred bottles in these crates as well as two plant pots filled with soil. This work would be right up Donte and Nixon’s street. Mine, however, would be the books I keep eyeing off in the corner instead.
I suppose I have to start without Lawliet as well because he is nowhere in sight.
Puffing cheeks, I sat in the space between two crates and moved a pot in front of me as well as a small bottle that had a murky grey liquid that was sloshing inside. Taking the sucker thing, I squeezed a little of the liquid inside, went to the pot and dribbled a droplet on the soil. After a moment, this vast beasty plant with the Jaws of Life teeth grew inside. It certainly has a mind of its own, as it turned its round green head sharply towards me.
Emotionless: (Prototype: Zero book 1) Page 11