Crimson Angel

by Yume

  Third move

  The Challenge

  “Watch out!”

  I was pondering when I walked and stepped hard on someone’s feet. I looked up and to my astonishment, the victim was Edmond.

  “You…” He was infuriated. I knew he had a bad day but he couldn’t blame me for that. All he could charge was himself.

  “Did something happen?” Len walked out from the washroom and swung his bag around his shoulder. He looked deadly cool.

  “Len…” Edmond narrowed his eyes and glanced at him irately. “You played pretty well. Quite happy to yourself right now, I guess.”

  “I never said I am.” Len stopped beside me. It was strange to see two beautiful boys ready to argue.

  Edmond shifted his gaze to me. He must be wondering why I was with Len.

  “Alice, I didn’t know you are so quick on the new comer.”

  “Shut up, Edmond.” I was raged. This was an insult, absolutely an affront.

  “Dumping a girl isn’t very gentle for a boy, is it?” Len took my hand and started walking. “Totally not for someone who just failed to keep up his appearance today.”

  I could feel Edmond’s terrifying anger behind us. One second later and he would…

  “Don’t be so confident. You’d better watch out!”

  See? He would threaten someone when he lost in an argument.

  “And you too.”

  Len turned around but I didn’t see the way he looked at Edmond. When I turned back again, Edmond was shivering. Was it just my…imagination or did Len…

  “He’s mean.” Len commented.

  “He’s like that.” I warned. “Don’t make him angry or he will come back with a bunch of back-ups.”

  “You mean his dogs.”

  I was stunned by Len’s way of speaking. He was just as outspoken as me.

  “Yes.” And we both laughed.

  We reached the school gate and I was suddenly aware of a dark figure. Someone was waiting not far from the street. I stopped, hesitating.

  “Don’t be afraid, Alice.” Len was still holding my hand. “He’s my butler.”

  Now I was speechless. A butler? A butler! Was he from a wealthy family or what? That shouldn’t be surprising though. He looked like some rich guy anyway.

  “I am not rich. We just manage to afford one butler. That’s all.” Len answered for my doubt.

  The dark figure approached us and as he drew near into the sight, I could see clearly it was only his black suit that made him look spooky in a distance.

  This man was inhumanly gorgeous too. He had his brown hair neatly combed and his beautiful green eyes shining bright. He was around six feet tall, slim and fit. Yet, unlike Len, he gave me an unnatural feeling. To be more specific, he didn’t look at all friendly but a bit…cold-hearted.

  A smile split from his mouth when he saw Len.

  “Your hi….”

  “Len!” Len demanded. “Call me Len.”

  “Yes, Len, I almost forgot.” He seemed to be suddenly aware of my presence.

  Did he just try to call Len “highness”? By no mistakes?

  “This is my new friend, Alice.”

  I nodded at the butler and he bowed. I was shocked.

  “Traditional greeting in our family.” Len explained, seeing me puzzled.

  “Um…”

  “He’s George, my best mate.” Len just called his butler his best mate. I could see how lonely he used to be.

  “Nice to meet you, George.”

  “Nice to meet you, Ms. Alice.” He had lowered his pitch when he said my name. Oddly, chills went down my spine after hearing it. I was still unable to take my eyes off him. How could someone, even a butler, look so remarkable?

  “Is something matter, Ms. Alice?” George queried curiously.

  I instantly blushed and shook my head vigorously.

  “Nothing.”

  “Well then, we can start walking.” Len started his move in a way a play-free kid did. “Which path do you take, Alice?”

  The way he was taking was correct so I just joined him. “This way.”

  It felt so uneasy with George stalking us. No, I couldn’t say “Stalking”. He was just serving Len but the feeling to me was no different to being stalked. All this time, he seemed to be taking glimpse of me while Len kept silent for a long moment. I wondered what both of them were thinking. And more importantly, I questioned myself why I was walking home with two weird people.

  “Your hi…” George spoke. “No, Len, we had better be going.”

  Len widened his eyes and shot George a DO NOT SPEAK stare.

  We had come to a junction on the road so I reckoned Len’s home might be on the other side.

  “Do you have to go?” I asked.

  “George, we still have time.” Len complained.

  “But your… Len, we need to be prepared or else…”

  “George, I said we have time…”

  “It’s alright, Len.” I stepped in between them. “I can go home by myself. Plus, you take a different path, don’t you?”

  “It’s not like that.” Len denied.

  “But what?”

  “Len, we should be cautious not to put ourselves in danger by our own choice.” George notified.

  What? I didn’t understand anything they were talking about. Danger? Choice? What was George saying? I felt as though I was an idiot.

  “I am not putting us in danger, George!” Len retorted, annoyed.

  “Obviously you are and you are being stubborn, prince.”

  Prince? First, George was calling Len highness and now he was calling him prince! What was going on? I backed away from them, scared.

  “George!” Len shrieked. The butler stepped aside guiltily and Len walked up to me.

  “He’s got problems in communication.”

  I raised my brows, my mouth open with no words.

  “I have some urgent things to do. I’ll see you around tomorrow.”

  Of course, we would see the next day unless he didn’t come back to school.

  Then, Len left with his butler, both running in the direction to the hill. So, Len took neither path of the junction but the lane to the hill! Did I think too much or did they live up there? And was it my imagination again that they had vanished in a couple of seconds?

  It was totally bizarre.