Fayre
Chapter VIII - Life In a Box

Mr. Barzetti, our young history teacher is currently at his desk, typing furiously on his laptop.

I put my books and my own laptop on the table, ready for the lesson to begin but my eyes are drawn to the frog-like creature on Finley’s shoulder. I pretend to be searching for something in my bag while covertly keeping an eye on it. It gets me nervous to have something like that so close to me with my back to it.

“How are you feeling today?” A deep, smooth voice not too far from me is asking.

I freeze before I look up into a pair of electric blue eyes. The air between us crackles with energy to the point that I feel the tingles in my body. “I’m sorry, are you talking to me?” I ask him.

The intensity of his gaze as he as keeps studying me is unnerving.

I have to admit, he really is gorgeous. His hair is so dark, it has a bluish sheen to it. His eyelashes are thick and long, framing his brilliant blue eyes - eyes that are bluer than the sky. I could stare at him all day and I love this feeling of energy buzzing through me.

Finley leans forward, resting his elbows on the table to watch me closely. But then I notice something- the ugly green creature is no longer sitting on his shoulder. My gaze unwillingly flickers downward, searching for it before I catch myself and quickly look back up.

Ruen cocks his head to the side and his eyelids come down over his blue gaze as he watches me quizzically from under his long sooty eyelashes. His lips slowly curl up into a smile. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like the way he smiles - as if he’d caught me doing something that I’m not supposed to, red-handed and he's happy about it. Too happy.

Finley also has that smile growing on his lips. They both look at each other briefly, as if they’re communicating between themselves before they return their gaze back to me.

While everybody else is trying hard to get these two to even bestow them a quick glance, I feel like a new species of monkey in a cage to them. The way they’re watching me is making me a bit wary and self-conscious.

“So...uh, Melissa. It’s Melissa right?” Finley finally says. I might be wrong but the way he says my name sounds like he’s mocking it. I think this is the first time he ever talked to me or I ever heard his voice. He gives me a wicked smile before he opens his mouth again and says, “Was Luella seeing anybody before we came?”

“She’s your girlfriend, why don’t you ask her yourself?” I glare at him before I turn around, flipping my hair over my shoulder. Stupid boys! I huff in annoyance. The nerve! Now my energy is uncontrollable again. It’s a struggle not to throw books at them.

Hailey stares at me with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. She’s probably shocked. I’ve never been rude to anybody and people are generally nice to me. While Emmet could be a jerk to people who don’t run in our circle or those he deems beneath us, I’m known as the sweetest girl in school - unfailingly polite to everybody. That’s why we’re perfect for each other, a jerkface jock and miss goody two shoes, see?

As soon as I realize what I just did, I’m overwhelmed by guilt. I’m being rude. Mom told me not to be rude to anybody but I just can’t help it with them. They make my energy go haywire and bring out all sorts of extreme feelings in me. They make me feel like doing things that I don’t normally do like throwing books at people. Yes, I really do feel like throwing my books at their heads.

I know I should apologize but I’m also still angry at him for bringing up Luella. Angry at them. Angry at them both. Boys are so stupid. Ugh!

Deep breath. Take a deep breath. That is very un-ladylike and out of control action. Mom wouldn’t approve of such behavior. I just also realize that I’m feeling energized, at least for now, just from sitting this close to Ruen. I discreetly stare at my fingers. I can see tiny sparks at my fingertips. I haven’t seen it in a while. What about zapping them? I know I shouldn’t throw books at people but mom never told me not to zap anybody- probably because she doesn’t know that I could zap people but...

I see a flash of green on the floor out of the corner of my eye. The ugly green creature is grouchily lumbering up and down the aisle between the seats. I swiftly remove my foot out of the way when it stumbles close. It raises its head up to me and I quickly look away, pretending that I didn’t see it. I feel Ruen and Finley’s eyes on me the whole time.

I sigh in relief when Mr. Barzetti finally gets up to start the class. History is one of my favorite subjects and I’m ready to take notes.

My relief is short-lived. Not five minutes into the lesson, the frog-like creature is making such a ruckus, it got me so distracted, I barely register what the teacher is saying.

Nobody else in the classroom seems to be bothered at all. They’re all sitting calmly listening or taking notes. Maybe that’s because I’m the only one who’s crazy enough to hear and see things that don’t exist.

I try to ignore it, but it’s almost impossible especially when it starts jumping up and down on the floor, flapping its tattered wings all over the place. Then it stops and tries to look up Kate Chadwick’s short skirt. I raise my horrified eyes quickly away and catch Ruen’s twinkling gaze.

I can hear Finley snickering beside him.

They can see it too! They so can see it!

“Miss Crawford, is there a reason why you’re facing the back? Is there anything interesting you’re looking at behind you?”

Mr. Barzetti is staring at me and so is everybody in the room.

Hailey shoots me a questioning look.

“Uh, I guess I got a little distracted.” I look up and smile at him. “I’ll try to pay more attention. I’m sorry, Mr. Barzetti.”

“That’s okay. Just don’t do that again.” Mr. Barzetti hardly smiles but he smiles at me before he turns around and says, “Now look at the hand-out that I gave you...”

Hailey shakes her head in disgust before she unfolds her scrunched up papers. She really thinks that teachers let me get away with anything.

I don’t see Ruen and Finley again for the rest of the day after the class. They don’t show up during lunchtime either. I feel disappointed because I want to confront them. I want to know if they really could see the frog creature and all the other creatures as well. I want to be sure that I’m not the only one.

Maybe that’s not the only reason why I’m feeling disappointed when I don’t see them. Maybe I secretly crave their presence...as long as they don’t have Luella plastered to them.

Luella sits at her table with her friends for a change today and she looks miserable. Once in a while, she glances at the door or at our table where Emmet and his friends are loudly talking and fooling around. I don’t think Jesse and her are on great terms. I can’t blame Jesse. Luella practically abandoned her best friend when Ruen and Finley were around.

The days are getting cooler and the leaves are starting to change colors. The sun is going down earlier too.

Madison is already waiting for me on the curb when I go to pick her up.

“Did you notice there are an awful lot crows around our school these last few days?” she asks me the moment she gets in the car. Madison never says hi when she sees me but I’m used to it by now.

“I hear them but I don’t see that many of them,” I answer her. I remember Finley staring out of the window of our classroom when there are crows cawing loudly outside yesterday.

I peek out the window to look up at the grey sky and see two or three flying around. I don’t remember seeing any crows around here before.

“I see them everywhere while waiting for you and I don’t like them,” says Madison. “Let’s go, Mel. They give me the creeps.”

I put the car in drive and she goes through the song list on my iPhone. Pretty soon, Bad Guy by Billie Eilish comes out through the car sound system. Madison starts singing. Her arms start swinging crazily around.

I’m so thankful, I almost kiss the ground when we reach home. Listening to Madison singing and trying to dodge her swinging arms while driving must be within the top five of the most torturous things to do in the whole wide world.

I don’t see mom’s Tesla but Luella’s Miata is in the driveway. Luella is nowhere to be seen when we get inside so I know she must in her bedroom.

Madison follows her nose straight into the kitchen. The smell of cookies baking in the oven is strong, so I follow her to the kitchen as well.

Mrs. McEwan is busy cooking but she pours us some milk and slides us a plate of cookies after we settle on the barstools near the counter where she’s working.

I chew my cookies slowly until I hear the sound of Luella’s footsteps stomping down the stairs, followed by the sound of the front door slamming.

Madison watches me finish off my milk and push the rest of the cookies in front of her with a knowing look. I’m thankful that she doesn’t say anything as I trudge upstairs.

Just like this morning, I’m feeling weak but I’m determined to get back something that belonged to me.

I’m so tired and feeling dejected. I’m sitting on the floor of Luella’s closet, staring at all the boxes that I just went through. Four boxes in total. There is a lot of junk in those boxes but I couldn’t replace what I’m looking for. There are old photos, cheap plastic trinkets, broken toys, clothes, and even a bottle of cheap perfume. I think they’re from her old home. It’s like she’s keeping all her ugly old stuff hidden in these boxes but can’t bring herself to part with them. I know we’re never close but now I feel like I don’t know her at all.

I’m very disappointed but should get out of here before Luella gets home. She’s going to throw a fit if she knew I went through her stuff. I lean back against the wall and my eyes fall on the top of the shelves. There are several small shoeboxes hidden up there.

I know what I’m going to replace in one of the boxes before I open it. A star-shaped copper pendant with a black leather string. One side is carved with the image of the sun while another is a crescent moon. My spine, my arm, and the tip of my fingers tingle when I touch it.

As I close my fingers around it, I remember the day when mom discovered it in my possession. When mom asked me where I got it from, I couldn’t answer her. I honestly didn’t remember. I had it for years and all I knew was that I had to keep it safe and hidden. I knew I failed when mom found it. I didn’t know why it meant so much to me but it was mine. I was never possessive of anything but I cried when I saw it around Luella’s neck the very next day.

Luella only wore it for a week or two though, and that was just because mom forced her to and probably to spite me because she only really wanted the pretty gold necklace that mom gave me.

How could have I forgotten? How could I forget the day mom discovered the necklace in my possession and took it away?

I wake up again just after the mid-night, clutching the necklace. There are tears on my cheeks. Tonight, the dream was different. There’s still a lot that I don’t remember from it but I remember the sky blue eyes that looked like Ruen’s. The deep voice that replaced the soft voice of a ten-year-old boy had sounded like Ruen’s. “I’m yours and you’re mine. How could you forget me, Fayre?”