God's Gaze

Chapter Six: Familial Distraught

       A few weeks after their meeting at the café, Moira found Patrix waiting for her near the school gate. Students nervously glanced his way, while others didn't dare bestow their gaze upon him in fear of the God. They also crammed to one side of the path to keep as far away from him as possible. She rolled her eyes- they wouldn't be acting as such once they figured out he's just some dunce.

       Once Patrix took sight of her, he giddily flailed his arms in the air with a humongous smile spread on his face. He repeatedly called out her name in a sing-song voice, which made her cringe. She sighed and joined him by the gate with Queeny.

       "You made me wait!" Patrix complained with a hearty laugh.

       "I got held up in class- nothing Earth shattering," Moira said. It was a lie since she spotted him from a hallway window and decided to wait just to see his reaction. Of course, his response was lame.

       "We want to help you fend off your assassins!" Queeny blurted out; her orb-like eyes full of determination. This was out of the ordinary for her, but when Moira questioned Queeny about it when she first brought it up earlier, her friend only said it's because she could tell how much Patrix meant to her. Moira refuted that claim.

       His grin still lingered despite his instant declination: "Nah, you guys lack power, so you would only get in my way!" He peered to the sky and twisted his lips- thinking. "It's a damn shame Vivienne doesn't believe you since she would have been useful against them."

       "You'd accept her help, but not ours?" Moira asked, her tone having a bite.

       "She's had more practical training than you, plus..." He shrugged; his expression growing solemn, "why would I accept help from someone who clearly wants nothing to do with me?"

       She went to yell something horrible at him, but she couldn't. Her lips shut tightly, and she planted her fists against her sides. Her thoughts were such a jumbled mess and for some reason, his words made her want to ball her eyes out.

       "Where is that Vessel anyway?" She heard Patrix ask.

       "Oh, Vivienne got an angry phone call from her brother and went home," Orlando's voice rang out. When did he get here? She shut her eyes trying not to cry- this was stupid.

       Moira began to hurry away but was stopped by Patrix. "You want me to walk you guys home?" He offered, Moira not daring to look at him.

       "No," She said bluntly and stormed off school property. She didn't wait for her friends to join her and when she was far enough away, did she glance over her shoulder at Patrix. He chatted with Queeny and Orlando, but his joyous façade was gone, and all was left was an utterly defeated God.

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       "How stupid are you?" Jeremiah yelled, ruffling his hair in frustration. "You go to the Mountain of Endings with some random boy and don't return until dawn? You didn't think about calling me?"

       "Jean isn't some random boy! He's my friend!" Vivienne yelled back, her body shaking with burning hot anger. Vivienne took Jean to see the Mountain of Endings where some Aenon queen died millennia ago, because he said he has never been there before. She knew Jeremiah wouldn't be home, so she agreed to take him, however at school the next morning, he somehow found out. "And why would I call you when I know you won't approve of it? You don't let me go out anywhere!"