Mirage (ON HOLD for revision)

Chapter 24: Red Friday

 “Cedric Padua!”

Matt broke out of his reverie when he heard the name of his classmate. Calling his name so passionately while handing out their latest quiz told Matt Cedric failed it again. For some reason, he was smiling proudly about his failure, as if it was his intention in the first place.

“Matthew Vizcarra.”

Matt was called with a slightly softer voice, more exasperation than annoyance, and then he remembered that the odd teacher returns the papers from the lowest to highest score.

“Work harder,” the teacher said with a sigh, “One more point and you’d have been on the green.”

“I will, teacher,” Matt dutifully replied and returned to his seat.

The same scenario repeated for the next five classes, but nobody noticed. It was Friday after all, and they were testing for the lessons learned through the week. Matt was ready to call it a day when the last class ended, but he was held back by the teacher.

“What’s going on, Matt?” the teacher asked as he sat on a chair the emptied chair in front of Matt’s. The rest of the class already left. Cedric, who also failed, was asked to wait outside for a while. They were getting the talk. Matt decided it would be best to keep his mouth shut.

“I can’t comprehend why you always get one point shy of 80. Really. It’s statistically impossible if you think about it,” he rambled on with a concerned look on his face.

In truth, the National Achievement Test is only several months away and the school is about to start with the review classes. The concern is for the school average, rather than the students themselves. Matt understood as much, but knew there was nothing to be done about it. He looked past the teacher’s head at the clock above the blackboard. Mari has been waiting for a full ten minutes.

“Work harder ok?” the teacher finally said, realizing that Matt has no intention of answering at all.

Matt restrained himself from running out of the room, but broke into a run as soon as he got out of the door. He could faintly hear the teacher calling out for Cedric Padua, muttering curses in the empty school grounds when he realized that Cedric has already run away.

He ran straight for Mari’s classroom, but she wasn’t there. Matt quickly ran for the gate wondering if Mari decided to wait for him there. But it was also empty. It was impossible for Mari to walk alone, that much Matt knew for sure, and racked his brain for places that she could possibly go to.

“What are you doing, you stupid brat?!”

“Shitty old geezer!”

Matt recognized Cedric’s voice and saw him running away from an old man a couple of blocks away. He looked about the same age as Robert, but very different from the clothes he wore, his gait, to the set of his face. Matt was so engrossed with the stranger that it took him a couple of seconds to realize what was happening. He followed the older man’s hand as he took the half finished cigarette from his lips and slowly pressed it between Mari’s collar bones.

“Mari!!!”

She stood there motionless like the marionette he’s always seen her as before she went to live with Matt’s family, detaching herself from her body, from the present in a desperate attempt at self-preservation.

“Oh, so this is Robert’s brat, huh?”

Matt looked at the old man, surprised to hear his father’s name come out of his mouth.

“Let’s go home, Mari,” Matt said, deciding to ignore the stranger as he stared at the burn.

“You go on ahead, yes?” the old man interrupted, dragging Mari to his side. “This bitch is running some errands for me.”