REMOULDED

Chapter Seven

A dark place like heart is rare,
What we hear,
Differs from what it bares,
The lion acts like an hare,
The wolf smiling like it cares.

Manhattan was never forgiven of busy mornings and whenever the high schools resume,the numbers of buses,riders and pedestrians double. St. Aviens undoubtedly gears to cluster of activities on the first day,a bit of rearrangements and getting acclimatized to the new settings. There was no academic work yet,students stealing chances to holla at friends,bicker on the gone holidays and throw fun at the sports and music centres. Such were the thoughts that encompassed Earnest as he alit the long,crimson bus but it was something different that greeted him few steps away from the bus. A mass of students soon circled him,admiring and praising.

"Oh Earnest" A feminine voice crooned from one of them as a creepy hand rubbed over his cheeks or fondle them impassively, or more precisely,he made it impassive himself. He had learnt to get accustomed to that. The fans. To him,it was a two way option. You either be a dullard and live an anonymous school life or be a genius and always find yourself in cobweb of admirers as he was now.

"So cute again" Another cried.

"Set for the tennis again" It was a male voice now. Not only that Earnest was a school genius,he was a cute looking teenage boy as some of his girl fans had told it,and once or twice he had also checked himself out on a mirror,maybe he was cute as they said or maybe his intelligence makes him cute. All in all,he was popular with the girls,he has a good masculine musical voice,a left hand gifted in tennis and a height and deep eyes blessed in whatever.

"Our Nadal" Another masculine voice supported.

"The tennis court is on fire again"

"Daisy is feeling the fire too"

"Yeah. Ready to dethrone Daisy,aren't you?" Of all the shouts and embraces,it was the last statement that pursued Earnest as he found a way out of the crowd. Was he really prepared to dethrone Daisy?. That topic had been a perennial one in his years at St. Aviens,but now he wanted to end it,he wanted to stop the annoying question and the sure way to do that was to stop the reign of that infallible girl.

The probability would certainly not be on his side,he had tried and failed for five consecutive years and if you throw a die now,a five over six goes for him to fail again. But there could be a little hope somewhere now,maybe Timothy's strategy could do the magic,maybe the idea could make the difference, maybe Daisy would actually take the bait as planned, maybe....Too much of maybes and assumptions stalk his head as he veered into a corridor.

"Hi Earnest" A familiar voice called.

He turned and saw Daisy.

"You never came back ever since" He accused lightly after a warm smile.

"I'm sorry,he was around all days"

"No need to apologize, it's your choice to make" He dismissed, sizing her up in the white and red uniform. She was an epitome of beauty,a complete girl with good intelligence,giving him every reason to rethink if the adventure will ever be in his favour.

"What are you up to for today?" She asked. There would no academic works for the first week and students have variety of activities to jump into.

"Anything" Even right there,Earnest was undecided on that. Catching up with friends,the tennis court,the basketball yard or the school studio, all good options to kick start the session. "You want us to talk?" Earnest has to be proactive, it was one of those lectures he had humbly received from the master planner, Timothy.

"I've not said that" She beamed.

"I know you want us to"

"Will you have time today?" She expected him to be into a lot of things,stifling his time.

"I'll say after school closes,no one rushes home on resumption day" Earnest would have enough time in the afternoon and he would also have the chance to talk with Timothy before school closes.

"I'm not a 'no one',you should know that"

"I don't"

"I just told you"

Earnest chuckled, their eyes meeting strongly and he gave it a brief of two seconds before speaking.

"I said it,you are special" He purred and Daisy's face melted at the compliment. A big silence gradually sets in,something annoying to Earnest,he had hit a spot with that statement and needed her to say something. She must say something, that was what Timothy had instructed, so Earnest was there waiting and when her lips actually parted for words,some violent footsteps stormed the the air, followed with a fire of a girlish voice.

"Daisy. Daisy. So you're here,I've been searching for you all day" It was Kate who showed up seconds later, arms akimbo,fused and frustrated. She was a significantly short girl,her ridiculous stature making her skirt mirror a typical wedding gown.

"Sorry,do we have anything to discuss?" Daisy questioned,signaling that she hated how the moment ended too. She wanted to say something, she was about to say something but then...

"No, you rather have Mr. Maxwell to discuss with" The short Kate replied with an equal level of disgust.

"Mr Maxwell?" Daisy's eyes rolled up. Mr Maxwell would not call up any one into his office on resumption day without a tough reason.

"He wants us in his office" Kate affirmed.

"Us?"

"He said we should both come to his office"

"Is there anything wrong?" Earnest decided to come in.

"Nothing can go wrong" Daisy replied first.

"Not until we get there" While Kate slightly countered.

But Daisy knew how well she spent her holidays, she was not caught up in an over aged party,no street fight with a school mate and no spat with an adult. So,no qualm about the big man's sudden call.

She shrugged and looked at Earnest,"Excuse me,we can talk later,can't we?"

Michel's POV

Through the window,he watched it all as they talked. He never loved the sight of  two of them talking. It was a stark hatred that he still found hard to distinguish the cause.

Was it envy of Earnest's status in the school that had overshadowed him over the years?

Or. Was it the jealousy that Earnest would take Daisy away from him.

Did he really have a kind of funny feeling for Daisy?.

No. He would not agree to that. Daisy was nothing but a close friend to him. He had met Daisy for long years when they had stayed together as neighbours at Colorado. There,they had formed great friendship and shared the years of childhood.

They had shared lovely Christmas and New year moments together too, exchanging gifts and parties. Even though he never knew Daisy's Mum up till the moment, her father had been a good friend to the Allan's family during their stint at Colorado.

Though the Roberts family sometime moved away from Colorado but that would still not alter his friendship with Daisy. They still had something in common. They still both attended St. Avirns and their bond had grown ever since. Purely as good friends.

So,it was definitely not a naughty feeling towards Daisy that was making him scowl at the moment.

It was rather the feeling of envy towards Earnest. It was a tough thing to admit but truth was,he actually craved he was Earnest and had all those fans and admiration around him.

He wished there was no Earnest at St. Avirns and dreamed of how cool it would have been for him. He would be leading the choir songs,he would be the genius boy of the school and the sports hero. How wonderful his life at St. Avirns would have been like that. But sadly,an Earnest existed and---

He watched as Daisy and Kate walked away. And before Earnest could turn and see him where he was lurking,he also fell into steps...