I decided that Lyric reminded me of a jester.
Not the kind Christina mocked me with while playing Go Fish, but a true jester of the court forever enslaved to humour. He was a falsehood entertainer that became the merriment of laughter, a certified clown which forced out smiles for others.
No, Lyric wasn't as carefree as he made everyone else believe.
I was also playing the same charade, it was like scrutinizing a mirror and all you saw was yourself.
My feet dragged behind his confident steps, still exhausted from the night prior and early morning activities. The blond would send friendly greetings and jokes towards people I've never met, their eyes following our odd descent down various hallways.
"Are you excited for the holiday break?" Lyric grabbed my hand for the hundredth time as it tried to escape the crook of his arm.
My insistent tugging was futile against the student's stronger hold. "It means no classes, so yeah."
"I'll be grateful to toss this stuffy uniform, I bought a ton of new outfits from Italy this summer!"
The nightingale continued his ramblings as I recalled a recent conversation with Connie, stating that I would be staying in the castle, with his own private plans unknown.
"You should come visit me over the break." Lyric grinned as we entered the dining hall, waving to more people that I didn't know.
More students gave us strange looks as I was attached to his arm like a second limb.
"I don't know." My stomach growled as the different flavours of gourmet food wafted through the eating space.
Lyric gave it a pat, ignoring the scowl I sent. "Oh, you probably missed dinner yesterday!"
I clutched my empty abdomen with a sour expression, which seemed to be answer enough for the male.
"In that case, let me help you!" The blond began filling two trays with everything he could find, only giving a sharp glance as I tried to walk off.
My face held amusement as I watched his frenzied actions, impressed by the speed and balance. I was about to tell him that I'd rather sit with my friends and explain last night's absence, but he quickly steered us away.
"Ah, ah, ah—today you're sitting with us."
That can't end good.
We approached a table situated dead center, acknowledging the variety of different expressions coming from its occupants. Zelda gave a zealous wave, grinning widely as we sat down on empty seats. Fable sent a consoling smile for Lyric's flamboyant ways, while Leon obviously did his best to ignore my presence.
Ender and Benedict gave their peer a pointed look as they witnessed my disheveled body being dragged across the room like a ragdoll.
I slapped Lyric's hand away as he attempted to spoon feed me, earning a pout from him.
"Novalie, I hope you made it back to the dorms in one piece last night." Benedict steered his soup. "I would've walked you back if there wasn't so much homework to finish."
"Why is your uniform filthy?" Ender ran his calculating gaze down my form, eyes lingering at places I'd rather he not stray. "There's a branch in your hair."
He watched my hands as they brushed off the small twig.
"Lyric found me this morning leaving the... dorms, he asked if I could help bring fertilizer to the greenhouse." I lied through my teeth, giving a side peek towards Lyric as he merely sent a not so subtle wink.
"It took quite a lot of convincing for Nova Scotia to enter my lair." The Light Representative reached over to place his arm around my shoulder.
I quickly swerved away.
"I'm always surprised Lyric can tend to a garden and keep it alive." Ender bluntly stated this while visually following the friend's arm retreat, with Benedict making a noise of agreement.
"Can you heat up my oatmeal?" Lyric took no offense towards the previous insult, simply looking at his bowl with a sulking face.
"No." Ender's frown deepened as the requester leaned closer to him.
"Please, Ender—I'll sing for you?"
"If you do, I'll leave."
The two continued their banter as I turned towards Leon once more, watching as he and Fable were basically in their own world. My urge was to kick him under the table repeatedly until I managed to break bone, yet I didn't desire causing another scene for once.
I blurted the first thing to grab his attention. "Leon, I lost Tabitha."
I won't be telling him that our beloved motorcycle was now in the fateful hands of Faisal.
The bike was a conjoint effort that Leon and I worked hard to restore, buying the beauty second-hand from a junkyard. We'd use it to escape orphanage drama, the only fleeting freedom we really had. Which is probably why Leon's face resembled a parent's who was just told that the daycare lost their only child.
Hook, line, and sinker—I finally caught the slippery bastard's attention.
"What do you mean you lost Tabitha, how does one manage that?" He gave a disbelieved look, ignoring the table occupants who were slowly zoning in on our argument. "Did she decide to grow legs and walk away?"
"I was running from the cops."
"Fuck off, without me?!" Leon practically screeched.
Lyric sputtered out his meal, while Zelda gave an impressed noise.
"I'm innocent, I was simply caught up in something messy!"
"Oh my God, Nova..." Leon groaned into his hands, earning a worried look from Fable. "What disaster have you gotten into now?"
I gritted my teeth. "Well, if you'd answered your phone in the first place, I would still be with her!"
"My poor baby, I leave for less than a month and she suddenly vanishes." He continued to despair. "I loved riding her."
"Who's Tabitha?" This sharp inquiry was said by Ender.
I wondered why he was so adamant to know, until I turned to Fable, who had a pained expression on her face.
"We're discussing about a motorcycle!" Leon frantically reassured his girlfriend as she grew more suspicious.
"Tabitha was a girl that Leon fell in love with—" I said at the same time.
"Novalie Chrysanthemum Bishop, shut your mouth this instance."
"Gross, don't you dare reveal my middle name, Leonardo Mühll Lester!"
He swallowed his next words as I exposed him.
Lyric processed it all and began to laugh so hard that he choked on his food. Benedict gave a small smile as he watched silently, with Ender trying to avoid having cranberry juice spilt on him by a hysterical Zelda slapping the table.
Leon and I looked at each other for a quick moment, annoyed expressions slowly morphing into mischievous grins as we took notice of the chaos around us.
"You weren't supposed to be here, Nove." Leon released a large sigh.
"Surprise, Lee Lee, I'm hard to get rid of." I observed everyone settle down, Fable only relaxing when Leon gently held her hand. "You're an asshole, I hope you know that."
"How was I supposed to know you'd also have a spirit?" He ran a hand through his dark hair. "I couldn't just tell you where I was planning to go, that's one of the first laws of Soul Spirits!"
"Then why the cold shoulder every time I saw you?" My voice revealed how hurt I was by his actions.
"I didn't know what to do." Leon struggled to find the proper words. "It took me by surprise when you attended one day out of the blue with that white-haired guy; I wouldn't have ignored you, but then a threatening letter came from the head—"
"You guys are ridiculous." Zelda tried to cover her snort as she slowly recovered from laughing. "Leon slipped up once and mentioned that you two were old friends."
"No fair," Lyric whined. "I want to be old friends with Nova Scotia too!"
"In your dreams," I scoffed.
"Oh, my dreams take a different route than mere friendship."
Ender and Benedict nudged him on either side in warning, both looking unimpressed as the blond gave them a cheeky look.
"Nova, tell us more about yourself!" Zelda amiably suggested. "We should all go around and reintroduce ourselves properly."
"I'll go first!" Lyric offered before anyone could. "Hello, my name is Lyric Mayfair—"
"Zelda Yonavich!" The wolf interrupted with no remorse. "I like doing laps around the school grounds, sometimes these numbskull boys will join. You should as well with that physique, you're built to run."
"I'll remember that," I said with amusement.
The silver haired menace grinned before turning towards the quieter girl beside her. "Fable, go next."
The Neautral Representative shifted slightly from the attention. "I enjoy hiking through the academy's woodland trails, and more recently learning about the medicinal remedies of herbal plants, which I gather from my walks... I also spend time with Leon."
"Ditto, Fabe." Said male gazed lovingly at her, a soft look of happiness in his eyes that I've never seen before now. "Everything she said, as well as cooking."
I gave a pleased smile at the answer, remembering Leon's culinary track record for brilliant meals.
"I enjoy archery."
The eldest student looked uncomfortable as he freely mentioned the fact.
My mind imagined Benedict sporting a Robin Hood outfit, making me hold back a snicker at the mental image of him wearing a feathered hat and green tights.
"Yeah, he's really good at it too, his bow goes all pew, pew!"
"How articulate, Lyric." Ender gave him an exasperated look, yet amusement lingered behind the quip.
Benedict sighed, ignoring the blond who put his foot on their table and imitated an archer releasing multiple arrows at an invisible enemy. Lyric gave off the impression of Cupid as opposed to Robin Hood when he posed.
"I love archery too." I laughed in good nature. "I'm no good at it though; always end up shooting everything but the target."
"What's your niche?" Zelda was chewing turkey bacon, ignoring Benedict as he warned her not to talk with a mouth full.
I thought hard, and the first thing that came out sounded ridiculous to my own ears. "I can juggle."
The Light Representative perked up suddenly. "Really, can you do a little demonstration?"
"I haven't in a while—" I cut myself off as he suddenly chucked an orange at me, quickly followed by two apples and a banana.
Lyric gave an encouraging wink, his expectant gaze waiting for my cooperation.
I did as expected, fiddling with the fruit until getting an even delivery. A smug smirk appeared, although it was quickly wiped off as another apple was tossed in my direction, causing me to fumble with the arrangement—face morphing into one of panic as I made sure not to drop any of the produce and bruise them further.
Internally, I was grateful that I possessed decent hand-eye coordination.
If only they knew that I used to toss steak knives, not caring for my safety in the slightest.
The secretive smile on Leon's face told me he was thinking similarly.
I gradually released one at a time from my clutches to another at the table, tossing a fruit in their direction and watching as they received the new item with open palms.
Ender was ignoring the whole display and only caught one because it went sailing directly to his face.
I fully enjoyed his soured look.
Leon frowned as he didn't get a fruit. "Where's my gift?"
"I'm still mad at you."
"Brilliant!" Lyric loudly clapped. "We can join the circus one day if we fail our semester."
Everyone then slowly turned towards Ender, the last to say anything.
He continued to stare vacantly at all of our eager expressions.
"Ender, come on!" Zelda pleaded with clasped hands. "You have so many talents to brag about, just choose one."
The stoic brunet glanced around the dining hall with a lazy expression, eyeing students as they carried on with their daily meal. "I benefit from fencing."
"That's cute, like putting up picket fences?" Lyric earned himself a thrown orange to his head as he made the lame joke.
"Oh, yes!" Fable gushed. "Ender is excellent at the sport, he's unbeaten by all opponents who has parried with him."
Benedict and Ender would make an awesome duo in a zombie apocalypse, back to back with one shooting arrows as the other sliced through multiple undead with a sword. It was a lovely scene indeed, two attractive guys doing some fancy work with their weapons.
I'd totally pay someone to Photoshop that image for me.
"Just wait until you check them out in action, they're each leaders of the archery and fencing clubs." Zelda gave a blasé shrug before continuing. "I tried both, but have no patience for neither."
Benedict and Ender then spoke at the same time. "She almost poked my eye out."
"They banished her after the first lesson," Fable giggled.
Zelda tried defending her honour, causing everyone to grin at the exchange.
The end-of-breakfast bell rang, interrupting our progressive discussion about each other. I then remembered my earlier goal to find Riley and the others, which made me get up and wave a hurried goodbye.
Everyone returned my wave.
I even saw Ender slightly tilt his head in acknowledgement, a tiny action that made me widen my smile just a millimetre bigger than before
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"Riley said you didn't come back to the dorms!" Morwen noticed my approaching form, greeting me with a hug as she began asking rapid-fire questions. "Why is your uniform dirty? Was Lyric bothering you? How was sitting with—"
Gabriel put a hand on his sister's arm. "Morwen, don't forget to breathe!"
"I'm just worried." She heaved a breath. "On another note, you just missed Riley; she headed off to her Dreams Study class."
"Drats, how about Connie?" I asked.
We made our way through the busy corridors, nudging people that decided to make a cluster and inconveniently talk to their friends. If people are loitering in the hallway and don't realize how much space they're occupying, it's in your right to plow through them like a bulldozer.
"Haven't seen him since yesterday, he was missing at dinner too." Morwen pouted as a Dark student rushed by, almost knocking her over without apologizing. "I actually thought you two were doing something together."
I gave her an unamused look at the innuendo.
"He's shady." Gabriel spoke as we reached the stairwell entrance, momentarily turning to me and giving a swift nod as students filtered through the small space. "Anyways, catch you later, Nova."
I saluted the twins as they left, cluttered mind still distracted by Connie's mysterious absence. Feet slowly brought me to my next class, frowning once again as I noticed the unicorn missing from his regular seat.
Eve tried to trip me as I made my way down the aisle of seats, whereas Vivian frowned as Cleo gave me an apologetic look.
The professor began speaking about the lesson plan for today, my ears automatically turning off as he droned on about some science formula I couldn't comprehend.
My fingers reached to pull out the small journal I found a few days ago, eager to finish the leather bound object filled with forgotten memories—hands felt nothing as they patted my blazer pocket, where it was usually snugly stored. Panicked eyes scanned the floor in a sore attempt to locate the precious item, yet they were only greeted with empty space.
That sucks; I just had it with me last night.
I don't recall the book digging into my side this morning when waking up, so it probably got lost in that vast wilderness of Lyric's greenhouse.
I sunk further into my seat as disappointment entered me.
The feeling of loss festered, as if I misplaced something more than just a stupid little diary. It was then that someone walked in and interrupted the professor midspeech; the late student gruffly apologized and made his way to the seat next to mine.
He sat straight in his chair and looked strictly forward as I continued to gap at him.
"Connie," I whispered harshly. "Why do you have a black eye?"
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🕊 D O V I E 🕊
Poor Constantine... on a side note, it's going to be an Ender filled chapter coming up next!