(Rena's POV)
...where's my mark?
I looked around the classroom for what must have been the thousandth time for Keith, but he wasn't in sight. What in the world...? Where is he?
"Hey, Rhythimi..." I leaned into the aisle, getting closer to Rhythimi's desk. "Have you seen Keith?"
Rhythimi continued to read her history textbook, not bothering to look up at me as she spoke. "Rena, it's Study Hall. He's probably just napping in the Library like he always is." She smirked, shooting me a sideways glace. "Why? You worried about him?"
I immediately balled up the sheet of paper on my desk and chucked it at Rhythimi's head, making her laugh. "Oh shut it." I stood up when I noticed Mightyena walk back into the classroom, and he was ushering me to follow him. "I'll...be right back."
Once I stepped outside the classroom door, Mightyena quietly barked and started trotting in the direction of the Library. I had asked him at the beginning of the study hall period to go check the rest of the campus for Keith, since I need to keep tabs on him at all times. I guess Mightyena found him.
I followed my Dark-type partner into the Library, and he pointed back at the table furthest in the back of the Library with his right paw.
"Thanks, boy." I reached down to pet his head affectionately. "You can go back to playing with Eevee now."
Mightyena excitedly wagged his tail, then took off bounding out of the Library and in the direction of Ms. April's classroom once again.
I quietly walked by all of the other students studying in the Library, making my way down to the very back of the Library. As I approached the back table, the sound of snoring became louder and louder. When I rounded the corner around the final book case, I found myself standing at the back table and staring down at a sleeping Keith.
He was snoring soundly with his head on a pillow set on the table that I guess he brought with him. Who brings their own pillow to the Library...? Ugh. No wonder his grades suck.
Suddenly, I noticed something.
Was Keith...twitching?
Keith was twitching in his sleep, mumbling a few words. I couldn't make out what he was saying, but his twitching grew more and more violent by the second. By the time he was jerking side to side in his sleep, I recognized he was having a nightmare.
Without even thinking, I quickly reacted on instinct. "Shhh..." I quickly patted his shoulder, and his twitching began to subside. "Hey, Keith? Keith, wake up."
"Ugh... Five more minutes, Mom..." Keith grumbled in his sleep, rolling away from me.
I just rolled my eyes. "I'm not your Mom, Keith. Now wake up!"
Keith suddenly jolted in his sleep, and I had a feeling his eyes snapped wide open. Keith immediately sat up straight and turned to look at me, sweatdropping a little. "O-oh! Uh...hey Rena... Eheh..."
I just rolled my eyes, then pulled up a chair next to him. "You were having a nightmare, so I woke you up."
"You're telling me..." He exhaled sharply, rubbing at his eyes. Keith dragged his hands down his face. "It was just that same reoccurring nightmare about my Mom..."
"What reoccurring nightmare?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow.
Is he finally going to tell me himself about what happened to his Mom?
"Oh." Keith cleared his throat, sitting up a little straighter. "Well, I guess it's about time I told you..." He turned to face me, staring into my eyes sincerely. "My Mom died in a car crash when I was ten years old. She was getting ready to leave for a charity event for raising money to send kids to Ranger School that couldn't afford it." Keith's eyes grew dark, and I could tell he was bottling up his resentment. "I had a feeling that morning that Mom wouldn't come back home that night, but I kept it to myself, thinking it was nothing. Later that night I found out she died in a car crash." Keith stared down at the table. "I've blamed myself for her death ever since. That's basically what my nightmare was about..." He grew quiet and balled up his fists tightly, refusing to say a word.
I gritted my teeth, trying to force out sympathy. "Oh. I'm...sorry for your loss." I awkwardly gave my condolences.
"It's fine." Keith sat back up, staring at a book shelf a ways in front of us. "Dad grew really distant after she died. He didn't use to be such a bad guy. In order to cope with his grief, he just drowned himself in his work, inevitably neglecting me. The maid staff pretty much had to raise me from there on out." Keith explained. He hesitated, then turned to me after having what looked like an internal battle with himself. "What was your home life like? You know, with your parents?"
My sympathetic facade shattered like a mirror being dropped from a ten story building, and my eyes widened in horror. I immediately backed out of my chair and away from the table, completely caught off guard by his question.
Keith shot up from his chair and started to walk towards me. "Hey, wait! Where are you going?"
Without being able to control my desire to run away, my legs immediately began sprinting and heading towards the Library door.
I could hear Keith say something out loud as I ran away from him. "...was it something I said?"
I shoved the Library door open and quickly closed it behind me, slamming my back against it. I slowly slid down the door, choking back my sadness.
Arceus, I'm an idiot. I should've been able to keep my composure! Why did he have to catch me off guard like that and make me run away?!
Without being able to help myself, my eyes slowly looked down at my Mother's bracelet that was equipped to my left wrist. I've worn it ever since Rhythimi gave me the confidence to.
I ran my fingers along the beautiful blue beads. "Mother... Who are you?"
________________________________
"Happy birthday, Rena!"
The four nannies all clapped their hands and smiled at me, handing me a poorly made cupcake on a plate with a lit candle on it. I glanced around at the walls of the orphanage, ignoring how dark and dusty everything was. I was grateful that despite how poor we all were, they all tried their best to give me a nice birthday celebration.
"Thanks, everyone..." I weakly smiled at them.
"Well?" Nanny Anna ushered me to blow out the candle. "You're nine years old now, so make a wish!"
I shut my eyes tightly, wishing to get out of this orphanage once and for all. I wished with all my might that someone would adopt me.
I snapped my eyes open, then harshly blew out the candle.
The four nannies all clapped and cheered, hugging me simultaneously.
"Happy birthday, sweetie!"
"Nine? But I could've sworn just yesterday you were just eight years old!"
"I hope your wish comes true!"
Nanny Marie pulled a small wrapped present out from behind her, handing it to me. "Here. We thought that we would give this to you for your birthday, since you're old enough."
"Come, girls." Nanny Anna ushered the other three nannies to follow her. "Let's leave her in private to open it."
Nanny Callie patted me on the head. "When you're finished opening that, come downstairs to celebrate your birthday with all of the other little girls and us Nannies!"
"Okay." I forced out a fake smile, watching Nanny Callie and the others walk away from me and down the stairs.
As soon as they were out of sight, I ripped open the small box and lifted the lid. A beautiful silver bracelet with blue stones rested inside of it, and it was sitting atop of what looked like an old, folded up letter. I plucked the letter out of the box, unfolding it and beginning to read it out loud.
"To whom this may concern..." I started reading the old letter out loud. "This little girl on the porch here is Rena Arisa Deveraux. I can't take care of her anymore, so I hope that you all can. Inside this envelope is a silver bracelet with blue stones that belonged to her Mother. Please give it to her when she's old enough. Her birthday is January 8th. She deserves a better life than the one I can currently give her, so I hope that you all can do so much better for her."
I finished reading the letter, then grew very, very sad. ...No one signed it?
I stared down at the bracelet that supposedly belonged to my Mother, and a tear slipped from my eye and splashed onto the metal. I quickly shoved the letter back in there and closed the box, shoving it under my pillow.
I wiped the tears from my eyes and ran for the stairs leading downstairs, not once looking back.
I guess this feeling of being abandoned at a very young age will just always come back to haunt me, no matter what age I am.
"Rena! Where are you?"
"I'm coming!"
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Two updates in a day ^-^ I'm catching up, since I fell so far behind. Sorry this chapter was such a short little blurb, but it had to be done.
Guess what? No more fillers! The next chapter starts going straight into the plot once again!!! The next two chapters are an event from the game that I rewrote to fit the plot of this book, so I'm excited to see what you guys think of the changes I made :3 well, those of you who played the game, at least.
Fan art by @MysticLugia! Thank you!!!
Read, comment, vote, and enjoy!