Chapter 6

The morning was hasty. Both Jen and Alex had left without me and all they left was a note telling me to meet them at the dining hall.

Breakfast started at 8 am and it was already half past seven. I had to hurry because if I were late in the very first day my whole semester would be ruined.

I got ready as fast as I could and was heading out when I bumped into a delivery guy at the door. He dropped a cooler which contained a lot of blood bags.

I asked him puzzled 'Who are these for?'

He checked the clipboard he was holding and answered 'For some Alexander Phantom. This is his room right?'

It was Alex's room but what was Alex doing with so many blood bags so I asked the delivery guy.

The delivery guy said that he wasn't sure but it was sent from the city hospital for low blood pressure.

I let the delivery guy into the room and he stored the blood bags in Alex's refrigerator inside his room.

By the time I reached the dining hall it was already 8. As soon as I entered the dining hall my eyes were blinded by all the shining students. They were all so stunning that compered to them I was nothing. But even in this crowed those four people stood out.

Alex, Castial, Jen and my Uncle were all waiting for me at the farthest corner of the room. Everyone was taking sneak peeks at them and although Jen was trying to act like the "geeky art student" she still was grabbing a lot of attention.

They were discussing something but as usual when I got there they stopped. When I asked them what they were all doing together my Uncle informed me that Alex was the student council president and the other tow his vice-presidents so they were just talking about the entrance ceremony. Eating breakfast with all three of them in the same table was almost impossible. Jen and Alex kept glaring at each other while Castial felt too uneasy sitting beside Jen to eat anything.

And even in between all this tension my Uncle kept eating like nothing was wrong. During breakfast my Uncle handed me my class routine.

Today was Monday my first period was painting. Jen accompanied me there. The teacher was not bad though she'd give you the crazy lady across the street feeling. All of my class mates were great. They wanted to do nothing with anybody but themselves.

All of my classes were with one of the three of them except for music where both Alex and Jen were present and by the end of the class it had turned into a competition between the two of them.

During lunch Alex had some business to attend to so he left with my Uncle and Jen had to go somewhere and so she did.

It was only Castial and me. We took our lunches to the school garden and sat down beside a tree.

'Ok now that we're alone tell me' I demanded.

Castial didn't understand what I meant 'tell you what?'

I reminded him 'the story you said you were ganna tell me?'

'Oh that' he was in relax mode now that Jen was gone.

'Yes that' I said.

He asked me very cunningly 'Are you sure you're going to be able to handle it?'

I was very sure I could 'yes'

'Ok then I'll start but you're not allowed to interrupt me in anyway or deny me because what I'm about to tell you will make you question everything you believe in…..' and he began 'you heard the story of the Phantom & the oracle that much I know but what Alex didn't tell you is that the Phantom is still alive and it is he who told you his own story…..'

'Are you implying that Alex is the Phantom?' I asked very irritated

 'Didn't I tell you not to interrupt me' he scolded and continued 'The casket that you saw contained the oracle's dead body Alex's dead girlfriend. You already heard that she took her own life to save his so I'm not going to repeat that but did you also know that she reincarnated sixteen years ago on the 16th of august in California to a women named Lenora who 8 years after that lost her birth father and was adopted by her current father two years later. She was raised by her adoptive father and now right before the time her time will stop she was brought here to the Valleys of the Phantoms where she reunites with her former lover Alexander by her so called father the first Phantom...' That was enough he was defiantly crazy accusing my father of being a beast and me the reincarnation of some oracle.

'What proof do you have' I demanded.

'A heart on your heart…' he silently murmured

As I was about to ask him what he meant by that Alex showed up and asked me to follow him. When I asked why he reminded me the classes had already started and we both had the same classes so he thought I would like to go there with him.

Looking at both our expressions Alex looked at Castial suspiciously. Castial just took off saying that he was getting late for his class.

On our way to class Alex asked if Castial was bothering me in anyway. He said that Castial was very sadistic and loved to bully others especially cute girls like me. That reminded me what he said to Jen last night and it suddenly became awkward.

All of my classes finished in such a daze that I didn't even get what most of them were about. I kept thinking about what Castial told me and about what Alex and Jen were talking about last night. It all just kept going over my head. For a second even I believed Castial but then I realized that I believed him because he believed it. It was really natural how Castial could believe in something so insane and also how Alex believed in something like those myths without any proof even if it made no sense to do so unlike me who is always looking for answers.

 Their blind faith scared me because I came from a world where people need evidence for everything.

I kept looking at the stars where I saw billions of gaseous structures and wondered what they thought of these stars. Jen came and sat beside me. She didn't ask me anything just quietly sat there and looked at the stars with me.

I asked her maybe just out of curiosity 'what do you see when you look at the stars?' 

She didn't look at me 'Little sparkly jewels designing the night sky'

I wasn't usually this relaxed but whenever I was with Jen I always found myself opening up to her 'Hey Jen are you a believer like Alex and Castial?'

She looked at me finally and with a strange look in her face answered 'Maybe who knows. Are you?'

I answered instantly 'No!' 

She was taken aback a little 'you don't have to oppose it that strongly?' But I had to for my peace of mind. If I ever became a believer then I'd start looking for answers which didn't exist so I had to.

She got my answer without me having to tell her. She just always knew what I wanted to say before I said it.She didn't ask me anymore questions and we silently kept looking at the stars. Soon the two boys joined us and for the first time in my life I felt like I had friends and it was a very joyous feeling.

After that I always hung out with these guys and Jen and I became very close. I'd tell her everything and let her see my weakest sides and greatest fears. She always knew what to say and most of the time her explanations sounded very reasonable.

Halfway through the month rumours started spreading that me and Alex were going out so things became very awkward between us. I use to spend most of my time with Jen so I was closest to her.

I realized soon enough that Castial didn't fear Jen but actually loved her. One day I asked him why didn't he just confess and he sadly reminded me the way Jen detested him. It was really hard to watch it sometimes so I would go and sit beside Alex who would always sit under the tree of salvation whenever he got the chance to. When he was his winter self he didn't say much but when he was his devil self he would usually tease me if I sat beside him.

By now I realize that Alex's personality was very different from the usual ones people could describe in a single word or sentence.

One day I was sitting beside Alex reading a book when Castial came looking for us. He announced that my Uncle was looking for us and told me to tell that to Jen. Alex went with Castial while I looked for Jen.

She was nowhere to be found till I got so tired that I shouted her name. As soon as I looked behind me she was standing there looking irritated as if I'd just called her when she was doing something important.

She asked my why was I screaming for her. I told her I'd tell her on our way to my Uncle's office. I told her that my Uncle was looking for her. Her expression turned blue. She looked very worried.

Inside my Uncle's office the atmosphere was very tense everyone's faces were blue. After dropping Jen there I thought I should take my leave seeing as they never talked about the student council in front of me but my Uncle ordered me to stay.

I got worried seeing the others expressions and stood there silently. My Uncle broke the silence by telling us to calm down. He said that it wasn't a serious matter he just wanted us to plan this year's welcoming party and he thought that maybe I could help the student council out with the committee work.

We were all relieved. My Uncle just wanted to give us a heads up about the quest list. Alex told him that he already had it. My Uncle wanted us to make it as memorable as possible but there was a time limit of three days. We all freaked at the time limit and started planning right there.

~END of Chapter 6~

how come eveyone around Alice is so bipoler?