Trinity

Chapter 5- Party Grinch

Thankfully, the first two periods were over. I walked out of class, and everyone stared, flashing their frontal teeth, whereas I felt different from them. Keziah’s presence caught me by surprise as she jumped to my side, crossing her elbow in mine.

“You’re sad” she said.

“It’s nothing” I replied, trying not to give her a benefit of doubt, though it seemed like I couldn’t lie as long as they all could read my mind.

“It’s Chester, isn’t it? You have so much emotion for him”

“I said it’s nothing”

“You have to tell me” she smiled, and I knew what she wanted, asking even before she asked. “Do you like him?”

“Kez!” I exclaimed with bulged eyes to such question that revealed my idiocy. Who the hell asks such a question after he just got violated? Who asides from Kez?

“If you like Chester, just say. Besides, he’s cute. A lot of us are in for the cute ones. And you both look cute together”

I simply nodded as we headed for the cafeteria.

Just before our entrance, I saw the red-haired boy I called out to, the day I looked for the biology lab (my first day in school). He looked the same: hands full of rings and chains on his neck dangling above his deep blue suede shirt.

“Who’s he?” I asked, and Kez came close, whispering in my left ear.

“That’s Maverick. Maverick Randall” she said, and I knew I’ve heard the name before. “He’s so slick and fast, I’d say one of the fastest students in Lycan high other than Dante. But you have to be careful with him."

“Why?” I asked.

“Because he’s no good company. He uses his gift for evil, and he takes things without permission”

“You mean steal?”

“Well, whatever. I didn’t say so, so hush. Here he comes” Kez held me close like she feared I’d vanish in a split second.

Maverick walked towards us with a gentle smile, flashing parts of his golden teeth, which made him look a lot like a gangster.

Mother would freak out if I was intimate with him, I thought. How about I ask him out? Maybe I should ask him out and see where things go. I thought in a light shrug.

The cafeteria’s door was just behind. Maverick stretched his right hand forward. He had a diamond wristwatch on the left, and his voice cracked as he said;

“Hey”

“Hey.” Kez replied, shaking his hand before he reached me.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of me.  I believe she’s already given you a pro tip on the most evil boy in school didn’t she?”

“Kinda” I replied “Nothing I’m sure of” then he smiled more.

“I suppose I’m the vibe everyone is lacking around here” he continued, right before everything paused as his left hand stretched towards my chest.

His eyes faced me, but I was damn sure something was about to happen. I could taste it at the tip of my tongue.

His fingers came closer to the Hecatolite, and it glowed with a radiant orange. Immediately, I felt a wave hit me from behind, and I found my left hand holding on to his right. My body turned, and soon, Maverick flew over a number of head’s like he was some sort of tennis ball, just before he slid on the soft floor, halting in front of the cafeteria’s door.

I snapped.

“What happened?” Kez asked, confused to see Maverick Randall on the floor.

“I don’t know” I answered. But I was definitely sure I did something.

We both kept on walking. Eyes turned towards us, and I was a hundred per cent sure they all glanced at me.

We crossed over Mavericks body, and I saw his body twitch before we entered into the cafeteria. I prayed Maverick wasn’t dead because if he was, I wouldn’t need to second guess the way I’d flee from Hells-Ending.

The hall was rowdy. The Cattivo boys sat round a table, tossing French fries at themselves. Matt looked overjoyed.

“We did it, baby!” he exclaimed. “We birth a wolf!”

Suddenly, my mind was infuriated. I wanted to make him pay for what he did to Chester. And though he didn’t notice he was the bad guy, he gained lots of pride trying to pose as the good guy, which still seemed very vague to me.

He turned, soon enough, placing two fingers at his eyes before throwing them directly at me in a non-threatening way, which seemed like he meant to say ‘He was watching me’
Others weren’t different. They spoke a little loud and played with their food, most of which involved Buffalo wings or chicken breasts. A few sat above the table, and others had no respect entirely for their food. But what do I know? I’m just an outsider in a new world.

Kez stayed in line, and I stood behind her. On her tray was a wrap of ham burger alongside a plastic cup of smoothie. I had the regular fries and ketchup, heading to a vacant table close to the large glass windows.

“What just happened?” Keziah asked with a mesmerized tone. I was shocked by her question.

“I don’t know” I enunciated.

“You threw Maverick Randall across the hall?”

“I had no idea what was happening. It just happened”

“He won’t let this pass by Tee. He’s highly vengeful” Kez’s voice had a touch of quiver while she spoke. “Once, Dante beat the hell out of him because he took his wallet from behind his trouser pocket. Then he paid off the Cattivo boys to side with him so they could take Dante down, but he was too strong for them. His face vibrated with rage, and then the next thing, we saw him fall from the rooftop, and he landed directly on his head.

“Why?” I asked

“Because he failed to bring Dante down. Luckily, his broken ribs and fractured skull healed up in a matter of hours. And to date, I still believe he holds a grudge” she sighed.

“He normally acts weird. And his father owns two wells”

“Wells?” I asked, seeming unsurprised at what she said. “There’s nothing special about an ordinary well. We had wells back in Tristan”

“That’s not what I mean, Trinity. His father owns an oil well behind the mountains of Hells-Ending. Every gas we use in this city belongs to his father. The diesel, fuel, name it. They’re just super rich”

“If his dad is that rich, why does he steal?”

“I didn’t say that, Tee. He just picks things without asking” she took a huge bite on her burger.

I glanced at my piece of fries, picking one up before tearing it in half. I threw it in my mouth, munched, and swallowed before picking up another as I stared out the glass walls. And then I saw him pass on his black bike.

Chester.

I didn’t think twice when I rose from the oblong table. I had to know about everything he wrote down. More importantly, I had to know how he fared after moments of unbearable trauma.

In no time, I was out of the cafeteria. Maverick wasn’t close to the premises, and I felt a bit of concern. I hurried out the hallway, walking down the staircases until I saw Chester paddling his bike from a distance.

I couldn’t run to him, for I believed I was slow, and neither could I teleport to him. I was hopeless at the moment. His cologne came in so strong that I had to take a deep breath, inhaling every debris of his scent before I turned and bumped into a body so strong, I lost balance.

“I’m sorry” he said, holding me close to himself. His body was warm, and his hand was wrapped around my waist.

“It’s fine” I replied. Yet he had to ask if I was okay again. I nodded in response, picking his notebook from the floor.

“You’re sure you’re fine?” he asked, and I had to think of what he felt like. For Christ sakes I bumped into his body, not a Benz truck, I thought with my eyes rolled to the side.

Nonetheless, I exhaled a dry yes, and he dusted his notebook.

“I got you this” he said, giving me a white tulip. I wondered where it appeared from. I collected it, perceiving its scent. Chester’s scent still filled the air and was much stronger.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing.” I shrugged. “I just needed some air”

“Well you need it. Sometimes boys could be cruel”

“Yeah”

“So we’ll meet tonight, right?”

“What’s happening tonight?” I asked, and he looked surprised.

“The twins’ party? It’s one of their annual parties, so I can’t afford to miss” I nodded with my sight on the floor. My hands were buried inside my trousers, and I badly wanted Dante to leave. I felt small in front of him.

“So will I see you or not?”

“Maybe you will” I responded with my arms folded “Maybe not” Then he smiled for the very first time.

“Awesome. I’ll see you around” He turned his back on me and ran up the road.

School ended, and Keziah spoke of how Dante got hit by a truck in the morning. At least it explained why he acted so weird, wincing like he was in labour.

Notwithstanding, Dante seemed nice. He was feared and respected by students, which made me wonder why. But the last minutes we spent together wasn’t bad. At least it lasted a while before he ran off the way he did in the morning.

Mateo dropped me off at the front porch. I could inhale what dad cooked, and it smelt burnt.

“I’ll stop by later” Kez said while Mateo drove forward. I never believed I could make good friends with anyone, yet I did. And I felt a responsibility of friendship engulf me.

I walked inside and headed straight to the kitchen, only to find dad whisking eggs.

“Hey” he turned at the sound of my voice.

“My beautiful” he replied, dropping the bowl above the counter as he walked towards me.

He hugged me, and his body smelt like burnt meat, though I didn’t say a thing about it. We both knew very well that he was terrible in the kitchen.

“How did your day go?” I shrugged.

“I threw someone today, and he slid on the floor”

“Well good!” he smiled “No one messes with my daughter and gets free”

“It was an accident” I said, yet he smiled more.

“Even better! You’re a natural, my love. If you don’t hurt them, they’ll hurt you, and you won’t like to be hurt again”

“O-kay?” I stressed, questioningly. Father’s act was new. Back in Tristan, he scolded me each time I got into a fight with anyone. This time around, he was proud of my actions, like they had a hidden value, and my price would soon be unveiled.

“I’ll be going to a party tonight” I continued. Dad looked at me while he kept whisking the eggs in the bowl.

“What kind of party?” he asked.

“Just a normal party. It’s one of Kez’s friends”

“I thought you disliked parties?”

“And I still do. But they’re looking forward to seeing me there, and it won’t be fair if I give them false hopes”

“Alright then” he replied “I just hope you’re not lying so you could meet up with some boy”

“No, no boys” I nodded “Not at all”

“Then come back in one piece, okay?”

“Sure” I said, walking out the kitchen in haste before heading to my room.

I took a fast shower, letting the water drip down my hair, and the beads rolled down to the tubs’ floor. I liked it when my hair felt damped. But it always steamed when I got dressed, and to me, it seemed unfair that I should be played by my own nature.

Thirty minutes later, Dad called me out to eat, and I feared I wouldn’t survive the first bite. Shockingly, the food was quite palatable and delicious at the same time. He later confessed he had to watch a tutorial video online on how to cook spaghetti and meatballs. Nonetheless, he was honest. Most fathers would’ve pride in their emptiness, knowing quite well their efforts in the kitchen mounted to 30%.

The night was splendid, regardless. We ate silently like we always did. But then a flash of mother’s face crossed my mind, and I had to throw in the big question during what I thought was the right time.

“Was mother a werewolf?”

He stared at me, rolling his fork in his pasta before looking at his plate.

“I’m not sure” he said, and I listened to his pulse rise. “She was a fan of werewolf stories, though. She wouldn’t stop talking about it” and of this, I was sure.

All I wanted from him was the truth and nothing but the truth, yet the truth seemed so hard to spit out. I knew what mother was. Maybe he didn’t know I knew this yet, while he made no effort in trying to ease the burden.

I lost my appetite, noticing his unwillingness to reveal the truth. I kept my dish in the kitchen before walking to my room.

Keziah came in an hour before five. She scanned through my whole clothes that hung in the wardrobe, throwing out a few on the mattress, including the turtle neck sweater and big black hoodie.

“I don’t want to go” I said, and she rolled her eyes at me.

“Look, Trinity. You’re my right wing from now on. Hope you know what that means?”

“I’m your personal assistant?” I answered, and she nodded sideways, placing her hands atop my shoulders.

“It means wherever I go, you go. Am I clear?”

“Yes” I exhaled in response “I guess you’re clear”

“Good. Now I order you to stop being a party grinch and get your ass dressed in these!” she held up a red cheque shirt in her left hand and a white T-shirt in the other.

Mateo still leaned on the door’s frame like he intended, watching me pull off my clothes.

“Can you have some decency and allow us some privacy?” Kez asked. Yet he nonchalantly stood.

“What’s there that I haven’t seen?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Don’t be an asshole. Walk out and close the door behind” Mateo scoffed, doing exactly as she said. For added security, Kez ensured the door was locked shut.

"He’s a perv” she teased, and it made me smile.

I got dressed in no time, and soon we left for the house of the twins. Father stood at the door like he was my personal bodyguard for the night.

“Take care of my muffin, okay?” he said, kissing me on the forehead.

“Don’t worry about it sir” Mateo replied with a sense of responsibility in his tone. “She’s in safe hands”

“10:00 pm on the dot, okay?” I scoffed at dad’s loud utterance, entering the back door in the same time as Kez.

“Hey baby” Mateo leaned to the lady beside. The same lady with the lavender hair who rode with us the other day. We still hadn’t introduced ourselves yet. But my guess was that she’s friendly.

They kissed for a while, and Kez clasped her fists beneath her chin.

“Aren’t they adorable?” she asked, and I scoffed.

“They wish” I said to myself, yet they turned towards me like I was the bad guy.
Mateo ignited the car, and soon we were on our way.

“You’ll enjoy this” Kez said in hold of my right hand. I smiled, clenching my jaws, because I didn’t want to believe her.

Already, I hoped for the worst, regardless. I hoped for violence and pain, and endless fights. For nothing could be predicted in Hells-Ending. Not even the possibility of waking up the next morning.