The Emerald Pendulum

{02} Replaced

Chapter 2: Replaced.

I know it's been a while but I didn't know what else to do.

***

I got down from the school bus and walked into a foreign premises, it's been nine months since I last stepped my foot in any place asides my home, the hospital and the cemetery.

The air around was also foreign, I was beginning to feel nauseated. I winced as I drank in the scene, at some point I had my use to hands as a shield over my eyes from the blinding sun rays.

The school building looks different from the last time I saw it, probably after our Christmas Carol party because the accident happened in January, I didn't resume to finish that academic year, but somehow I had taken courses from home and written some online tests and voila I was also transferred to the new class, with the rest of my mates. I kinda feel like it was more of a pity party, because I'm not sure I did well enough in those tests. Anyways all that matters now is that I was here and being promoted.

I walked cautiously, carefully placing my foot as I walked through the pavement that led to the main building entrance. I was nailing the 'look before you leap' action. Touche?. Honestly I'm not tryna be cool or anything, everywhere just feels strange, the whole environment had more trees and flowers all around, they even put gargoyles, I spotted one in the center of the fountain, while two other gargoyles were at the end of either parts of the sidewalk, like a gate or something. Definitely cliche!.

I finally reached the end of the sidewalk, I exhaled slowly and heaved a sigh of -definitely not relief-... I was gripping the hand of my bag so much that my knuckles turned white.

"Get a grip of yourself Maya, it's just school, you've done this a thousand times, what's another?." I muttered to myself.

Uhm hello?... You've been away for nine months!. I heard my inner voice speak to me.

Is it just me or does anyone else have mind conversations?.

Trust me, it's not just an introvert thing!. It help inner communication, I guess.

"MAYAAAAA!!." I heard a loud shriek of my name from behind me.

As if on cue, heads turned to look at the mystery screaming girl, I did the same, it was me she was calling after all.

I turned around and saw a dark curly haired girl skipping towards me. She kept coming with that same force till she came colliding on me. I won't lie I did my best to resist the urge of running out of the way so she could crash into the rose bush. That'll have been way more amusing.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!, You really came!." She was super excited.

I was finding it hard to show the same amusement. Although I was equally as happy to see her but showing excitement just isn't my thing. It's a cheerleading thing! And I'm definitely not one. Periodt!.

"Talia!." I hugged her to avoid hurting her feelings.

"Wow you look different." She said to me as she eye scanned me like a mother and her five year old daughter.

Nine months isn't a joke!. Okay seriously, I need to tame that voice.

"And you've grown taller!." I told her and smiled.

"Come on, it's your first day in school since the incident, I'm sure everyone would be pretty synced to have you back!." She wabbled on.

I nodded. Oh well!.

Talia Rodriguez has been my best friend since as far back as the beginning of middle school, although we knew each other since elementary, but we became real close when we entered middle school, she had been with me through thick and thin ever since. Surprisingly though, she was a half cast, a black Mom probably from South Africa or something which explained her bouncy dark curls, while her dad was a blue eyed Mexican. Yes she speaks Latin and Spanish and she's very good in poetry, rhymes and all of that. Talia had amber colored eyes which is very rare!. She was fifteen like me but with a more tanned skin and high cheek bones, she loves books, school, learning new stuff, skipping, writing poetry and keeping me synced. Yeah I've done my best, maybe that's all I know about my bestie.

We went straight to our lockers at the left side of the school hallway which was being flooded with sophomores and freshmen, Juniors, seniors, jocks, dorks, nerds, mascots and every other jolly being in the universe asides me.

I punched my password and my locker door creaked open like an old wooden cabin door, I looked into it and saw that my books were covered in dust. I've really been gone for a while.

I slammed the locker door back in defeat, I returned back to school to try to get my mind off stuff not to keep seeing constant reminders.

I turned around and did the 'facepalm', as I rested my head against the locker door, Talia looked at me with sad eyes. I wasn't in the mood for a pity party.

"So... What's new around here?." I asked casually and just in time to escape her own unanswerable questions.

"Are you kidding me?!, You've been gone for nine months, Maya, a lot has changed!." She exclaimed with bright eyes and hair flicking.

Probably an unconscious act because she does it all the time or she just wanted to keep flaunting her great hair, either ways, what does it matter?!.

"The last thing I need right now is a constant reminder Tally!." I groaned.

"Now you make my name sound like a term in calculus, you know statistics!." She rolled her eyes. "You've never been good with naming, just stick to doing magic tricks sweetheart." She added and patted my shoulder playfully.

I hate this girl.

"Maya Valdez right?." A cute cheesy looking spiked haired guy walked up to us and spoke to me.

Yeah my Dad is also Mexican, well not entirely either because his Mom was American. That's one thing Talia and I have in common both our Dads were Mexicans, although my Mom is a full blown American. There were times Talia and I used to think we were long lost cousins, that probably our fathers were related. Hmm childish mentalities.

"Yeah!, and you are?."

"Spike Smith!." He said courtly and shook my hands gently.

What a lovely coincidence that his name was Spike and his hair was spiked?, He probably did it on purpose. Touché!. Everyone in this school definitely has great hair.

"Anyways gotta go, I'll see you around!." He added almost too quickly and made a smooth exit.

"You asked what has changed around here, that's one!." Talia said to me.

"Oh really now."

"Yeah, let's head to class, I'll fill you in on the gist on our way."

I nodded and followed by her side as we went down the hallway.

"Spike is actually a new guy, popped up last spring, and joined theatre, it was fun having him around though, he is really good-"

"Good at what?." I cut in. I was always impatient.

"Magic tricks!, you need to see him perform, he stole Miss Lainey's heart and Mr. Eduardo's too. You see when you were absent, we needed someone to fill in the gap and take over, Miss Lainey nor Eduardo could handle the responsibility so they decided to interview us all, they felt spike was perfect for the spot and so did we... He is presently our new Captain, plus he is also in the students council." Talia explained to me.

Wow that's shocking, I mean for a new comer at our school.

"So you're saying they replaced me?."

She nodded sadly. I smiled and just felt it's was okay, I was gone for nine months, enough time for an infant to be born, the group could have really needed a leader, plus he seems up and doing. I'm fine with everything so far as he treats my ex position well.

Well unlike normal theatre kids, our own unit was quite different, none of us liked cliche, so we decided to make a difference. We put up shows and all but ours was mostly about magic tricks. We performed a new Magic show every month for the school, it was like our thing.

Although we still had some other ladies and dweebs in the theatre who act plays like Romeo and Juliet, pride and prejudice, wuthering heights, phantom and the likes. The phantom though was my favorite, probably because I like magic, and it had to do with some relateable magic and paranormal stuff, ghoul was my favorite character from the play, well not just because the person who played the role was Dylan Miller...

Who is Dylan Miller?. You'll know soon enough.

We all worked as a team though, it was easier to communicate, relate and understand each other when one of us was the one leading, that's why I was picked in the beginning, I had the qualities and qualifications plus everyone loved me. I am the one with the best magic tricks after all.

Sorry... I used to be rather.

"I can promise you one thing though, the team has never been better!." Talia tried to cheer me up.

"So you're indirectly saying, I was a bad team captain."

It was my turn to roll my eyes at her.

"Come on Maya, you know I don't mean it that way!." She pouted.

***

"Maya, its nice to have you back on the team." Mr Eduardo said to me as he hugged me lightly.

This was the first day of school and our team was already reporting for rehearsals, yeah we were dedicated and obessed with our work. It was nice being back.

I smiled and nodded as other team members exchanged pleasantries with me, at least they weren't pity party, so it's a start.

"Maya, always a pleasure to see you, the team has missed your talent." Miss Lainey exclaimed delightedly.

I smiled back in response and nodded, I felt proud of myself.

For a nano second, my actual ordeal escaped me.

"Okay... Everyone gather round!." Miss Lainey called out to all of us, in the theatre, as she clapped her hands to get our attention.

She was standing on a soap box, like someone who was protesting. I giggled at the thought. Mr Eduardo was perched on her side but he was standing on the tiled floor.

Most times, we match make them, we all believe they are made for each, they both love magic, the theatre, their job, they even lived close to each other, plus they always walk to school together.

Trust us, theatre kids... We've teased them about it, a million times, plus we even came up with a ship name for them... LAINARDO!.

"Eddie and I would like to officially welcome y'all, to this new semester, we are looking forward to making more theatre memories this academic year, cheers to another awesome year!." Miss Lainey chattered happily.

We all clapped in one accord.

"And also, this semester, we have one of our very own, joining us again... Former team captain and our very own Queen of Magic tricks... Maya Valdez!." Mr Eduardo chipped in, as he motioned for me to join him out front.

I felt loved as everyone clapped and greeted me with so much respect. It feels real good to be a star.

I waved back and smiled till I felt my cheeks cramp...

It's been very long, since you smiled this much Maya. My inner mind said to me.

I mentally shoved her away. But come to think of it, that's actually very true, in the last nine months all I've been doing is crying all day, screaming in frustration, being bitter, feeling gloomy and hollow and wishing for what once was.

"Spike please come forward!." Mrs Lainey called out.

The boy whom had greeted me earlier, came out front and stood by my side, I glanced up at him curiously and he just gave me a small smile.

I have a sinister feeling about him, like there's something he is hiding.

Well I do have sinister feelings about a lot of people, so I'm just gonna wave it off... For now!.

Let's give him a chance. I heard my inner mind speak to me.

Fine whatever!. I mentally replied myself.

Plus he is cute... Look at those piercing dark eyes. The voice in my head added.

Ugh!. I shoved the voice out. She is starting to get annoying.

"Maya?." Miss Lainey called my attention. "This is the new Team Captain, Spike Smith." She added, making attempts if introducing us.

Spike smiled and shook my hand, I felt a weird feeling creep into my chest immediately our hands touched, I quickly retracted my hands.

"I'm sorry, I used the bathroom and forgot to wash my hands!." I muttered to him, to hide what I was actually feeling and cover for my sudden change of mood.

"It's okay!." He muttered back and smiled knowingly.

I shoked my head and looked away.

"Show of hands, how many of y'all will like Maya to be Team Captain again?." Miss Lainey asked the team.

Virtually almost everyone raised their hands, I couldn't help but blush.

"Okay, let's do it this way... As we all know Maya has been absent, for quite a long time!... It won't be nice to just strip the fine gentleman of his post..."

Great... A reminder!.

"Spike was able to fill in the gap properly, but since we all are used to Maya... How about both Maya and Spike assume the position of Team Captain but Maya will be the assistant... Cool?." Mr Eduardo added.

Everyone seemed to be cool with it, I am also cool with it, but after what I just felt, I may be a little paranoid, well over the years I tend to be able to discern people.

Surprisingly though I didn't have this feeling when we first met in the Halls.

"Okay since y'all are cool with it, Eddie kindly call out the rest of this semester's escos." Miss Lainey said to Mr Eduardo.

"Team Captain this semester we have both Spike and Maya, Talia Rodriguez still remains our able Stage manager and script writer, Isaac is our tech producer and Dylan is still King of the Theater, applauds for our escos." Mr Eduardo said.

The small crew of about twenty high schoolers cheered happily. The entire theater group were about thirty in number, that includes, the other cheesy actors and our magic trick performers.

It felt really nice to be back.

"Okay guys, that's all for today, rehearsals commences next week effective immediately, see y'all then!." Miss Lainey dismissed us finally.

Theater rehearsals and meetings were actually extra curricular and done after school hours, so right now, it was time to head home. It's not like I had any other place to be though.

Talia and I left the hall together.

"How does it feel to be back on the Team and also being captain again?." Talia asked me as we walked out of the school building.

"Assistant!." I corrected her. "But it feels great honestly, after all this time the team still wants me to be their leader." I added and managed a small smile.

"We all love you Maya, it really means a lot having you back, plus we've all missed you, Theater was never the same without their Queen!." Talia teased me.

"Thanks Leah!." I beamed and she pulled me into a bear hug.

We skipped down the flight of stairs.

"Maya!." A familiar voice yelled from behind us.

Talia and I turned together.

It was my second favorite person in this school, the one with sandy blond hair and piercing electric blue eyes, who always had this gorgeous smirk on his face.

"Dylan!." I beamed.

He raced towards us and pulled me into a bear hug as he swirled me around causing my dark hair to become a mess due to the calm autumn wind that was blowing. I have missed this.

"Hey Leah!." He waved at Talia after putting me down.

"Dylan Miller..." She beamed and casted him her usual perusal.

"What's my offense again?." Dylan asked Talia.

They weren't actually beefing though just messing around.

"Stealing my best friend's heart!." Talia shoved him playfully.

"Aha!." He exclaimed with his usual flare and glamour.

We all laughed at that.

"It's nice to have you back Hazel!." Dylan teased me as he poked my nose.

I pouted and gave him a death stare, that made him laugh hard.

"Mind if I walk you home?." Dylan asked me.

"Sure!."

"Hello!, I'm still here!, Anyways my Dad is here to pick me up, protect my best friend will you?." Talia said to us and then hugged me before leaving.

She casted one last snarling glance at Dylan and he just smirked at her.

"Your old man awaits... Be gone Talia!." He sounded like he was reading from his stage scripts.

Well Talia writes them, he was teasing her.

Ha!, This two... My favorites!.

I can't help but love them.

"Come on, let's go!." He said to me after we watched Talia make her exit.

***

A/N: Yay thanks for reading to the end. I hope you liked this chapter pls rate and Comment and also share with your friends. Btw the writing at the beginning was just something from my mind!.

TheShadyButterfly?.