The Sight Beyond The Haze

Chapter 6: Different Colors Falling From Up Above

"What is it, huh?" he questioned with a faint smile. "You seems so serious. Drugs? Weeds? Make-up?"

I raised my eyebrows at his statement, at his rather vulgar statement.

"Just kidding!" he laughed again.

"Give me information about Zachriel," I said quickly and quietly, "and I'll pay you."

My cheeks flushed and my eyes became evasive, I cannot look at him directly but my jaw was already clenched and not wven shame could make me back down. I wonder what he was thinking about me right now? Another girl crazily infatuated to his friend? Weird stalker? A psycho? Maybe all those at once?

His eyes grew ferocious again and slitted before speaking to me again, but his tone was light and almost friendly, "Zachriel, huh? Why would I do that? Spy on my friend? That's not my style."

"It is none of your business." I said fiercely, though my knees buckled just slightly and I hope he won't notice. "I just want to know something about him. I won't bother him if that worries you. I'm not stalking him either. I just want to confirm something."

He stayed silent for a long time and every moment that pass made me more nervous.

"Sorry," he suddenly said and smiled, again, but this one he seemed to be apologetic about it. "Can't do it."

"Why ever not?" I asked seriously.

"Even if you can even afford to pay me that much," I knotted my forehead at his emphasis of the word afford and he seemed to have noticed it. "I've got long list of things to buy. Caspian the i***t is going to throw two to three more parties this month. And some girls want a lot of make-ups the following days. And...other stuffs," he ended rather mysteriously, then he looked up like he was expecting something from above, then he turned to me. "I'm busy right now, really. So I can't do that right now. Why don't you ask Zachriel yourself?"

"I told you I won't bother him," I answered quietly in a solemn voice, "And how much do you want me to pay you?"

"I just can't spy on my own friend, Seraphim. I'll do you a favor, though. I won't tell him about this or I won't even tell anyone. Sorry, Seraphim, I just can't do what you are asking me to do," he said with finality and stood up, he towered over me and looked down. I shook with frustration at his stare but still looked up at him. "And if I were you I'll stay away from him. It's not good for you, Seraphin."

"My name is Seraphim," I said in the wind.

But he was already walking away from me.

I breathed deeply and watched Hermes's retreating back. I did not expect that to turn that way. I just hoped he uphold his word and the he wouldn't tell Zachriel or anyone or else if he did, I might die of shame.

Many people would take it in a wrong way, and I'd rather be a lurker than be thought of something else entirely so I just let it go, not thinking that it would worth it. At least I gave it a chance though however slim that chance was.

"I can't help but to listen," a serene voice suddenly stated.

I looked on my back, where Hermes walked to, and intended to find where the voice came from but see not a single soul nor shadow. The voice I heard was nothing familiar. Mystic and enigmatic voice, which I was almost sure I had never heard before but almost sounded familiar too.

Then she fell.

She fell like a fallen angel.

A flash of violet and other beautiful colors came down with her. I have never seen someone move so gracefully. It was like she have wings.

It was like she was flying. Her arms outstretched behind her and I could only see little of her face because her violet hair exploded all over her head.

After she leaped down gracefully from the above, which meant from a thick branch of a tree where she was obscured by the shadows of other branches, she stood before me. I towered over her when she stood in front of me. She was so small but she emitted an aura over her that suggested that she was stronger than me, possibly stronger than everybody else. Both physically and intellectually.

She tossed back her very long violet hair with dramatic long fingers. Ripped jeans and a black tank top with printed letters as design.

An impish smile crept on her face, but her eyes were as ferocious as Hermes'. Maybe even more so. She put her hand inside her pockets and slouched, making her look smaller.

"Hello?" she smiled widely, her green eyes twinkling.

I frowned at her. I don't even know her yet she talked to me like we have known each other for a very long time.

"Hmn..." I acknowledged her and looked around to decrease the awkwardness I was feeling. "Hello," I said rather awkwardly.

"Who am I?" she asked me then pointed at herself.

My eyes widened when she guessed what I was about to ask her. I nodded and she smiled a bit as if it was already expected. I felt relief for not asking an ungainly question to someone who just literally jumped to me. She hasn't said anything nice, but it wasn't like she did something mean so instead of turning away from her, I gave us a chance to talk.

"Haziel..." she said slowly.

The girl pulled on a thick strand of my hair gently. It did not caused me pain, so I guessed she did not do it to hurt me. But it was enough for her to brought down my face so our faces got closer.

My eyes analyzed her almost immediately.

She looked like she was studying me and it made me shiver to look at her green eyes.

"Imbert," she then added softly.

She was now delicately twirling the end of my hair as I straightened my body, "How about you? You're Seraphim? I heard Hermes called you that."

Haziel Imbert.

Bianca didn't tell me anything about Haziel Imbert any more than the fact that Haziel Imbert just usually shows up in the middle of the school year.

"Yes," I answered formally.

"It's not good for you," she said suddenly and shook her pretty little head, catching me off my guard. "Just like what Hermes told you earlier."

I knotted my forehead and also shook my head. "Why are you saying that? What are you saying?"

"I know you know what I'm talking about," she said using her very enigmatic voice again.

"What..." I said in a whisper, my breath came to a halt and I swallowed hard.

My heart pounded. It was a kind of ache that I can't describe but it was shaking me pretty badly and my hands were turning ice-cold.

"Hermes is right," she continued, "it would never be good for you. Stay away from him."

My eyes became moist with the air blowing around us. My heart continued pounding mercilessly but my eyes stayed on her beautiful face. What was she doing with me?

"How would you know what is good for me and what is not?" I asked her. "We just met. You don't know anything about me."

I did not know why I suddenly got mad at her. She have this kind of effect in me that made me feel strong feelings. And now I was feeling anger because of her voice and what she was telling me.

"I know...things." she have this wistful look in her eyes that made me think that she was remembering something.

Then I remember my file lying on that dusty table, how Bianca said that someone must have read my file.

"Did you read my file?" I accusingly asked, but there was that restraint on my voice. When she heard that, her smirk grew wider.

"No," she said, no hint of any lying, "I don't need to read some petty files to know everything. I do not need that, my lady. If you won't take my advice and still wants to know anything about Zachriel, well then it is entirely up to you. But I warned you just in case."

"What are you talking about?" I asked rather confused at what she was saying. "And who are you to talk to me like that?"

"Like what?" she tilted her head as if she cannot grasp my point in her mind.

"Like you know me," I told her.

I sighed secretly and tiredly. Right now, I would like to just lie on my bed, unmoving like a statue.

This was pointless. Again, I spent my time doing a useless thing. If earlier I wasted my time on finding the files of Zachriel and the others, now I was talking with a psychopath girl that was telling me what I should do.

I turned my back at her, preparing to leave. I can't see any reason why I have to stay here and talk to her. She won't get it anyway.

"What if the answer you are looking for is not the answer you thought you wanted?" she suddenly asked. I stopped on my tracks, my back was still in front of her. "Answers. How far will you go to reach that thing?"

"What are you talking about?" I said through gritted teeth.

"Isn't that what you're looking for?" I looked back at her again with her questions. Just who was she again? "Answers? Why? Why are you so curious? Would you tell me?"

The words are so powerful that I staggered back, almost tripping because of a stone. I closed my eyes over my sight tightly and sighed again deeply.

"No," she disagreed with herself. Haziel Imbert c****d her head to the side as if she suddenly realized somethig. "You are too much, he can never be enough for you. No body ever is. You'll just break everything and the facade that others have so laboriously tried to build, bringing ruin in the process." She looked at me thoughtfully, like those words her mouth was spouting were not hers at all. "Just like the others. So..." she paused "just how much do you know?"

It clung to my ears.

Others.

I want to strangle her for saying those things, but thought better of it. Why would she say those kind of things? And so, I swallowed the words that was forming in my throat again.

I cannot beat her up physically, and I cannot even fight her verbally. It wasn't just because I was intimidated by her, but because I was still wary of her influence here in this school. I was not certain what would happen to me if I oppose her openly. I was not certain if Mr. Tharraleos would stand beside me if I got myself in that kind of trouble.

So instead of doing something, I just walked away. Defeated. But then I looked back to see her again, but only flashes of violet through the gap of tress signified that she was ever there at all.