Oblivion

CHAPTER 7: Childhood Memories

EVA LEVESQUE

“Can’t sleep?”

I tossed and turned in my bed until I faced Irene laying flat on her back staring at the ceiling. I sighed and decided to lay on my back as well. We both stared at the ceiling in silence.

“The stars are so cheesy,” she joked. I chuckled while looking at the tiny star-shaped stickers that were glued to the ceiling. They glowed a faint green color in the darkness of the room.

“I think they’re cute,” I contradicted. “They add a special touch to the room.”

“They think we’re still kids,” she snorted.

“But we still are,” I countered, “we’re only seventeen turning eighteen”

“We’re old enough to marry,” she added. I shrugged.

“That’s too young,” I told her, but then I realized something and smiled a little “but I wouldn’t mind getting married this early to a person I love the most.”

My smile grew wider while I thought about walking down the aisle with a cute white dress and a beautiful bouquet of flowers. My friends would be looking at me and congratulating me from the pew and I’d hold dad’s arm as he escorts me to the front.

And Sigrid would be waiting for me at the front, smiling. And we’d get married and live a happy life together.

I didn’t realize I was smiling cheekily all by myself when I heard Irene’s loud snore. I looked at her and my smile faded, she was already sleeping. I sighed and looked at the ceiling again.

“They’re so pretty,” I whispered to myself.

Not until I heard a thump somewhere from the room. I decided to ignore it since maybe it was just small animals or cats.

Thump

I sat down in my bed and looked around the room. I wasn’t imagining it this time. I got off the bed and sat at Irene’s bed. Her arms and legs were spread around the bed and her bed fell on the floor. Her mouth was open and drooling.

I won’t be able to wake her up. I then turned to Helle but she was covered in her blanket, not a single body part was seen.

Thump

There it was again. I decided to take the flashlight from my desk and looked around. I then realized that the sound came from the terrace door. I walked towards it and saw a boy from below throwing tiny rocks at the glass door.

My eyes widened when I realized who it was. I immediately opened the terrace trying not to make a sound.

“Sigrid! What are you doing here?!” I whispered when I reached the railings of the terrace. He grinned at me and signaled me to step back and so I did. It was only seconds when he jumped from the tree beside our terrace and unto the railings on our terrace.

My eyes widened and I looked around for prefects who are patrolling the night. If they found out that Sigrid is at the ladies’ dormitory, he could be expelled.

“You’re not supposed to be here!” I scolded him, “you’d be expelled if they find out!”

He chuckled and pulled me to the glass door and sat with his legs crossed on the floor. He then patted the space next to him. I was hesitant but he kept grinning and patting the floor so I sighed and sat beside him.

“They won’t find out, chill.” He said, “I’m here to check on you, you okay?”

I bit my lip to keep myself from smiling.

“I’m fine,” I told him meekly “you were concerned about me that’s why you came all the way here?”

I asked him hopefully. I carefully watched his reaction and his answer.

“Of course,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone, “you are my friend, why would I not be worried about you?”

My smile quickly disappeared when he said that. I sighed and turned my face from him and stared off into space. Now that I see it, it’s an almost full moon in just a couple of days. The stars were shining brightly but not as bright from where I came from. The city had lesser stars because of the pollution.

The cold air touched my face and I couldn’t help but close my eyes. I was stressed out these days and I couldn’t even appreciate the school and where I am at. The night is so peaceful compared to school days.

“Do you remember that time at the playground where we first met?” he suddenly said. I turned to him, shocked because of his sudden question.

“When you were still a little boy being bullied?” I asked. He nodded, still staring at the moon.

“Yeah, I was thin and small back then. I was made fun of for being adopted and I didn’t know how to defend myself since I was extremely thin because I was bought from an auction.” He said.

I looked at him. His dark eyes and hair sparkled from the reflection of the moon. His face lit up and his sharp features became clear. He changed a lot ever since we were kids. His adoptive father was a wealthy merchant even from back then and he bought Sigrid when he was a child being sold off to merchants as slaves.

“Yeah,” I agreed, completely bewitched by his looks “you look so different from before, you even have people love you without you trying.”

“When you came running to me full speed with your katana because you were about to go practice, I thought you were the strongest and coolest person I met. When you swayed your weapon to scare away the bullies, I thought that you were a master swordsman” he said, his eyes full of admiration.

“Really?” I asked, quite shocked. That time I just wanted to run away and I didn’t want to get involved cause my dad would beat my butt if I did. I just ran towards them like a lunatic and swayed for sword mindlessly. It was dangerous but at least my katana was unsheathed.

My dad punished and grounded me later that day.

I chuckled nervously.

“O-of course, I’m always the type to help people in need,” I told him. He laughed and shook his head.

“I know you got punished that day,” he said, “Irene told me, I already knew her that time.”

I stopped laughing and put on a blank face and looked away.

“Oh,” I said.

“But that’s not the point,” he said, “when I saw you run towards me and saved me without even knowing who I was, I promised myself to get stronger and protect you in return.”

I looked at him. I felt my cheeks heat up and my chest pounded. I hated him for saying such things and making my heart pound even though I know that he’s just saying that as a friend.

“What and who you are doesn’t matter to me, Irene, Helle, and even Kyros. You don’t need to listen to what other people say, Eva, you have me and our friends, you don’t need anybody else.” He said, turning and looking into my eyes “I promise to protect and save you like how you did it for me.”

“What’s that about Sigrid?” I told him bitterly, “why do you keep making me love you more? Can’t you just marry—”

“Oops, look at the time,” he said, looking at his wrist when it doesn’t even have a watch “time for me to go”

“But—”

“Bye!” he said as he jumped from the terrace railings. I was left there speechless and my brows furrowed.

“Stupid Sigrid,” I whispered, obviously annoyed “stop telling things that make me love you if you won’t take responsibility!” I screamed.

“Hey! People are trying to sleep here!” I hear someone scream back.

“Get lost loser!” another answered.

My eyes widened as I secretly and immediately crawled back inside the room.

--

The next day was just another stressful day where our professor decided to have a surprise quiz. It was just a hundred-item test that covered the discussions we had where I was dozing off most of the time. Of course, I wasn’t able to pass it. It was hard to even for the smartest students. I may be saying this as an attempt to cover up the fact that I failed this test and the score will be sent to dad and the possibility that I won’t be able to enjoy summer vacation because I’ll be at home studying under my dad’s supervision.

I turned when I felt someone touch my back. I saw Irene whose expression was asking ‘did you flunk it too?’

I nodded at laid my head on the table with my arm as a pillow. I don’t even want to talk about it, I’m scared just even thinking about failing this subject. I sighed heavily and closed my eyes tightly.

“It’s alright Miss Eva,” I lifted my head just to see Helle standing in front of me. “The young Mistress also flunked the test. That means it was an extremely hard exam.”

The top side of my lips lifted and glared at her.

“I guess you got a B+?” I asked her. She smiled a little but I still see the malice and pride in her eyes.

“But of course, Miss Eva. This type of test is easy for me.” She said confidently, “I could tutor you for a discounted amount—”

“Just go away Helle” I laid on my desk again and waved my hand in front of her to make her go away. I could only imagine her smirking and shrugging.

“If you ever change your mind, my offer still stands miss Eva,” she said and I finally heard steps of her going away.

Helle that little—all she does is squeeze me and Irene our allowances. She offers tutors and materials -which I don’t know where she got it- at a ridiculously high price. I get my grades up though and it’s proven to be effective but I starved for a month because I had no money left.

I felt someone touch my shoulder again so I jerked my head up.

“Helle I told you I’m poor! I don’t need tutori—oh,” I stopped raising my voice when I realized it was not Helle but a classmate of mine.

“The council president wants to talk to you,” she kindly said. She was a hybrid with pink-colored skin and jet black eyes, she also had sharp ears and razor-like teeth “Cory’s family is here and also wants to talk to you.”

I wasn’t able to answer. I felt nervous even though I know that I’m innocent. Why is this happening again?

--

END