Polaria: Da Capo

As told by Raine Althea Mont Carlo   The fateful day started like any other normal day. A shrill noise woke me and for a moment, I couldn't figure where I was. I looked around the cold, white room and saw lots of shelves filled with spare parts, bolts, nuts, thick wire, thin wire, screwdrivers and so on. I groaned inwardly. I fell asleep in my workroom again.   I glance at the small hard drive at the table in front of me. I remember tinkering at it last night until the wee hours in the morning.   With my whole back and neck hurting, I eased myself from my chair and stretched. The shrilly noise came from my television set that was scheduled to switch on every morning at five. It serves as an alarm clock whenever I went to work on my inventions here. I switched the TV off before going to my bedroom. I fought the urge to lie on my soft bed and sleep till kingdom come. I have more important things to do. I went straight to my baths to brush my teeth and changed into a bathing suit. I need to swim for about an hour every morning as a part of my daily routine. I add extra hours if I have a competition. After grabbing my towel and putting on my bathrobe, I went to our indoor Olympic-sized swimming pool.   The house is still and silent, but I know the servants are already up to do their work.   I do stretching for a few minutes before putting on my cap and goggles.   In the early hours of the morning, a normal person could not stand the cold of the water, but I am different. I'm very comfortable with this element, I could relax and think clearly while swimming. Whenever I had a bad dream, had to prepare for an exam, or after my mother scolded me, I always flop myself in the cold water to unwind. I don't know, but there's something in the water that soothes me, like a cold but comfy motherly embrace, like I'm inside my mother's womb again... rhetorically, of course. Sometimes like a warm massage or as calming as valium.   Like today, this dream I had, it's strange. Yeah, dreams are always strange, but this one is really strange because I feel like it's a part of a memory I had lost or suppressed. I'm not sure which.   Anyway, the dream goes like this; I saw a woman with flowing robes and really long hair; she looks oddly familiar to me but thinking about it now, it's impossible because the woman had no face-or at least, none that I can see clearly because the atmosphere in my dream is foggy. There was also a little girl about five years old or so, like the woman, she is also faceless. They were talking, an indistinct argument at first, and then I heard the little girl call the older woman her sister.   And then I heard the strangest thing. They are talking about a kingdom called Polaria.   Polaria... Where did I hear that word before?   I reached the end of the pool, exhausted.   "Don't you have classes today, Raine Althea Mont Carlo?" said a voice above me, and I look up automatically. I saw a black-haired woman with rimless eyeglasses standing by the pool in front of me, her arms crossed to her chest. It's my mother.   What did I do this time?   "Hi, Mum," I said, pulling off my goggles. I squinted in the sunlight and water running down my face. I also forced a smile to lighten her mood, but she only raised an eyebrow at me.   "Well?" she said, tapping her foot impatiently.   "Y-yes, I have. At eight." I stammered, watching my mother's jaw tense.   "At eight? Do you know what time it is? How long have you been in there?"   "Uhm, I don't know." I look at my wristwatch-it wasn't there anymore. I left it at my dresser. I almost want to kick myself.   "What did I tell you about wearing your prototype all the time?" Mother said, looking at her own watch. I can't help noticing that she's already wearing her laboratory coat. "It's half-past seven already."   "What?" I exclaimed in shock. That can't be right. I went in at five-thirty tops. I just can't stay underwater in two hours without coming up for air... Can I?   "Well? Why aren't you moving?"   "Sorry." I grab the steel ladder of the pool and my mother moves to wrap me with my large towel and I hurry towards the house afterwards.   On my way to my room, I heard voices from the entertainment room. Someone is talking about a serial killer in town. Mum must have left the TV on. Sure enough, when I'm climbing the stairs I saw her enter the room.   I showered as fast as I could, making sure that I won't reek with chlorine later. After that, I blow-dry my long, straight hair before pulling on my school uniform. I stood in front of my mirror while putting my shoes on, and I couldn't help but frown at the bespectacled girl staring back at me.   God, I really hate my glasses. They're making my blue peepers look abnormally large and ruin the style I had left. I've been meaning to ask Mum about ditching these glasses, but I don't know what I should tell her. I can't tell her that these glasses make me look ugly, that it makes me feel and look old or that the boys I like call me four-eyes- she'll kill me. Literally!   "Raine Althea!" A shout that burst me out of my train of thoughts.   "Coming!" I yelled back, then I grab my bag and ran towards the front door of the Manor.   I found my mother and my limousine waiting for me outside.   I kiss my mother goodbye as she hands me a large food keeper. "I packed your breakfast so that you could still eat while on your way to school."   "Oh, uhm-thanks." I took the food keeper, feeling awkward.   I can get my own food I'm not a three-year-old.   "I gotta go, Mum."   "Study hard," Mum said as my personal driver opens the passenger door for me. "Come straight home." I nod in reply as I enter the car. I almost jump in fright when I notice straight-faced women sitting across me in the car. They are wearing identical black suits and each woman had her hair tied in a neat ponytail.   Bodyguards.   "Good morning, Miss Raine." They said all at the same time.   "Mum-" I turn to my mother to protest, but she only looks at me like I'm dumb or something.   "There's a serial killer at large, thanks to the incompetence of the police force," Mum said in a matter-of-fact tone. "This person targets female students so I won't take any chances."   I completely understand where my mother is coming from. She lost dad on their wedding night—he drowned in the sea. She feared death ever since, that's the major reason Mum forced me to learn how to swim at a very young age. I appreciate the concern, but it's driving me insane! She's just paranoid. I've only had my last two bodyguards fired last two days ago. Now she hired not two but four of them.   "Mum, really, you don't have to do this. I don't speak to strangers, I don't go anywhere besides school and here. I can take care of myself." I tried hard not to sound defiant or something, but my mother scowled at me. "How can you even know that they're not the serial killer?"   "Raine Althea, don't you start with me, okay?" Mum said angrily, her arms crossed to her chest. "Just do as I say!"   I want to scream at her, but I know it won't do me any good, so I bit my lower lip instead. "Yes, mum."   My mother always has her way. She doesn't listen to me. I don't even know why I tried to reason with her.   "I've already given them instructions." Mum said in a calmer voice, "they will accompany you wherever you will go."   I clenched my fists on my lap and nodded gravely. This is worse than being a maximum-security prisoner.   "Goodbye, Mum."   "Don't embarrass me."   ***   "You should have been there. That rude guy didn't even apologize!" I try hard not to sound whiny at my classmate, seatmate and friend Cynthia, but I did not hide my irritation. We are talking in the classroom, like the rest of the class. Our Homeroom teacher is late.   "What a shame," Cynth said dreamily. She let out a deep sigh. "Really?" I said, scowling at her. "That's the only thing you can muster to tell me?"   After all the bad vibes I got at home, I expected a little peace at the only place I can show my true self-my school. But a few minutes ago, some guy bumped into me by the stairs. If I didn't grab the railings in time, I could have fallen to my death. The thing is, this guy did not apologize for what he did. Not a word! He just went past me like nothing happened. I won't get really pissed if I didn't catch sight of the sneer on his face.   He bumped me on purpose!   "Creep!" I wanted to scream at the memory, but I got distracted by Cynthia's sighs. I frown at her. "What's gotten into you? Virus on your hard drive?"   I watch in slight annoyance while my friend flicks her shoulder-length caramel-colored hair. Her brown eyes are actually twinkling.   "The lovebug!" She said like a love-struck teenager-only that she really is a teenager. "You should have seen him, he's so cute!"   "Him?"   "I met a really cute guy in the garden earlier," Cynth explains to me. "He's such a gentleman! He helped me pick up my books when they fell off my hands. He even carried them for me. He put the books here on this table, then hurried off. You should have seen that smile he gave me. A real killer!"   "That doesn't sound right," I said, thinking of the serial killer on the loose. "Lucky you. Unlike me..." I can feel my blood boiling again at the thought of the clod who bumped me. "What's his name anyway, your Prince Charming?"   Cynth must have liked the idea. She chuckled in delight. "I... have no idea."   Huh?   "You have no idea?" I repeated, just to make sure I didn't hear it wrong.   "Yeah! I forgot to ask. But I'm sure that his name is as beautiful as he is."   "Beautiful?" I retorted. "Isn't that strange? For--"   "It's the perfect adjective! Anyway, I think he's new here."   Come to think of it, my rude guy looks new too.   "Teacher's here!" Somebody said from the classroom door and we all get to our proper places. A few seconds later, the teacher, a stern-looking woman in her mid-thirties, enters the door and stands at the back of her desk. She likes us to call her Miss Fallon, so everybody knew that she's single.   She greeted, looking around at us. We all mumble a fine morning to her.   Miss Fallon doesn't need to have a roll call to know who's absent, because they arranged our seat alphabetically. The girl sitting between Cynthia and I do not go to school anymore.   "A new student will join our class starting today," Fallon said, looking at a file folder she is holding in her hand. She glances at the door of the room, "you may come in now."   A tall, dark guy enters and stands in front of us. We all watch him silently as he regards us with disinterest.   Something's strange about him.   "My name is Marren Drue," he said in a bored tone.   Cute accent, I thought. I like his messy ash gray hair, too. His eyes are bright green, like a cat's. And his ears... His ears are weird, it's pointed—I unconsciously touch my own ears. His ears are like... Like mine.   And then I realize...   "You!" I exclaim in shock and automatically, everyone in the class looks at me. I can feel my cheeks burn in embarrassment.   "You know him too?" Cynthia asks me in surprise. "He's the guy that helped me a while ago."   "But he's the brute guy I was talking about!"   Cynthia and I both look at the new guy, then look at each other again.   "Are you sure he's the one?" I ask her, I have photographic memory I'm sure this new guy is my rude guy.   "Yes, of course." And Cynthia sounds sure too.   Maybe this guy is bipolar.   "Miss Mont Carlo, Miss Grant, why don't you share with us your conversation," Miss Fallon said sternly.   I could feel my face redden in embarrassment. I cannot believe I forgot where we were. "S-sorry. We didn't mean to interrupt."   "I'm very sorry, Miss Fallon." Cynthia bowed her head low.   "Please continue, Mr. Drue." Good thing our teacher let it go. A rare thing. She must be smitten with this Drue guy.   "As I was saying, my name is Marren Drue. Sixteen years old. I came from Beryl City," Drue said while staring above our heads. He looks so bored it's obvious that he doesn't really want to be here, like he was being forced.   "Does anyone want to ask Mr. Drue a question?" Miss Fallon asks us, and many of my classmates shot their hands in the air.   "Yes, Miss Valley."   "I just want to ask," said a pink-faced girl with large eyeglasses and pigtailed hair. "Your eyes... Are those contacts?"   "No," Drue answers almost immediately. "They're real."   He dabs at his eyes so we'll believe him.   I can't believe that such color of the eyes exists! He's genetically engineered or something. He must be. That would explain the attitude.   "Did you bleach your hair? It's cool, man!" said another classmate, a lanky guy with narrow eyes.   Drue just shrugged at him. They fired many questions at him but he only answers them either with a shrug or a disinterested drawl. I'm beginning to really loathe this guy.   "Yes, Miss Grant?" When I heard Miss Fallon call Cynthia, I almost break my neck to look at her.   "Uhm, is-is it t-true-" Cynthia stammers and could not even look at Drue in the eye. "Is it true that you bumped into my friend Raine by the stairs earlier and you did not apologize?"   What? I can't believe Cynthia would mention that and mention 'me' by name!   "But you're such a gentleman when we met in the garden!" Cynthia continues. "You helped me when I dropped my books earlier."   "I don't know what you're talking about," Drue said blankly. "What's the big deal, anyway?"   "N-nothing." Cynthia sits down, defeated.   "What a--" I couldn't believe my ears! This guy is such a liar! "Cynth, did you hear that? He's a total creep!"   "No, Raine." I expected some tears in Cynthia's eyes because she's really sensitive, but there's none! In fact, she looks so infatuated I can almost see her eyes turn into pink hearts. "He's so humble! He denied helping me when he actually did!"   "You're a hopeless case, did you know that?" I retorted. I want to scream some sense into her. I'm sure he's talking about 'our' little accident, not theirs.   "What? Why? Isn't he sweet?"   "No, Cynthia, he's a turnoff."   Cynthia totally lost her mind!   "If there are no further questions, Mr. Drue, you can take that vacant seat in between Miss Grant and Miss Mont Carlo."   "What?" I exclaim before I could stop my mouth. I heard Cynthia let out a happy 'yay' and I shoot dagger-looks at her.   "Also, Miss Mont Carlo, as this class' president, it's your duty to tour your new classmate around the campus and you will also help him with anything he's not familiar with, understood?"   I open my mouth to protest, but nothing came out. I can only watch in great horror and disappointment as Drue takes his seat. "Is there a problem, Miss Mont Carlo?" Miss Fallon looks at me through her horned eyeglasses. She's challenging me to say no. A challenge that we both know that I will not accept.   " I answer at last, defeated.   Push-over at home, push-over at school. I'm living a very miserable life.   "How I envy you, Raine!" Cynthia mouths at me. I can only roll my eyes at her to show my irritation. I'd give anything to get this creepy guy out of my hands.   "Hi, Mr. Drue, I'm Cynthia." I heard my crazy friend say to the new guy. "And that's my friend, Raine Althea. You can call me Cynth and you can call her Raine."   "But I prefer 'Miss' Mont Carlo." I interject hastily. I wouldn't want this new guy to think we can be friends. "Or better yet, Miss President. I'm the president of this class."   "Raine!" Cynthia gave me a disapproving look, then turns to Drue, all smiles. "I'm very sorry, Mr. Drue. Don't mind her, she woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Can I call you Marren? It's a pleasant name, anyway. Unique."   "Drue," the Creepy guy mumbles at her as he slouches on his seat. He didn't even look at Cynthia. Arrogant b*stard.   "Oh, right? Uhm, how about your number? We can exchange our mobile numbers-"   "Don't have any." Drue cuts Cynthia off, still not looking at her. He touches the screen of his desk computer and stares at it.   "What, you don't have a mobile number?" I scoff at him. "Even elementary students have it."   "Well, I'm sorry if I don't have it." When Drue turns his gaze at me, I didn't know why, but I feel that my heart skip a beat. There's nothing special or romantic about the way he looks at me. In fact, his eyes are hard and smoldering. He looks at me from head to toe, then sneer again. "I didn't know it was mandatory."   How dare he to look at me like that!   "It's not mandatory, it's a necessity."   "Why are you asking me these things? It's stupid," he mumbles to himself, but loud enough for Cynthia and me to hear.   I open my mouth to say something nasty, but words fail me. How can this awful person shut me up like this?   I can only clench my fists on my lap. I really want to punch this guy!   I better concentrate on our lesson for today.   But I can't concentrate. His words keep ringing in my ears!   I can't believe that such a person could ruin my concentration like this. I shoot my dagger-gaze at him, already killing this Drue guy in my head a thousand times.   Then I hear my computer blip. I touch the screen to see an email.   From: Cynthia Grant (cgrant28@pmail.com)   To: Raine Althea Mont Carlo (umirainealthea@pmail.com) Subject: The New Student   Raine! He's so mysterious! My type! I love him already!   C   Student Body Secretary, St Blaise Computer and Technological University   I sigh in resignation.   "Psst!" Cynthia leans toward me to call my attention. "What do you think, Raine?"   "Turn to page six hundred-eight," Miss Fallon said as she walks past us.   "You're hopeless," I mumble, scowling.   _______