Crossing

    "Congratulation Miss Scott, you got the second place on last semester exam from your year level."      Second place... as usual. Against my will, I cut the distance between me and Mrs. Arcanghel to get the test papers from her hands. I got 99 out of 100. That means he got a perfect score. Uh, not enough. As I sit, I throughly scan on what item I did wrong.       'No. 59. String theory is believed to be the ultimate answer of the unified field theory. Enumerate the forces included in String theory.'     I immediately get my physics book to review my answer. And with proof on my hand, I confidently raised my hand to get the attention of Mrs. Arcanghel.      "Yes?" she asked.    "I believe I got the right answer on item 59." I acclaimed. She then look at the questionnaire, then to the physic book that I gave to her. Deducing by what she gonna do next I gave my answer before she even asked for it.      "Gravitational force, electromagnetic force, strong nuclear force which is responsible for holding an atom's nucleus together. And lastly, weak nuclear force that causes radioactive decay that is essential for nuclear fission. I got it all."       "Oh? That's right. Is there something wrong with the answer keys..."      She looked confused. Let me say, if it is indeed right then it is the first time in history for the answer keys of this school to have mistake. Saint Dominique University, is acclaimed to be the most perfect school for the elites and geniuses. And such important exams like this is being processed systematically and the answer keys undergo with several approvals.      I internally smirked as I see that she almost replace my score to 100. Almost— if Evan didn't raised his hand. The proclaimed genius. Oh! I remember, if I got it right, it means he got it wrong, right? If that's the case it would be my first time to surpass him, and that would be the most satisfying moment in my life. 10 years of being a second place next to him is such a disgrace!      "The answer keys are right." He professed.    I raised my brows on his claim. My classmates sit in an awe as they carefully watch our little scene. Rank 1 and rank 2 in an argument is surely entertaining for them.    "And at what basis?" I calmly asked eventhough I'm raging with irritation by his presence.      "Can you read the answer on the answer keys, Ma'am?" He respectfully asked.    We all simultaneously looked at Mrs. Arcanghel. She wipes and fix her eyeglasses first before she read the answer.    "Gravitational force, electromagnetic force, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force..." For the second time I internally smirk, I got it right! I got it perfectly and smoothly. "... and an unknown dark matter." Mrs. Arcanghel continued.    "WHAT!?" I slammed my desk, I'm pretty confident that it is not in the textbook!    "...in short you got it wrong." I ragely looked at Evan, only to see his irritating pretentious innocent smile.      "But you see it yourself, Ma'am. It is not in the textbook, and first and foremost it is even an unknown! No one still discover it, and no one can proves that it is really existing!" Shocked by the sudden turn, I lost control. It might be just one score, but this is my chance to surpassed him. Call it obsession or what. I really don't give a damn.      He stand to tie our eye level. Firing with irritation I join the staring contest between him.      "Not because it is unknown, it is not existing. It's somewhere there...waiting for someone to discover it's existence." He seriously and slowly rebutted. Almost ate by his intimidation I blinked once. But then he turned his head to Mrs. Arcanghel losing our staring battle. "...and beside not everything in the textbook is accurate." He go to Mrs. Arcanghel and asked for the teacher's permission first before he get the textbook. He put it on the page where the publishing date is visible.      "It is not even updated." He lastly resorted.      "you damned freak..." Accepting my defeat, I slammed to sit. He won, as usual. Mrs. Arcanghel then continue her lectures, but I'm too clouded with the argument to listen. I don't even heard that the bell rung and just realized that I'm alone in the room.      I went to the comfort room to wash my hands, and subconsciously I'm doing it excessively. I just stop when Evan enter the female room. Well, it's already late so there are only few students in the school and I'm the only one in the comfort room. Not untill a second ago.      "Amy, didn't I told you to stop that habit of yours?" he looked at my hand that full of rash and scratch because of my excessive washing. But, I just put my hand on my back so he won't see it.      "didn't I tell you to stop minding my business?" I bumped his shoulder and went straight to the door. I supposed to go out of the room, but I stop and hold the door. "And uh, the next time you enter the female comfort room I'll report you to the guidance office for s****l harrasment."      I turned my head to him and coldly look at his eyes, "maybe that way, your grades will be cut and I can finally surpass you." I then, slammed the door leaving him behind. ----      How annoying... I lay my back on the bed. Recalling what happen at the school, I can't help but to punch the air.      "Evan Montifar..."      "Amethyst, let's eat!" Instead of answering Auntie, I just emptily look at the ceiling. I'm too tired to go downstairs to eat. Besides I'm not hungry, and I just wanna go and embrace this bed of mine. Sleepiness is all over crawling at my system if only I didn't heard faint knocks on my door.      "Amy, are you still angry?" I rolled my eyes as I heard his warm but deep voice. After another couple of knocks, he stop. But then after minutes, it open and Evan came with tray of food on his hand.      Uh. Why did I even forget that we're living on the same house? Don't get me wrong, we're not married or anything sort of. We're just tied by an unfortunate event that happens long time ago.      "I'm not gonna eat." I whimper then faced the other side of my bed.    "You need to eat this, you didn'r even ate your lunch at the school." I raised my brows  on what he said. I sit on my bed and looked at him investigatively.    "Are you stalking me?" I asked in annoyance. But he just flicked my forehead.    "Silly. Of course not. I just didn't see you in the canteen, so I deduce you didn't eat." He sit at my bed and placed the tray on my lap.      Leaving with no choice, I started to eat the meal on the tray. He started to astray his gaze all over my room and landed to the documents on my study table.      "Project Code X..." He read. And when realization hits him he looked at me like I'm sort of criminal. But then, I just ignore his judgemental looks and continue to eat. "You still don't stop with your research." He asked, more- like stated, accusingly.      "Can't you let your parents rest peacefully? Their remains has been found. There's nothing to search for. You'll only suffer longer." I slammed my fork at the tray, and faced him. "It.Is.Not.My.Parents" He stared at me, gauging my emotion, but I just throw the tray on him.      "I'm done. You can leave my room." I lay on my bed and faced the wall. I heard the utensils clattering before the door shuts. He probably leave the room. When I make sure that he already leave, I stand and walk to my study table.   Project Code X:Crossing the Multiverse.       Researchers: John Scott. Maria Scott      "Mom... Dad..." I throughly run my finger on the papers. This is the only thing that my parents leave to me before they disappear, but the authorities claimed that they died and I refused to believed it. I know somewhere, my parents are still warm, breathing fine, looking for an oppurtunity to get me.      "Mom, Dad, I'll wait for you..."   10 years ago...   "The international researcher team lost two prominent researchers, John and Maria Scott as their house rage in fire. Based on the investigation, their child played with the candle and leave it on the laboratory of the couple inside their house, and unfortunately exposed to combustible gas. Miraculously, their child happen to survive and now on the care of a family friend. However, the couple died and has been burned while working on their laboratory."   Shaking, I looked at the television. Lie. You all are freaking liar. My parents are still alive. They leave the house before the fire started, I see it!   The police infront of me shut the television off and faced me. He looks at me pitifully, he caressed my hair like some sort of broken vase trying to comfort it saying that 'you'll be fine', though it's impossibly not.   "I'm sorry that you've lost your parents at your young age, but you're a brave gir--"   "... no, they are not. I see it" All of the personnel stop moving and looked directly at me. "What do you mean?" The police officer asked in confused. "Do you think I'll accept your huge-fat lies?"  I looked at them accusingly. "I never played candles! You all know that! Why don't you all admit that the authorities is at fault, huh? Don't you think I didn't know that? That you all sacrificed my parents for all of your greediness!" I shout and whimp like how a child were... but they all ignore my words... Because I'm a child.   But then, I won't stop here. I see my parents, they are alive. The authorities lied. They are hiding that they are pursuing their own greediness to the point of sacrificing my parents. And I make them pay for that!   "Why are you here? Don't you wanna come to see your parents funeral?" Evan sat at the swing beside me. He's at my age. His parents is a close friend of my parents, so being the only adult who is relatively close to mine, they will be my guardian. But well, it's just for the meantime, not untill, I find where does my parents really is.   "Nuh-uh, it's not my parents. So why bothered."  I continue to swing and swing and swing. I don't know what's in Evan's mind to actually tried to stop my swing with his little body. But because of the impact his fragile body was slammed on the grassed while I fell on the swing.   "Yaa! You crazy?!" I whoosh my knee as I see scratched and blood clattering. I looked at him angrily, but stop when I see bloods oozing from his mouth. Probably it popped when he slammed.   "Y-your mouth!" I stuttered with the sight of blood. But he just wipe it with his hand and when he see bloods on it, he just laugh innocently.   "You psycho." I stomped my feet away from him but what he said next, makes my body frozen.   "Project Code X."  I slowly faced him with eyes widely open.   "H-how did you know?"   "I see it, when you are rescued. It is written on the paper you hold" Not convinced, I didn't look away from him, but when he didn't have any hint of lying I sigh.   "Do you really want to prove that your parents is alive?" With heart thumping, I nodded.   "That's it." He tossed his phone to me, and luckily I catch it. I looked at the screen and a press conference is currently ongoing.   "The mass is asking if there's really no foul play on your parents death. You see, your parents has been known for years for opposing the government with their researches. And some citizens are asking for transparency." He explained.   Getting where it will go, I run to their house and get the papers that I sternly reject to give unto the authorities. I snatched the jacket and scarfs from the racks. With making sure that everything's ready, I run down to the town, where the press conference is happening. It is aproximately one kilometer from the house, and if I run faster maybe I can go there in 20 minutes.   "You really just gonna run to downtown?" I was shocked to see Evan riding at their family's van with their driver. "Hurry up, if you'll only run the press con will probably end before you even reach the town." With no hesitation I hopped in the van. Luckily, there's no traffic jam, so it only takes 10 minutes.   A group of men in black tried to block our way, but then Evan make a way by improvising an impromptu excuse such as  we're needed at the press conference as the witness of the accident. Luckily, the bodyguards don't seem have any clue about what's happening, and naively let us in.   "So it's a wrapped, I hope everything has been clarified." Mr. Peter wrapped up, the president's spokesperson. I clenched my little hands as I see his pretentiousness. He and his comrades' greediness is the reason why I'm not with my parents now. Shaking with anger, I whoosh away the reporters at the back and tried to go near him to smack his face but Evan grabbed my hand and shakes his head in disapproval.   "Can we ask?" I shockingly looked at Evan when he raised his hand and how he don't mind the intimidating number of reporters that is present at the hall. With a split of seconds, camera flash has been directed to us.   "Huh? Isn't that the child of the Scott?" One of the reporters murmured, hence, creating a domino effect untill we are crowded with questions regarding my so-called 'Parents accident.'  One even asked how we, a couple of a mere 8 years olds get in, but well, thanks to Evan we did.   Evan look at me, and give me a signal to fire away. I look at Mr. Peter who is now in disbelief, and confused on how I entered the hall. Realizing what is happening the bodyguards are now in move, however, it's too late now. If they whoosh us away while reporters are focus with us it will stir rumors whether there is really a foul play or not. In short whatever he do, it is a CHECKMATE.   "Project Code X..." I intentionally hanged my words, and with three words everything stir up. Mr. Peter frantically sweating, reporters are confused, bodyguards are agitated.   I left a heavy sigh before I sternly look at Mr. Peter. And when I'm supposed to open my mouth, for what reason I don't know why but suddenly, I recall what is my last conversation with daddy. Tears drop on my pinkish cheeks, and in a second cameras flashes and clicks roams around the room. "I didn't play candles and I never placed my foot in my parents laboratories, you all liar!" Evan looks at me shockingly probably asking internally on why I didn't laid the project.   But I just ran away from that room, promising to myself that one day, when everything's ready, and when people didn't see me as a child I'll come back and make all the perpetrators pay for what they did to my parents. Just you all enjoy your time, I'll came back to all of you someday and will end your little game.