Day 3 Cont.
I couldn't speak. I wanted to but my mouth would not form the words. In the end, I just stood there with my mouth open like an idiot. Thomas chuckled as did the two women, while the children simply smiled shyly.
"I suppose I should explain our company.", Thomas said rising from the piano. He walked over to me and pulled me towards the strangers. The younger woman was very pretty, with bright hazel eyes and a gentle smile. The older woman looked more motherly in appearance, with small wrinkles and a few streaks of grey in her copper hair. It was hard to believe how horribly disfigured they had looked a few moments ago. Even the children, who had been nothing more than little black melted shapes seemed normal. The three boys were all about the same age, while the one girl seemed a little younger.
Thomas made quick work of introducing me to them all.
"Nathan, this is Mrs. Milo, her assistant Ms. Samantha, and their class: Max, Lionel, Harold, and Lisa."
"N-nice to meet you.", I said nervously. They all smiled politely before Mrs. Milo and Ms. Samantha ushered the children into the shadows.
"They're a bit shy around new people. It took months of me playing the piano before they finally felt comfortable around me.", Thomas explained.
"Are they... dangerous?", I asked in a whisper. Thomas simply laughed at me.
"Them? No. They're not like some of the other spirits.", Thomas answered as he began packing up his schoolbag.
"Spirits? You mean like ghosts?"
"Well, they don't like being called that, but yeah sort of. Didn't Mr. Black explain this to you?"
I turned away in mild embarrassment when he asked; I felt like an idiot. The truth was that I had no idea what was going on and desperately wanted to. Yet I had no idea how to explain that to Thomas without sounding like a clueless fool.
"Actually he didn't. To be honest, he hasn't really explained anything to me all that well." Thomas sighed slightly at my answer,
"Yeah, that sounds like Mr. Black alright. But it is unusual for him not to have explained the basics to you. Tell you what, come sit with me during lunch and we'll go over it together." He opened the door as he finished and stepped to one side to let me walk past. He seemed nice and understood what I was going through to some extent. So of course I said yes.
We entered the school cafeteria ten minutes after the bell had rung. My classmates were surrounded by islanders who all kind of fit into their demographic. Paul waved at me to join him, Hector, Daniel, and a bunch of nerdy looking islanders. I started to make my way over before I noticed the islanders staring at Thomas.
Thomas was standing still, and had no followed me towards the table.
"What's wrong Thomas?", I asked. Before he could even open his mouth, Cindy's voice filled the room.
"I'm impressed Nathan! I knew you liked to hang out with losers, but I never knew you also had a soft spot for crazies too!" As soon as she had finished, her and her table burst out laughing. Thomas's face began to turn red.
That's when I snapped.
"And I'm impressed too Cindy! We've been in this school for all of five minutes and you're already acting like a total bitch to someone who you don't even know! Mind you, I shouldn't really be surprised. I mean, you're so cold that when a girl who did nothing but want to be your friend went missing, you found a way to laugh about it! That's a level of heartlessness I couldn't even hope to achieve!" At that, I did a 180 degree turn and walked out of the cafeteria with Thomas following.
Me and Thomas found ourselves eating lunch in the classroom hallway. We sat mostly in silence before he finally spoke.
"Thank you... for that. I've never had anyone stick up for me like that before."
"It was nothing. I've been wanting to call her out on her evil ways for ages.", I said chuckling lightly. Thomas smiled in return before continuing.
"Well nevertheless, Thanks. Also, I promise to make it up to you by helping you in any way I can."
"I'd appreciate that." I said. This earned me another smile.
The bell rung before he got a chance to explain anything to me, but he promised he would tell me everything he knew after school the next day. After that we both head to class.
Soon enough the final bell rung and we all headed back to Nightwell Castle.
I went straight to my room once we arrived. The stares of my class were enough to piss me off beyond the point of talking to any of them. I was mad. Mad at how they were letting Thomas be treated and at the fact they had put Kaitlin completely out of their mind. But I was in there for less than a few minutes before there was a knock on my door.
"Open up Nathan!" It was Richard.
"Go away!", I yelled back.
"Not happening. You know why I'm here, and I'm not going until you let me in!"
This continued for a short while, till I finally decided getting a beating would be better than having him pounding on my door and yelling. When I opened the door to let him in I saw Cindy quickly duck into her room, as well as a bunch of cracked doors close shut. Richard walked in and I shut the door, resigning myself to whatever he had in mind.
"Just get this over with.", I said standing in front of him.
"Relax. I'm not going to beat you up. I just had to put on a little show for Cindy.", he whispered.
To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I couldn't believe him.
"Why?", I asked apprehensively.
"Because despite what you may think, I don't hate you. Cindy does, so I pretend to. But really, I couldn't care less." He took a seat on the chair in the corner as I sat on the edge of my bed. It was strange to think a guy who always seemed to be out to get me was just pretending. With that in mind, I probed him further.
"If that's true, then why does Cindy hate me? What did I do to her?" At that Richard laughed softly.
"Nathan, you didn't do anything to her. Which, funny enough, is one of the reasons she hates you." I began to feel frustrated by Richard's unclear answers. It reminded me too much of Mr. Black and the damned island.
"Richard, can you just give me a straight answer. I don't want to play games." He simply shrugged.
"Alright then. Remember the first six months of school? Back when you, Kaitlin, and those weirdos you hang out with were all friends? Well, I hate to break it to you, but it was obvious that you had a massive crush on Kaitlin. Everyone could see it." I looked away in embarrassment as he spoke, but quickly tried to recompose myself.
"That's not true.", I said pathetically trying to defend myself.
"Uh huh. Whatever. If it's any conciliation, Kaitlin definitely felt the same way. There was even a little bet between me and some of the other guys as to when you two would get together. Unfortunately for you there was someone who didn't want you to get together. That person happened to be the girl Kaitlin was following around like a lost puppy."
Those few sentences were a roller coaster ride for me. My heart beat a little faster at hearing she might have felt the same way I did, but the growing confusion in my head as to why Cindy would want to keep me and Kaitlin from being together grew by the second.
"Why would Cindy care?"
"Because you were giving Kaitlin something that worried her. Confidence. Didn't you notice how for a while Kaitlin would go long periods of time without kissing Cindy's ass? That was mainly due to you encouraging her to break away from her. Also, Cindy couldn't stand that anyone in our class would fall for any girl but her or Lynda. So, she let Kaitlin into her little group on the condition that she would break off all contact with you. I guess I don't have to tell you what choice she made."
Crushed. That's how I felt. The girl I had cared for more than anyone else in the class had traded in our friendship for Cindy. I guess the pain must have been written on my face as Richard quickly continued.
"She regretted it. Cindy treated her like a piece of shit, and any time you were around she'd be staring after you with a really sad look in her eyes. She would have come running back to you in a heartbeat had it not been for the fact she thought you'd send her away." He said standing. He walked towards the door but stopped before leaving.
"I don't hate you, Nathan. You're a good guy. But when I walk out this door, I go back to acting like it. Whatever I say happened in here is what happened. Understood." I simply nodded before he walked out the door.
Then I closed my watering eyes and went to sleep.
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