Pendulum || TAENNIE FF

⚔Chapter 26: A diagonal

A U T H O R

Firo knocked on Heather and Maya's room. Heather seemed to lose her energy after what happened. Good thing Firo can fly or else she might lose consciousness before they could even get there. Maya opened the door and widened her eyes in shock. "What happened to her?"

Firo quickly helped Heather go to her bed. "Flake Kim. She was tailing that vampire and now she got him angry." Heather sat on the bed and hugged a pillow. "I told her to stop and she didn't even listen. 'Misunderstood' how now?"

Heather only glared and looked down. "I should've stopped you too when you asked about him last night," Maya said. "How could I not see this coming?"

"How did you find me?" Heather quietly asked and faced him.

"Did you forget? I could fly and find you from above. I should've done that before too but I thought you won't go too far. Turns out, you're independent enough to wander into the woods yourself." Heather sighed and looked away from him. "Be careful next time. You have a mind of your own so I won't chain you to many restrictions." He said before leaving and closing the door. 

"This is the first time I ever saw Firo being so responsible. That kid's all-out carefree and easygoing. You are giving him the restrictions." Maya said and returned to her bed. "Let's just hope your powers show up so you can defend yourself." Heather sighed again. She has nothing to defend herself with. Now she couldn't imagine how she's gonna survive for the rest of the school year. Maya found Heather's back extremely sad. She had to do something as her roommate. "Here. Have some brownies I got from the cafeteria." She said and gave heather a plate of three.

"I'm too pitiful, aren't I?" She asked the other. Maya didn't lie to comfort her and told the truth and nodded. I don't have powers and I can't even fight against the unfairness in school. I've never felt so futile. "I miss home." Heather unknowingly said.

"Everyone misses their family, Heather. It has only been three days." But Maya didn't know what she was talking about. "You know? I actually thought you were the kind of person who would survive without having anyone but herself." She started to lift the mood. "Turns out I was wrong. First impressions are clearly not reliable."  

"I thought I'd be the independent type too," Heather said and took a brownie. "Self-expectations could also be wrong."

The night has passed and they were back to school again. Heather prayed she won't bump into Flake on her way to the classroom but the universe let her down. She was about to enter the room when Flake suddenly headed out. She didn't hesitate to look away and walked past him. It was awkward and she felt scared for a second but shrugged it away.

However, Flake didn't move and turned his head in her direction. He looked like he wanted to say something but the hesitation overwhelmed him. Because Heather didn't want to talk about it, he didn't want to raise the topic either.

The first class is Skill Control and Eva Lee walked to the center of the room. "I have an urgent announcement from the headmaster." Everyone stopped what they were doing and had their ears ready. "We will be having our annual game of Hinker starting next week. The headmaster expects three players from each class so as your Skill Control teacher, I will be the one to choose the players." 

Heather had no idea what that game was so she had her lips locked while the rest of the class started chattering. Sports and active games never were her forms of interest so she didn't really care. 

"As you all know, Hinker is a game of speed, agility, strength, endurance, and skill where no one is your ally." Eva Lee reminded and looked at her students, trying to find a worthy representative. "Rowan Sae." She called and gestured for the guy to stand. "You've competed in this game last year and ranked third among a hundred players." Heather wowed in her head and looked at him. Rowan Sae has a very manly build that screams 'strength'. No wonder he had a place. She thought. 

"I'll do my best, Ms. Lee." He said and bowed. 

"You better." Eva Lee looked at her class again. "Next representative..." She turned to the right side of the room and Flake caught her fancy. "Flake Kim?" She called. Flake was confused but kept it to himself. "You've grown enough to compete. Objections?" She asked and waited for him or anyone to raise their hand. But who would disagree when Flake himself didn't show any objections? "Very well."

"Is he really joining?" The person in front of Heather asked her seatmate. "That game's brutal. Remember how everything ended last year?" Heather got curious and secretly listened. "Pyre broke every single player's bones. Even Rowan had his cast until the end of the school year."

"Last contestant." Eva continued and looked around. "I think we might need a little change in the game. Heather?" The girl widened her eyes in confusion. Everyone in the room except for Eva Lee was confused. "Hinker had boys as players for years. Why don't we add girls this year?"

"I don't think I can do that, Ms. Lee. I don't know anything about that game." But Eva Lee only crossed her arms. "I beg you."

"No one can say 'no' to me, Heather. You will be taught about the game in our next meeting so I won't be accepting any excuses. Don't underestimate yourself just because you're a girl." She said as if she doesn't see anything wrong. "Players will have an orientation after lunch. Non-players will go directly to their dorms."

Classes ended and they were heading to the cafeteria for lunch. "Heather, are you really okay with this? No one leaves that game unscratched." Maya worriedly said. "What is Eva Lee thinking? She can't put a girl in one ring with ninety-nine boys."

Heather felt her forehead and closed her eyes. "She's crazy. She's definitely insane! I'm like a bird in the same cage as lions! What does she take me for?"

"Hey!" Chase called and placed his arm around Maya. "Firo's still in the locker room. Why don't you come with him while Maya and I find us a table?" Heather agreed, and Chase and Maya headed to the cafeteria. 

As Chase said, Heather went to the locker room and found Firo, alone, fixing his stuff. Firo saw her at the door and quickly sped up his actions. "Don't make it so obvious that you don't want me here."

"Don't talk to me." He seriously said and locked his locker.

"It was one mistake. Don't push me away as if I wronged you." Heather said and stood behind him. "I won't dig into him again. You can scold me however you want, so don't you ever give me the silent treatment. Levi did this once because I didn't show up at his party. I almost lost my sanity, thinking he'll be mad at me for a long time. You can't do this to me. I have the right to defend myself."

"Don't act like you lost a childhood friend. Stop comparing me to Levi because that guy can stand your stubbornness. I can't. We're both dead if someone finds you out. Can't I be mad and disappointed for a little moment? You just sounded like I was mad at you for a whole month. We're not even real friends, Heather." That sounded like the perfect timing to walk out, but they just stood there looking at each other for seconds. Firo clicked his tongue and sighed. "Just... Just learn from it, okay? You're my responsibility reason why I'm like this." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the room.

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Why am I foreseeing that you guys will be mad at Firo🙈 Anyways, early update everyone!!💖 I hope you like it and look forward to the following events!😊 No one's gonna die in the game tho, dw😅