Twisted Wonderland | Mickey's Print

3. From bad to worse

That same afternoon, after finishing with the main street of the school, Yuu and Grim arrived at the cafeteria with two buckets full of water, cleaning spray, and two rags.

"I'm already tired of cleaning all day... And now I have one hundred windows to clean," Grim complained.

"If you hadn't fought with that Ace we wouldn't be here," the human reminded him.

"Did you really expect me to do nothing after telling me all those things? He even made fun of you too!"

"I know. But look what that got us to do..."

"Hey! At least you have escaped from punishment!" He yelled in frustration before turning his gaze into one that seemed to show regret. "By the way, how are your arms?"

Yuu rolled up both sleeves to reveal his bandaged arms. That morning he had listened to the principal and went to the infirmary just before cleaning the main street with Grim, who had not said anything about it until that moment.

"They don't hurt that much anymore," he told him. "I've been told that the burns aren't serious, so in two or three days I'll be better.

"I... I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear," Grim lamented.

"I know, but I hope you see why it's wrong to attack people impulsively."

"Still," Grim interrupted. "Why did you offer to accompany me in the punishment even if the headmaster said that you don't have to? Anyone in your place would be furious and leave me alone with that idiot..."

"Because I'm still responsible for you and I have to watch you. Besides, despite the chaos you've caused, I still don't think you're a bad guy. That's why I'm not mad at you, I really mean it."

"Oh..." Grim commented, not sure what to reply to his kind comment. "Hey, speaking of idiots, that Ace is taking a long time to come here. Who does he think he is making me wait!? I'm tired of waiting!"

Yuu had a bad feeling, but he stared with Grim at the entrance of the cafeteria with expectation.

Fifteen minutes passed, and they kept waiting. Twenty minutes passed, and they were fed up.

"I don't care what might have happened, there's no way he's this late! Unless... He's trying to escape?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it were that," Yuu replied.

"I'm not gonna let him leave the punishment to me. Come on, henchman! Let's find Ace and make him clean the windows all by himself!" He said before starting off.

"Okay, let's go find him," Yuu agreed. "And I already said I'm not your henchman!"

They decided to enter one of the closest classes and Grim strode inside. "Hey! Where are you, Ace!? We ain't gonna let you escape! Huh? Nobody's here!?" He said upon seeing the empty class.

"No, I am here," a high-pitched voice near them sounded.

Yuu looked for the direction of the voice, but Grim reacted faster and screamed in horror: "The portrait is speaking!!"

Yuu noticed the portrait of a man in ancient clothes and a black beard whose eyes were blinking and his mouth moved again.

"What's the matter?" The man in the painting asked, surprised by the stupefied looks of both newcomers. "It is not uncommon for paintings to speak in this school. The lady on the wall over there, the gentleman on this wall, we can all speak because we have mouths. It's normal, you know?"

"Normally paintings don't speak," Yuu commented, trying to make a point. "Are you by any chance friends of the ghosts we met yesterday?"

"Rather than floating non-stop all day, I have stood still for more than fifty years on this wall. And what is 'normal' for you is different from what is 'normal' for me because of our different circumstances, don't you think?" Yuu nodded. "Leaving that aside, are you looking for someone?"