The spirit of Devfronds

18. Revelations And Confrontations

"Okay, so you're Harry Potter and I am Ron Wealsy and..." Braeden said. They were preparing for a play in their school for the annual fair and they chose to a scene from Harry Potter. (Braedon only agreed because Calvin strongly insisted)

"Weasley." Calvin corrected 

"Yeah, Weasley. And now we need a girl for that curly haired one."

"Hermione."

"Yeah, her. You know Calvin, I just had an idea."

"What?"

"You play Hermione."

"What?"

"Yeah, you look exactly like her."

"Very funny."

"On a serious note, Calvin, I know the perfect person to play Hermione."

"Who? Lily Allen from B section? She looks like her."

"No. Even better. Emma Watson."

"Is this a joke Braeden?" 

"Yes. I thought you would recognize such a obvious joke."

"That's it. I'm finding a new best friend."

*****************

Calvin hesitated. He couldn't just let the boy beside him be, but he couldn't just ask him to tell all his life issues to him.

Finally, he decided to ask him if he was okay. He had brought his hand up when the boy's head snapped up and looked at him, then at his noble badge and then at him, with a sneer "You don't even care, do you?"

"What? I..."

"You probably find it very entertaining, seeing me cry, don't you? It's beyond you nobles, after all, to comfort someone."

"No, I..." Calvin started in his defense, but shut up, because what was he supposed to say. They both sat in charged silence for a while, before Calvin said softly, "What's wrong? Talking helps, I promise."

The boy stayed silent for so long, Calvin was sure he was not going to reply, and then he spoke, in soft conversational tones, "My dad lost his job yesterday. We were servants in Finney's house. He fired all his staff yesterday. Rumors are, it's because the McKays are back and they took actions for all this years. My parents say they are good people..."

He let out a bitter laugh, "They're just like all other nobles. They never care about us. My grandparents used to work for them, but then, one day bam they disappear, and left us all jobless. Only the Knights actually care about us. They helped relocate all of us after the McKay's left. And now, we're all jobless because of them again."

Calvin opened his mouth to defend his parents, but then closed it. Were they really in the right? He'd like to think his parents were not like Finney and Alberta, but were they, really?

The boy continued, he was actively crying by now, "My dad was a puerile. It's so hard to get a job when you're a puerile. And now I have messed up. I am pretty sure I am not getting an A in brains, and I had to be rescued in the first part of the obstacle course."

He turned to him, "Happy now? Seeing me cry?" 

"No! Of course not." Calvin exclaimed, "What's your name?"

"Why? Do you want to report me for disrespect?"

"No! It's just... I agree with you. I want to help."

He crossed his arms over his chest, "I don't take charity." He sneered, before stomping away somewhere. Calvin was too occupied with his thoughts, to go after him. 

Susan came a while after the guy left and went into a long spiral about her tests. She had got all the balls but one. She could jump high enough to get the ball on the pole and couldn't climb it. She had tried aiming a pebble at the ball but it just went right through it. 

  She had also, apparently, completely flunked her test.

Calvin said it was unacceptable and decided to tutor her for basic maths. He then told her about his tests and his ideas about the brawn test. 

All in all, talking with Susan made him forget about the dude but it came crashing back to him at the sight of his parents. 

__________________

"Mom, dad, we need to talk."

"You know that line is usually used by quarreling married couples," his dad joked, but looking at his serious face, faltered, "What happened, Cal?" They both had noticed Calvin's preoccupied behaviour. 

"Why exactly did you leave the elemental world?" He asked.

They both looked at each other, as if they had expected this question, "You know, I had expected you to ask this a lot before." They proceeded to tell him the same thing Susan did. Rebellion. Threat. Pregnant. Escape.

His dad sighed, "Not the bravest course of action, but we had panicked." 

"What happened to all those behind you?" They exchanged looks of surprise. 

"...behind us?"

 "Those who worked for you. I don't know what exactly what that means, but what about their jobs?" Calvin's tone had long since left the borders of conversation, and had turned into an interrogation.

"Hold on. Where did you get this from? If you don't even know what that means, how come you came to think of it?"

Calvin sighed. He has been doing a lot of that lately. He recounted his conversation with the boy earlier, and now he realised, he hadn't even got his name. 

He left out the part about his accusations and anger, and made it sound like a friendly talk.

"Okay first of all, fifteen years ago, we had panicked. We were trying to be spontaneous, so the rebels don't get a hint of what were going to do. We didn't even say goodbye to the Knights." His dad said.

His mom continued, that was something they often did. Take turns at speaking, as if they were giving a presentation. And it was amazing how both of them knew excatly where to stop and what the other one is going to say. The perfect couple.

"Besides, he said the Knights helped them relocate, who do you think told them to do that? I mean, not that they wouldn't have done it have we not told them, but, we did think of that."

"And as for now, we have actually relocated most kf Finney's staff. I don't know who the boy you're talking about, but we had made it a first priority to get the family people jobs." 

"Speaking of which, a family is going to come live with us."

"Hold on." Calvin said, making the universal pause motion, "WHAT?" 

"Shhhh, no need to yell. Yes. A family of three is going to come live with us. No questions, listen first." Calvin closed his mouth he had opened to ask a question, "I and dad will be out all day, and now, we won't be in a fixed time job. Sometimes, we might have to work in late at night.

That will be so, at least until we get a better hand of things at the palace. Things that Finney ruined.

So, we need someone to take care of the house and all that." His mom explained. 

His dad continued, "Yeah, I wouldn't want you to suffer through Heather's cooking every day."

"Aunt Heather's food is amazing," Calvin said.

"Oh. It's aunt Heather now, huh?" His dad asked and tickled him, and Calvin, being the extremely ticklish person he was, rolled on the floor laughing.  

The rest of the night, he spent in telling his parents all about his tests, in excecruating detail. They laughed at his antics in the obstacle course and had a fun night.

Tomorrow, he was going to get his results.