King Gnah

6-surprise

Anya sat there, half bored to death, when she heard an odd sound. Seemed to be getting closer. She couldn't make out what it was.

Back in class, the students in Kenny's class stood and stared out the window to the empty field that had a chopper hovering over it. When it was on the ground and shutting down, Kenny bolted out of the room with Stacy trailing behind him.

They reached the entrance. Half expecting Lawrence, but instead got Maggie, their female butler, striding towards them.

She had long, dark hair. Her body fitted in a three-piece men's suit with a brown scarf hanging on her neck. She looked at her golden watch and slid off her leather gloves.

Looking up at the stunned kids, she smirked.

"Here to welcome me?" Maggie asked.

"What are you doing here?" Kenny bit out. Stacy nodded to the question.

"Get to class, kids." Maggie ignored the question and moved past them.

They didn't follow her.

She walked through the long hall into the administration hall on the left of the main one.

"Here I am!" A calm, gentle, neutral gender voice reached Anya's ears. She knew who it belonged to.

She saw Maggie closing the door behind her and walking towards them.

"Madame, please, we are expecting someone else," the old man said.

"I'm here on behalf of her brother, who is too busy for this. Speak." Maggie made herself comfortable in the armchair in front of the desk.

"Uhm..."

"Mrs Williams is what you should call me by."

"Right." Principal Wilson hesitated, "Your girl here is being a problem. See, we had someone in the hospital today because of a fight she started."

"If the child is not dead, then we're good. In her defence, that was only a scratch."

"Madam, she---"

"What?"

" It's against the rules. We will---"

"Do what exactly, Wilson? I can shut this school down, you know that? Your daughter is bullying kids like Stacy, and you want to punish Anya for what? Helping??" Maggie got up from her seat. "Anya, let's go."

Anya followed Maggie out, leaving the principal calling Amy on the speaker. He sounded angry.

"Wasn't Lawrence supposed to be the one here?" Anya had to ask.

"He'd have bought the school if he had come. Would you have liked that?" Maggie replied.

Anya thought first, then concluded, "Nope. No thanks."
. . . .
Class was slow since Maggie left, and till the day was done, no one spoke much.

The walk home was miserable. People often stopped to see why a Gnah family kid would be sad. Crossing the damn street, too, was sad.

Kenny was waiting with the rest for a red light to cross when a kid ran into the road chasing a ball. He ran to catch the kid when a car almost ran him over. He rolled a few times, but no harm was done.

"Kenny!!" Stacy was the first to run over.

Then the kid's mom followed, and that's how a crowd formed.

"Get up." John helped him to his feet.

"Are you okay? Hurt anywhere?" Seth asked as he dusted Kenny's shoulder.

"Nah. Am good." Kenny got his bag from Anya, "Let's go home."

They did not wait for the driver to come for them that day. A walk suited the dull mood anyway.
. . . . .
"Explain why you're late!" Sean, the twins' father, spoke the moment they walked in.

"We walked home," Kenny replied for everyone.

"The driver went to get you at exactly 4 pm. Why did you leave?" Lawrence added. He was still in his work clothes, though he rolled up his sleeves, undid the tie and untucked his shirt.

Must've been a long day.

"I'll answer if you answer mine," Anya said.

Lawrence thought for a bit, then sighed, "Sit. What is it?"

Anya took her seat as everyone still watched as she cleared her throat, "Can we change schools immediately?"

The room went still.

"Why now, of all times? The school year has already begun." Lawrence was stunned.

Anya leaned back in her seat. "We needed air. That's why we walked home. Stacy was bullied, if we must remind you. She needed it." Anya dodged the question.

He gave Anya a stern look, then sent the rest away, "Walk with me, Anya." He added.

Immediately, Anya and Lawrence exited, and Kenny ran to his mother. "Mom...it hurts a lot." He wailed, touching his ribs.

"Grow up for once, will you?" Leny complained.
.               .              .              .              .

The sky was deep orange, and it was quite clear that they didn't have much time before it became dark.

Lawrence walked with Anya until the flower garden, where, ten years ago, Louis would spend his evenings with Anya. Telling stories and sipping tea, not that Anya fancied tea parties.

"Anya," Lawrence started when he came to a halt. He turned to her and stared into her eyes, "How did you get to know my father? Give a little if you'd like?"

Anya pondered the question for long seconds. She, too, didn't know their connections well enough. "He used to visit a lot on the weekends. I don't know how we were related." Truthfully, she didn't.

"I'm not sure Stacy, like the rest of them all, can protect herself." Lawrence gave a big sigh, "Help us. For father's sake, I don't want to see them down like that again." Lawrence gave that look between helplessness and self-pity.

Anya couldn't help but smile at this. She knew she was way ahead of Lawrence on that one. "Already on it, Larry." Which earned her a shocked expression before a warm smile.

"I'd expect nothing less." He reached out and patted her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "If I can, two days at most, I'll get you guys to Royal Peak Academy. Thanks again for your help."

"It's nothing much, really."

But it was...
. . . . .
A rustle in the bushes occurred. Out of the wall of vines stepped Maggie, the butler lady. Behind her, Gale in the flesh himself.

"They'll be in Royal Peak Academy?" Gale asked.

"If you heard right, you know what to do," Maggie replied. Her eyes were glowing the colour of the blood moon.

"Auntie? How did you tell us apart? I was asking before we got interrupted." Gale asked in a familiar tone. That which close relatives, even friends, share.

"Your brother, I just smelled a dog on him." She looked back at him with blood-filled eyes, "I had his head for betraying me."