Black Moon

4. Respect is not for free

The head boy of the school happened to fall into the category of ‘worse’ for Mariana?

“Why? Isn’t the head boy supposed to be the model student and have excellent conduct and blah blah?” I inquired as I took the plate that Ana passed me.

“He is all that but only before the authorities and teachers. But if you try to approach him telling that you admire that ‘ideal and good’ shit that he wears as his façade, he will smile at you as charmingly as he always does before stabbing you with a knife in the stomach,” she gave a fake shudder to further add on the dramatic effect she was trying to have on me.

All I could do was raise my eyebrows at her in disbelief. Did she seriously think that I will just swallow whatever she has just said to me like a naïve little idiot?

I was grateful for her to give me company in this new place but wasn’t she pushing her luck a little too much by telling me such things?

She took the nearest chair as I sat opposite her while she read my face and snorted before popping a grape into her mouth, “You might think I’m joking. Just don’t come running back to me saying that I didn’t warn you.”

I just smiled and dismissed the topic as I focused on my tray. Tiny sausages, a sunny-side-up egg, a halved fruit Danish with blueberry jam, and a glass of orange juice, everything on the plate smelled and tasted fresh. I tried to remember the last time I had fruit Danish this good. My mom used to make a mean Danish.

“Philips, you got yourself a new friend there,” a ginger with a bob joined us at our table by sitting beside me on my right-hand side.

“Hendricks, how come I am seeing your face after such a long time,” Ana greeted her friend as she carefully looked toward me.

“You know, just got back from the trip to Mount Kilimanjaro. They have permitted me to rest for the day but I cannot miss the breakfast here in the morning,” the said Hendricks girl snatched the cheese croissant from Ana’s plate and took a big bite out of it while getting a death glare from Mariana.

“So, who is this friend of yours?” She hadn’t even finished chewing when she let her hazel eyes trail over me as she asked curiously.

Ana cursed under her breath yet nevertheless, she introduced us, “Evera this is Yvette Karen Hendricks, the best friend of the school’s head girl, and Yvette, this is Evera Davis, a new student.”

Head girl’s best friend? I felt my spine stiffen a little at the new information. Guess, that explains the weird behavior of Mariana’s.

“So where are you from, Evera Davis? What does your family do?” Yvette asked raising her eyebrow as if she was deciding whether or not to be my company.

“Well, I’m from this place called the government’s childcare center for orphans, and as far as I know, my family does best at being not there for me because they are dead,” I deadpanned with a straight face just to see shock set into hers. Her eyes flickered down till they found what they were looking for, my red tag, only to linger there a bit longer as her face visibly paled.

“It’s not as bad as you are having in your head,” I heard Ana comment from the side but it seemed to have fallen onto deaf ears because the next words that Yvette said was, “I gotta go.”

Dropping the half-munched croissant onto the table, Yvette was gone just as fast as she had come.

“What?” I couldn’t help but shrug at the way Ana stared at me.

“Way to go, that was real smooth,” she shook her head towards her plate in what seemed like a disappointment.

Over Ana’s shoulder, I could see Yvette already talking to a stunning blonde in uniform who had only entered. Whatever she said, the eyes of the blonde landed on us, for a whole good minute.

“Who’s that Yvette is talking to?” I asked Ana who looked over her shoulder only for her to turn back front quickly cursing under her breath.

“Violetta is here...” Finally, Ana whispered leaning over the table, “Violetta Peyton Garrett, the BFF of Hendricks, who also happens to be the head girl of the school.”

I took another look at the head girl who looked like a model that had walked out of the magazine. That symmetrical heart face, those big doe eyes full lips, and golden hair that looked like a halo instead. Even Barbie would be jealous of her.

The way she looked in my direction, I knew it at once that we would definitely have some ‘great’ time ahead of us.

She had only taken a step in our direction when all of a sudden Yvette started nudging Violetta pretty hardly. As if a switch had flipped, Violetta turned on her heels as both Yvette and Violetta straightened up and stood a little more, what seemed like, elegantly.

I was so busy observing their antics that I had failed to notice another presence till Ana cursed under her breath again but this time, the string of curses was even longer than when she had seen Violette.

That was the only thing I need to shift my gaze to find the one presence that demanded attention. Standing around six feet plus, was the face I had seen the previous day by the mezzanine. At that time, it had only been a fleeting gaze but now I could see him properly. The dark hair, which seemed almost black was neatly set, his uniform did not have a single crease, and those beautiful blue eyes looked piercing. His build could be seen through his uniform, informing others that he worked hard for it. And he had an entire group, consisting of boys and girls, follow him around.

“Don’t tell me that he is the head boy?” I asked Ana with ventriloquism, or at least in my head it was.

“Atta girl, you sure do have the talent to identify trouble from yards away,” Ana replied giving a hesitant smile and a half wave in the direction of the head boy and girl.

“Why does that sound like you have had some really exciting experiences with the pair?” I inquired watching all of them making their way to us. Or rather it was the two of them, followed by others.

“That would be a story for another time. Right now, I need to think of a reason to get out of here,” Ana looked around in a rush before picking up her breakfast plate and smashing it onto her chest. The white shirt and blazer were now dripping with food items I could not properly distinguish.

My jaw fell open at her doing. She feigned a shocked expression as she got up exclaiming, “Oh my gosh! My shirt!”

She turned towards the group who had almost reached us to show the big stain and left the room without another word.

I seriously did not know what to tell about what I had just witnessed.

Violetta and the head boy looked at me and the first thing that he asked was, “Where is your uniform?”

I looked at him for a few seconds, not knowing how to process it or if it was the way his voice sounded that it took time for my head to process it. And when I didn’t, all that I asked was, “Excuse me?”

“She’s a red tag,” Yvette whisper-yelled at the guy, trying to inform him of the little detail that he might have missed.

“So?” That was his brilliant reply with a ‘duh’ tone. That alone was enough for me to feel something gnaw from within.

“I don’t know what it is for you to go around asking about my uniform on my very first day. Who do you think you are anyway?” I retorted sassily.

“He’s the head boy of the school,” Violetta spoke in an unexpectedly soft voice that had an octave ring to it.

I shifted my eyes to stare into hers as I mimicked, “So?”

I could feel all the eyes on us, and jaws dropped at my reply. I stood up from my chair and pushed it back under the table before I announced, “Thanks, I seem to have lost my appetite. Please do enjoy your breakfast.”

Leaving my plate as it is, I headed towards the main building. I don’t know about others, but they have to earn my respect first if they wanted me to follow their suggestions. And the way Ana behaved earlier, I knew that I wasn’t doing anything in vain. They weren’t fucking saints to be trusted with eyes closed.

He could have said that a little more gently, perhaps then I wouldn't have been a bitch. Well, what can I say, the start of my day has been of the wrong foot because of my creepy roommates, now I snarling pretty much at everyone.