Encounter with Fate

That Sunny Smile

(I decided to just do it in pencil. Warning: this chapter contains stalking and obsessive behavior)

"You want to know what the big deal is about tonight's blood moon?" Avi said, tilting his head.

He and Headphones were walking toward their Earth and Space science class; it was Friday and a B day. Students were moving about, some on their way to the cafeteria for lunch, hurrying to their third block class, or lingering in the hallway talking to friends.

"Yeah, I overheard Moon talking about it, and since we work with ghosts..." Headphones whispered the last bit as they walked by a small group of sophomores. 

"To be honest, I'm not too sure either," Avi shrugged, straightening out the strap of his backpack. "When Skull's gift, uh, developed, he would lock himself in his room and stay there the whole night. Other than that, we would stay home and check up on him; it could be all the spiritual energy going around that night."

"What about for the half or total blood moon?"

Avi shook his head as the two entered the science room. "I don't think he's gone through a total blood moon. From what we learned in science, they're more rare."

Headphones nodded. Walking toward their shared table, Headphones and Avi took their seats, letting their backpacks lean against the chairs. She sighed. This talk gave her more questions than answers.

"Why does he lock himself in his room?" Headphones worryly asked.

"I think it's all the spiritual energy or something," Avi answered while taking out his science notes from his backpack. "You can try Norman. He's the expert on this stuff."

Headphones nodded. Compared to Moon, Norman was the better informer since Moon would likely talk her ears off before getting a clear answer. Still, Skull locking himself in on the night of the blood moon? It reminded her of Half-rim's predicament with the full moon. Though Norman could give her answers, Headphones couldn't shake the unease.

As more students took their seats, the teacher, Mrs. Angler, walked in and sat at her desk.

"Well, I can ask him at his office," Headphones thought, briefly recalling her and Skull's weekly meeting with Norman.

After school...

Mask sat in an empty classroom that lay across from the classroom that was used for after-school detention. He was staring at the overhead clock, watching the minutes tick by. Now and then, Mask glanced out the door window to make sure no one else was in the hallway.

"57, 58, 59... 4:30 pm." Mask thought, watching the clock tick to 4:30.

After a few seconds, he heard a door open and the light sound of chatter out in the hallway.

"Finally, about time." Mask muttered to himself.

Mask got up and walked out in time to spot Bobblehat uphead. He felt his heart skip a beat seeing the smiling Inkling. Mask kept his distance as he followed her, trying to blend in with the other students.

Mask smiled to himself, but no one could tell due to the gas mask. It was almost impossible to believe that the gloomy cyan Inkling that hated happy Inklings who enjoyed life had a crush on the always smiling, bubbly Bobblehat. After their battle, Mask couldn't stop thinking of her and what she told him. But he would get flustered whenever he was alone with Bobbles and wouldn't know what to say. So he did the next best thing...watch her from a distance.