DEATH'S HEART

Chapter 10 (Radish Fiction Version)

"Well, this is an interesting turn of events," Cat muttered under her breath, leaning towards the passenger seat in front of her.

Asha nodded in agreement. It had been more than forty minutes since they left the party. So glad to be out of there! If I stayed longer, I'd snap! She could still feel the daggers the girls threw at her when she emerged from the laundry room. She felt like a witch being led out of her prison as she walked through the hallways. She could already feel them burning her even before she had a chance to defend herself.

I bet everyone was very eager to see me leave. Don't worry, girls! The feeling is mutual! she huffed.

"Are you feeling cold? Want the heater turned up?"

Lark's voice drew her attention away from the window. "I'm fine, thank you," she replied immediately before he had a chance to turn the dial of the air-conditioner's thermostat.

"Are you sure?"

The simple gesture of concern touched her. "Yes, thank you," she nodded with a smile before turning her head back towards the window. Wow! He's such a nice guy! Other than Cat, no else really treated her as kindly as he did. Though unexpected, she was glad how the evening turned out. Meeting Lark Mizushima was quite interesting.

"You're amazing, Lark!" Cat cried out in disbelief. She had learned more about the guy in the last thirty minutes than all the information she managed to gather in the past four months of 'stalking' him. "You got accelerated in grade school twice?" She shook her head again in disbelief. "Wow! You must be really smart! You must be ahead in completing your bachelors, huh?"

"Umm..." He gave Cat a coy smile through the rearview mirror. "I've already completed my Bachelors in Economics."

That smile on his face was enough to send her to heaven! "Wow! Really? When?"

"Two years ago."

"No shit!" she gasped. "What the hell are you doing at uni then?"

"My masters...After that, I intend to go for my CPA."

"Wow!" Cat blurted out yet again.

Just like Cat, Asha was very impressed. She wanted to say something, but she didn't want to take his attention away from Cat. Besides, she felt that she was already making her way into her friend's bad books.

Asha stared at Lark's reflection on the window. Amazing! she though. She remembered Cat saying that he wanted to be an accountant, but none of them expected that he his plans were in preparation for him to take over his father's business. For someone who was only twenty-one he had the mind-set and discipline expected from someone older. Asha shook her head discretely in disbelief. God must have been very generous on the day he was born. Beauty, brains, born leader, sports hero...Filthy rich! she ended in her thoughts as she sat comfortably at the front of the Lexus LX 570 he was driving. What else has this boy been blessed with?

Cat craned her neck towards the rear of the car and noticed a black case sticking out from the back. "What's in there?" she pointed by bobbing her head towards the case's direction.

Lark twisted his torso to face her. "That's my cello," he replied with pride.

Cat raised her eyebrows, completely gobsmacked. "You play the cello?"

"Yeah," he simply said sheepishly.

And musical talent, Asha thought as an answer to her question.

"And the piano and the guitar and the violin and the flute," Zach added with a fine distinction of sarcasm. He was getting tired of listening to Lark's stream of talents.