Two Red Strings

Chapter 15

Spring break was coming in April, which only meant that the school Easter Party would be held on the last day of school before the break. The concept was simple: It would be half day of school. Lunch will be Easter themed as students of the Design Department will be decorating the gymnasium hall. After which, it would be the school wide Easter hunt.

After their last classes, hallways were flooded with students. Everyone wanted to go back as soon as possible. Angelina had to stay back for SC, so did Myosotis. Gérard was held back by Saul and Benjamin to play pranks on other students. Camellia stayed back for her Black Magic Club. Obviously to hide some mischief amongst the eggs.

Magnolia sat alone at the lunch table. Then, Ethan came by and sat down, along with Feliciano. "Ciao Bella~" he greeted. "Ciao..." she mumbled. "What's~a wrong?" He quizzed. "Just... there's a lot of things going on back at home." She sighed. Ethan listened. "Have you got-ten your part-ners for ze hunt?" Ethan asked. "Partners?" She quizzed. "They're doing a group~a system when accounting for the points." Feliciano explained.

"How many in a group?" Magnolia asked. "Six." Ethan answered. "Myo-sotis, Felici-ano, Ta-wien, Ben and Sa-ul are with me." He added. "I heard that Tavian is with Saul and Ben at the theater now." Feliciano added. "There you are, cupcake!" They heard a voice behind them.

She was a girl their age, with long strawberry hair, wearing them as pigtails kept up by chiffon pink ribbons. She wore bobbie pins on her left side of her head, keeping her fringe out. She has blue eyes with specks of freckles below them. She wore a pink dress with a frilly white apron with pockets, and blue-and-white stockings, matching the holiday vibe.

"You'll be part of my group for this hunt!" She announced. Then, she grabbed Magnolia's wrist and dragged her away from the boys and her lunch that she barely had the chance to eat. "W-Wait a second!" Magnolia protested. "I didn't even agree to it!" She tried to resist, but the brunette couldn't be bothered to listen. Instead, she continued dragging Magnolia to the school's 'cool zone'

"I brought the cupcake!" She announced to her group of friends as soon as they arrived. Sitting on the swing was Myers, with a book in his hands. On the frame was the lanky boy namely Jackal. "So my mate decided to choose the little master's mate?" He teased.

Myers glared at the youth, silencing him. Magnolia recognized Jackal. He is the son of the Alpha of All Blue, another Alliance pack, Viktor Vashchenko. She remembered seeing the other wolf-shifter in one of the Allied Meetings during their younger days.

Jackal, or Viktor, had long brown hair that covered half of his face, like Camellia, and crimson eyes. He wore a grey scarf around his neck, under the collar of his white shirt and navy jeans.

"Candy," Myers called out to the girl who had brought her, "who was she with when you found her?" He asked. "Feli and Vasyl." Candy replied. "Brûlée," he turned to the violet themed girl who was back facing him, leaning on the frame of the swing. "Yes boss?" She asked. "Send in the group form." Myers ordered, holding out a slip of paper. "Sure thing," she took the slip and hurried off.

"Myers, what's wrong?" Magnolia quizzed, worried that she had done something wrong. "Nothing. But since Candy found you with Venezia and Vasyl, there's a risk that Myosotis will find out that I'm in it." Myers explained. "I..." she was lost for words.

"I didn't know that there were other wolf-shifters in the school." She mumbled. "Oh, their parents sent them for overseas studies. They're still the younger sibling." He explained. "Well, at least all except Candy." Myers turned to the strawbie who was lovingly hugging a yellow themed girl of their gang.

"Candy, or Olivia, her family owns a well-known British confectionary company Kirkwood Treats, and she's the only human in Class E." He added, surprising Magnolia. "Does she knows?" She quizzed. Myers nodded. "Over there," he pointed at the yellow themed girl, "That's Yang Kuan-Lin, of Yellow Sand, but we call her Xiăo Lóng." He explained.

"Jackal's real name is Viktor Vashchenko, All Blue. Brûlée, or Francesca Chevalier, Violet Heels." He continued. Jackal waved to the Luna. She waved back. Myers glanced at his phone. It was close to one. Shortly thereafter, Brûlée texted. "They're starting the hunt at 1.10 sharp." She reported. Myers kept his phone. "We should head over now."

・・・

"We have to wear these." Brûlée said as soon as Magnolia, along with Myers's gang, arrived in the gymnasium hall. The blonde set a pair of white rabbit ears on her head and a pair of brown ones on Myers's head. It seems that everyone had one matching their hair colors.

"Magnolia! There you are!" She heard Angelina. Magnolia turned around to see the approaching redhead, with a pair of white rabbit ears on her head. "Where were you? We were looking for you!" She added. "And because of that, we ran out of time and got 'disqualified', so we can participate in the hunt." Camellia grumbled as she appeared behind her housemate.

Magnolia glanced up. Camellia had a pair of dark brown ears that were bent over. "Who were in your team?" She quizzed, a little afraid that Camellia might raise against her. "It was supposed to Cam, you, Roxanne, Kate, Emilia and I, but since you went missing and didn't answer your phone, we got disqualified." Angelina answered.

"And then we heard from Venezia that some girl dragged you away." Camellia sneered. Magnolia pouted. "She brought me to join her group." She answered. Then, P.J. tapped on the mic, gaining the attention of everyone in the hall. "Attention, everyone," he called.

"I'll be explaining the rules of the hunt. Everyone will be given a raw egg to take care throughout the hunt," he held out a brown chicken egg as an example, "you can freely exchange the egg amongst yourselves with the ladles provided but, for whatever reason, should the egg break, your team will be disqualified." He added. "Now that's interesting." Camellia mumbled.

"The eggs you will be collecting are as shown," he gestured to the screen that was being drawn out. The visualizer flashed photos of well decorated and colorful eggs. "Each egg represent different points, depending on the tone of the egg. The winner will be decided by whoever finds the grand egg, decorated by no one other than the principal of St. Bernard Kirkland."

"Who asked you to join their group?" Angelina quizzed. "Olivia Kirkwood." Magnolia answered. "Ah, that Class E student.." she mumbled to herself. Then, the sweet scent of custard and caramel filled her nose as Magnolia turned around. Brûlée handed her a silver soup ladle with a small brown egg taped to sit in it.

"You're the keeper." She smiled. The Luna took the ladle with care. "Take care, Magnolia!" Angelina smiled. "And avoid the eggs with black-and-pink butterflies on them, they're the Black Magic Club's 'special'." Camellia added.

"Why?" Magnolia quizzed. "Because the eggs are spiked with small explosives with a frequency high enough to break the egg." Jackal answered. "They're starting soon, and we're starting off in the rooftop first." He added.