The Secrets of Arliss Landon

Chapter 3

Chapter Three-

Venus

 

I put another forkful of pasta into my mouth, and thought about school. The teachers seemed nice enough except for Mr. Baron, who was very grumpy in nature and enjoyed giving detention. He seemed to have a very cruel giddiness at finding the faults in others, and always wanted to deal out the highest punishment possible.

All in all, there had been no incidents or spilled secrets on my first day of school. I considered that a success, and quickly washed and put away the dishes and school bag. Heading upstairs, I took a long hot bath, then put on my nightgown. Yet for some reason, I couldn’t fall asleep- Irias filled my thoughts; and the loss of his presence hit me like an avalanche of rocks. I was used to the feeling of tears rolling down my face, which is why it didn’t register for a minute or so that the front of my gown had been soaked. I closed my eyes as the tears stopped.

“Irias, what’s that book you’re writing in?” I asked curiously, leaning on his knee from where he sat on the couch.

“It’s a very special journal,” he explained, closing the leather-bound pages. His hand reached over to stroke my hair, and I nearly forgot my next question.

“What’s written inside? A treasure map?” I asked excitedly. For a moment, I felt his body stiffen, but then relax within the blink of an eye.

“Not a treasure map,” he said chuckling. “Just- just some important history.”

“School?” I asked. “It must be really fun, because the history I have to read is really interesting.”

He laughed, yet there was an edge of nervousness in the way his voice sounded.

“Is that right?” he asked, tucking the pretty book into his school bag. Mom called from the kitchen, and as I got to the entrance of the door, I heard Irias whisper:

“You won’t find this in your school books, Arliss.”

I turned around. “What did you say?”

His head moved quickly to look at me. Rising from the couch, he walked over and grabbed my hand.

“That I was just going to help you set the table for dinner. We better hurry, or mom will yell, alright?”

“Alright,” I repeated.

My eyes flung themselves open, and before I knew it, I had raced out of my room and into the one across from mine.

Irias’s room was a familiar sight, as we had usually lived in each other’s quarters.

I’m sorry, Irias. I’m sorry, but I need to know why you left.

However, after an hour of searching, and delicately taking the room apart piece by piece, I found nothing but more happy memories, and the pain of his absence. Where could that journal be? After putting back the room to its natural state, I left, and collapsed on my bed. Exhausted, I fell asleep, dreading the morning which would force me to go to school.

Morning came all too fast, as if it had been eager to wake me up. Quickly showering, I put my hair into a french braid, and picked out my clothes. I chose a corset lace-up blouse, with a black satin skirt that whispered around my legs. Going downstairs, I ate breakfast, and grabbed my school bag. Choosing black leather boots, I laced them, then walked out the door, doing my best to not think negative thoughts. There would undoubtedly be more stares and whispers, more mysteries and gossip to unravel. As I came to the bus stop, I glanced down the road. I froze- there, in the morning light filtering through the trees and leaves, someone stood like a statue, unmoving. I blinked, my heart beating faster as my eyes closed.