MAGENTA

6 (The Private Message)

"Absolutely not,"

Malfoy scowled when I asked for permission to go to the party tomorrow Saturday. He was at his workroom, checking some files along with some other more files placed on his desk, a pen on his hand.

I puffed in dismay. "Why not?!"

It took a while before he answered. He was writing something on one of the papers. Once he was done, he stopped, raised his head a bit to look at me. His face was seriously saying 'No.'

"It's not safe. Parties only cause trouble for people your age. Trust me okay?"

I bit my lower lip with annoyance. "You sound just like mom!!" I growled angrily and marched out until I got to my room.

The words I said wasn't intentional. It just came out, and it gave a heavy bump inside my chest.

I slammed my door shut so loud just to give him an idea of how pissed I really was.

These particular moment was exactly the same scenario the night that our mother died. Tears trickled from the corner of my eye and I immediately brushed it off with a palm.

It just isn't fair.

Dad always supported me with stuff. He used to say that it's because he trusts me that he allows me to do things or even to decide things on my own. He sometimes says that the best way to learn is experience.

Meanwhile, Mom was the exact opposite. It's always 'follow my rules', do-as-I-say balony. No drinking, no smoking, no etceteras, etceteras. I  guess it's pretty obvious that Malfoy learned a lot from mom in terms of being exaggeratingly overprotectively strict.

Which is why majority of the times they'd end up fighting.

More tears streamed down my cheeks as images from before flashed my thoughts. I gently plopped down in bed, grabbed a pillow and hug it as I let the tears go on flowing.

I miss Dad. I miss Mom.

If only cancer didn't chose our dad to steal away, things would have not gotten into what it is now.

But it is what is.

Dad died. Mom died. And I failed to tell them how much I loved them till their last breathes. Not to mention, the last thing my mom and I did was fight and I got mad at her. And her death was basically my fault. Because I was stubborn.

I suddenly felt guilt visited me as I remembered. If I act stubborn again because of some dumb party, the history might repeats itself. Something I can't let it happen.

So I'll just cry out all this rage instead of thinking rebellious actions against my brother.

My emotional breakdown, though, was abruptly cut off by my phone ringing. I grasped for it from the table drawer beside my bed. The caller ID was showing..

"Calum. Hi," I said, erasing any signs of crying from my voice.

I gave my number right after gym class so he'd keep in touch with me. Also, since he's practically passed the standard of becoming my friend. He even offered to take me home that first day, in which I rejected at first. However, he was very much persistent to the point that I had no other choice but to accept in the end.

Luckily, Malfoy wasn't at home. I wouldn't have wanted him to see some guy walking me home.

"Well? Did your brother say yes?" He asked over the other end of the line.

"No," I snorted.

He whistled a sigh. "I told you I should've asked permission on your behalf instead."

"It's okay. It's fine. I'm just," I paused to a heavy sigh. "--not gonna go."

I could hear his voice dropped. "No! You should. I'm sure your brother will come to his senses. We still have 24 hours to change his mind."

"We--?"

"Oh did I say we?" He chuckled. "Pronoun confusion."

I furrowed my eyebrows. What's a pronoun confusion? Is that even a thing?

"Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow."

"I told you I'm not goi--" the call was hung-upped before I could finish the sentence.

To be honest, I really wanted to go. Being a new girl in both the town and school, this would have been a great way to fitting in and interacting with Grigori Den folks whose around my age or my generation.

If only Malfoy would consider that fact, he'd totally permit me to go. It was what he wanted in the first place anyways. For me to mingle with Grigori Den folks whose around somewhere my age.

Also, there was this idea that occurred to me. That guy with the hoodie might be there.

At first glance, he would seem completely plain. A normal kind of pain. But there was something in that guy's aura that caught my attention.

And, I'm not talking about him probably being a loner-- as what I've observed.

But I think it's the fact that... Who am I kidding, even till now I have no idea why I feel so interested in that guy.

I just do.

Speaking of, maybe there will be something on the school's own social site that might give me some hints.

I walked over to my small desk to pick up my laptop before going back to my bed with it.

I sat in an Indian-sitted position placing the laptop over my things. I pinned my back against the bed's headboard and started typing: GrigoriHigh.com.

Within a second or two, I finally got in. I was already a site user since I activated my account last Monday.

Surprisingly, I received a direct message on my inbox. It must have been important because of the little red exclamation mark beside the message notification. There was no sender, just the word 'Anon'.

Feeling reluctant, I clicked it anyways.

I realized it was a mistake.

My eyes widened as a photo slowly revealed itself on my laptop screen. I had the urge to close it before it could fully revealed itself.

But it was too late.

The picture was... Horrid.

When I took in the girl's appearance in the photo, it was Gretta. I could tell it was Gretta despite the greyscale photo because of the bob-cut hair and the height (it was obvious she was short).

A rope was tied around her neck and she was hanging by a ceiling fan. Her head was slightly tilted because of the rope around her neck, her mouth was agaped, and her eyeballs were pointed upward as if she was staring at the ceiling. 

I leaned in closer, gawking at the same picture... Directly at her arm. There were thin strips of vertical lines all over her arm, and another streams of line flowing downwards. It was blood, I noticed. And the vertical lines were slashes.

When I gazed over her neck, there was a slit too. It was right above the rope around her neck. The rope was smudged and I could tell it was because of the blood from the slit.

I felt like my dinner wanted to vomit itself out from my digestive system. I could feel it reached my throat already and was seconds more to go before it explodes out my mouth.

Unfortunately, I swallowed all of it back down.

Due to impulse, I closed my laptop without shutting it down, and gasped for air.

My eyes went stingy again due to tears. I sniffed and sobbed.

Was that photo for real? Or was that some kind of joke? If it was a joke, it wasn't damn funny!

Not funny at all!!!!

*****