Persephone

Chapter 5: Stories and Memories

Chapter 5: Stories and Memories

"I don't know, Bells, but aren't they supposed to be later or tomorrow?" Percy tried to ask her as her young friend flurried texting maybe the whole neighborhood that Percy already met the infamous Hernes guy. 

All she got out from Belle was: "Oh my god you met him how can you met him where were you what were you wearing are you sure you've gotten everything right oh my god how'd he look like blah blah blah Mr. Hernes blah cute OMG blah--" As if the teenager had an overdose of fan-girling on Twilight. Christ, it was enough to drive anyone insane! 

"Bells, please, I'm serious!" Percy wrung her hands out in exasperation. 

"They arrived at the perfect time, Perce. There's no doubt on that." She paused from her Tab 7 and then tapped on it a few times before shoving it in her face. "See?" 

An HD picture of a black mercedes and a dozen more black shiny vans filled the space of the old Manor, boxes strewn everywhere with persons in white suits milling here and there carrying stuffs. The caption by Belle's friend, Jolie, read 'Hernes Family, Duskendale be ready!' Hashtag JJ, hashtag sneaky-sneaky. Hashtag-- nah, She didn't care about the hashtags; Percy just couldn't register the loud beating of her heart. 

Why, in the world, didn't she ask for his name in the first place?!

It's because he was being a big idiot, a snide voice answered. She huffed and then rearranged her scarf around her neck, wounding and unwounding it in her impatience. It's because we don't deal with a crap-load of profanities from the modern world. Bells was still in machine gun mode, and Percy wondered if she was ever going to stop. Which was impossible because Bell's voice was still ringing in her head as she had got in her house wearily. 

"Mr. Black," she called out as she kicked off her shoes onto the doorway, figuring out that she'd keep them later. Too lazy. All Percy wanted was a nice hot bath and--

"Hey Perc--"

"Jesus-Mary-Joseph!" Percy screamed and jumped quite a foot in the air as Ezekiel popped his head through her door. "Zee! The hell are you doing here?!" she cried indignantly and tried to calm her thundering heart. 

"Preparing you something to eat," he answered and disappeared. 

Which was as if this was his own house! Percy stomped in her kitchen, alive with the heavenly scent of fried bacon. Her stomach rumbled as she approached her fridge for a canteen of orange soda. She popped the cap as soon as she got in her seat, and watched as Zee stirred some eggs on the pan. 

Seeing Zee smiling while he cooked made her remember the times when they played together. 'Then here comes the fire!' A 5-year-old Percy would say as she flicked her thumb to imitate a lighter. Then a 5-year-old Zee would take out their makeshift metal pan and then some leaves that played as eggs. Stones would be meatloafs and then pebbles will be cereal. 

The Ezekiel now was better, and she liked the way he cooked. At least, that's what Percy thought about him as he slid a plate of steaming bacon and egg in front of her. "Thanks, Zee. Don't scare me like that though," Percy told him and dug in the heavenly food.

Ezekiel chuckled quietly. "Sorry," he said and sat beside Percy quietly. A random black streak raced underneath the table and Percy peeked. She smiled and picked up the little kitten and it purred in her hands. Though the look on Ezekiel's face looked like he wanted to murder it. "Leave off, Mr. Frown-a-lot."

"Where did you find that kitten?" Ezekiel's voice tuned down low. It was Percy's turn to frown at him and snuggle the little black kitten even more to her chest.

"I adopted him." Best lie ever. Percy rolled her eyes at her thought and then gazed back at Ezekiel. 

"I don't like it," he said blandly, like he was making a point.

Percy tickled Mr. Black's nose and stuck her tongue out at Ezekiel. "And you don't tell me what to do. Oh, stop it. No one ever died of kitten fur in a few weeks." She turned her tone lightly, expecting Zee to laugh but all he did was to stare harder at the kitten. 

It took almost ten minutes to take Zee off Mr. Black and once he was done with all the glaring and dagger looks, he told Percy, "There's a new book fare just on Mulberry Street. Thought that you'd like to check it out?"

Percy nodded her head and swallowed the last of the bacon. "I have to attend afternoon classes, though. Can't keep on skipping them, you know." 

Ezekiel smiled and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before getting up. "I'll pick you up then. Round five?"

"Six. See ya later, Adam." She chuckled. 

"Bye, Eve," Ezekiel joked before leaving her house.

Mr. Black purred and then batted her neck. "Yep," she told the cat. "Eve was the first one to pick the apple, and Adam was the one who bit it next. An old childhood story, nothing else. Are you hungry?"