Alleyway BxB

III (Surprise)

WEDNESDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER
MARCELLO LOCKHEART

"It's not every day you get contacted by people of your... popularity." The principal, Mr. Bennet, chuckled as he loosened his tie. Was he nervous? Intimidated? Excited? It could have been one or all of those. "Frankly, I thought it was a joke when I first received your emails, but I'm honoured to welcome the both of you into Monarch."

I was about to answer, but Marcella beat me to the cut. "We're so glad you let us in. I hope you know how much this means to us." The grip on my hand grew tighter and tighter at every word. She could have burst from excitement at any moment.

Mr. Bennet nodded to the bouquet of red roses rested nicely on the corner of his desk. "I do. It's sweet what you have in stall for — Isaiah, was it? And I have no doubt that your presence would benefit our music and drama sector immensely."

Cells and I were privately tutored our entire lives and I was a little old to be a high school student. What better way to get in than to work with a few classes? "We'd hope so," I responded and straightened myself up after slouching through the conversation Cella had taken over. "Just to add, unlike my sister, I won't be in the state for very long—just over a month. I may also be called to do other things while I'm here and I want to apologise if I have to leave without notice."

"You're busy people. No issues here." He turned to the clock on the wall behind him, Mr. Bennet stood up from his chair. "We are approaching eight-thirty. We should go now to be on time."

She nearly squealed. Marcella hopped to her feet, grabbed the flowers on the way up.

I couldn't help but smile at the excitement in her eyes and swiped both of our bags from the floor. "Easy there, Cells. You haven't even seen him yet."

She scoffed. "Then let's see him. Come on, let's go!"

I shook my head with a smile, couldn't find it within myself to be annoyed. Find yourself a girl who misses you as much as Marcella misses Isaiah.

She was already out through the door.

"We should catch up to her. I doubt she knows where she's going." Mr. Bennet took a quick look at his computer screen before he ushered me out.

Corridors, stairs, courtyards between buildings and Marcella had a bounce to her step as she moved alongside me. Six years away from the twins was difficult for me; I couldn't imagine what it felt like for her.

"Here we are," Mr. Bennet said in a hushed tone, pointed to a classroom with an already opened door. He waved for us two to stick to the wall as he approached the teacher stood by the entrance. Inside, we heard a familiar voice, Isaiah, but it was too quiet for me to listen in on. Their conversation was quick, under a minute, before we were encouraged to enter the room.

Marcella was in first and she held a finger up tight to her lips. I went next to see that the class was fixated on the both of us. The boys looked utterly dumbfounded and the girls tried to collectively suppress any noises. Didn't stop them from flailing like octopuses, though.

Isaiah was there in the front of the room, blindfolded, and I sneaked quietly past him to fist-bump Isaac in the front row. I jumped into the first available seat near him and pulled out the camera bag. Too focused on its assembly, I didn't notice who I sat down next to or their look of complete shock and dread.

Save it for their wedding, is what I had been told by not only our parents but also Isaac and Isaiah's.

I could throw this into the video.

I finally got the camera to record and tuned into what Isaiah was doing.

"I really don't understand the point of this blindfold or why I'm still up here when I finished what I was saying ages ago."