The High 5

Chapter 19: Have Mercer on Our Souls

Ver-sion Chandler neatly stepped out of the payphone booth and cleared his throat, before turning to his son who leaned his shoulder against the brick wall and had his arms crossed, just next to the booth. They were a couple of blocks away from Kalimity High, nearby a genial-looking thrift store.

"How was that?" Ver-sion asked Rion. His voice was smooth and beguiling.

"Not bad, not at all. We'll know in a minute if he bought your act for sure," Rion said. "You know, you should think about getting into voice acting."

Ver-sion Chandler was two-feet taller than his son, and was just as muscular as he was, but it was hard to tell because he usually wore something with long sleeves. He was bald, had been for as long as Rion could remember, and clean-shaven. He owned a flower shop several blocks from Azure Lane called, Ver-satile Arrangements, and had been a florist for 18 years.

"Ha, come on now!" Ver-sion laughed. "You know I don't really like the attention. And what about you? You should think about getting into law -- the enforcement side of it I mean. You really have a knack for knowing when something or someone's off, and you didn't think twice before coercioning me into helping you kids out with your scheme to bust the bad guys."

This time Rion laughed. "I did no such thing! You're receiving a week's supply batch of Ms. Daye's homemade Bacon-Cakes, as well as the satisfaction that you aided your only son in his quest to clear the name of a comatose friend. You were persuaded."

He imagined for a moment, becoming a police officer. It was an odd thing to picture, but not impossible, and slightly intriguing now that he really thought about it. Just then, his phone emitted a loud ping. It was text from Aivie: mission accomplished.

"Ah, sounds like it went well. Now I won't have to plot to get you blacklisted if you ever do decide to become a voice actor."

"Ha! And maybe if this whole 'undertaking of justice' the Five of you are enforcing is successful, I won't have to scheme to pin a triple homicide on you if you ever do decide to become a law enforcer," Ver-sion laughed, and Rion laughed along with him. "Well, I'd better get back to the shop before someone complains that I'm spending too much time with my kid. Bonne chance to you Five, I know you'll hardly need it, but it feels better to know I've said it."

Rion hugged his father goodbye, and watched him walk back to his orange Sedan which was parked just a few meters down the street. Ver-sion had an unusual bob in his steps, and Rion loved that about him.

When he was in his car and drove away, Rion finally turned in the other direction, and started an unhurried dash back to school.

                                                                                           ******

Kite hadn't finished his lunch. For the last 15 minutes he had returned to sitting at the table in the library, and was quietly moping to himself while he stared at the front cover of his comic book. Now he was drifting through the hallways in inconsolable silence, and decided that he might just do that for the rest of the lunch period.

As he was passing by one of the Science classrooms, he began to her distinct bickering not too far down the hall. His eyes coasted upwards, and he realized that it was Bel and Hozei.

It was probably just meaningless squabble, but Kite had a nagging feeling in the back of his head telling him to make sure that it was just that. He glanced around, and the halls were still pretty much uninhabited, so he casually strolled their way.

Bel was the first to notice Kite coming their way, so she redirected her anger as she quickly closed the distance between him and them. She said to him in a loud whisper, "and you! What the hell, Kite? I thought no one was supposed to know!"