Once upon a windy autumn day, a cold rusty bench on the kerb had a boy seated on it. One could see that he was reading Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. The reality, however, was that he was watching a girl with icy eyes as a small crowd gathered around her.
It was the same kerb, two different yet similar scenarios. An illustration of one man's noise is another man's voice.
The new girl was receiving unwanted attention. Everyone wanted to talk to her as if she was the biggest thing since Tiktok. Unlike in your typical school, popularity in RSM required both intellect and charm. That had been his ground ever since he joined the high school in the previous year and no one had ever come this close to overthrowing him.
Until now. She had shown up out of nowhere.
Where did she even come from? And what right does she think she has to insult and discredit me? he thought, unknowingly tightening the grip on his book.
Ronen was beginning to resent her.
Cadence was completely unaware of his presence. Her mind was already preoccupied with trying to remember people's names and giving them some form of attention while she was at it.
Tae could have been a big help right now, but he had to leave early.
"Why don't you play for us something?" one of them asked.
"Like what?" Cadence asked shyly.
Another said, "They say hearing is believing."
"I don't think anyon-"
"Just play the scales for now," another suggested.
She placed her violin case on a bench; this bench was cold but it had yet numerous seasons before it would begin to rust.
A shriek came out of Cadence's violin. It wasn't horrible per se, but it was enough to make the other students wince and their ears to twitch visibly. Her eyes widened slightly in shock and a large weight of embarrassment placed itself on her.
Her 'magic wax' was what she needed. When she had begun to learn the violin, she was disappointed to find out that she had been living a lie. Rosin was made from plants, not wax, she had been told. She still called it her 'magic wax' anyway. It was her little saviour whenever her violin sounded like wailing demons. She had probably bought more rosin than chapstick in her life. That was how important it was to her, and it was now nowhere to be found.
Cadence returned her violin to its case frantically. "Sorry guys. Maybe another time?" She tore to the school building trying to recollect where she last saw it.
Finally, Ronen thought. She's alone.
He stood up, closed his book and helped himself to a can of blueberry soda that he had been saving.
+++++++
The classroom and music room had been wiped clean. Cadence was left breathless after chasing every caretaker as she searched for it in the rolling trash cans.
"I'm okay. Really, I am," she'd say in reply to the perplexed look on their faces. "It's just that I've lost something extremely important to me, and my world would shatter without it."
The last caretaker she hunted down was at the garbage alley. He was about to take secure the trash bag with a knot when Cadence hollered, "Wait!" She panted heavily while she dived down into the stinky black plastic bag.
The caretaker was getting impatient. "You can finish my job since you're taking your sweet t-"
"Got it!" The white rectangular case was in her hands now. White could have been an overstatement, though; it had food stains on it. On opening it, she found that her little yellow magic wax was in fragments.
Her jaw dropped. "This was supposed to last me for two months!"
"Sorry to interrupt your predicament, but could you please step aside so that I can get rid of this?" The caretaker said as he disposed of the rubbish and left wheeling the trash can away. The kids of today are rather strange.
A soda can flew past her head from behind and entered straight into the main trashbin that she was facing. Cadence turned around and met eye to eye with the last person she had hoped to see for the day.
"Hello, Sasaki," Ronen said with a devious smirk.
+++++++
The strong evening breeze was more than annoying. Dried leaves constantly hit her as she strolled down the sidewalk and her hair had become a hindrance to her vision. Moreover, it cut even more icily across her cheeks and its coldness seeped into her bones.
A hair tie would be useful right now, Cadence thought as she held her hair away from her face. And a cup of hot cocoa, too.
Her eyes caught sight of that dreaded cosmetic shop across the street, the shop in which she bought the brandless cheap hair dye. Kayla had forcefully applied it onto her hair as her 'Caden' torture. Although it burnt like hell in the process, the stunning result could not be denied. Cadence wanted to stay mad at her sister but she secretly liked her new look (even though her hair had to be cut by more than half its length 'cause the dye was inadequate).
Despite the utterly terrible customer service she received the week earlier, her desperation caused her to cross the street and revisit the shop.
The wind chimes tinkled as soon as Cadence stepped in. She felt relieved as the air was much friendlier in there than outside.
"I see that you have learnt from your past mistake."
She turned to the voice and saw the cashier, sipping something hot from a red mug and munching a banana down with it. Cadence then realized that she had glanced up at the ceiling to check if the notice was still there.
It still was. As clear as day.
"I see that you're an observant person," she replied coldly. "Any scrunchies I could buy so that I can leave in peace?"
"You might want to sit down for some tea. Your eyes are red and baggy." She took one last bite from her banana and a long sip. "Either you've been stressed out, or you've been crying."
She cringed at the sight of her late afternoon snack. "I'm not fond of bananas...or tea." And I shouldn't accept food from a stranger. Inching closer towards the exit, the men in beige appeared behind her and prevented her from taking any further steps.
"Seriously!? This again!?"
The cashier said as she stood up, "You might want to read the sign on the wall behind you next to the door." One of the grim-faced security guards pointed at a yellow banner that read IMPOLITENESS SHALL NOT BE TAKEN KINDLY OR OTHERWISE
Taking her mug and yellow peel with her, she vanished behind a colourful beaded string curtain.
Cadence groaned to herself and followed suit.
+++++++
Mission Log
Operation: Classified
Location: Classified
Time: 1617hrs
On this Monday morning, it has been noted that another Purplecrest appeared on the premises. Suspicions on whether or not it is a coincidence have not been confirmed. However, it has been perceived that the new Purplecrest has not realized their potential.
This has been Agent 22. Over and out.
+++++++
Bananas and tea!? Yes!
As unusual as it may be, it's actually sweet. But I'd rather eat the bananas with milk tea, not black tea.
Just realized that my autocorrect has been correcting the word 'tea' from 'tae'. { :-P } I think I may have a problem.
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Purple
Fantasy[ON HOLD] After dyeing her hair, Cadence, being the introvert that she is, has her life turned upside down. Ronen, who can't help but hate her very presence, has the same hue sticking out from his crown. Is it a coincidence that they are just anoth...
