Chapter 18.

Walking toward the class on the next day, I stared at the pictures of the night's ball for the last time. It didn't took a long time for the picture to be...'beautified'. It just need a few touch up to make it seemed perfect. Good thing I brought my Sharpie with me today.

"I hate you, Jadeite."

There were many things I needed to think about other than that cocky boy; like my brother's whereabouts, or the latest Gundam's figurine that Evan has been talking about since last week, or Mom's coming concert, or my lame test results, or how my room looked more like a hamster's den these days, or about…Opal.

Speaking of her, it's always easier said than done. For some reasons, whenever I tried to approach her, I ended up pretending to do something else— or I'd walk away from her. It continued for a few days, and I was beginning to see it as a waste of time. But as I started to notice how she could smile and befriended well with our classmates, I felt quite...jealous. She could make friends way better than me, even when I first met her. It's quite absurd to think that a person like her would be attached to me after these years.

So when the school hour finished I dashed to the main entrance, trying to get to her before she disappear again. She was really good in running away from me. I should learn more from her, considering the fact that I was actually trying to get away from The Masquerade who managed to get in touch with me these days. Running down the stairs toward the main entrance which looked more like a 5-stars lobby than a school lobby, it felt like forever. Whose idea was it making the main hallway with stairs? Why didn't they just make an escalator or elevator? It would be more convenient for students.

A group of students was rushing and playing around behind me and they didn't bother to at least tell people around them to make a way for them. Though I hate to admit it, I was knocked over by one of them. Since I myself was running down the stairs, I could only step my other leg on the edge of the stair, causing me to lose my balance. I fall instantly — into a hand of a knight in shining armor.

"Hey watch it, dude. You almost kill someone here!" a male voice vibrated behind me.

Ok, so basically I didn't fall into his hand— nor he was wearing any armor to school; it's against the school's law anyway. He grabbed my wrist during the epic moment. And this man was—

"You!" I blurted.

Looking as if he had just made the biggest mistake in his life, the guy who played the guitar in the secluded room in the East building the other day let go of my hand. It's weird that during that short time, he made sure that I was standing steadily on the polished floor and was about to say something before he decided to shut his mouth. My gut was screaming at me, telling me desperately that this guy was someone important.

"Oi Seth, hurry up. We're going to be late for the practice!" one of his friends called.

Seth?

The guy in front of me flinched and I could tell he mentally kicked his friends' ass. This time, I was the one who grabbed his hand. "You're the one who the guys keep talking about!"

He shook my hand from him, and looked away almost immediately, "What guys? You got a wrong person."

And he walked toward his friend, leaving me just like that. I tried to chase after him but the moment he ran was the time where I lost his track. I doubled up my speed. It felt like I was suddenly running in a marathon; people were cheering for us who were running toward the finishing line. A funny thing though, seeing some people pass us plain water and cookies for us so that we could regenerate our energy to run toward the finishing line. And there's banner on…what was it? Be careful of—

Ouch!

Thank god the thing that caused me to stop this time was a group of football player who were on their way to the field instead of a cold hard wall. Maybe I should find a way to stop my daydreaming habit. It can be dangerous at times.

Searching for the Seth, I found no trace of him after that. Luckily, I saw Opal, who hastily left once our eyes met each other.

"Opal, wait!" I shouted and chased her.

But she didn't stop, and started to run away.

"Am I the only one around here who didn't know that it's the school's Sports Day today? Why is it everyone I try to talk with wants me to run?" I asked annoyingly.

So we were running like cat and mouse for God knew how long before I finally able to get a hold on her sleeve. This little exercise easily drained my energy as I was still recovering. And it was quite annoying to run with skirt. Not that it didn't help me to run faster, but the price I had to pay was embarrassing. It's pathetic trying to run while I'd to make sure that people couldn't see my panties! I need to make a proposal to Dad about the height of the skirt.

We panted, and now I really wished that my imagination about people passing us plain waters would come true.

"Let go of me, Beryl!" she demanded. "I don't want to interfere with your life, remember?"

I looked at her, hoping that she would understand me, "I'm sorry, Opal."

"For what?" she asked with a cracking voice.

It took me a little time to think about it, "For...the other day."

Again, we did nothing but staring at each other. I just realized how awkward this really was.

I sighed, "I don't even remember what we were arguing about."

"Moron," she replied nonchalantly.

"Jerk."

"Sleepy head."

"Hey, it's not my fault I easily get tired, idiot!"

"We both are."

"This is getting ridiculous…"

"Well, you started it."

We stared at each other again.

"I hate you, Beryl Keane."

I stared at her, "Yeah, I hate you too."

Silence follow suit, and it was immediately replaced by our laughter.

~oOo~

"And the winner for 10 kilometers marathon goes to—"

Me.

It was supposed to be me, after running like crazy for the whole day! I glared at the TV screen from the electronic shop in the city disapprovingly.

"I thought you're not interested in sports?" Opal asked with both hands were holding two cups of drinks.

"Do you really want to know?" I asked back while I took my favourite apple tea from her.

"No."

Figured.

"So..." she started, trying to get the momentum of being comfortable with me, "Did you know that someone put a moustache and beard on Jadeite's picture on the bulletin board? Senior Amethyst's picture is also vandalized."

I nearly choked on my drink, "W-what? No. Why? Did the teacher find the culprit?"

"No. That person sure has the gut to pick a fight with us. Gah, that's one of the few handsome pictures of him! I'm sure Senior Jadeite's friends have told him about it. And he's not going to be happy about it."

"The worse thing could happen is that Jadeite will never let people post his pictures in this school," I tried to reason. He's going to kill me if he knew I did it. "Besides, why are you so mad? Didn't you snap thousands of pictures of the guys that night?"

She sighed, "You didn't borrow my camera that night, did you?" I shook my head. "I lost it. I told the teachers but there's nothing they could do unless someone send it to the school."

She looked very upset. Knowing Opal, I knew how much she loved it. She bought it with her own money after months of saving it from her part time job.

Few girls squealed not far from us, attracting our focus. Obviously they were talking about celebrities; unless they were not normal students who became very excited upon seeing politicians or peacekeepers in the magazines that they were holding. It's also impossible they were talking about penguins or cats or even bears. Then again…it wasn't that hard to imagine.

"Why didn't you tell me Jadeite is engaged?" I asked to change the topic.

Opal looked at me quizzically, "I thought you knew?"

"Only this morning,"

"Well," she looked around as if she's about to reveal the country's top secret. They say that his father forced him to marry Senior Amethyst after his graduation. You do know that his father is the director of a big medicine company. And Senior Amethyst is the daughter of a pharmaceutical company. So it's more about business."

"But Amethyst studies in the West Wing. Why she's not a Firefly?"

Opal seemed like she wanted to say something before I unintentionally snapped her, "Then again, never mind. I don't care," I slurped my drink soundly.

I didn't want to think anything about him anymore—or his fiancée. I had enough of him. I felt like an idiot; staring at him, blushing on front of him over nothing, hoping that something would happen when in reality, I acted almost exactly like those love struck fangirls. Keyword: almost.

"Is it true then?" Opal asked suddenly.

"About what?"

"About you being drugged?"

Right. I forgot about it.

"I don't know. That's what my brother told me. I did feel funny that night. Then I overheard the guys where were talking about something— Hey do you know anyone by the name of Seth?"

There was another silence.

"Who's that?" she finally asked me back.

"He's my long lost twin— how should I know when I was the one who asked you about him?"

She laughed. "Maybe he's The Masquerade's friend, or an agent, or someone important in the entertainment world. I don't know. Is he as hot as the guys?"

"I don't judge people based on their hotness. But he's a bit of a jerk—" ok that's bias. "I don't know. But I want to know what's his relationship with those guys."

We were now walking beside a music store, passing by The Masquerade's posters. They looked so cool and serious in the poster; a very different image than The Masquerade that I learned to know. An entertainment news featured the guys was on the television besides the poster, making Opal stopped on her track and turned into her fangirl mode. Seeing them acted so carefree and happy as if they've no worries made them looked different...or should I say fake? And now looking at them like this, my days felt uncomfortably quiet without being chased after by them.

"Hey, remember that I told you about the guy in the East Wing?" I asked to change the sudden mood swing I felt.

"You mean the one who has a cute puppy with him?"

I glared, "You're too cynical today, you know that?"

"Hey, I learned it from the best. What about him?"

"Whatever. Anyway, I think he's the Seth that the guys were taking about the other day. And if I'm not wrong, he's the same Seth who I met—"

"Wait— you met him? When?" she asked hastily, totally forgetting about her favourite band in the TV.

"Just now; before I chased you. I was chasing him at first but he was M.I.A. So I couldn't ask him anything. What? Why are you being too interested?"

She looked away and finished her drink before throwing it in the dustbin. "What? Can't I be interested with boys?"

As Opal walked away, I stared looked at the poster again before I joined her. The only person I trusted in The Masquerade was Evan anyway. Why should I bother thinking about the others; especially about their leader? He was being nice to me during my stay in hospital because I was a part of the band. That's all.

"So you're interested with this guy?" I asked rather bluntly.

"Only his identity," she answered with a sweet smile.

If only I could remember a lot of things about her that time, I would definitely know the hidden meaning behind the smile. She then adjusted her bag on her shoulder, giving me the access to look at the familiar scars on her hand.

"So you're going to tell me about it?" I asked.

"'It'?"

"Those infamous scratch marks, Opal."

"Oh yea, this." She looked like she's constructing some awesome lies again.

"No more lies," I warned.

"But you're going to laugh!"

"Only if it's funny enough!"

"It's not funny, you idiot! It's stupid!"

"Then I'm not going to laugh!"

"But you will!"

"Fine!"

I huffed and walked faster to show my protest.

"If you laughed, I'm going to make you eat my shoes!" Opal announced.

And all I needed to do was to hide my smirk. "Spill it."

She reached closer and whispered, "This...happened on the ball night. I wasn't feeling comfortable with my...erm...bra after you left."

"Your bra?" I asked skeptically.

"Yes, my bra." I could see how red her cheeks were. "So I went to the washroom with my purse and the camera to adjust it."

"The camera or your bra?"

"My bra, Beryl! Now stop asking like you're a pervert or I won't tell!" I raised my hands in surrender. "Then I didn't feel comfortable adjusting it in front of the mirror so I went inside the toilet. I didn't hear anyone entered the washroom but when I grabbed my purse I noticed that the camera is gone. I ran outside in case I could catch whoever took my camera."

"You found that person and fought?"

"No one was there, Beryl. But when I heard a noise from the bushes nearby I thought that the thief was hiding. I love that camera, especially after I snapped lots of pictures of The Masquerade in those tuxes! I didn't think much so I jumped in the bushes, only to find a very, very bad stray cat..." she trailed off.

I waited for her to continue only to find her face became redder. It wasn't hard to guess what happened next.

"Correct me I'm wrong, Opal," I started, trying so hard not to laugh. "Those scratches came from the cat?"

A scowl appeared on her face. "It took me by surprise, ok? I-I wasn't prepared! A-a-and you've promised not to laugh!"

"I'm not laughing!"

A big grin escape. Soon I had to run for my life, totally unaware of the prying eyes of a person who had a bigger plan that would put my life to another turn.

~oOo~

When I reached home Mom was nowhere to be found. So did Shin. But Mom did left a note saying that she would not be back until midnight. Shin, on the other hand, went missing for another day, and the only time he called was two days ago, telling me that he had to settle some unfinished business elsewhere. I didn't really care about Dad since I knew that he would only be back after midnight and left the house early in the morning.

As the golden twilight reached its peak, I let loose my tie and took off my jacket while reaching for the switch. It was a long day, I felt so tired, and for the first time I think I could joined my classmates for PE session in the field for a run. I dare bet I could run faster than them now. Yeah, Opal was a good athlete, but I believed I was better than her as I managed to outrun her this evening. A hidden talent, I would say.

I stopped on my track, and held my breath.

I knew something wasn't right. Mom said she wasn't home until midnight, and Shin and Dad weren't home too— but why did the vase on the shoes cupboard was moved? And there were supposed to be another two pairs of slippers at the door. I was very sure things were on their right places when I left for school with mom this morning. Someone else was here— but who could it be? A thief? A crazy fan? My Mom and brother were famous people. It's not a surprise if their stalker broke into the house.

Silently, I reached for the nearest item that I could use as a weapon— a perfume which I purposely left when Shin nagged me about the importance of making myself as the centre of attraction. That's the most stupid, annoying thing he ever said. When did I ever care about myself being the centre of attraction?

I walked into the house as quiet as possible. Whoever was in the house right now would face the possibility of getting blinded by my 'weapon'; face the wrath of Beryl Keane!

I could hear a faint sound of movements, and my heart raced to another level. Searching for my phone in my pocket, I cursed silently when I realized that I put it in my jacket which I left at the front door.

Relax, Beryl. I'm sure it's all just my imagination, I told myself. But then, suddenly—

A figure popup in front of me, and jumped on me.

I acted solely on my beast instinct.

-End of Chapter 18-