Piyumi, age fourteen, was relatively content. A full year had gone by since her first encounter with Mylene, and her life now had a sense of stability. She continued to carry out jobs for Morpheus with Mylene after school and the money was good — a bit too good for the work she did, actually. She had a sneaking suspicion that Mylene only allowed her to assist with some of the more easier jobs. There was no way the notorious White Terror was being relegated to only stealing cars and hitting the occasional house or store. That would just be bad business practice.
In any case, Piyumi couldn’t complain. She no longer went hungry or lived in fear that the roof over her head would disappear. There was one thing, however. A part of her worried that she’d broken Miyuru the night she’d all but denounced him as her father. Since then, Miyuru would make himself scarce whenever she was home by vacating to his favourite bar downtown or locking himself up in his room. She’d sometimes hear the sound of crying from the other side of his door, but she'd found time and again that she couldn't bring herself to ask what was wrong. There was a pair of ghosts living in her house, each so desperate to avoid the other, it was a wonder why they even bothered living there at all.
The bell signalled the start of recess but Piyumi made no move to stand as her classmates began to mill around her. Her mind was locked onto a memory from the day before, a worried pit forming in her stomach.
“Miss Perera,” her maths teacher, Mr. Gross, had grit out after taking her aside. “I’ve said this before, but I’m warning you for real this time. This is your last chance. Fail the test tomorrow and there’ll be serious consequences.”
Mr. Gross had stomped off before Piyumi could ask what “serious consequences” would specifically entail, but she knew it couldn’t be good. She stared down at her open notebook, the pages filled with absentminded doodles with nary a mathematical equation in sight. Unlike other subjects, maths wasn’t something she could just finesse with the art of the bullshit, which was why she was most definitely and royally fucked.
The idea of ditching class popped up in her mind, but she quickly pushed it aside. She’d just have to make up the test later, and Mylene wouldn’t be too pleased to find out that Piyumi had been skipping school. Strangely enough, the White Terror, despite being a high-school dropout herself, was adamant that Piyumi keep attending school. It was the one thing that Piyumi couldn’t get her friend to budge on. Well that and meeting the boss, but she was way too scared to bring that up again.
“H-hey! What are you doing?!”
Piyumi turned to see a boy recoiling into his seat at a neighbouring desk. Hunter Watson-Jones had just transferred to her high school that morning after moving in with his mother full-time, and judging by the way the hulking upperclassman leaning over his desk sneered, he'd already become a prime target for the dregs of the student body.
“I don’t think you understand the position you’re in, mate,” the bully snarled, slamming the table into Hunter’s stomach with a hard shove “Give me your fucking money and we won’t gonna have any problems, got it?”
Piyumi saw fear surge into Hunter’s eyes. His hand quivered as it pulled out a leather wallet from his pocket. Just as the bully was about to grab it, however, it was plucked out of Hunter’s grasp from above.
“Wow,” Piyumi whistled. “Bloody score. Thanks guys!”
“What the fuck?!” the bully rounded a searing scowl in her direction. “That’s mine!”
Piyumi gave the boy a smirk. Now that she had a better view, she recognised him as Nate Stone, one of the senior students who often went around looting his underclassman for cash. Pathetic, really. Did no-one earn their keep the good old-fashioned way these days?
“Really?” Piyumi said with faux bewilderment, pulling a student ID card from the wallet. “Because I don’t think your name is on here. Coincidentally, I actually changed my name to Hunter Randulph Watson-Jones yesterday, so…”
Nate lunged at her, but she easily stepped out of his way. “You shouldn't mess with me, mate,” she tutted, shoving the wallet into the pocket of her school dress before making a show of cracking her knuckles. “I shit out dime-a-dozen bullies like you after eating them for breakfast.”
If the vein jutting out of Nate’s forehead got any larger, it was going to burst. “Bring it on, you red-haired bitch.”
Piyumi shrugged as if she was disappointed by Nate’s response. She took a few steps forward, cocked back a fist and then-
Grabbed Hunter’s arm and hightailed the absolute fuck out of the classroom.
“Hey!” Piyumi heard Nate bellow behind her as she dragged Hunter through the door. “Get back here!”
With thundering footsteps suddenly hot on their heels, Piyumi flung Hunter out of the way before she turned to slam the classroom door shut just in time for Nate to slam into it and crash to the ground. She knew that he wouldn’t be subdued for long, so she seized Hunter’s hand again and ducked into a nearby passageway.
After taking a moment to catch her breath, Piyumi peered over the corner. She saw Nate burst through the classroom door and look around the hallway before he took a path away from their hiding place.
Shr pulled herself back into the passageway and sighed in relief. Honestly, she had no idea what she would have done if her fakeout hadn't worked. Sure, hanging out with the White Terror had taught her a move or two, but Piyumi wasn’t stupid. The boy was a full four years older than her and twice her size. She would’ve been eviscerated.
Besides, as Miss Adventures loved to say, “fight with your brain, not with your fists.” Sometimes that meant she had to pick her battles.
“Here,” Piyumi tossed the wallet back to Hunter. “I think this belongs to you.”
Hunter looked down at the wallet in his hands as if he couldn’t quite believe it was there. “You’re…you’re not gonna keep it?”
“Heh, that was just something I said to get that ugly troll off your back, Now, he’ll come after me next time, not you.”
“But didn’t he see you drag me out of there? Doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose? He has to know that you were trying to save me.”
Piyumi blanched. As Miss Adventures loved to say, “fight with your brain, not with your fists.” Apparently she had fought with neither.
“Anyone tell you that you have a funny way of saying ‘thankyou?’” she muttered.
“Oh, how rude of me!” Hunter snapped up straight, face flushed red with embarrassment. “Thankyou! Thankyou very much!”
Piyumi eyed the boy in front of her. She didn’t really know what had compelled her to get involved in his business in the first place, but it was probably the way he reminded her of a squirrel — skittish, earnest and just pitiful enough to spark a protective urge. Well, no matter. If Nate tried anything with her later, she could just sick Mylene on him.
“Well, it was nice meeting you, Hunter!” Piyumi plastered on a pleasant smile. She really should be more careful with how she interacted with others. The last thing she wanted was the arms-length distance she held everyone at being breached. “I’ll see you in class, okay?”
“Wait!”
Piyumi paused mid step at Hunter’s call. She turned to see the boy sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck, the blush on his face so bright, it could’ve signalled ships at sea.
“Um, could you please show me where the canteen is?” The dimple dinging Hunter’s right cheek deepened as he gave Piyumi a tentative smile. “It’s just, it’s my first day, and yeah, the office gave me a map, but I don’t really know…”
God damn it. Two and a half years of cultivating an aura that she’d prefer to be left alone and she’d gone ahead and made herself approachable.
“Sure thing, dude,” Piyumi said, realising it would just be easier to show him the way and get it over with. “Follow me.”
While the locker bay was always congested at recess, it was the quickest way to Hunter’s destination. Piyumi winced as warm bodies pushed and prodded against her, just barely managing to squeeze herself through. She didn’t have to fear losing Hunter in the crowd — she could hear him blurt out quick apologies to every person he brushed up against behind her. Well, that was the case, until-
"Hunter! There you are!”
Piyumi whipped her head around, confusion running through her as she saw Waliyha squish herself through the throng towards the chestnut-haired boy.
“Um, can I help you?” Hunter asked, equally as puzzled.
“Oops, sorry! I’m Waliyha Nadir, the Student Council Representative for our year level,” the girl in question said. “I was asked to show you around today! Do you need help with anything?”
“Oh, I’m fine actually. She was just showing me where the canteen is.”
Waliyha turned to where Hunter was gesturing. Bewilderment washed over her features when she saw Piyumi standing there, but it was quickly replaced by a conspiratorial look.
Piyumi suddenly felt very, very nervous. “W-Well, now that you’re here, Waliyha, there’s not much point in me being around. I’ll see you later-”
“Nonsense!” Piyumi suddenly felt a hand suddenly grab her own. “We’ll all go, Piyumi!”
And before she could register what was happening, Piyumi suddenly found herself sitting on the courtyard grass with Waliyha and Hunter, the latter with the snack he had bought from the canteen in hand. Piyumi couldn’t help but shoot Waliyha an incredulous look. What kind of witchcraft…?
“So, your name is Piyumi, right?” Hunter piped up rather shyly. “I...I like your hair colour! I didn’t know the school let students dye their hair.”
Piyumi snorted, rubbing the end of her ponytail between her fingers. “Nah, it doesn’t. This is one hundred-percent natural, unfortunately.”
“What?!” Hunter cried before he caught himself, flushing a deep burgundy. “Uh, I just mean…you don’t really see that shade of red everyday…”
“Well, my mother’s a queen from another realm,” Piyumi shrugged. “Or, at least, I’m pretty sure she is. Either way, it’s from my mother’s side. Genetics, huh? Gotta love ‘em.”
Hunter looked stunned but Waliyha just rolled her eyes. “You’ve been using that same joke since primary school,” she said. “Stop teasing and be nice.”
A flash of surprise ran through Piyumi. Waliyha still remembered that? “Yeah, you’re right,” she said apologetically, pushing down her shock. “My bad, Hunter.”
Hunter gave her a small smile, before his gaze fell onto her empty hands. Piyumi saw his eyebrows rise imperceptibly before his line of sight drifted to the food in his lap. “Hey guys, I forgot to grab something from the canteen,” he said a moment later, dusting off his uniform as he got to his feet. “Be right back.”
Piyumi arched her head to watch Hunter as he walked away, only to let out a yelp when she turned back and suddenly found herself nose-to-nose with Waliyha, who had a terrifying glint in her eye.
“Can’t escape me now, can you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, stop it with that fake smile, Piyumi. It hasn’t worked before and it won’t work now.”
Said smile abruptly dropped. Damn. Things were just not going her way today. “You’re relentless, you know that?”
Piyumi didn’t think it was possible but the grin on Waliyha’s face grew even wider. “I have a proposition for you.”
“Wow, I’m flattered, but you’re not really my type.”
“You should be so lucky,” Waliyha rolled her eyes. “Word on the street is that Mr. Gross is out for blood. Specifically, yours.”
Crap. With everything that’d happened, Piyumi had completely forgotten about her impending doom. “Yeah, so?”
Waliyha flipped open the large binder she lugged to the courtyard with triumphant gusto. “Tada! Notes for the test!” she declared. “All neatly compiled, collated and colour-coordinated. You can use them to study if you want.”
Piyumi’s heart spiked with hope. Her hand reached out towards the binder before it was cruelly yanked away at the last second.
“Ah, ah, ah,” Waliyha tutted. “The best things in life are seldom free, Piyumi. You would be remiss to remember that.”
Piyumi narrowed her eyes. “Stop using fancy five dollar words and tell me what you want.”
Waliyha tapped her chin, humming with a fake thoughtfulness. “You could swing by my mum’s auto repair shop after school today. It’s been years but I know she’d love to see you. And you could check out all the motorbikes! That’s been an interest of yours lately, right?”
“...You’re relentless, you know that?”
A cocky smirk curled up the corner of Waliyha’s lips as she held out a hand. “I’m not known as the ace of the debate club for nothing.”
Piyumi clicked her tongue, irritated. She was meant to meet up with Mylene in the evening, but-
Fail the test tomorrow and there’ll be serious consequences.
Her stomach churned. She had to pass, no matter what. She didn’t even want to think about what would happen if she didn’t and the school attempted to get her father involved.
Waliyha raised an expectant eyebrow. Piyumi sighed as she reached over and shook the girl’s hand. If evil geniuses were real, then Waliyha fit the bill to a tee.
“Um, am I interrupting something?”
“Not at all,” Waliyha said as Hunter returned, giving Piyumi a meaningful look as she handed her the binder. “In fact, why don’t you join us after school for a trip down to my mother’s auto-repair shop? The more the merrier.”
Hunter positively glowed as he took a seat between the two girls again. “Wow, that’d be great! Thank you! Oh, and also-”
It was then that he let the snacks in his arms spill onto the grass between them. “Just a little thankyou for all your help today,” he said. He picked up a packet of chips and specifically placed it in Piyumi's free hand. “These are especially good,” he beamed at her. “The milk bar my mother owns is the only one in the area that carries them and they sell like crazy. Try them!”
For a moment, all Piyumi could do was look down at her hands. One held the bag of chips, the words Collins’ Original Crinkle Cut staring back at her, while the other was clasped around the binder, the cascading tabs running down its side bright against the grass. Her chest stirred, and she suddenly felt quite light. It was as if the sound of Waliyha and Hunter’s happy chatters would be enough to carry her away, far away, to some place that was just away.
And wouldn’t that be nice?
A lump formed in Piyumi’s throat, but she refused to let herself cry. Banishing her rising emotions to a deep part of herself, she swallowed thickly and instead gave Hunter an accusatory look as she held up the chips he had given her.
“This a new form of guerilla marketing I don’t know about?”
“No, I-” Hunter suddenly stopped, noticing the smugness bleeding onto Piyumi’s face. “I’m never going to get used to your jokes, am I?” he sighed in defeat.
A week later, Piyumi was handed back a maths test with a bright red 62% sprawled on the front and she smiled.
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