They didn’t take too long to settle in Kyle’s mansion during the first day, and the rest of their evening passed uneventfully, ending with a home-cooked dinner by the Hannagams’ private chef. His father and step-mother were away with diplomatic duties, so their entire stay could have looked like one wild Project X type of party. Fortunately for Jacy, Kyle was not that kind of guy, so on their second day they were up before noon in order to enjoy a few rounds of golf. He tried not to let it show how displeased he was with the notion of playing such a sport, but when in Rome…do as the emperor says, he guessed.
Golf is not known for being the most exciting sport, so after about half an hour Jacy was having a hard time pretending to enjoy it. Hein also looked uninterested. Nik and Kyle on the other hand were taking it seriously, reminding him of their tennis match.
“How are you so good at this if you’ve never played before. I don’t get it,” remarked Kyle with a scoff.
“I guess I just catch up quickly.”
“And he’s humble, too. Hey, since those two seem bored, let’s up the stakes a bit.”
“Sure, what have you got in mind?” asked Jacy.
“How about…every time someone fails to score, they have to answer a question from the others.”
Jacy figured they would start with easy stuff. He was obviously wrong. The three of them did go for harmless questions, like “who do you think is the most attractive person in Elysium” or “what’s one thing you don’t like about yourself”, but Kyle soon started complaining that they were “no fun”. Easy for him to speak, he had only missed once since they started this game.
It was soon Jacy’s turn again. He really wanted to avoid any questions after the last round when Hein had asked him if he fancied anyone and he gave a vague “not really”. He wasn’t so lucky.
“So, Jacy,” he already knew Kyle was not about to go easy on him, “why don’t you tell me who really was at fault for what happened to my step-brother that night?” But he wasn’t ready for this to be brought back up again.
“I thought we cleared that up already. Me and Iv got Tyler drunk. Not that he was completely innocent in all of this.”
“Yet some things didn’t quite add up…for example, Tyler was hazy the next day, but not hungover. Plus, we never really checked where Iv got her alcohol from. You guys thought you got away because the staff there is lax if you pay them well; and most students hide stuff anyway, Hendrick included. But I am suspicious.”
“You’re overthinking it. Just accept that I, as your friend, messed up and hurt Tyler. It won’t happen again.”
He threw his club a little more forcefully than he should have, but he had a feeling Kyle knew or suspected more than he should, and it was stressing Jacy out. Nik must have sensed his distress, so when Kyle took his position, he quietly asked him if he was ok.
“I just wish whatever luck you have in ball games would also work in reverse for your competitors. Its high time he was the one being grilled.”
Nik said nothing, but when Kyle hit the ball, he missed.
“I swear that was going to go in.”
“Kyle!” This was his chance to get something out of him. “What’s the deal with you and that curse you talked about on the first day? Why do you believe in it?” He looked pleased at the question, as if he was waiting to be asked.
“It may not seem like it, but I do have an interest in the occult. One time, before the start of the year, I was playing around with an Ouija board, not expecting anything of course, but I guess I got lucky. A spirit contacted me claiming he was the guy that took his life all those years ago. His name was Sean. He knew I had the key to the principal’s office and told me that if I dig deep enough, I’ll find something interesting. And I did. I found his letter, the one with the curse, preserved among other documents.”
That was quite a plot twist, Jacy thought, but it wasn’t entirely unbelievable. Beside him, Nik flinched as soon as he heard the word ‘spirit’. Hein did not look too disturbed by what Kyle said, so he assumed she knew at least some part of it.
“When was the last time you and this Sean guy got in touch?” he pressed on.
“This is your third question technically, but I’ll allow it.” He was now coming towards the trio, having abandoned his club.
“Right after we had dinner the first day, I went back to my secret spot, where I first met him. Sean may be grumpy, understandably so, but he is quite talkative. He had a lot to say during our second meeting, but he mostly warned me.”
“Warned you about what?” Nik finally spoke.
“He said that if someone doesn’t die this academic year, there will be more than one casualty. Once he placed the curse, it must be seen through for him to go to afterlife or wherever souls go. If someone fails to die, he will take matters into his own hands, and it will be much less pleasant. Trust me, that guy knows how to hold a grudge.”
This was more information than he’d hoped for. He had to tell somebody. He had to call –
“Also,” Kyle interrupted before Jacy had the chance to excuse himself, “he said the death doesn’t have to be by suicide.”
***
“So this is why Kyle came up with that competition before the re-take exams,” concluded Hendrick.
“And also the punishment for me, Iv and Nik. He wants to push until someone cracks. His intention was never to prevent it, but to make it happen,” added Jacy on the other side of the line. “Look, this is pretty serious. Maybe this Sean ghost isn’t even real, but we should still investigate.”
“We will. Now go before he gets suspicious,” said Shiro ending the call.
When Tyler’s evaluation was over, they didn’t have to wait long before the examiners announced he had passed. Tyler went back into the exam room to talk with the teachers, while the three were once again waiting in the hallway. That’s when Shiro got the call from Jacy, letting them know about Kyle’s apparent dealings with the supernatural. Shiro couldn’t lie, he was intrigued. One thing an immortal being will always appreciate is drama. Nothing worse than living for centuries in boredom.
“We should let Iv and Jabari know, too,” reminded Svea.
Although Shiro could easily send them both telepathic messages, he’d only done that with Hendrick knowing that he would be more receptive than the others due to his own super-nature, but mostly as payback for when he tried to get into his mind, back when Shiro was in his first year. It was the reason for their entire enemies ark until this year, because fun as it seems, mind reading is intrusive, and Shiro never had to experience it for himself until that moment – perhaps that’s what bothered him the most.
He decided then on a simple phone call, but before he could do that, an exceedingly joyous Tyler showed up and told them he would order food from a restaurant in town to celebrate – his treat.
“Svea, why don’t you and Tyler go look over the menu and we will join you in a bit.”
“Are you guys sure you don’t want to look, too? I was thinking burgers, but…”
“It’s your celebration, Tyler, you can choose whatever your heart desires. Let’s go pick a place!” Svea butted in after exchanging a glance with Hendrick.
“What was that? Are you trying to have a moment alone with me?” asked Shiro as soon as the other two were out of sight.
“Yes. Actually, I wanted to apologize for that time last year…”
“When you took me out in town and tried to put a magic potion in my drink to read my mind?”
“You figured it out I see.”
“I never thought you were trying to roofie my drink, which is why I never made a complaint to the principal. I knew it was a potion, but I was still upset because no one had ever tried to read my mind. I’m the one who does it to other people.”
“So that’s why you hated me? A bit hypocritical, isn’t it?” he scoffed.
“I didn’t hate you per se,” he chose to ignore the hypocrisy accusation, “but you seemed like you did!”
“I didn’t. I was just…angry at you, I suppose.”
“Why? What did I do?” Other than be a hypocrite.
“You don’t remember me. I suspected you were a fox spirit since the beginning, and I didn’t think it was a coincidence, meeting two kitsune who happen to look the same in the span of a few centuries. So I thought you either don’t remember or are lying to me. Are you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I assume you must have met me ages ago, but I don’t remember it. Maybe it wasn’t even me at all.”
“I understand.” He disliked seeing the disappointed look on his face – it was more than disappointment, a mix of emotion that Shiro couldn’t untangle – but he couldn’t be the person from his past that Hendrick wanted him to be.
“I wasn’t trying to read your mind, by the way. It was a potion to help you remember…if you truly had forgot it all.”
Alone in the hallway, Shiro called Iv.
“You know that little plan you had in mind?”
“I knew telling you was a bad idea! You told them, didn’t you? This is why I took Jabari.”
“What’s with everyone accusing me today? But no. I kept the secret, although I don’t think the plan will work anymore.”
He gave her the word-for-word rundown of Kyle’s confession as told by Jacy.
“Interesting. I suppose just asking Gwen to organize a coup d’état won’t suffice anymore. Even with Hendrick as president, Kyle is still dangerous.”
“Right, so what’s the new plan?”
“I’ll tell you when it’s done.”
***
The estate the event was held at was straight out of a millionaire’s magazine. Jabari was not immune to the opulence. That was, for him, his biggest curse, as well as his biggest blessing: wanting what you cannot have. That night, this desire was a double-edged sword indeed. He got to experience things once accessible only in movies – he was dressed to the fours in a white slacks and turtleneck ensemble, paired with an oyster colored jacket. Next to Iv, he looked like he belonged. She even confirmed that he was a natural, blending in when served champagne and a scrumptious amuse-bouche by a waiter. Nevertheless, once he found out from Iv the news about Kyle’s shady business with a ghost, he became wary. He was looking for something beyond human for all his life, and only once he mingled with certain kinds of people he found it. It couldn’t be a coincidence that the supernatural would be attracted to power and vice-versa.
“Don’t worry about it.” He feels Iv squeezing his arm in a comforting manner. “I told you I’ll deal with it. Just try to enjoy it.”
They soon spotted Dianne in the crowd coming towards them. The girl seemed more of an outsider than he did. She looked the part for sure, but she was all alone in a corner of the room while her parents were networking. She was surprised to see him there, especially next to Iv, but he supposed she was glad for the familiar presence anyway.
The three chatted for a bit about trivial stuff, then Iv excused herself, leaving him with Dianne.
“That’s Gwen’s father, Mr. Belorgey,” Dianne nodded in the direction of the man Iv was approaching. He was surprised to see the man pay attention to her, and even willingly be steered towards what Jabari supposed was a more private place. He knew Iv exuded power and confidence, but no one takes teenagers seriously even if they command all the attention in a room like she did. For a second, he worried he might have read the situation wrong and was ready to intervene, when Dianne made him aware of another presence in the room.
“And here is the host’s precious daughter. I don’t know how she effortlessly talks with all these boring old people. I could never.”
Jabari indeed noticed Gwen shaking hands and sweet talking with a few politicians, but that’s not what got his attention.
“You said host?”
“Wait, Iv didn’t tell you? This is the Belorgey chateau. It’s their first time hosting this event and they sure don’t want it to be their last considering how much effort and money they put into this.”
“Just how much money do they have?”
“Enough to be the number one financial backers of Elysium High School. Why do you think Gwen is the secretary? I heard there wasn’t even a vote for that position, her parents just wanted to make sure the money they invest in the school is handled properly, and who better for that role than their own daughter.”
“Huh.” The more he stared at Gwen, the more he noticed the signs of old money wealth. The learned gestures, the simple, yet luxurious fabrics of her dress. It all made sense.
“Us newer money folks don’t really care about traditions and etiquette. But as long as people like the Belorgeys run the school and every other institution or organization, we’ll have to keep acting posh. It’s redundant if you ask me.”
Walking alone through the dark hallways of the chateau about an hour later, Jabari was contemplating for the hundredth time the impossibility of moving up the ladder when the ladder was set up against him. He could pretend to be like them, but he lacked money, power…and he was only human.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a giggle followed by a sob from two different female voices to which he hurried to. On a bench only briefly lit by the moonlight, no sooner had Iv finished whispering something in Gwen’s ear than the latter flew crying, leaving Iv smiling in delight.
“Did you deal with it?”
“Not really,” she smiled. “I was just setting the wheels in motion.”
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