Jiwa

Chapter Nineteen

When we returned to school, we were unsurprisingly whisked straight to the Headmasters' Office. We didn't tell him about anything, fearing Devi would be punished, but as soon as we got back to the dorm, I demanded an explanation

"Devi, if you hired the dudes, why were you so worried that I was gone for the week?" I said, not caring about my harsh tone.

Devi deflated, and her eyes glazed over. "I...I don't know, I-" I gripped her shoulder, making her stop.

"It's ok. I forgive you, just never do it again." She nodded and hugged me, and I hugged her back, knowing I didn't mean it.

~

"Kelly?" I asked, capping my pen, "Did you get the answer to number Sixteen on the Geo worksheet?"

"Um, no, sorry. Devs, you got anything for us?"

"I think it was graphite, but I'm not sure," she replied, glancing up from her textbook.

It had been a week since the break, and we had more or less settled into our routine. Every third day, I was sent to the atrium to get us food, as Devi didn't want me staying in the dorms, fearing I'd become a recluse. We were all skipping classes, for almost no reason, which is always the best reason.

We hadn't yet talked to the Headmaster; he was not yet aware of the mishap over the Midterm break. But we all knew that he'd have to be looped in eventually. We were just delaying the inevitable.

I checked the time and decided we could all do with some munchies. I got up and shoved a few wang into my pocket, and told Kelly to figure out the rest of the homework. She flashed me a thumbs up as I made my way out of the dorms to the atrium.

When I got to the block of stalls, I spied the stall where I had shared my lunch with a Sixth-Year, when I had just recovered. It was so long ago. What was his name? I couldn't quite remember. Darry, maybe?

I walked up to the counter, and the lady greeted me cheerfully, nodded as she noted my orders of buah and roti. She turned back to yell something to the dude working the stall.

What was that dudes' name? I wondered, as I pulled six wang from my bag and handed them to the girl. Not Darry, maybe Denny? Danny?

"Hey Jerry, tell Dan to step it up a notch!" she yelled, into the back of the stall.

Dan. That was his name. I squealed before I could register the shock on my servers' face.

A face with sandy, chin-length hair, and dark eyes set deep in his suntanned face.

"Dan," I whispered. His jaw dropped and the platter of food fell to the floor. The girl huffed and started cleaning it up, while Dan and I stood staring at each other.

Finally, the girl shoved Dan aside and placed the tray of food in my hands, saying how sorry she was, how she had added in some extra nasi to compensate me. I smiled at her and nodded my thanks, then turned and sprinted back into my dorm.

"Kelly! Devi! Oh my god-" I said, as I threw open the door. Kelly and Devi were up on their feet in an instant.

"Fee! What-" I cut Devi off by thrusting the platter into her hands.

"I...I just saw him. One...one of them, Dan, one of the people who...who..." I sat down hard on the floor as Kelly wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

"Who kidnapped you?" confirmed Kelly. I nodded sadly.

"Oh, Fee," said Devi.

"I... but you don't understand! I had already eaten lunch with him before when I had just gotten better-how did...how did he become the one to kidnap me?" I asked. "Devs, he didn't recognize me!"

Devi sucked in a breath and rubbed her temples. "Oh my god... I didn't think about this at all... well, he owed me a favor after I helped him with his entry exams a few years back. I didn't think you and he had ever met, so I thought it was OK. I sent his brother Jerry along too, just in case."

I gave her a funny look, and she rushed on. "I didn't want to scare you; I sent them to get you out of the towns' borders before you regained consciousness, so you wouldn't know it was them! It didn't work. But, it seems you were still too disoriented to recognize him. Am I right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. That lunch had been a while back, and at the time, I was too nervous to realize who he was. Until I saw him today, in uniform, that is."

Kelly sighed and clasped her hands. "Well, another mystery solved, right? Let's eat so we can finish our homework; we're narrowly escaping detention as it is."

I scoffed. "You're nearly escaping detention as it is, slacker. We're doing just fine."

Kelly shoved me, and I giggled and swatted her. Devi chuckled and waggled a finger at us as if we were some troublemakers she had been tasked with babysitting. I took a bite of some nasi. As I chewed, my jumbled whirlwind of thoughts spun faster and faster. I stopped chewing and frowned. Kelly looked at me, scoffed, and softly punched my shoulder.

"Shove off it, lass!" I said, batting her hand away. Playful banter could only keep my mind entertained for so long. Kelly was shocked for a second, then shrugged it off.

"You're Irish came out," she chuckled.

"I'm fine. I'm fine, just...tired." Kelly nodded and went back to eating, leaving her homework on the ground.

Later that night, I lay awake in my bed, pondering. Who were these people, the Scarlet Snakes? What did they want? How many days until they would strike again? Did my jiwa really contain some powerful, spiritual antidote? How long before another person got sick?

And would I get sick?

Surely not again! Surely not again. 

I repeated the words to myself like a mantra as I fell asleep. Surely not again, surely not again. But sleep began to slur my words. Soon, I was saying, surly noggin, surly noggin, which was really just nonsense.

"Kells," I whispered, my voice tired. She poked her head out from beneath the sheets.

"What?"

"Cool, I get si...sick?" I yawned as my words ran together.

I could practically feel her smirking. "No, no. You're fine, Fee."

Even though she couldn't see, I nodded and went back to reciting the mantra.

Surely not again, surely not again. Surly noggin, surly noggin.

I sighed and fell asleep, images of creased foreheads and fire serpents plaguing my dreams.

A/N: hey people! do you guys still trust Devi? or any of them? thoughts on the story so far?