Chapter 24
Every Friday after school, I went to spend an hour with Misty without Freya’s consent. Not only that, Katie and I started talking a bit. She always texted me to check on Alexis. She was able to call and video chat her sometimes which made them believe se was simply ill.
The conversation’s between me and Katie over texts went beyond “Is Alexis Okay?” to us talking about each other. Katie’s education and mine were quite similar as we were both the youngest in our classes. In terms of books and music genre, we didn’t have so much in common like things were with Misty, but our view on other things saw eye to eye.
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In a week, I was going to be fourteen, and that was all Freya and the others could talk about. I made sure to warn them about my hatred for surprise parties and big celebrations for something like my birthday.
My relationship with Freya was going smoothly. The fact that I kept two secrets that she would not be okay with from her didn’t really bother me for some reason.
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Five days until the twenty-fifth of November, I received a talk from my classmate.
During Physics class, a girl named Candice slipped a piece of paper to me without Freya knowing. It read;
“I want to talk to you about something. Music room after class?”
I couldn’t think about whatever she would want to talk about, but I agreed to talk to her after tha class.
When the bell that drew Physics class to a close rang, I told my friends that I would meet them in the library. I followed Candice to the music room to see what she wanted.
“What did you want to talk about?”
She sat next to the Cello and began to speak.
“I’m telling you this because I see a lot of similarities in you and Clyde.”
My lips stayed shut while my head wandered to infinite possibilities.
“I heard recently that you’re curently dating Freya.”
“I am,” I replied in confirmation.
“And, you knew her when you were little, but you were apart for years till now.”
“I understand if you think it’s too early as we only just met again.”
My mother already had that conversation with me and I was going to take things slow with Freya. It was already going so well.
“What does it have to do with Clyde?” I asked. If I was gone for too long, Freya would come looking for me. If she found me in the music room alone with another girl, it would mean drama.
“Did any of your friends ever tell you that Freya and Clyde dated once?” she asked.
I froze.
“No, they didn’t.”
“I see,” she said softly.
“Well, in our last year of middle school, just as you arrived in Mystery Falls, so did Clyde. He was just like you. Quiet and very mysterious. He was rather distant from people. He was usually alone. Not until Freya befriended him. About two months later, they started dating.”
I listened keenly to every single word that came out of her mouth as the story of Clyde and Freya was a story repeating itself..
“They were good together, until the real Freya came out.”
“The real Freya?”
“Freya has a habit of imposing her ways on people, regardless of how they feel. And she’s really insecure. She’s rather pushy. Clyde couldn’t handle it and they broke up. It was a really toxic relationship.”
I stayed silent for a bit, thinking deep about hwat I had just heard. Was she really like that?
“Thank you for telling me this. I’ll keep it in mind.”
I left Candice and headed for the library. On my mind was the short tale that Candice told me. The story was just too relatable. Just as Clyde arrived in Mystery Falls and was always alone until Freya was exactly like my story. I could only wonder and worry if it was going to end like Clyde’s.
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The twenty-fifth of November;
Every year, my family was always downstairs with gifts, ready to shout the words ‘Happy Birthday’ and in the evening, we would go to wherever I wanted. They always respected my desire for minimal celebrations, and I loved them for it.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!”
I smiled at my happy family from the staircase. They all had a gift in their hands. No matter what, they always had a gift for me in the morning, before I went about my daily activities.
I walked down the stairs and gave each of them hugs. I collected each gift, one after the other and opened the ones with wrapping paper. The first, from my pregnant older sister, Alexis. I tore the wrapping paper and pulled out a book just like the one I wrote in.
“I saw you writing in a book, and it seemed rather intense as you had filled loads of pages, so I got you a new one.”
“Thank you.”
Next, I collected a small box from Mr. Gudjohnsen. It contained a black and silver colored bracelet.
“My father gave it to me years ago, I thought maybe youu should have it.”
I looked at the bracelet like I was checking for any faults. The bracelet didn’t seem that old. I never really wore bracelets.
“If you don’t like it, I can get you something else.”
“No no, it’s great. I’ll take it,” I said, immmediately wearing it on my left wrist. Looking at the bracelet, it was actually pretty cool. Maybe it was time to start accepting gifts from Mr. Gudjohnsen. Afterall, I would accept any old gift from my old man before he died, why not him?
“Here’s mine,” she said and handed me a pitch black phone case. It was a rather small gift, but it did mean a lot
“Save the best for last,” mom said with a hint of pride in her tone.
She handed me a black box. From the looks of things, it was a shoe box.
“I collaborated with Clyde on this one,” she added.
I opened the box and met a pair of AF1’s with mesmerizing colorful doodles on them.
“Wow!!!”
I stared at my new shoes with a warm heart and smile. My feet were dying to put them on.
I went for a super-tight hig with her.
“This is amazing mom. Thank you!”
“You’re welcome darling. So where do you want to go tonight?”
“I’ll decide before school ends and let you know.”
“Alright then.”
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When I got to school, my friends were nowhere in sight. I headed for my locker to get a few things and hoped I could avoid their birthday wishes in the hallway. If they started to wish me happy birthday in the hallway, then too many people would know about it.
As I hurriedly entered my combination;
“Happy Birthday to you,” a female voice sang into my ear. It was Katie. I didn’t let her finis her song when I grabbed her wrist softly.
“Katie, I appreciate it, but I don’t want anyone else knowing,” I whispered.
“Oh. Sorry about that,” she apologized.
“No problem.”
I picked a textbook from my locker and walked with Katie.
“You know, I wished you a happpy birthday first,” said Katie.
“You did?” I asked.
“Yeah. Check your messages. I sent you happy birthday at exactly twelve midnight.”
“You were up so late?” I aksed and raised an eyebrow.
“Homework and stuff.”
I pulled out my phone and went through my messages. She did wish me a happy birthday first. After her, Misty.
“Thank you,” I said with a broad smile.
“You’re welcome,” she replied with her cheeks flushed.
“Henry,” a voice called out. I looked behind me to see Freya walking towards us.
“Hey,” I greeted.
She picked up the pace, said happy birthday, and planted a sweet wet kiss onto my lips.
“Thanks,” I said.
“What were you two talking about?” she asked.
“Alexis,” Katie immediately replied.
“What about her?” Freya asked.
“She hasn’t been in school in a while. I was just asking to see if she was okay.”
Freya stared at her suspiciously for a few seconds.
“Okay then. Come on Henry, the guys are waiting for you,” she said, grabbing my wrist and dragginng me away.
With that lie, Katie basically testified to what Candice told me.
She dragged me into the janitor’s closet, where my friends cramped themselves.
“Happy Birthday!” they whispered in unison.
“Thanks guys,” I replied.
From Erica and Elizabeth, I received a bottle of a new brand of my body spray, Blake got me a black ring, while Daphne got me a new pair of headphones. My girlfriend, got me chocolates and a self portrait she had someone work on since I arrived at MFHS.
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That day at school, I fell asleep in the library. During that short period of time, I dreamt of the explosion that left me disoriented a few weeks back. The dream left me with the same hellish feeling I got from Mrs. Lever.
When I woke up, I had the idea to find out what exactly was going on with our Physics teacher; Mrs. Lever
I went to the teacher’s lounge while it was empty and searched her desk. I looked through every desk until I stumbled upon a brooch. The green brooch had an image of a double headed snake with an arrow across it’s body.
I placed it back on the desk, and just as I was about to take a picture.
“What are you doing here?!”
Mrs. Lever’s voice from behind froze me where I was.
I slowly turned around to meet her susicious eyes.
“Mr. Collins, care to explain why you at my desk?”
Where I stood, I wanted to lunge at her and break a few fingers until she finally confessed about what she was plotting.
“I just wanted to apologize. Our first small talk wasn’t exactly a very good one,” I lied.
“Oh really? Is that so?” she asked with a smile.
“Yes. I honestly didn’t want to, but I was taught to respect ones older than myself. The young and beautiful ones included.”
She chuckled.
“I didn’t think you were one for flattery. Not all ladies fall for that Mr. Collins.”
I faked a smile.
“I don’t want to believe that’s the only reason you came to my desk Mr. Collins.”
It wasn’t even my reason for being there. I was most likely not going to get a chance to find something like that brooch, so I took a risk and asked her.
I picked up the brooch and said;
“This brooch is really beautiful Mrs. Lever.”
“Thank you,” she replied with a small smile.
She settled at her desk and with her lip pressed against each other and a slight devious smile on her face that was beautiful and intimidating at the same time, she crossed her arms over her chest.
I needed to push a little more.
“Although, I think I might have seen it before.”
Her smile went serious, but not by a lot.
“Where? If I may ask?”
“That’s the thing. I can’t really remember,” I said.
“I’m a snake lover and so I collect images…”
‘At least there’s one truth.’
“…maybe I have seen it somewhere.”
She stared at me with rather serious eyes and I did the same. Neither of us backed down in our little stare off.
“Well if you must know, this bracelet..”
She collected it from me.
“…is a family heirloom.”
‘A family heirloom?’ I thought to myself.
I wanted more answers. No. I needed them.
“Sorry Mrs. Lever, I just love history. What does it mean to your family? Is your family one that has a rather long lineage?” I asked and took a seat on the chair in front of her desk.
I was taking a risk as if she was the kind of person I suspected her to be, then she might be suspicious.
She smiled. “You’re not like the regular twenty-first century teenagers Henry.”
“Thank you,” I said and faked a smile.
“Well Henry, my family isn’t really a long lineage. Before my mother passed away, she gave it to me when I was about your age. She said her grandmother gave it to her. As for the meaning, my mother didn’t say if it had one.”
“Really?”
“Yes. But I decided to give it my own meaning.”
‘Is she intentionally telling me this, or does she have no idea I’m very suspicious of her?’
“Snakes don’t give warnings when they want to strike. Growing up, my arrival at places like parties and get togethers are usually without warning.”
“Like your arrival as my new Physics teacher.”
She gave a broad smile.
“Exactly.”
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After leaving her office, I headed for the restroom and went online to see if I could find anything like the symbol on the brooch. I wasn’t going to buy the story she was selling.
I clicked on as many sites as I could find, but I couldn’t find anything like the brooch. The ones I found were Harry-Potter related and so not what I needed.
Maybe the brooch didn’t mean anything, but I just couldn’t fight off the feeling. She was no good. I just knew it
YOU ARE READING
A Different Descendant: Freshman Year 1
Teen FictionStep into Mystery Falls via the eyes of Henry L. Collins and witness the life of the last male of the Collins lineage as he uncovers secrets necessary to maintain the safety of his family, friends and city while living through highschool.
