In a grand living room the size of three tennis courts, where an antique chandelier hung from the ceiling in a crystalline mass, lighting the pastel gold walls and red carpeted floors, a flat-screen TV was in the middle of the wall, in front of a wide couch occupied by siblings Michelle and Raphe. To their left was a tall window whose curtains parted to show off the dark sky, silhouetting their eldest brother as a regal figure, though neither would ever admit to it.
Zack set his phone on vibrate when confirmation replies started pouring in about his earlier group message. He turned back to his siblings, who failed at hiding their inquisitiveness when he caught them look away from him.
"Uncle Vic plans to visit school tomorrow for an appointment with me." He announced casually, throwing his iPhone on a nearby throw pillow before plopping himself on one of the armchairs. Hero, the family pet, growled when Zack disturbed its rest with his movement, but quickly calmed down when the eldest heir stroked it behind the ear, making it purr.
"Oh?" Michelle chirped, clearly delighted. "Is he, by any odd chance, bringing his kids?"
"Why yes, yes he is. In fact, Easter and Aralyn disturbed our chat to make their dad promise them while I was listening." Zack answered, mentioning two of Uncle Vic's children.
Michelle clapped in delight as Raphe started switching channels with the remote, suddenly disinterested. "What time are they coming over?" The girl asked.
Zack shrugged. "He wasn't clear. I'll call him back later though. Maybe around morning."
Michelle nodded, then plucked the remote out of Raphe's hands and switched the channel to Disney. "Call me when they get there. It's been too long since I last saw those kids."
"Just don't try giving them anymore sugar rush than they already have enough energy in their systems, please." Zack warned, unamused at his sister's noncommittal shrug.
"Kids should have the right to sweets brother dear." Michelle said as Raphe stared blankly at the cartoon rerun playing on screen.
The older siblings looked up when Raphe stood, stretched, then waved goodbye and left the room.
"He seemed disappointed." Zack stated flatly, leaning his cheek on his knuckles.
"Well, we were expecting news about the Walter incident, and it was obvious you weren't going to talk about it in front of him."
"Oh yeah. That what they're calling it now? The Walter Incident?"
Michelle took out her phone and showed her older brother a news article she had saved a couple days ago. "Apparently."
Zack merely gave the headline a quick glance before shrugging and continuing to pet Hero. "Crashing Finale at Mariposa Arts Festival? That the best pun they can manage?"
Michelle grinned. "Oh, you won't believe the lengths the other articles went through to convince the public that the incident was no more than an honest accident. Not one so far has ever skimmed even the possibility that some mad clown out there might be targeting the life of a teenager."
Zack glared, not at his sister, but at her words. "And you'd think they'd be having a field day about it. Maybe they got fed up from the last few weeks?"
Michelle thought, suddenly quiet for a bit as the TV blared the opening theme song of a family sitcom. Last week, another student at DDA had been targeted by a wacko with a twisted, personal grudge, and the week before that, another student had been targeted by another wacko with a family grudge. AND THE WEEK BEFORE THAT, another student had been targeted by the fans of a celebrity after being caught eating lunch with him. And now they had another student being targeted. Albeit she wasn't a DDA student, she was a student nonetheless, and she was under their territory, so she was their responsibility.
Yowza. DDA had been busy. She couldn't blame her brother for his bad temperament these past few days. He had to take the brunt of each problem, being the oldest who had to train himself for experience to be utilized in the future.
"Poor you." She gave him a pitying look, like he was kicked puppy, because she knew he'd hate it.
On cue, Zack made an animalistic sound Michelle would have expected to come from Hero. He literally growled, stood, then marched out of the room. Hero, who had been alerted at Zack's sound, had raised his head out of the floor and stared at Zack, its round, black ears suddenly tilted back.
Michelle patted her lap to call him over and the loyal animal dutifully came over, resting his head on the nearby cushion as to not wrinkle his master's dress. Michelle started petting his head.
Dulcet's Dalliance Academia.
What a busy school.
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Hunted
Teen FictionNoah Cooley was a member of Dulcet's Dalliance Academia's Origins. This was the batch of students who entered high school at the same time Zack Florence, the eldest Heir to the school, did. But ever since junior year, he hadn't been much active with...
