I stopped by the concrete walls of the hidden place I called home to check on Eco and drop off some food.
He looked smaller than he should be; his growth had been all but stagnated, and even though he was in better shape than when I found him in 1811, the sight of him made my heart tighten.
I now packed my stuff as usual for school ㅡ trying to hide the mark on my hand from the spirits as well as Eco. I didn't want them to know about this. They wouldn't only worry, and they'd know the implications of this from my frequent study of mythology, at least what I could learn of it.
I fumbled trying to see if I had anything that could match with gloves. Did I even have any gloves? I looked around, sighing and realizing it wouldn't work with my clothes. I instead went and grabbed some ace wrap and wrapped it around my hand and wrist.
Eco was seemingly bored at the table solving math equations; it had been a while since we'd gone out. I worried about him losing control of his powers or being questioned by adults if I wasn't with him, given he looked very unusual for a child.
"What's that on your hand?" he asked, looking over at me and noticing the new addition.
"Ah, I just accidentally twisted it doing parkour, sorry," I said, trying to shrug it off.
"Wait... why are you apologizing?"
I winced at the question. Yes, why was I? He had caught me in my lie. I just tried to shrug again and hope he didn't care enough to pry further. Out of the corner of my eye, the ghosts leaned in closer to stare at it.
It wasn't as if they were unfamiliar with me getting injured and scraped up from this and that. It was, however, odd for me to actually bother to even bandage myself. Perhaps for that reason they were a bit suspicious.
I scratched the outer layer of it, doing what I would picture as a sweat smile emoji. The first emoji I had tried to teach Eco how to use. Instead, he had only managed to do "emoji-ing or Emoting" where he thought what I meant was the facial expressions themselves. Thus it became a small habit in this household to even say emojis aloud; it seemed to help him learn how to express himself and his emotions or needs better.
I turned away and made my way to school, all while the bites on my hand burned into my skin with more fervent of a fire than a mosquito. I tsked aloud as I entered the school gates. That's a mosquito, alright. A glorified mosquito.
I had more important things to try to focus on now. Such as my grades, the school, fitting in, and making human friends.
This is one of the only schools in the country that accepts people at the end of high-school taking some college credit courses as well as transferring immediately into university with them. That is why I had decided to give this all a try again; I wanted a future. They said that many successful people established their bonds and connections here. I loved my freedom on the streets. However, I needed stability to take on my father and protect Eco.
Thankfully the air seemed clear for now; no sign of my father. He hopefully hadn't gotten wind of my attendance here. He wishes to keep everything under his tight "control," anything to make sure his glamorous lifestyle stays intact.
I tried to attend classes as usual, participating more and trying to keep a lower profile but stand out enough to get closer to my peers. Some easy task that was! Not! If only it were. My reputation in school was already that of some spoiled rich girl, everything I was not.
I kept popping out my stressed joints from sitting in the classes so long; this time forcing myself to cave and enter the canteen area for my meal. The area was both indoor and outdoor courtyard style, with greenery and shrubs carefully curated to perfection. The area bustled with students walking around as if they were a human maze.
I wasn't sure if this was a bring your own lunch sort of school or a eat the food provided sort. From what I could tell, it was a mixture to some extent. There were students with very lavish even decorated green, leafy, hearty meals. Little swans made of apples, traditional cuisines and smoothies. There wasn't a vending machine in sight. Even the tables shined a spotless yet effortless marble with accompanying slabs.
There seemed to be a corner made out of cubes, each level holding books within it, some having cushions and areas to put your laptops. That area looked more like the full time uni students area, precisely what I would be soon.
I looked at this space, too crowded for my taste, but spectacular. It looked like a bookworm heaven. The levels to the block cubes like a small mountain of books.
I forced myself to walk past that area, instead towards where I presumed the food was coming from. I felt a heat rise to my cheeks when I realized this wasn't a serving line sort of deal. Instead, people were having it handed to them personally by school staff, servers alike.
I looked around unsure how I was supposed to ask for my meal, in the process bumping into way too many people. I felt a bit clumsy then took a deep breath, reminding myself that I am a special siren. I can just sing my way out of this if I make an embarrassing mistake.
I looked around like a lost lamb, insecure and nervous, when a voice asked "hungry?" I turned around to see the girl, the girl from the other day that had stolen my meal.
Today, she had a short haired that fell just around her shoulders, not quite a bob cut. I was not very familiar with hairstyle names. However it just ever so slightly fell in a fluffy wave on her shoulder. The most noticeable part was that it was now a dull soft hue of red. Only her roots were black. I would have thought opposite colors, especially red, was very unappealing and very much not softly beautiful. Yet, on her, it looked so soft, pretty and even elegant. It was not quite pink, but still a mixed hue to it with softer tones.
She wore a black shirt with her shoulders exposed, definitely against dressing rules here. Her waist covered in a slightly loose belt that looked way too good on her. Somehow she looked feminine and masculine all at once.
She repeated her question when I didn't respond. I just nodded and looked at her with a small growl in my stomach.
"Here, have mine," she said passing me her food that was in fancy china and on what ironically looked like a silver serving tray.
"Why are you giving me this. Plus you still need to eat as well right?"
She just pinched her bottom lip up to her top, making a "meh" sort of face, "I can get another, just think of it as repayment for me stealing your food the other day."
I almost retorted that it wasn't really even my food, I had just stolen it from another person too, so who was I to talk. I wouldn't say that though. I would keep up my reputation here as the spoiled rich kid instead and just try to find the right crowd of friends. She was being nice to me, maybe she could be friends with me? Wishful thinking or naive as it was to think these things about someone I just met, and I knew it.
"Want to sit with me?" she asked casually. I just responded "sure."
She ended up pulling me over to the table and we sat down and started munching away. The food was more than just delicious. The canned peaches and nectarines were amazing with the Gallo pinto. Well I thought so, she was staring at me like I was eating the weirdest combination ever.
"Don't knock it til you try it trust me," I said pointing with my mouth slightly full.
Again for the second time her eyes trailed down to the wrap on my wrist and hand. She looked at it narrowing her eyes and tilting her head a bit but didn't ask me at all.
Good, I wasn't wishing to repeat my parkour excuse again.
I looked around noticing that no one else sat down with us at our table. Not even her friends, did she not have friends? From the looks of it, maybe her and me both struggled.
Next I grabbed salted seed and cassava crackers and put it with coconut vanilla yogurt. Again, she looked at me like I was crazy, so this time I scooped some up on the cracker and shoved it a bit into her mouth with my bare hands.
She looked at me surprised a bit, before actually chewing and swallowing. "Wow girly, this actually tastes like a cheese, feta maybe? Yummy."
I smiled in pleasure. Having made someone see my tastes. She leaned a bit closer while trying to get more yogurt, close enough she seemed to hover over me a bit. She looked at me with an unfamiliar look for a moment. Something I couldn't read nor interpret, I just knew that whatever it was made my stomach spread a fire to all my body. That I liked it.