Luxor swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth and it had nothing to do with the coffee. Ellie was like that, when she thought the entire world revolved around her, and only her opinions mattered. The only difference was she never humiliated or bullied anybody.
If Evie had ever come to Marsol Grammar, would she have hated me? Or more to the point would I have talked to her?
"Why would I be a threat?" Luxor mulled.
"No idea. Probably her typical ramble. Or maybe she thinks her position at the top will be taken."
"By me?"
"Totally. There's a hate on sight element going on, it would be the plausible reason."
It was ridiculous notion. Scarlett was primped up and glossy, without a hair out of place. Luxor on the other hand left a lot to be desired, a complete and utter disaster, from her messed up hair, down to her plain and tattered clothes.
"Where were you on the school pecking order? As you can see, I'm near the plankton at the bottom of this ocean.”
"Pretty much the same. I hate the ‘in crowd.’" Luxor lied.
Evie shot her a disbelieving look but didn't press it further. She clutched the rope that supported the swing and kicked her legs back and rocked herself, dirt flicking up with each stroke. After a dozen swings, she jumped off and joined Luxor on the bench.
"Enough procrastinating, time to spill. I want to know all the juicy details of a real transfer." Evie rubbed her hands together in anticipation as she waited for answers.
"Why is it so strange when a new person comes to town? You all act as if it never happens."
"That's because it doesn't. Nobody comes to Brighton Falls to live. It's like a pit stop for bigger and better places," she said. “Wait and see, you’ll find The Hive the main attraction.”
It all made sense why Ayla called her "genuinely brand new" and why she was constantly being stared at, she was indeed a rarity. Whether that was a good or bad thing remained to been seen.
"Did you see the population sign when you entered?" Evie asked.
"I must have missed it with the overwhelming supply of trees everywhere," she deadpanned.
"Well, it's tiny, like a speckle. But now you can add you, your mum and dad."
"Just my mother and I," she replied, the word mother leaving a sour taste in her mouth.
"Oh, what happened?" Evie probed.
"Divorce." Luxor paused cautious on how to proceed. She refused to divulge that the man who she presumed was her father had abandoned them.
"Oh, that sucks, sorry to hear that."
"Why are you apologising? It happened a long time ago, and no damage was done." More lies. It was a mere eight months ago, although it has been an eternal rollercoaster and the damage was irreparable.
"Are you going to spill or not?" Evie insisted with greater interest.
Luxor gulped some coffee, it had gotten cold, but she needed to keep her mouth full. The fact was she tried to think of an answer to the question she had been dreading. In all honesty, what was she supposed to say? The truth? Even she didn't know the full answer to that.
She cleared her throat. "Not much to say, my mother wanted a change of lifestyle and pulled me along for the ride."
"Seriously? That's all I'm going to get?" Evie said incredulously.
Luxor coughed, scratching her neck and throat repeatedly and then massaging afterwards.
"Are you okay? You're breaking out in hives."
Luxor nodded and croaked. "You want the full story? Close your eyes to imagine the full story."
Evie gave her a look which signalled Luxor was crazy but obeyed.
Struck by paralysation, sweat beads trickled down her temples and her breaths became ragged. She had read about the symptoms and it was obvious the time had come for action. Swiftly she reached down and retrieved into the front pocket of her backpack and pulled out the packet of antihistamines. She broke the seal of two tablets and popped it into her mouth. Looking down at the lid, she noticed it didn't have an 'S' on it, and realisation dawned on her that she had drunk the wrong coffee.
Luxor tapped Evie’s knee and she opened her eyes.
Luxor choked and blurted out in rapid succession. "You're right, here goes. I'm sixteen and a Gemini, I can't start my day without a soy latte otherwise I'm… well let's just say a cranky cow for the rest of the day. I hate the heat and can't wait until it cools down. I'm a closet psycho, and to top it off I live in a creepy house surrounded by trees and only trees which looks like they should have been demolished ages ago."
Evie laughed. "Well psychos are good, means you lead an interesting life. As for The Chalet, it's priceless. I'd love to live there!"
The town clocked chimed twelve times, and even though they were a bit far away from the centre of town, it was loud enough that Luxor jumped.
"We better go." Luxor hoisted herself up and hooked her backpack over a shoulder eager to end the conversation. She gathered her rubbish and made her way over to the bin and tossed it in. Pressing the chrome button on the water fountain she wet her hand and slathered it over her burning neck.
Luxor glanced over at her shoulder. Evie rifled through her skull embossed backpack and grabbed a can of coke from the front pocket. The girl was certainly quirky, and Luxor was unsure if she was ready to be somebody like that at the moment.
They walked side by side out of the park to the direction of the school. At least this trip would be less frantic than the previous one.
"You'll be wishing for the heat to come back once the snow season starts." Evie pulled back the ring of the can and brown froth spouted from the top. She tilted back her head and let out a satisfied “ahhh,” before guzzling again.
"Australia doesn't get snow," Luxor informed her.
Evie spat out the mouthful of coke, spraying the sticky brown liquid everywhere. She began to cough and banged her chest. "You ain't in the city anymore. Don’t you know you're in the Alps?"
Her mouth dropped. "You've got to be kidding me?"
"Look around you." Evie spread her arms wide and turned a complete three hundred and sixty degrees as if she was a bird in flight.
In the distance, monstrous mountains stood proud, their peaks seemingly touching the sky, the abundance of greenness a massive contrast against the cloudless sky.
Evie laughed again and shook her head so hard it made her razor-sharp straight hair swish across her face, possibly giving her whiplash in the process.
"What's funny?"
"You." Evie hiccupped, an aftereffect of her constant laughter. Thin black lines trickled down her cheeks from her smudged eyeliner. "Weren't you told when you were going?"
"Nope."
Luxor wanted to murder Meredith at omitting that vital piece of information. "I've been called a lot of names but funny escaped the list."
Beautiful, tease, stuck-up, frigid, and ice queen. And towards the end, delinquent, weirdo, and psycho, just to name a few.
"Believe me, you are. Don't worry the benefits are the yummy guys, so many of them and they're everywhere. This town is the epitome of ironic, what might seem like a bright and sunny place is instead the fall of proper civilisation. Basically, the pits.”
Luxor couldn't afford to get side-tracked, all she wanted to do was keep her head down and out of trouble. With her history of guys, trouble always followed.
"Hey." Evie's expression turned all serious. "Thanks for dealing with Scarlett, most people would have turned a blind eye."
"Anytime. Just make sure you have my back if she strikes back."
"More like when."
Oh, great!
"I think we will get on fine." Evie gave her a slight nudge. "I need someone around who's not so uptight and serious all the time."
"Ayla?" Luxor had only spent a short amount with her and already got the vibe she didn't know what trouble was even if she actively pursued it.
"I love the girl to death but sometimes she's too…" Evie trailed off to find the right word.
"Good?" Luxor blurted, covering her
mouth immediately. Not for the first time had she jumped to assumptions.
"I was going to say plain, too wholesome. But yeah, like goody-good. I can already tell you have a wild side to you, we can get into heaps of trouble together."
That’s what I am afraid of.
"Do we have any other classes together?" Evie asked.
Luxor pulled the wrinkled paper out of her pocket, a slight breeze making it flap. "I have History, Spirituality, Latin-."
Evie tilted her head to the side and squinted. "What's that scribble?" She pointed. Luxor turned the paper over so they both held it. "Who's Hunter?" she raised her eyebrows.
Ten large digits were scribbled in bold red marker. "Trouble."
“Ready for a little enlightening?”
Luxor didn’t want to return back to school. Not only was she soaked in caffeine but being in the vicinity of Scarlett had spiked her anxiety for the fear of what she would do to her. Luckily Evie was in Spirituality class and she their linked arms as they made their way over to yellow blow, subduing some of the edge. To add salt to Luxor’s wounds if it was as horrible as History, she was a goner. Even the name suggested it had to do with religion, only sugar coated.
The class was abuzz as she entered, students leaning against tables, not bothering getting ready for class. Luxor gained a seat dead on straight in the middle, not ideal considering teachers usually called on those students. The only saving grace was Scarlett being right at the back, a few rows over.
The image of her beloved pet popped into Luxor’s mind. When she was four her bunny Asterisks died. With its snow-white fur, and an asterisk shaped mark on his hind leg, Astericks had become her constant friend, even sleeping beside her.
Heartbroken, Meredith and Steven held a service for him to say a proper goodbye. Luxor enclosed him within a wooden box, and buried him underneath the fern tree in the backyard. She remembered his face, peaceful all snuggled up with his favourite toy, a carrot.
That night the tears flowed, and as Meredith held Luxor, she whispered that the angels would carry his body off to bunny Heaven where he wouldn't be in pain anymore, and he'll be able to play in the fields with other bunnies.
Luxor needed to sleep as the angels only came at night, as they weren't allowed to seen, as their beauty was too intense for us to see.
At seven years of age, the real truth was revealed. The fern tree was cut down and the ground dug up. The box remained there with the bare bones of Asterisks, carrot and all. She never forgot the devastation of finding out how he laid all alone, like a piece of trash, easily forgotten about. In her young mind, that singular moment destroyed her faith.
“I can’t wait for class to be over already, I’m about to fall asleep," Evie said, sitting sat on the desk.
"My sentiments exactly," Luxor mulled. She removed her sticky hoodie and shoved it into her backpack before dumping it on the floor.
Hunter sat alongside the window on the desk, his hands behind his head, and boots planted on the chair, huddled in the same group as assembly. One of the twins sneered, his granite coloured eyes harsh, creasing his scar and bunching his nose ring. The other, with piercings alongside one ear, had a relaxed vibe to him and shockingly sent Luxor a small smile. The girl as usual, plastered herself against Hunter, her golden hair slicked back in a high ponytail.
Luxor faced their direction and simultaneously the talking ceased as the three pairs of eyes zoned in on her. Hunter smirked and lifted his head for a micro-second before turning away. It was all the evidence she needed to prove she was the topic of conversation.
Although why they would bother was a mystery.
Luxor slipped into her chair and hastily set up her books and stationery.
Principal Wright entered the room. "Good morning everybody. For those not at assembly I am the new principal a.k.a., the one in charge." He fixed his crooked tie and smoothed his hair back. He waited for everybody to enter to commence the class.
"Looks a bit young don't you think?" Evie whispered. "Although he sure as hell beats the last teacher, Mr. Behring. My God he was a bore, Mr. Robot I nicknamed him."
"Settle down." A hush descended over the room. “As with everything, to understand the present, we must travel back to the beginning. I'm not here to preach, everybody has their own religion, but one thing they do all have in common is faith. Without faith, you're lost and you need to believe something."
Luxor couldn’t help but think he was preaching. She leaned over to Evie. “I thought this wasn’t a catholic school?” she whispered.
Evie frowned. “It’s not. Then again when everything is new there’s sure to be changes. Can’t say I’m happy about it.”
“New changes?”
“What do you expect? New principal, most teachers are new, a long line of MBT's, and well a whole different way of running the school. I swear on all things holy if they had axed my Photography class, I would have burnt this school down to match Mount Beauty High.” There was such conviction in Evie’s tone that Luxor believed her.
“Spirituality. One word yet with many topics,” Principal Wright turned to the whiteboard, texta in hand. “Anybody want to name some?”
Nobody raised their hands which didn’t surprise Luxor. Scanning the classroom, the MBT’s had their backs turned to the teacher while the rest talked among themselves seemingly not noticing the class had begun.
“Don’t put your hands up all at once,” Principal Wright said shaking his head. “Since it’s the first day I’ll let this lack of participation slide. Spirituality can cover such topics as yoga, meditation, philosophy, and last but not least religion.” He turned around and scribbled on the whiteboard, underlining the last world three times.
There was a round of groans around the room.
“Law and order is needed to keep everything in check, and it has nothing to do with police enforcement. No, a higher power is more prevalent,” he pointed a finger upwards. There are nine choirs and some you might have heard of, some not so much. Each and everyone has a purpose and I won’t delve too much into all of them. They are Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, and finally the Archangels, and Angels. We will concentrate on the latter two.” He turned his back to the board and created two columns. Archangels and Angels.
“Gah, angels shmangels. We should consider ourselves lucky he’s not going knee deep in that crap.”
“For all the emphasis the celestial have with the scriptures in the Bible, funnily enough they are mentioned only three times. That being said for today’s lesson instead of concentrating on the Bible I’ll be veering out of the box.” He proceeded to write The Book of Enoch. “Has anybody ever heard of it? “Nobody put their hand up. “It hails from Jewish Apocrypha written by the great-grandfather of Noah, after the flood.”
“Shouldn’t you start at the beginning? You did say you were going to talk about the Arcs and Angels, not some book,” a deep voice said.
Principal Wright scanned his eyes over the room and was about to distinguish the owner to the voice. “Castor, is it?” he said to Hunter’s friend with the scar.
“Yeah,” he drawled in a bored tone.
“In class we put out hand up if we wish to talk.”
“Maybe here, but I believe in expressing when I want.”
Voices babbled over each other as the chatter began almost immediately from all directions. Bodies shuffled and heads turned as students peeped up with interest to follow the line of where the voice came from.
Principal Wright narrowed his eyes, tapping the texta on the desk. “Maybe you’d like to express yourself in detention?”
Castor opened his mouth.
“Zip it,” his twin hissed lowly.
If Luxor wasn’t so close, she would have missed it.
Principal Wright’s lips thinned, clapping his hands three times until there was a mild murmur. “Very well, where was I?” He cleared his throat. “The place where the Archangels and Angels are mostly me
ntioned is in The Book of Enoch. You see once upon a time there were a group of angels named the Grigori which in Greek translates to ‘The Watchers.’”
"It's a bit out there. You wouldn't be opening the box, but destroying it,” Castor said, scowling. "Let's choose something else."
A mobile phone rang from the direction of the window. This time nobody looked, already knowing who it was from. Well, almost nobody. Luxor couldn’t help herself.
“Hello?” the girls voice said.
“Excuse me?” Principal Wright called out before making his way over. The girl held up a French manicured finger. “Melita. Hang up now.” His voice was firm.
“Ugh, it’s tedious.” she rolled her eyes. Ignoring Principal Wright, she began to speak in a foreign language.
Principal Wright plucked the phone out of her hand and hung up the call. Cool and composed despite another distraction, he slipped the phone into the pocket of his slacks and turned on his heel. He resuming with the class, scribbling a list of angelic names where most ended up with ‘iel.
“Unbelievable,” Luxor mumbled, shaking her head at Castor and Melita’s insolence. All four of them screamed trouble, trouble, trouble.
“Hubba bubba trouble. He’s perving on you hard,” Evie said wiggling her eyebrows.
“Well pervs usually do that,” Luxor said, not bother to ask who. She cupped her chin in her palm, and couldn’t help but steal a brief glimpse.
Busted.
Hunter had a mischievous glint in his eyes. Waves of electric energy swam off him, causing static on her thin top and flared her skin.
“I better get an intro.”
Luxor briefly averted her gaze. “I’ve had one tedious conversation with him, and that’s going to be the only one,” she said. No way would she want to associate with a guy who liked getting a rise out of her.
I.O.U. My ass
“Miss Everstone, am I boring you?”
Luxor turned her body around and straightened up. “No, umm, I was analysing.”
“Analysing?”
From the side, Castor sniggered. Hunter nudged him in the ribs which shut him up.
Luxor’s cheeks flamed at being caught gawking. “Watchers wow. Sounds like an awesome story.” She attempted to sound enthused.
Unveiled: The Chronicles of Luxor Everstone Page 9
