Part 28: Clashing Opinions

Chapter 22.5: Clashing Opinions

I come back from my vacation good and refreshed; I haven’t fully recovered, of course, but at least I’m not staggering and limping everywhere I go. I had explained things to my parents as a bit of food poisoning, and they seemed to accept that at face value. I didn’t know if any magic was involved, and I know I should feel terrible for thinking this, but I was grateful that my parents didn’t ask me too many questions.

In any case, I find life at Iris soon returning to normal. One silver lining I suppose I should be grateful for is that people tend to treat me better nowadays- even Angela tries to keep herself in check around me, or at least direct her attentions to other people. The clincher for the whole ‘returning to normal’ thing was what happened on April Fools’ Day, as I was coming back to my room.

“Hey, Luke!” I call out.

“May, ‘sup,” he replies. “You feeling okay? Is Virginia in?”

“I’m feeling great, thanks,” I say. “Virginia’s got some Sports Club stuff with Jacob, why?”



“Do you want any jellybeans, Mary?” he asks. “There aren’t any more grape ones though- I let Donald have first pick.”

I look into the bag he’s holding up- it only has red and yellow jellybeans left. I shrug and pop a yellow one into my mouth. What can I say? I like both pineapple and lem-



MY tongue is on fire! I fan into my mouth frantically, hoping it’s just a spicy sweet and not actual fire- this is a magical school after all.

“Pleh! What flavor was that?” I ask, spitting the candy out.



“Seriously?!” I ask. “Why?!”

Luke grins widely. “April Fool’s! Gotcha!”

“I’ll make you pay for that, some day,” I laugh. “What’s the red jellybeans?”

He takes one out and pops it in his mouth. “Bacon- you want some?”

Honestly, I’m a little wary of another trick, and the memories of Damien’s deception aren’t completely gone from my mind- but it’s daytime, classes are starting to let out, and I can’t keep living in paranoia. I take the offered candy, and “Hey! It really is bacon!” I say, turning the jellybean around in my mouth.”

“Donald actually planned to just give you bacon jellybeans,” Luke explains. “But he couldn’t resist making a prank out of it.”

“Tell him I said thanks,” I reply. “These are really good!”

Luke beams, and we talk a little more before he heads off to find Virginia. The next few days are kind of like that, with the local gossip returning to things like who’s dating whom, homework assignments- normal school stuff. The only abnormal thing to happen at the end of it all was entirely my fault. That Saturday, I decided to stay back in school as usual, but instead of studying, I decided to go to the gym.



I can’t remember everything that happened that night- not surprising, considering I was out cold for most of it- but what I do remember gave me nightmares; there were a few nights back home when I woke in a cold sweat, images of a thousand rabid daemons clawing at my skin, their claws sinking into my flesh like water.

“Time to get this over with,” I mutter to myself as I weave White Magic between my fingers. The idea came to me the previous night after another nightmare, and I decided one way or another, I had to know what happened that night, if only to get some sleep. I start feeling a little light-headed, a little distant, and my mind wanders back…



Then he stops, and the next thing I see is him backing away, waving his hands around. I can’t hear anything, but his mouth is open wide- it looks like he’s screaming. Does he see Professor Potsdam coming for him? I can’t really tell. Suddenly, he falls to his knees, slamming his fists into the floor. He reaches for me, and an involuntary thrill of horror causes me to lose control of the vision. Try as I might, I can’t seem to grasp hold of the memory again. It seems that I saw all I was supposed to.

But still- I was helpless. Why didn’t he go any further? Dammit, I thought facing my memories would make me feel better, but if anything it’s put my mind into overdrive. I shake my head, and I decide to go for a walk to clear my mind. It’s a nice day outside, so I suppose there’s that.



I take a deep breath, feeling myself calm down already. I know I’ll have to investigate my vision later in the week, but I guess my curiosity can wait-or maybe not. I thought a group of people in the distance were discussing something, but the hint of raised voices on the wind seems to indicate otherwise.

Oh, and the fact that one guy just shoved another into a hedge. That wouldn’t indicate civil interaction.



Kyo turns to Minnie, anger clearly evident in those pieplates of his. “What does he have that I don’t, huh?”

I wanted to point out that Jacob wasn’t as likely to see you showering from the other side of the planet, but that would’ve been impolite.

Not that Minnie had it under control. “He’s just my friend, that’s all!” she pleaded. Personally, I think she should have been a bit more assertive, then taken the initiative, but I wasn’t exactly one to-

“Which means he listens to me,” she scowled. Oh snap!



“Yes, listening to what a lady says,” Jacob says, pulling himself out of the hedge. “I know it’s hard to wrap your mind around that, Kyo, but I’m sure you’ll get to it in time.”

“Shut your face!” Kyo says. It looks like he’s going to shove Jacob back into the bushes, but Minnie steps between them before he could do anything.

“Please…” she says. “Leave me alone! This is embarrassing!”

“You’re embarrassed?” Kyo replies. “You’re the one making a fool out of me, and you’re the one who’s embarrassed?! I’ve done everything I could for you, and you just throw it back in my face!”

“I’m not-“ Minnie begins, but Kyo’s having nothing of it.



“Because that’s what’s going to happen!” he goes on. “You’re not leaving me any choice- admit it!”

I roll my eyes. Where did Kyo get his relationship knowledge from? Spanish telenovelas? The least he could do is watch some of the better ones, like- uh, nevermind.

“Man, back off,” Jacob says, gently pushing Minnie aside. “Fix your own problems.”

Kyo glares at the two of them, his lip curling in distaste. “Next time, you’re not getting away,” he hisses ominously, and that gets my mind working again. What does he mean by- oh no.



How long has he been jealous of Jacob? That is the question- one that I’ll find an answer to later, because storming off from Minnie and Jacob means storming off in my general direction.

“Someone’s having a bad day, Kyo,” I smirk as he walks past me.

Nah, not really. This is what’s supposed to happen. I suppose it’d make sense if Mary was on any other path, but after what she’s been gone through? Not happening.

_{*~Getting into character~*}

“Get out of my way,” he scowls.



So yeah, there’s the decision point for this update. Kyo’s having a bad day, and Mary being who she is, simply must meddle! But how?

-Minnie’s not all bad, dude!
-Forget her, she doesn’t deserve you!
-Wanna be my rebound?
-This is all your damned fault, you know.


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