Twenty minutes later, found Ren carefully manoeuvring his bike into the parking lot of the school which had a large sign proudly proclaiming in big, bold letters Sir Lee Winters High School, home of the Winter Tigers!
Ren turned off his bike and set the kickstand before stepping off and pulling his helmet off. Looking at the sign Ren smirked in exasperation and irony; this town had not seen a major winter in about twenty-five years. At least the tiger was artfully done, although it was in shades of blue rather than orange and black.
“Ren!” somebody shrieked in happiness.
Ren quickly turned to see who had screamed his name in such happy tones when he was sure his family was still at home. He quickly had to brace himself as a body slammed into him. Grunting Ren stutter stepped to the left before spinning in place to make sure he didn’t fall over. Looking down when he was sure he was stable, Ren stared into the beaming face of Myria Wylds, the girl he had met at the supposed haunted hotel, and the memories of that night came flooding back.
Ren remembered hearing a little girl hiccupping in terror and following the sounds. In the main foyer of the upscale hotel he found a slightly chubby girl, her cherubic face scrunched tight as he approached her.
“Hey Myria.” Ren said with a large smile on his face.
A heart shaped face peered up at him from an athletic five- foot four frame, blonde hair pulled back into a no-nonsense ponytail swayed to near mid back. Her smiling countenance quickly changed to a glare.
“Hey Myria is all you have to say? After five years of nothing but email and online chat, all I get is a ‘Hey Myria’.”
Sensing an impending diatribe, Ren quickly pulled her into another hug and began tickling her sides. Breaking out into giggles, Myria began squirming to get away failing to hold her glare. Finally freeing herself she looked at Ren once more.
“Alright. I forgive you your indiscretion in this matter but I want to see more enthusiasm from you… you’re in my school now.”
“Um, what?” asked a befuddled Ren.
“I’m part of the cheerleading squad and assistant head to the school spirit club.”
Soon her speech became more impassioned drawing far more attention than Ren desired. Still staring at her Ren began to slowly edge away. Slowly her ranting began to peter out and she realized that Ren was no longer listening to her and had moved towards the door.
“Hey! Wait up Ren.” she called out as she took off after him. As Ren heard her shout he glanced back to see her sprinting towards him, with a foreboding countenance on her face. Forgoing the subtle approach of getting away, Ren began to sprint towards the school. Looking back over his shoulder, Ren gaped as Myria had closed the distance immensely and was hot on his trail. Looking at the school doors, Ren saw that they opened outwards which would allow Myria to easily corner him; Ren booked it towards the school field. He jumped the small barrier and continued his run, keeping his helmet clutched tightly in hand.
“You asshole!” was heard from behind him and he looked over his shoulder once more and smiled. His jaw dropped as Myria used a rock to vault over the fence without breaking stride. Sweating in terror, Ren bolted past the football team who had just arrived on the field though Ren wondered why. Didn’t classes start soon? As he ran past he heard one of the members mutter. “Looks like Myria found fresh meat.”
Continuing his run Ren noted the impressive amount of invectives being tossed his way. “Myria we’re going to be late if you keep chasing me!” Ren cried out between pants.
“No we’re not!” came Myria’s reply; much too close in Ren’s opinion as he juked suddenly to the left and felt the wind and heard the growl of Myria as she flew by.
“We’re not?” Ren yelped out as once again Myria began her pursuit.
“Of course not. Classes are cancelled this morning because there is an exhibition game for the football teams. Juniors against Seniors.”
Their chase continued for another ten minutes, barbs and curses thrown at each other. Deciding to find protection rather than being run down by the speed demon known as Myria, Ren began hiding behind the bulky shoulders and shoulder pads of the junior football team. Occasionally he would dance away from a hand that reached out to grab him.
Out of nowhere Ren’s shoulder was grabbed with the intent of holding him in place. Reacting quickly, Ren grabbed the hand holding him and spun underneath the arm so he was standing behind the owner in position to dislocate the shoulder. Ren stood there waiting for Myria to do something. He was understandably surprised when a pair of massive hands pinned his arms to his side and picked him up without effort.
Shocked that he was so easily manhandled, Ren craned his neck backwards and came face to chest with the biggest person Ren had ever seen in person.
“Holy crap big man, what do they feed you? Nuclear waste and radioactive isotopes?” Ren asked the quite dark skinned individual.
The answer he received was unexpected. “That would be ill- advised, for the addition of anything in that vein would if not kill me then simply mutate my body leaving me in pain and wishing for the grave.”
Ren was gobsmacked; the living mountain was quite well spoken and intelligent if the words and hold on Ren were to go by. Unconsciously Ren began to twitch as he felt someone staring at him. Looking around Ren caught sight of the person whose arm he had held hostage staring at him with a strange expression on his face.
Ren looked the guy up and down, his face partially obscured by the football helmet he still had on. The ice blue jersey had a C on the left side of the chest and the matching football pants looked tighter than usual on him. Shaking his head at the thoughts, Ren twisted a little bit before forcefully prising the giant’s hands apart and landing in a crouch before darting around the two and behind Myria. Ren did not usually like meeting new people, so he was rather skittish at being sur- rounded.
“You run from the she demon, then hide behind her? Real brave.” The sarcastic voice of the person with the C on his jersey interrupted Ren’s wandering eyes of the people around him.
Ren snorted, “Well considering I don’t know you or him and I do know her it makes sense to stand behind her when your entire team moved out of her way,” a slight shift from the team followed this statement; “you have just proven my point. So, anything else I can completely obliterate and make you look like a tool?” Ren asked with a puckish grin on his face.
“Ren! Stop that.” Myria exclaimed, smacking his arm.
“Ow! What was that for?” Ren asked her, a kicked puppy look forming on his face.
“That was for insulting my friends.”
Giving her a disbelieving look Ren shook his head before straightening up his five-foot ten frame and looking down on her.
“Funny. I get smacked for a rebuttal but the instigator gets nothing. Real fair Myria.”
Turning on his heel and scooping up his dropped helmet Ren walked off the field back towards the school. Ren continued on his way, attempting to ignoring the eyes staring at his back. Glancing over his shoulder he saw Myria standing there her face was a mottled red and white; her eyes burning with rage and embarrassment.
Shrugging his shoulders Ren kept on walking noting absently how Myria’s face went white with shock at a comment made by the exceedingly large teen. Apparently, someone else had said something as Myria’s voice snapped out a scathing remark at the speaker.
“Ren, wait!” Myria’s voice called out to him.
Stopping, Ren turned around to meet Myria’s eyes. “I’m sorry Ren. You were right to call me out.” Myria apologized as she made it to the fence. “It’s just…” she groped to find the words, “I know you and your temperament and I also know how you are when you meet someone new. I was really hoping you would get along with my friends, Zack,” she pointed to the one with the sarcastic mouth; “and that is Ray.” She moved her finger to the large male that had picked him up.
“Unfortunately, they have only my stories to go on… plus your website.”
She looked ready to go on when Ren interrupted her. “Wait, what website?” he asked her in horror.
Myria looked at him in confusion before grabbing her bag from near the fence and hesitantly pulling out her laptop. Almost instantly, half the junior team was crowded around them along with the entire cheering squad, plus other students. Feeling distinctly crowded and uncomfortable Ren attempted to extricate himself from the crowd. A body appeared in front of him, that damning C on his chest.
“Please move.” Ren said quietly, almost pleadingly.
“Is the new kid embarrassed, never thought we would find out about the website and the size of your ego?” was the mocking reply.
“Shut up.” Ren hissed.
Realizing he wouldn’t be getting out of this, Ren turned around to look at the website Myria had pulled up. Seeing his own disgruntled face staring back at him made Ren smile; he remembered that Blake had created a website so that people could see his family’s supernatural exploits along with the roster that would support the investigation.
Ren sighed in relief before becoming annoyed. “Myria why did you show everyone this? You know I only do the investigations because my parents make me. And this isn’t my website, Blake made it.”
Looking rather apologetic Myria clicked on a hidden link that brought up a password and username protected area. Hiding the keyboard from sight, Myria supplied the information and loaded the page. What came up was a gallery of photos. Snatching the laptop away from her, gaining a belated “Hey” in the process, Ren started looking at the photos. They started six years ago and included Ren in the hotel comforting Myria. In addition to this was a profile of Ren, including his likes and dislikes. Ren slowly started turning red as a flush crept up his cheeks.
“I have told them so many times,” Ren snarled, “to not use me in their gimmicks.”
A voice rang out through the crowd not hearing the anger in Ren’s voice. “You were wearing leather at that point as well? Jeez how gay are you?”
“I do not believe I am gay.” Ren said. “We kept moving so often that I told my Mom I felt like a rock star. She must have been feeling in a mischievous mood because the next day she hid all my clothes and left me with just that shirt and those leather pants.”
“Uh-huh. Whatever you say twink. is Mom what you call your pimp?”
Spinning so fast not even Myria who had been prepared for that reaction, barely saw the punch that hit the offending loudmouth. The youth stumbled back clutching his face as blood poured out of his nose. Ren didn’t even feel the weight settle on his shoulders as Myria jumped on him. As the guy back- pedalled he didn’t notice the foot that stuck out to trip him. As foot connected with foot both people let out a cry, one of surprise the other of pain. The football player that had tripped the youth crouched down clutching his knee in pain, while the nose bleeder tumbled over backwards onto the ground.
As Ren gaped at the chaos that he just caused, he glanced over at Myria who was clutching on to his shoulders with her legs wrapped around his waist, staring at the two on the ground.
“Oh, that’s not good,” Myria whispered into his ear. “The idiot you punched is the vice principal’s son, Larry. The guy he tripped over is the star wide receiver of the junior team, Jacob. Zack is gonna be pissed.”
Looking over his shoulder at her Ren finally realized that she was actually hanging off his shoulders. “Three things,” he whispered back. “One, Jacob put his own foot out there for the guy to trip on. Two, when did you get so short? and three… why are you latched on to me?”
“Hmm,” she murmured. “Well it’s not surprising that Jacob tripped him. From what I know they have hated each other since middle school.”
They looked at each other then back at the tow on the ground. Larry, the vice principal’s son was still on the ground while Jacob had been picked up by Ray. Ren shook his head once more at the size of Ray.
“What’s going on?” a voice thundered from the back of the crowd.
A large obese man began pushing his way through the crowd, shoving kids aside with impunity, not caring if he hurt anybody. As he drew closer Ren noticed the loudmouth look first at him, then at Jacob and finally at Zack. A malicious smirk (looking even more grotesque with blood spilling from his nose) spread across his face.
Larry began scooping blood off his face and spreading it around on the ground and across his body. His plan soon be- came apparent as he let out a B grade movie shriek of pain. The large man jerked his head up like a momma bear hearing the keening of her cubs and began pushing his way through with even more force. It was highly amusing to Ren, when the man was brought up short by Ray who simply looked over his shoulder and down after the man tried to push him aside. The big man smiled before stepping gracefully to the side, allowing a clear line to the scene going on.
The man eased slowly past Ray to continue his forward path. What he was greeted with was Ren standing with his arms crossed looking only slightly interested; Myria was still hanging off his back, arms and legs wrapped around him. Zack, still with his helmet on, was only partially aware of what was going on as he had his head buried in the laptop. With the loudmouth on the ground (nose no longer leaking) Ren thought it must have looked amusingly macabre.
Unfortunately for Ren’s rather warped sense of humour, this was not the case as the man began to engage in rather laughable histrionics.
“Oh Larry, my poor son! What has happened to your beautiful face?”
Ren’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped half-open. ‘What the hell?’ he thought. Ren looked at the gathered assemblage and noticed they didn’t look nearly as surprised as he did. Even Myria’s face betrayed no surprise, though she did let her face fall forward onto Ren’s shoulder in exasperation.
By this point Larry had begun babbling incoherently to his father pointing at Jacob, then at Ren before pointing triumphantly at Zack, who only gave him a half-hearted wave. The vice principle had been nodding along with the babble, looking up when he pointed at Jacob who just waved cheekily while still nestled in Ray’s arms. When Larry pointed at Ren the principal gave him a disgusted look. However, when the finger was pointed at Zack the look that took over his face was so full of hatred and disgust that Ren automatically stepped back despite it not being directed at him. With a scowl, Ren stepped in front of Zack and crossed his arms once more. Ren didn’t even know why he did it, but a look like that should not be directed at someone who hadn’t seen twenty years yet.
Myria hid her head behind Ren’s shoulder, still clinging tightly to him. The principal’s looks had softened slightly before coming back harsher than before at the sight of Ren protecting the male behind him, with Myria holding on to him.
“So you don’t even have the guts to come out fully, like the fag behind you, huh?” the vice principal stated. “Oh I’m going to have your head for this. You obviously punched my boy because he said no to your advances. You are a freak and a queer. Can’t stand to satisfy your lust on one… you gotta have both sides, huh?”
Ren stood there slightly tense, ready for action though his head was cocked to the side, eyes questioning. “Um, what?”
“You’re bisexual you freak!” the vice principal screamed, a vein throbbing in his forehead. “Not only that but you are obviously exceedingly stupid. That dumb bitch hanging off your back has spread her legs more times than you have brain cells. And I thought the faggot behind you was stupid.”
The whole crowd stopped at his words, eyes wide and mouths gaping open. The vice principal seemed to realize he had gone too far, though he did not look the least bit apologetic in Ren’s eyes. Ren’s eyes which had gone wide, narrowed into slits. A slow flush started to creep up his neck as Ren’s muscles convulsed before tightening, showcasing strength most hadn’t realized he had. His shirt tightened around him as muscles swelled. His helmet dropped to the ground and Ren began stalking forward with deadly grace.
Myria began hissing furiously in his ear trying to get him to stop his advance. The vice principal began stumbling backwards even though he outweighed Ren by a good margin. Shaken out of his trance, Zack was suddenly at Ren’s other shoulder trying to get him to stop.
“He’s an asshole! Don’t take the things he says seriously.” Zack was hurriedly telling Ren. “He can make your life miserable. He owns a good portion of this town.”
“You b-b-better s-stop young man,” the vice principal stut- tered, eyes bulging and sweat coursing down his face. “I-I-if you d-d-do a-anything t-to m-me y-you will be kicked out of school and I will run you and your family out of town.”
Ren slowed his advance with those words but did not fully stop. However, as something else interposed itself between him and his target Ren finally halted, causing Zack to stumble and Myria’s head to jerk forward.
“Ow! You big meanie.” Myria pouted, nursing where her head had bounced off his shoulder.
“Oh, hi Mrs. Kaede!” She chirped when she noticed why Ren had stopped.
“You need to calm down young man.” Mrs. Kaede told Ren staring him straight in the eye. “All he has right now are words, and, while I am sure it was the slur against Ms. Wylds and your mother that has provoked your reactions, it would behove you not to fall to your temper.”
The woman that now stood before Ren seemed of an indeterminate age. Her face showed an East Asiatic cast; her eyes were a dark brown, almost black, and her face had laugh lines at the corner of those eyes, but the slight wrinkles at her brow showed just as much hardship.
The vice principal started straightening himself before standing tall, bolstered by the appearance of his colleague. Affixing a charming smile upon his face, the vice principal began talking.
“Ah Lyra, so glad to see you. I obviously had things completely under control but your players were looking slightly confron…” He was interrupted suddenly by the junior’s grumblings as well as Ren’s cold stare.
Mrs. Kaede spun jabbing her finger at the vice principal. “Be quiet Dennis Smith! I heard and saw what you said and did as well as what your son was saying.”
Mr. Smith began to swell; his expanding chest threatening to snap the buttons on his shirt and shoot them everywhere.
“However,” her words stopped the expansion. “I watched two of my players utilize the act in order to perpetrate some- thing I do not approve of.” Mrs. Kaede’s eyes narrowed as she
shot a glare at Jacob who shrugged sheepishly before glancing over her shoulder at Ren who stood there now more confused than ever.
“Be that as it may, it does not make what you said right. But I will bench one of my players, Jacob, obviously but your son is getting detention tomorrow and I will be running Mr. O’Malley into the ground for the next week to work off his anger.”
“What?” Ren was hopelessly confused now. He expected detention for his act, not physical punishment. Once again Mrs. Kaede glanced over her shoulder and her eyes just screamed, ‘roll with it.’ Gulping nervously Ren just nodded his head in acceptance. During their silent exchange, two people began sputtering. Zack though managed to speak first. “Mrs. Kaede, how can you do this? We need Jacob for the game against the seniors. If we don’t win then we won’t get to use the good equipment or order new uniforms. Look at us.”
Mrs. Kaede smirked as he said this. “Oh, I am looking and I am not the only one.”
“What?” Zack’s questioning eyes squinted in confusion.
Ren managed to get his eyes back under control absently wondering why he had been staring at Zack. Shrugging his shoulders Ren realized that Myria still had her arms wrapped around his neck, her body pushed tight against his back. Slowly a flush of red crept up his neck.
“Um, Myria, can you please get off?” Ren stammered slightly. “Oh, um, sure,” Myria said slowly as she slid her hand across his chest a look of surprise and excitement crossing her face, eyes widening in appreciation at what she felt. Myria vigorously shook her head clearing it of less than wholesome
thoughts.
By this time Mr. Smith managed to find his voice. “Preposterous Lyra! My boy had nothing to with this incident.”
“Seriously Dennis, shut up!” Mrs. Kaede snarled.
Mr. Smith went ashen; his lips drained of colour as he grabbed his son and scuttled away as fast as he could.
“Way to go Mrs. Kaede.” Myria exclaimed.
“I do what I can,” Mrs. Kaede said sending inclining her head towards Ren. “Now Zack, you need to find a new player for this game and remember…”
“Yes, Mom – I mean Mrs. Kaede.” Zack stumbled as Mrs. Kaede shot him a look at the slip. “And yes, I know once they join they are family.”
Ren smiled at hearing this; it sounded a lot like what his mother would say. Zack rounded on Ren after having a silent conversation with Mrs. Kaede and the smile died at Zack’s next words.
“Since you provided the incentive for Jacob’s act, plus Mrs. Kaede just saved you from a Mr. Smith detention by labelling you one of her players, AND you stepped willingly in front of Mr. Smith’s glare to defend me, you are automatically family. Hence, you get to play.”
“Umm, that logic seems somewhat flawed since Myria was defending you too, shouldn’t she play as well?” Ren asked.
“I already tried to get her on the team a couple of times, but she refuses and Mrs. Kaede agrees.”
“So, since Myria refused I can refuse as well. Besides, why do you want me to play? I don’t know the plays, the rules, and I have never played on a team. In point of fact I think my third- grade report card said ‘did not play well with others.’ Plus, I’m out of shape and just started school today. So, I think it’s clear you need to find somebody else.” Ren rambled nodding in conviction, eyes wide, hoping that they would accept his reasoning.
Everyone stared at him, even Myria, in consternation. Shrugging his shoulders sheepishly Ren asked, “TMI?”
A slow nod of heads from everybody around him answered his question. Looking around at the crowd, Ren suddenly realized that it was only the junior football team and the junior cheerleaders that were around as well as Myria and Mrs. Kaede.
“Umm, what happened to the rest of the crowd?” Ren asked. “Oh, classes began about five minutes ago during your delightful monologue.” Mrs. Kaede said, making Ren blush. “Only the football teams and the cheerleaders are allowed out. They have to train for the game this afternoon, and everybody out here is part of the team… or facing a week of detention.”
Ren slowly looked around at the crowd of padded youths and work out clothed teens, eyes dancing from body to body.
Ren sighed. “Really Myria? You lied to me about classes. Was all this staged as well?”
Myria blushed heavily, red creeping quickly up her neck. “No. I didn’t plan the whole riot thing, but I was hoping to get you on to the cheerleading team by preventing you from going to class.”
“The cheerleading team?” Ren shouted in shock. “Why the cheerleading team?”
Myria stuck her tongue out at him. “Because you only know me and it would have been easier to convince Mrs. Kaede to drop the detention when she learned you had only started today and didn’t know what was happening.”
“It’s a good thing that forethought isn’t a crime Myria other- wise you’d probably be in jail.” Ren told her, awe and terror writ- ten across his face in the wide eyes and gaping mouth.
“True,” a matter of fact voice interjected. “But mom will still be out to get revenge on both of you now, especially since you told her the entire thing and Ren here just kind of stomped on her goodwill and protection.”
Ren rolled his eyes then threw his arms up in the air in exasperation. “Fine, I’ll play, but don’t blame me if it all goes to hell.”
“Excellent!” Zack crowed grabbing Ren by the shoulder and dragging him off to the locker room. As Ren was being dragged off he turned to shout to Myria. “Hey, Myria! Can you grab my helmet and bag and make sure they stay safe!”
As he spun back around to keep from being pulled off his feet and dragged across the ground his eyes glanced across Mrs. Kaede. A shimmer of light distorted her face before clearing revealing a face… perfect and as cold as marble. Ren’s eyes widened in disbelief and shock before he smacked his cheeks
“Wake up Ren! There is no such thing as elves, nope, nope. No Sidhe, no Svartfleheim, no Alfheim yup.”
“What are you talking about?” Zack asked keeping his grip on Ren as if afraid he would run off.
“Nothing, nothing,” Ren waved, his hands almost flailing, in dismissal.
As the two disappeared into the locker room, a look of shock appeared on the cold marble face; and then the marble fell, a grin of almost demonic bliss appearing.
“How interesting.”