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Mariana Lopez

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IF WATER was science, then snow was its art, drifting down like excess dots of paint on a canvas. Locking the trees in a cold embrace and trapping the land beneath them. The earth during winter reminded me of a canvas with footprints as strokes of colorless paint.

My eyes were the reflection of people clad in black jackets, sparse but moving to and fro with breaths of air visible from their mouths as I sat waiting in the café, mulling over the conversation I had with Tony before I had set out.

"What were you doing out so late? Did you get into an argument or something," I asked but was met with silence. I waited a while before I was about to ask again but he beat me to it. His reply was far from the explanation I expected.

"Don't worry Clara, it's nothing. I punched the guy's tooth out didn't I," he said.

I hesitated. "Just... stay out of trouble okay."

"Yeah yeah."

"By the way," I started. "Do you remember what happened before I ate the cake?" I asked.

Aunt Vera's question tugged at me ever since she asked it and I couldn't get my mind wrapped around a possible reason for her asking.

"What cake—oh aunt's cake. I knew she was up to something," he said instead, disregarding my question but I prodded still.

"Really?"

"Yeah. When she arrived, she said she brought it for all of us, but when I tried to take a slice, she scolded me, saying that I should have respect and wait for you, which was bulls**t to me," he said.

I ignored his cursing and focused more on Aunt Vera's actions. Why would she do that?

Tony wasn't allergic to nuts. If she knew there were nuts in the cake, it wouldn't have done anything to him. Perhaps she thought he would have figured that the cake had nuts so she stopped him.

"But that wasn't enough though," he continued. "You weren't around when she came so when Dad wanted to have a bite, she was pretty insistent that we waited for you. Dad didn't care much so he went to do something else. You came down, took a bite, and boom! Reaction. Your skin was breaking out, you couldn't swallow. You know all those stuff. I rushed to get the EpiPen after she admitted there were nuts in the cake. Then you passed out after Dad injected you."

Passed out?

My mind reeled but I tried to remain focused.

"Did anyone else eat out of the cake?"

"Well," he paused to think. "Come to think of it, not really. Jane had only cut out her slice and I didn't want a bite after she scolded me."

So I was the only one who ate out of the cake.

"Don't you remember what happened?" He flashed me a quizzed look.

"I do. It's just a bit fuzzy."

"And what did she say when you met her yesterday?"

"She said she forgot."

He scoffed. "Of course, that's what she'll say, but we don't believe her. Plus, with how she insisted that we waited for you, I'll say she knew fully well what was in the cake and what she was doing."

Had she put something else in the cake other than the nuts? I mean it also wasn't normal for me to pass out during or after an allergic reaction. Tony said Dad had used the EpiPen, which should have helped reduce the symptoms not knock me out.

"Honestly, Clara, I don't like Aunt Vera that much. They've invited her to the party but if I were you, I would stay away from her. You're lucky she didn't poison you or do something to you when you were at her place yesterday. Be careful around her."

He had this look in his eyes when he said the last sentence. I wasn't sure what to make of it but it seemed like he was scared.

Tony never liked Aunt Vera, he always made that clear. But he wasn't scared of her so what changed now?

Did something else happen that made him feel that way, or was it just because I was on this... quest.

My mind was still in thought when everything turned black. Someone put their hands over my eyes and before I could react, a familiar scent washed upon me, causing my lips to stretch to a smile.

"Can you take a guess who it is," I could feel his breath fan my ear and I recognized the voice from the first syllable he spoke.

"Um the barista," I joked.

"That must mean you're awfully close to whoever it is then," he said.

"Maybe. Would that be a problem?" I teased with a chuckle.

"Maybe," his voice was closer before his lips met with the spot his breath had caressed. "That wouldn't be a problem." He removed his hands from my eyes, taking their warmth with him as he went to sit opposite me. "But I'm sure there would be a problem for you if those girls finally decide to come over."

I followed his line of sight to see some girls in a corner of the café smiling and chuckling at us. Or should I say him?

I spun to see him waving back at them, flashing his golden smile, and couldn't help but swat his hand down.

"That's because you're always throwing yourself out there and I'm always the one letting them know you're off the market," I said and in a bold move, leaned in to claim his lips but pulled back just as soon as I did, letting my lips linger some breaths from his before I finally relaxed back in my seat.

The chuckling had seized and a smug smile found its way to my face.

"You should consider yourself lucky to have me as a girlfriend," I said even though I was the one lucky to have him as my boyfriend.

Kai was everything I had dreamed of even before I consider having a boyfriend.

Back in high school, he could have easily started dating Lilly seeing as she liked him at first and made it very clear while I, on the other hand, either feigned ignorance or turned down his advances. Yet, he waited for me.

When my feelings toward him started changing, I didn't know how to go about it since I didn't want to ruin the amazing friendship we already had. I felt that if I took our relationship further in that aspect, I would be under this invincible pressure when I became his girlfriend.

If you couldn't tell already, I don't do well with pressure.

At the beginning of our relationship, I would always ask Mariana how to be a better girlfriend since she was already dating Rhys. It was silly, I know. But even then he was patient with me.

It took a while for me to realize that our relationship was for both of us, alone and I had to stop seeking opinions on everything I did for him, or that he did for me.

What mattered was both of us and our opinions on our relationship should be paramount to any other.

He formed a new definition of boyfriend even when I wasn't sure what my former definition was. I would miss him, there could be no doubt about that.

"What, did I say something?" I asked when his looked turned serious.

"Well uh, I've not asked you out yet and..." he trailed off.

"Oh." There was a pause before I asked, "Have you spoken to Mariana?"

"Figured you would ask about her."

"She was expelled."

"Yeah. Do you remember what happened?"

"No. I don't," I paused as my eyes rested on the table, taking in the chequered patterns of blue and green. A familiar combination. "I'm in the past again," I stated.

Maybe he still remembered what I told him when I was in the first memory.

"I... Wait..." he took a breath to stop his stuttering before he continued. "I thought you had gone back when they took you to the hospital or something. When you came back to school, you didn't want to say anything regarding Mariana and always shut the conversation down when people asked. I figured maybe everything was well and you were... you again."

I did? Well, I guess that's what I would have done if this happened in my real life.

"So, what happened to Mariana?" I asked.

"It was a lot, you didn't show that anything was wrong with you, asides from the whole... stabbing—I hope that's healed up well?" he asked.

"Yeah. I don't even feel it. Unless I look at it." He nodded at my answer before he continued.

"But Naomi felt bad. She was trying to be there for you and be strong for herself. It all hit her really hard. One of her best friends stabbed her other best friend who didn't even want to talk about it. You guys argued a bit."

"We did?" She didn't seem angry with me when I called.

"It was always the same topic on what you were feeling, and how you were shutting her out. You both didn't talk for like a week—"

"Did I attempt to talk to her?"

He drew his lips to a sad line as he said, "No."

I should have. What kind of friend was I?

Kai must have sensed my sadness as he took my hands in his.

"It was hard for you too. I knew that and Naomi eventually realized that you were dealing with the whole thing differently, not the way she had expected. You eventually had a talk with her after Rhys and I had talked to both of you separately. In the process, they got closer and you kinda started shipping them," he said with a chuckle.

"Who? Naomi and Rhys?"

"Yeah."

No!

Naomi never saw Rhys as anything other than a bothersome addition to our group that she had to put up with because of Mariana's relationship with him.

He should be with Mariana, not shipped with Naomi. And most of all by me!

I set aside the thought as I asked, "How did Rhys take the whole thing?"

"He kinda took it well. We talked and talked a lot since he had feelings for Mariana and didn't know what to do with them at that time. You're like a sister to him, so you can imagine his position," he said and I nodded in grim understanding.

The slight chatter in the café floated around us as my eyes rested on the pattern again.

"Did any of you call her this holiday?" I asked.

"Rhys tried, but it was switched off. Naomi too, but it was the same thing. Then she called her mom who said Mariana was fine but uh, her dad banned her from using her phone so—"

"Banned her?"

"Indefinitely," he added. "We haven't heard from her directly since then."

What would Mariana be feeling? I mean, I know she would never stab me, we were best friends, like sisters or more than that even.

Surely, it had to be the fact that this was a memory. But then again this was not my recollection of things. Was she under an influence or something?

"Kai, I think something's wrong," I started. "We know that this is some quest. It isn't real—well for me it's not. It's in my head and when I wake up it would all be gone. But despite that, Mariana would never do that, she would never even think of stabbing me. We argue yes, like all friends do at times, but we've never physically fought. The thought alone seemed bizarre enough. Mariana's not a violent person and that was so out of character for her," I paused to take in his facial expression.

He seemed calm and ready to listen so I went on.

"When I came here, I had woken up to a situation. My aunt had poisoned me."

"Your aunt? The one that's more like a mom to you?" he asked with raised brows.

"Yeah, Aunt Vera, which is another bizarre situation. She baked a cake which she can't even do in my real life and she put nuts in it. On top of that, she claims to have forgotten."

"That is.... strange," he paused. "Do you think their behavior is because of this quest?"

"Before Mariana stabbed me, I asked her what she wanted and why she was angry with me. She said she didn't want me to leave."

"But you have a week right, to find out why you're here," he said.

"Exactly, or I'll be stuck here. And I have three chances, this is the second. I think that's what the cave wants. It wants me to remain here."

"But why would it want that? What would it gain if you remained here?" he asked the same question in my mind.

You're very special.

The words the voice on the TV said to me yesterday. But what about me was special?

We were quiet for a while and I knew he was thinking hard about something because I could see the wheels turning through his eyes. I was about to ask what when he spoke up.

"We need to get you out of here, for good this time," he said and his eyes met mine, determination sparkling within them.

"I have a theory."

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Ooh Kai has quick thinking. I wonder what he has conjured up. No need to wait long. It's a double update this week.

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The Sparkling Authoress
Mis. A

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