The next day, during the homeroom period,
"Saa, everyone. Take your seats..." the teacher walked inside the room and placed her things on the teacher's table.
Everyone fell silent and went back to their seats.
She stood on the platform in front of the class on her gray stilettoes. Her black pencil skirt traces her curved hips and tucked in her flowery white top. She wears a lip that is as red as ketchup and with heavy make-up on. Her hair is split in half but dragged behind her head in a bun.
"...your Graduation is almost near, well...it will be two months from now though. But, we can declare it is almost near..." her high-pitched voice echoed the classroom.
"Way to go, Mrs. Milton!!" The class cheered. They chattered all over the place and excitement filled the air that suffocated one person behind.
"...as your final requirement,,, it's a compulsory one." Mrs. Milton said and the class was silenced. "The principal pulled a lot of strings and arrangements just to have this day given to you before you graduate from this school. This is an opportunity exploited by the administration with their close ties with the company. Yes, I know where you're thinking we'll be going right now,..."
The class became serious to hear what the teacher is about to say and looked straight in front to see her piercing look.
"...We are all going to have a field trip at ORION!" Mrs. Milton declared.
Hearing the name ORION, Markus was nailed on his seat. His hands started to sweat in cold. His heart beats fast; memory flashes like shooting stars.
He didn't join the commotion that the class was making. Cassandra and Dave didn't show enthusiasm either seeing Markus tremble from his seat.
"...Sa,... silence, please... I will continue. As I've said, it's a compulsory activity. You will be given a waiver that you should let your parents sign and return it in a week before the field trip. The one who will not join the Field trip will remain in this school, in the other words, He/She will not graduate. I mean, who would not want to go to Orion?" The class shared thoughts among themselves "...I will be distributing the waiver now and you will have to return it next month. Give it a thought... the list of what and how much you will pay is on the other sheet at the back of the paper. Have your parents or guardian sign it for you, okay?" the class passed the papers backward securing a copy for their own.
Markus is hesitant about receiving the paper passed to him. He didn't receive it but the kid in front dropped it on his table, irritated.
Knowing that he will be going to the place he detests the most after that incident, he looked blankly at the scattered papers.
The teacher continued instructing and reprimanding until her time is up. She came out of the room and the students fled as well.
Markus didn't move from his seat. Cassandra and Dave came to him and said something to cheer him up.
"It will be fine, Marky... we will be there with you..." Dave said
"Ahh... we will hide you from that scary man from ORION... we'll definitely find a way," Cassandra added. "Besides, we're in a large number. They won't notice you, swear."
He didn't respond as he stared at his desk.
The word stuck on his mind.
Cassandra saw Markus' hand trembling and she reached for it. It felt so cold and stiff as he is having his panic attack when her hand touches his'.
"Let's just bring him home, Cassy. We can't erase the fact that he has, what did mom call it," Dave paused for a second
"Aha! Trauma, that's it, from that company. It's difficult though, and somehow a nuisance..." Dave continued to lighten up the mood.
"Ahh..." she nodded in agreement "Let's go home now, Marky... your mom's probably waiting at your house. We will pull things through...I promise... we still have more than a month to decide anyway. We'll find a way." Cassandra explained.
They went home but still, Markus didn't say a thing.
....
Two weeks later,
"I need to prepare for his birthday now... let's see...what can I prepare for that day..." she went to their calendar and encircled the date of Markus' birthday,
February 2138
S S M T W Th F
2 3 4 5 6 7 (8)
Cassandra and Dave arrived on Sunday to visit Marky.
"Sorry for intruding, we're going in! Good morning Aunt Charlie..." Dave exclaimed.
"Good morning, kids" she greeted with a smile. Her apron hangs on her hips and her hair is as messy as a windy day. "C'mon in. I'm cooking pasta."
"Where's Marky?" Cassy asked. She handed Charlie a box of cookies.
"In his room." She took the box on the counter and unloaded it on a plate.
"I see... what are you doing?" Cassandra asked again. She took a seat in the dining.
"Ahh,, ehh I.. I'm trying to figure out what to do this Friday..."
"This Friday?" Cassandra asked. She saw the calendar and saw the encircled date.
"Ohh... it's Marky's birthday,...that's great... just tell us what we can do Auntie!" Dave said as he leaned on the counter and grabbed a cookie.
"Ahh... I'm counting on you... ja, bring these snacks to him. Just go upstairs. Take care of my son, okay?"
"Hai!! Just leave it to us..." the two said and went to his room.
...
On his birthday,
The three of them walked their way from school. Cassandra and Markus waited for Dave to finish his basketball practice during that day. On their way home, they stopped by a bakery where they usually buy cakes and cupcakes during normal days.
"Ne,, Marky go pick anything you want..." Dave said confidently "I will pay for it, so you don't have to worry..."
Cassandra poked his head and said "Hehe... don't mind our friend here, Marky. Sa.. go get what you want... it's our treat for your birthday..."
Markus looked at his friends with weary eyes and said to them with tears, "Why?.. why are you this good to me?"
Cassandra started to cry "Of course, we're friends, idiot!"
"Hai... we're best friends, Marky..." Dave smiled "...and, it's your birthday. You can have everything you want and I will ask for mine when my birthday comes."
"Davey!" Cassandra poked Dave again for saying that stuff. "I can't believe I made friends with you."
"Why? Am I not cool for a friend?"
"No, you're not. Pathetic.." Cassandra rolled her eyes.
"Cassy!"
The owner heard what the three were talking about and said: "Oh,, so it's Marky's birthday, huh?"
"Hai,, Ms. Linda." Cassandra replied
"Ja, pick all you want Marky... it's free for you today. Consider that as my gift, okay?"
Markus looked at the owner and said "Why?"
"I told you... Marky, you're loved, okay?" Cassandra said. "Don't ever think you're alone in this world. We are here to save you if needed. You can lean on our shoulders and cry all you want."
"You guys.." he said with tears watering his eyes.
"Hai... here... you have your free cake but I don't. You're more loved than I do, so be happy, you idiot." Dave added, faking a smile.
"Why?? Why are you doing this?... I'm..."
"You're not what they think who you are, Marky. I know you well. You're a good kid, I won't believe what they say about you. That's why it's fine.." the owner said
"Thank you, I really appreciate it, thanks..." Markus cried, lowering his head.
Dave gets all the cake slices that Marky loved on that bakery and brought them to the counter.
Reiko, standing outside and observing the children, cried quietly as he eavesdrops at the entrance door of the bakery. When he saw that the kids were already coming out of the bakery, he slowly vanished towards his car.
And the three went straight home.
At night,
"~~Happy Birthday to you~~" they all sang as Charlotte is putting the cake they got for him.
"Sa... Blow the candles and make a wish, Marky" Charlotte said to Markus.
He blew the candle and they celebrated that night. Aside from Cassandra and Dave, Ned is also there with them though Charlotte seemed to be avoiding him. They eat a lot of food preparation and gone merry for the night. Laughter filled the house and Markus gave a weak smile.
They all give their presents to Marky starting from Ned to Charlotte and then his friends. They want Marky to smile for his birthday but he didn't really give an authentic one. He is still afraid to respond to any signals and emotions. He still has nightmares on the night he was arrested by the Bureau and his encounter with the president of ORION. Anything that sends or shows a signal about the said company makes him tremble and have a panic attack.
After a few hours, they all went home and he was brought to his mom's room and was told to open the gifts before he sleeps.
He took one of the bags he had in the room and opened it. When he tore the wrapper, a package of a cd came out. He was shocked and started to feel a heavy breath. The Cd says
Reign of Aegis: Rise of the Avatar-RPG
v. xx3
game installer
(latest edition)
Series 2138
© ORION comp.
Markus screamed. Charlotte went upstairs running, leaving her chore in the kitchen, to see what's wrong with her son.
She entered the room, went straight to his side, and bring him to her arms.
"What's wrong Marky? Are you hurt or something??" she searches around his arms hoping to see scratches but she saw none. She noticed that he is having a panic attack. Markus is getting cold and pale while his hand is turning stiff. He hugged his mom tight and started to cry.
She saw the presents on the bed and checked what's inside. There she saw a differently packed present showing a Cd with the name ROA-RPG game installer.
"That man! How did it get here? ! He'll pay for it..." She looked very mad seeing that CD. She took the presents away and lay Markus on the bed.
"Shh... it's okay...don't cry... Mom's here so don't worry..." she comforts Markus as she turns him to sleep. After a while, she went to the window and scanned the street. She then saw a car parked not that far from their house.
"So it was really you... I need to slap this on his face," she muttered and went straight to that car. She left Markus curling under his bed.
On the other hand, Reiko saw Charlotte approaching his car so he went outside to greet her. On a gloomy night, he didn't saw Charlotte's expression as she dashed to him holding a package.
"Charlotte... how's the party---"
He was slapped right through the face.
"See this???" Charlotte threw the present to his chest. The game dropped and created a mess. "Did you ever thought that this thing would not hurt him, huh, Reiko?!" her voice echoed around the area under the dim light.
"I don't know what you're talking about... you mean about the disc?"
"What else should I be complaining, huh?" she stepped on the package filled with hatred, cracking the disk. "...just the sight of any ORION merchandise, even the name itself makes Marky hurt and have a panic attack."
"Wh.. What..." his world fell apart. He thought of giving his son what he wanted but what he'd done had gone wrong. "...and I thought he will be happy to receive the game he wanted before," he muttered. He lost strength on his knees and leaned on his car door.
"That's Not the case now... I thought you promised you won't hurt him ever again." she pointed fingers on his chest. "Yet, here you are giving him a stupid gift..." Charlotte said angrily but immediately she fell sad. "...if you just saw how hurt he was..."
"Let me see him and say sorry..." he said looking at her eyes.
"That won't even do a little better... Have you forgotten he's afraid of the President of Orion more than the name itself?!."
He was struck and looked blank.
"The next time you make him cry and cause him to have a panic attack,, I won't let you see him even from afar... I'll even sue you on court."
"You can't do that, Charlotte... I'm still his father and I want to be one."
"Then act like one..."Charlotte exclaimed.
Reiko was shocked by what Charlotte had said. He thought she will really hide his son from him but she just wanted to save her son from pain. He realized it and felt angry with himself.
"Don't give him more hurt than what you already have given him, please. I beg you, Reiko..."
"I'm sorry... really sorry." he looked down and saw tears falling from his eyes, dropping it on ROA's package seal.
"You could have just given him a cookie." Charlotte turned around and walk her way home.
Reiko was left alone on that side of the street. He stared at the gloomy night sky and thought of what he had done. He closed his eyes and tears fall from them like a river flowing. He wiped them off and entered his car with a deep sigh.
"So, the game didn't work, Reiko?" Louige asked. He sat on the wheels ad saw everything. He did nothing but he felt responsible. He came to be his driver for that night being the only one who knows that Markus is Reiko's son.
"Ahh... I guess we fail in this one again, Louige. It is the second loss now..." Reiko leaned on the back seat.
"Don't lose hope, Reiko-sama. Time will come that he will recognize you as his father. You are quite an awesome one, that's what I saw."
"Arigatou ne, Louige-kun. I never regretted the time I first saw and approached you. I didn't fail to choose who the man to trust this much.."
"I'm just paying back your goodness, Reiko-sama. Besides, I want to help. It was also my fault he was able to invade that much. If I could have not let his program enter our database, it won't be a big problem like this. Now, it did not only cause a problem on ORION but on him as well." Louige gripped the wheels tight on his hands, brows meeting.
"Don't blame yourself. I take all responsibility as the president of ORION and..." he paused, thinking about what Charlotte said act like one! "-his father."
"I hope you will have that chance soon, Otto-san."
"I hope so too, Louige-kun..." he stared at Markus's room for a minute or two and decided to go.
"Let's go now. We might get to wake him up if we stayed here longer."
"Hai..."
They drove away and Charlotte saw them leave. She went out again to see if they were really gone and she was seen by Ned.
"Still out at night, Charlie?" Ned said
"No... I mean.. I just want to see if they're already gone." she replied
"Ahh... you mean Reiko?"
"Uhh..."
"He had done another terrible thing again? I've heard Marky screamed a while ago and then you rushed outside like something did happen. I came to check on Marky."
"He's fine.. He gave his present though.." Charlotte sulked. She still felt indifferent with Ned.
"Anything wrong with that?" Ned said, trying not to sound so distant.
"Yeah,, everything. He gave Marky a copy of the game he wanted to hack last time..."
"What?? Really? How stubborn of that man... so how was Marky?" Ned felt the rage.
"He panicked of course... seeing the thing he despised the most made him tremble in fear ... but I calmed him down somehow and put him to sleep."
"Poor Marky... I will talk to that bastard when he dropped by again." he clenched his fists and stuttered his words.
"Please, Ned. Give him a bunch of hell and punch him for me as well."
"Ahh... I will. You should be entering your house now. It's already getting cold. Marky will wake up and start crying when he saw you not there on his side."
"You're right. Ja, Good night...."
"Good night... tell Marky "Sweet dreams", too."
"Hai.."
"Ja, see you around." he bid goodbye and went inside his shop.
Charlotte entered and turned off the lights.