Tomorrow finally came. Today we present our song in front of the class; I'm shaking nervously in my seat when I shouldn't be. It's not like it's my first time to perform but somehow my last performance traumatized me. I shook the memory out of my head, it's not time to think about that. I stared at my music sheet one more time before I heard high heels stepping nearer to our room.
Jo hit my arm softly signaling that Miss Redrive had arrived at our class, "she's here." Jo bit her upper lip nervously.
"You shouldn't be feeling nervous, you performed pretty well the last time I saw you," I said.
"Yes, but according to the president, our performance will tell us what kind of internship we could get…I mean her recommendations," Jo explained.
"Alright, is everyone ready? I don't want final revisions in my class," Miss Redrive dropped her things on the table and she pushed the whole thing away to the side to give way for the performers that will be using the center of the platform. "President, did you ready the ruffle?" she asked.
"Here, Miss Redrive," our president handed a brown and round jar-like object to our professor.
"Alright, your names are here. I'll choose randomly," she shook the vase in front of us with her one hand.
I heard people curse under their breath not applauding the idea of Miss Redrive. I look outside just to check if Aaron is around and he is. He might be feeling my tension too because he was looking back at me when I saw him.
"Let's start," Miss Redrive covered the opening of the jar and shook it. "First to perform is," she took a piece of paper inside and unfolded it, "Martin Nguyen?" she called.
"That's me," a guy in a yellow polo shirt raised his hand. He stood up holding his Ukulele with his left hand and on the other were his music sheets. He walked down the aisle confidently and placed his papers on the stand provided for the music sheets. He looked at Miss Redrive and she gave him a go signal. He started to strum the first chord of his piece and cleared his voice before starting to sing.
Blindfolded,
Red strings, together we fantasize
Even often,
These things are never finalize
Feelings collided in surprise
Miss Redrive looked my way.
I practiced my barrier last night with Aaron; he said we better prevent things before it starts. Her red tainted lips curved upward while looking at me and then to Jo. I never thought of it until now but why is she always looking at Jo? I get it if she looks at me but at Jo?
Martins' performance ended with applause from us.
"Very good Mister Nguyen. It's a nice love song," Miss Redrive complimented. She placed her hand inside the jar that is now sitting above the table fishing the name of the next performer. "Joanne Francine?"
Jo stiffened beside me. Slowly she raised her hand, "That's me," she smiled shyly. She collected her music sheets on her hands and went in front. The president helped her to fix the electric piano to place at the center and placed the music sheets at the provided stand. Jo inhaled deeply and exhaled. I never saw her this nervous before.
She's always the ever-so-ready girl but now I'm seeing a different side of her. Her blonde hair is kept from falling on her face by a green hairband to avoid distraction while playing.
"Go on, time's ticking," Miss Redrive pointed at her wristwatch. Jo nodded and started playing.
We were young
Dreaming of ever after
We were young
Clueless of what's ahead
We were young
Making promises
And we were young
When we became broken
It was a life I dreamt of
Dancing under the moon
It was a life they dreamt of
Someone's holding your future
It was a life you never dreamt of
You tried to run, someone was chasing
Chasing became saving
It was a life we never dreamt of
What?
Someone got married
I envy that ever after
Someone got engaged
Can I find an ever after like you?
Selfish choices have ruined everything
We were young
Dreaming of ever after
We were young
Clueless of what's ahead
We were young
Making promises
And we were young
When we became broken
Is she…is she singing about us? About me running away? Is she talking about Aaron? Why is she singing angrily now? It started nicely but why could I feel anger, envy and madness now?
I studied Jo's face harder, this isn't her again. Her face is different from a while ago. It's all dark now. A piece of hair fell in front of her face,
Leading you down
Pulling you further
Unconnected connection
Lovers that aren't meant to be
"Sapphire, her song went a full U-turn. What's that about?" Ven tapped my shoulder from behind.
"I have no idea either," I looked at him.
I felt Miss Redrive's eyes on me which caught my attention. Her pen on her hand is digging deeper on her thumb while looking at me with harsh eyes—if only eyes could kill.
I breathed deeply, something tried to break into my barrier and it made my mind snap hard. I groaned in pain.
"Are you alright?" Ven placed his hands on my shoulders.
"My head…it hurts…" I cried. It keeps hitting my head repeatedly making it unbearable to keep the barrier up.
Aaron! I called his name.
I felt Jo sitting beside me soullessly and looking in front ignoring me beside her.
"Jo, I think we need to bring Sapphire to the clinic," Ven said but Jo was motionless. Something snapped in my head again. It's a continuous banging on my brain.
"Miss Valoria, are you alright?" Miss Redrive asked but her tone doesn't seem so concerned. I see her wiping off something from her hand; blood. She's wiping off the blood from the pen she stabbed herself with.
Jo eyed me for a second. "I think she's fine," Jo's voice is monotone.
"What are you talking about?" Ven's voice is in terror now.
"How about bringing her to the clinic?" Miss Redrive suggested.
"I'm going to call the nurse," the president took her phone out.
I'll be not far, I heard her voice inside my head. It's not Aaron.
I don't know when I've stopped breathing, is it when I heard her voice in my head or the fact that Jo is simply smiling lifelessly beside me and looking at me with her sharp gray eyes. I'm confused, scared and in pain. I lost my barrier. Voices of people started to rumble in my head and I don't know where they are coming from. Ven helped me stand up, he placed my arm over his neck and carried me.
"You're pale. What is happening to you?" I felt airbrushed on my face as Ven ran towards the clinic.
"Thank goodness, you're here," Ven said to someone.
"What happened to her?" The words that followed aren't that clear for me to understand. I feel confused.
"I don't know. I was talking to her and then suddenly she was in pain," Ven…I think it was Ven explaining. I felt a soft sheet behind my back. Everything's so blurry; I can't see where I am.
"It's alright, I'm here," a familiar warmth caresses my cheek. Then everything was black.
I heard footsteps going in and out of the room. The doors keep closing and opening. The wind is gushing through the windows. Whispers echoed the whole place. Little by little I am able to discern whose voice is whose. First, I heard the nurses talking with their colleagues talking about the patient lying on the bed at the end of the room. Next is a doctor talking on the phone with a concerned parent. Next is a guy talking to someone standing beside me then a woman's voice joined the commotion. I heard Ven telling the other two that he has to leave because he still has band practice at eight. I heard Aaron saying that he and Stif will take care of everything.
Then I heard a painful voice that I am not ready to hear now, "I really don't know what happened to me. Everything went blank then the next thing I knew, I'm also here in the clinic."
"You passed out right after I brought Sapphire here," Ven said.
"You better take a rest too. You might not be having enough rest," Stif suggested with her calming voice.
"Yeah. Aaron, take care of her, okay?" Jo said.
"We'll go now," Ven informed. I heard their footsteps slowly disappearing as they walked away from us.
I slowly opened my eyes to check where I was.
"Thank goodness. You're awake now," Aaron immediately placed his hands on my cheeks.
"Be careful she just woke up," Stif tapped Aaron's hands away from me.
"What happened to you? Ven said that you were just suddenly in pain," Aaron asked.
I coughed a little trying to find my voice, "I'm really not sure."
"Your voice sounds so dry. Here, drink some," Stif handed me a glass of water while helping me sit on my back to properly drink it. She pampered the pillow to have me sit comfortably.
"You were so pale like ash. I had to call Stif immediately," Aaron exclaimed.
"You used your talent here?" I asked.
"There are curtain dividers anyway. Don't worry, no one saw," Stif smiled sweetly.
"Are you feeling better?" Aaron asked.
I nodded.
"I think we should bring her to the HQ so that I could take a better look at her and monitor her," Stif said to Aaron. She's playing with her silver necklace, it is in the shape of a sunflower and in the middle was a red-orange small stone. I'm guessing that it was from her sister.
"I think her brother would want to see her too. I told him about the situation," Aaron agreed.
"What time is it?" I asked. My throat still feels so dry.
"It's dinner time, darling," Stif answered.
Miss Redrive's class ended seven hours ago, I didn't get to perform.
"I'm feeling that you're stressing about something. Don't, you're not feeling better yet," she brushed her hand on my head.
Aaron went out of my cubicle to talk with the doctor asking permission for my leave.
"Where's her guardian?" the doctor asked while entering the cubicle with Aaron following beside her.
"Me," Stif turned to face the doctor who was stunned with her beauty. "I'm not available," Stif randomly said. I guessed she's used to that kind of look from men that she already knows what to say.
The doctor looked down in disappointment, "I guess she could go. Just sign in here please," the doctor handed a clipboard to Stif with a yellow paper on it. She signed the paper and returned it to the doctor.
"Let's go," Stif told Aaron. He helped me up and carried me like a bride towards the car. I sat at the back while Aaron and Stif sat in front.
"Tell me if you feel anything weird," Stif informed me.
I didn't feel the ride. I just blinked and suddenly we're at the HQ's hospital.
"How are you now?" Stif wore her white coat over her yellow dress.
"I…don't feel anything," I said.
"Hmmm?" She faced me.
"I just feel…here…I'm here but…"
"Your mind might still be floating. Sleep, you need it." She fixed the blanket on me and turned off the lights. "I'll check on you tomorrow morning," she smiled and closed the door behind her.
Jo's face from the performance and while she was looking at me kept popping up in my mind no matter how hard I tried to push it away. And Miss Redrive's voice continues to echo in my head, what does she mean by she's not going to be far? Is she following me now? The thought of it made my body shiver. She might want to figure out where the HQ is, must've planted something on my mind to track me or something.
I held my head in my hands, "No. I have to go somewhere else." I have to get out of here.
The door opened and the lights flickered open. It was my brother checking on me with Stif , "I told you to sleep. Are you trying to get up?"
"I don't think it's good for me to be here," I said.
"How?" Hal's eyebrows raised. "Are you going to run again? Safety is here," he mimicked himself back in France where he opened his arms widely in front of me. He smiled at me trying to avert my attention away from troubles.
"I'm serious. Miss Redrive broke into my barrier, she might have planted something on my head to track me down," I tried standing up but it seems that my legs are pinned on the bed. I can't lift them up.
"You're still weak, Sapphire," Stif stood beside me trying to fix my position back to sleep.
"No, you don't understand. I might bring danger here," my eyes started to water.
"Who's Redrive?" Hal asked.
"Our Music Professor," I answered.
"She doesn't sound safe," Hal said.
"Because she isn't," I removed the blanket on top of me.
"Hal call Ulysses. I think we need a shield," Stif's tone is different; it was strong and brave. I looked at her surprised by the change of personality. She suddenly resembles her sister.
Hal left the room immediately.
"Now checking deeper onto your brain, there's something in your head. I can't figure it out. We need to block it from the outside. If it really is a tracker then it'll be hard for her to connect with it if we get Ulysses here," Stif fixed the blanket on top of me again.
Hal returned together with Ulysses. His long maroon hair is kept inside a cap used for sleeping and he covered himself with a robe. He sat on the sofa beside me provided for visitors. Slowly something cold swarms into my mind that sends shivers all over my body.
"It's me. Sleep now, we got a long day coming," Ulysses fixed himself on the sofa in a position where he would comfortably sleep.
"Do you want me to stay?" Hal asked.
"Yes, please," I answered immediately. I want my big brother beside me.
I didn't fall asleep right away until I felt safe between my brother's warm hug.