A Bride Worth Billions (25 page)

Syrene walked faster, trying to catch up with Hunter. She had been outside the men’s room, right after she punched Toby on the face. She really had no intention of physically hurting anyone any more today after the incident with Hunter this morning but Toby got on her nerves again. She was just trying to talk to Hunter to apologize and Cara was with her when Toby suddenly showed up and was being a douchebag again.

Cara had gone first because she told her she had forgotten something in her locker but she figured she was just trying to play cupid. Syrene thought the idea was just plain stupid.

She’d heard the sudden scream coming from inside the men’s room and a few moments after, Hunter got out and she saw Toby on all fours looking absolutely exhausted. She went after Hunter but he was walking too fast and his steps were bigger than hers.

“Hunter!” He now shouted as he already got out of the main building was heading towards the school parking lot. “Hunter! Wait!” She shouted louder this time but whether he’d heard it or just decided to ignore it, he continued walking away.

“Music!” She tried and that was when he finally stopped and turned back towards her direction.

His eyes looked frantic and wild. He was just standing there as still as a statue. Syrene walked towards him slowly and it took a few more steps before she saw recognition on his face. His eyes slowly went down to the front of her shirt and she figured he was reading the words on it again.

“I can’t help but smile on that.” He said quietly and then lowered his head. “Why?”

“Why what?” She asked.

“Why were you following me? Did you see what happened?” He wasn’t still looking at her.

“I don’t even know what happened.” She admitted. “I’m here because I wanted to know.”

“Curiosity killed the cat. Haven’t you heard?” He asked and turned his back on her.

              Syrene just watched as he walked away. She was starting to remember about a certain Adenburg family who her parents had got acquainted to when she was still young. She made a mental note to think it over later when she was already at home after school. For now, she had to attend her remaining classes and get through the day.

It was already almost dinner time when Hunter got home. He had been walking aimlessly for hours around the town he’d grew up in. For the months that he was gone, nothing much had changed. Things were exactly the same and that was what he hated the most.

              There had been a great change in his life within a matter of months and yet things in this town remained the same. It reminded him that what could be so great and essential in someone’s life could be so little to another and the world around that person.

              His mother immediately prepared the food she had cooked. She seemed excited on finally not eating dinner alone and being able to serve dinner again to her son. It was only when Hunter was already sitting by the dinner table did she notice his blank stare and expression.

              “How’s school?” She asked with caution as she took a seat opposite him.

              After a few minutes of silence, a simple ‘fine’ was his only reply. His mother figured it probably was about his ‘talent’ again this time. That, or he might had thought about his Reynold, his late father, again. Reynold died of a heart attack about six months ago in that very apartment. After the funeral, he didn’t go with her back home. She thought he was just going to get some space but she never thought she wouldn’t see him for half a year.

              Leila couldn’t blame him though. Hunter had always been closer to his father than her. Some might thought that it was because he was his biological parent while she wasn’t. Biological or not, Leila knew she hadn’t been a good mother to him. She was the one had always wanted to call him by ‘Hunter’ and not by ‘Music’.  She always referred to his ability to get into someone’s mind and put different sounds, from soft music to something terrifying, into someone’s head as ‘talent’. And that wasn’t because she wanted to turn it into something positive, but because she wanted to deny what he could do. The name ‘Music’ had always reminded her of Hunter’s extraordinary ability.

              She had always loved Hunter but the obvious denial made him be estranged to the mother who raised him. And when he couldn’t take it anymore, he just snapped and accidentally used his ability to his own father while on an argument with Leila.

              Reynold had always been the one to make Hunter accept himself for what he was but when he died, he started to hate himself and believe that he was indeed abnormal. And even though Leila began to regret about the things she’d done, that had been too late.

The next day, Syrene kept looking at the direction of Hunter’s seat but he wasn’t there. It was only a few minutes before the class would begin. Cara started to ask her what was wrong but she kept on saying ‘nothing’.

              “You’re probably wondering about happened to Toby as well.” Cara guessed. “I mean, who’s not curious about it? That douche of a guy’s still in the hospital and no one knew what happened to him in the men’s room.” With the last two words coming out of her mouth, Cara remembered leaving Syrene outside the men’s room yesterday. She inched closer and whispered, “You were there. You were outside the men’s room and Music was inside with Toby.” Her tone was confirmatory as she looked at Syrene.

              “Stop it, Cara.” She dismissed.

              Cara immediately felt irritated. “Yeah. Whatever.”

              The bell rang just as Mrs. Johnson entered the room followed by Hunter seconds after. Hunter’s ocean-blue eyes met her own pair of hazel eyes. That lasted for only a few milliseconds as he immediately looked away and took his seat at the right side of the room. Syrene didn’t know what to think or how to react. It was like sharing a secret with someone but not really knowing exactly what that secret was. Moreover, he knew the guy for only a day which didn’t really count considering he left early the previous day and that not much words had been exchanged between them.

              The day ended quickly and Syrene felt more tired than usual. Tired not of the classes but with the silent treatment Cara was giving her. She didn’t intend to snap at her that morning but with the many thoughts that were running through her head, she wasn’t able to stop herself. It was even harder that they were classmates in almost all the periods and were seatmates in those. She had forgotten how Cara could be a snob whenever she was upset about something.

She was walking home when she heard someone calling her name. She turned around and the next thing she knew, she was already full of flour as a guy from Toby’s group passed quickly by her on a bicycle.

Instead of getting angry, she just murmured, “Really?” as she raised an eyebrow. They were already fourth year high school students and yet, most of the guys from her batch still acted like grade school students.

The guy, whose name was Ryan, was grinning from ear to ear but then his expression suddenly went to shock and he fell off the bike groaning. “What the hell?!” He shouted as he tried to stand up. Syrene was planning to help him but then she was suddenly grabbed from behind.

“Wha- -“

“It’s me.” She immediately recognized the voice and had to look up to his face for he was several inches taller than her. “It’s me Music.”

“Well yeah. I know your name.” She said with a low voice as she wasn’t sure why he suddenly showed up introducing himself.

Hunter smiled. “I just want you to know that you can call me by that name.”

“Uhm . . well o- kay.”

Music chuckled as he found her confused reaction amusing. “C’mon, I’ll walk you home.” He said as he started to walk as if he knew where to go.

“You don’t even know where I live.” She said as she walked again and caught up with his pace.

They passed by the now limping Ryan as he was also pushing his bike. Syrene decided he wasn’t worth helping when he gave them a glare. Music acted like the guy wasn’t even there though he still looked amused.

“What did you do?” She asked in a whisper when Ryan had already turned to the street where he was living.

“What do you mean?” He asked without looking at her.

Syrene rolled her eyes but then she decided to remain silent. They were just a few houses away but then she found herself not wanting to end this moment yet. She then heard a piano playing a soft and relaxing music. She stopped walking and concentrated to the sound. She realized she wasn’t really hearing it but it was more like being played inside her head.  “Can you hear that?” She asked quietly, not wanting her voice to overpower the beautiful music.

She didn’t hear any response so she looked at him only to see him staring back at her.

“What are you doing?” She asked in a whisper again.

“I’m playing something on your head.” He answered and the music suddenly stopped.

“Why did you stop?” She asked.

He smiled. “Because you looked like you’re about to fall in love with me.”

She felt blood rushed to her cheeks and she got no words to say.

“You may find what I can do as something amazing, Syrene.” He broke the silence. “But you saw what happened to Toby and to that skinny brat on the bike earlier.”

“His name’s Ryan.” She said, only because she felt the need to say something – just anything.

Music nodded. “The point is, I can use this talent, ability whatever to something as terrifying as killing a person.”

The memory of Toby on his fours looking exhausted like something terrifying just happened and the sudden shock expression that appeared on Ryan’s face right before he fell off his bike suddenly flashed on her head.

“But you won’t.” She defended although she didn’t know him enough to say that.

“I already did.” He admitted to her. “I killed my own father.”

Her mother was calling her from downstairs but she didn’t bother answer. She was calling her for dinner but she was in no mood to eat. She wasn’t aware of her mother’s footsteps entering her room and moving closer to her until she was already right in front of her.

              “You’re awfully quiet.” Her mother observed. “It’s already enough that you’re particularly silent today but there’s no way you’re going to skip a meal, young lady.” She said with finality. Syrene looked up and immediately recognized the concern in her mother’s eyes.

              “Mom, I have a problem.” She admitted. “So please, leave me alone.”

              Sarah sat beside her daughter on the edge of the bed and sighed. “We all need our own space, Sy. I know that. You have a problem? Then you should face it. But how can you face your problem if you aren’t strong enough?”

              Syrene didn’t answer.

              “Eat. Sleep. After that, be ready to face your problem tomorrow. Because what I can only see now is you adding another problem rather than solving the one you already have.” She said seriously and then stood up from the bed.

              She smiled and nodded as she realized that her mom was right. A question popped on her mind.

              “Mom?”

              “Yes?” She looked down lovingly at her daughter.

              “Do you know any Adenburg? Because I have a classmate whose family name is Adenburg and I thought I heard that name either from you or dad before.”

              Her mother immediately looked dumbfounded. “You have another Adenburg in your school?”

              “Um yeah? What do you mean ‘another’?”

              “Well your best friend Cara’s original family name was also Adenburg.” Her mother’s tone was accusatory like the name itself was something bad. “If she didn’t tell you that, then you should really stop seeing that friend of yours.”

              Syrene was speechless.

              “She was born in this town, Sy. She was adopted when she was about five or six and so her last name changed.” She told her daughter.

              “Why are you telling me just now?” She instantly felt out of place. “And so what if she’s original Adenburg? Wha ---“ Syrene stopped herself and began to analyze. If Cara was an Adenburg, she was most likely related to Music who had the ability to put sounds in someone’s head.

              She got up and put a jacket on. She decided she was going to talk to Cara herself. Her mother didn’t stop her for she was only doing the advice she’d given her. What Sarah could only hope was that Syrene would be able to accept the things she’d learn tonight.

As soon as she stepped outside their front door, Syrene  began to walk slower as if readying herself for what was about to happen. She hadn’t talked to Cara since she snapped at her and it’d be probably awkward if she’d just show up on their front door out of the blue.

              It took a good ten minutes before she’d finally been able to get to the door of her best friend’s door and knock. She heard some rustling behind the door before it finally opened which revealed a red-faced Cara.

              “Were you crying?” Syrene’s prepared opening speech was replaced by that question.

              Cara hugged her. “I thought you’re not going to talk to me anymore.” She sobbed.

              Syrene gently rubbed her back. “We’re best friends, remember?” Cara nodded her head as she continued to hug her.

              “Who’s that?” A familiar voice asked and when the owner of the voice came into view. Syrene was surprised that it was Music. That just confirmed that the two were really related. He, on the other hand, looked taken aback as well. He probably didn’t expect her to see him in Cara’s house.

              Cara and Music let her in and they told the story to her. Apparently, she and Music were cousins. Cara was adopted when she was five and moved to another country with her adopted parents. Her adopted parents just decided to travel from country to country so they bought a house in the town she grew up in so she could continue her studies while they travelled.

              “So . . . do you als—“ She wanted to ask if she also had some superpowers like her cousin but Music interrupted her.

              “Cara, why don’t you get some food here while we’re talking?” He suggested to his cousin.

              Cara furrowed her eyebrows and pouted her lips at her Music but with the look he was giving her, she still complied.

              “So, she doesn’t know?” Syrene assumed.

              “She knows. I just don’t want you asking her.” He told her and when she asked why, he just answered, “Just don’t.”