Chapter 4: Peripheral Vision

 During PE, homeroom 3B’s last lesson for the day, Kent was sitting in the corner of the indoor sports hall having been exempted on account of his injuries (which were passed off as accidental). Glesto snuck over once awhile to check on him.

 “Feeling any better?”

 “Could be worse. I keep wonderin’ what Terri woulda done if you guys hadn’t showed up.”

 “Uh... just don’t think about it.”

 Then it started raining; it began about halfway into the lesson when their classmates first heard the rain falling. PE usually continued through a rainy day if they were indoors, but today would be different.

 A few minutes into the downpour, Glesto ran to the teacher in charge.

 “Sir! The rain’s spraying into the hall, some of the equipment got wet.”

 And so class got called off early; all according to Glesto’s plan.

 Shortly after the teacher dismissed them, Glesto ran to Kent and pulled him into an empty corridor away from the eyes and ears of their classmates.

 “Kent, have you seen Lucas lately?”

 “I think I last saw him when Tomus started throwin’ oranges at me earlier. You okay man?”

 “But did you see him anytime at all after I stopped Terri?”

 “I-I don’t think so... Wait, you don’t think-?!”

 “If Terri is after you, he could very well go after Lucas to get your attention. He’s not a total idiot, I’m sure he’d have thought of something like that.”

 “Argh, d****t! Lemme try calling Lucas.”

 He whipped out his flip phone, careful not to drop the card still sitting in his pocket. Swiftly dialling for Lucas, Kent was anxious. Glesto had never seen him this nervous before.

 “C’mon, c’mon… answer, d****t!!” He could only wait and see if Lucas picked up. The pitter-patter of rain outside resonated eerily with the atmosphere.

 Then from the other end of the line, Lucas’s voice came through.

 “Hello?”

 “Yo, you alright dude? Did Terri come after ya?”

 “Kent, is that you? And who’s Terri?”

 Kent took a moment to have a sigh of relief.

 “Nevermind. Just wanted to check if ya met anyone with that name.”

 “Oh, okay then.” From the sound of his voice, Lucas was bemused.

 “But if some lanky lookin’ brown haired dude comes for you, just run, y’hear?”

 “Um, sure. What’s this about?”

 “Don't worry about it, it’s just some beef I got with someone else in my cohort.”

 “Uh, alright. Well, see you soon!”

 “See ya.”

 With that, the call ended. Kent kept his phone and turned to Glesto while biting his lower lip.

 “Man, I'm sure gonna miss ya when you go for that trip the day after tomorrow.”

 “Just be a little more careful, yeah? You're so careless about everything, that's how you always land yourself in these situations.”

 “Sick burn, dude.”

 “But I'm serious, you almost got your a*s handed to you today.”

 “A’ight a’ight, I get it. You headin’ home now?”

 “Of course, I'll just go get my bag from class and we're good to go.”

- - - - - - - - - -

 Tomus and Lucas’s lessons ended ahead of theirs so as they walked home, Glesto and Kent always got to talk about things that would otherwise warrant a jab in the ribs from Tomus.

 Strolling out the front gates with their umbrellas out, they were having their usual chatter about the day’s various happening. The rain was beginning to show signs of stopping.

 “So I was just talkin’ to Lucas as usual, then suddenly Tome comes in and throws one o’ them...uh…”

 “Oranges.”

 “Yeah, oranges! Hit me real hard in the ear so I turn to see where that came from, right? Then I get another one to the nose.”

 “Ouch, that’s gotta hurt.”

 “You know it. Anyway, I start chasin’ him and he goes and drops a bat which I end up trippin’ over. He got a laugh outta that one.”

 “I was wondering why he had that.”

 They arrived at a traffic junction; this was where Kent’s route home diverged from Glesto’s. The rain had finally passed.

 “Well, I'll see you tomorrow," said Glesto as he neatly folded his umbrella.

 “Bye fam. Say hi to Lucas for me, yeah?”

 He watched as Kent, who was struggling to fold his umbrella, crossed the street and blended in with the other people on the pavement. Some of the surrounding stores and restaurants had already switched on their neon signs. The surrounding taller buildings were glowing a pale orange from the sunset, reminding Glesto that he had better get home soon.

 In the back of his mind, however, something was bugging him. As he walked, he deliberated.

 From his skirmish with Terri, he had ascertained two facts: Terri was proud and took revenge into his own hands. The pride was easy to figure out considering the aristocratic vibe he gave off the whole time. What worried Glesto was Terri’s vengeful nature.

 Glesto had heard about Terri before. He was notorious for being a loan shark to the juniors but everyone was kept silent under threat of getting a fistful of knuckles to the face; if anyone breached his conditions, he had a reputation of chasing down targets.

 In fact, one of the reasons every other class in the cohort hated 3A was because of Terri. Of course, not everyone in 3A was a prick but that was how it was.

 Glesto passed the last of the shops and subconsciously acknowledged he was entering the residential area.

 If Terri would aggressively go after Kent and assault him for a simple game card, surely there were no bounds to his retaliations. Sure, Tomus had confirmed that the card was a rarity but that alone did not warrant kicks to the loin. Conclusion? Terri was childish, go figure.

 Glesto also knew he was not stupid. Terri had shoved Kent down the stairs at lunch; Glesto saw him at the top of the stairs just before he got bowled down by Kent. Kent had feigned unconsciousness (at least he wasn’t dumb either) to try and hide in the nurse’s office, but Terri had most likely followed and waited for him outside.

 Now that Kent had escaped again, there went his pride. In Glesto’s opinion, there were several ways Terri would counter: He would either go after Lucas and possibly hold him hostage, chase down Kent again or, if he picked the most aggressive option, track down Glesto and fight him a second time.

 At this juncture of thought, Glesto snickered to himself. Terri wouldn’t stand a chance against him and Tomus, judging from his susceptibility to getting flustered. But if he went after Kent or Lucas…

 Glesto unconsciously frowned. He would not stand for it. Targeting him was one thing, but if others were harmed then it was another story altogether. Glesto felt his pockets, making sure that he still had Terri’s pocketknife.

 He was starting to get a headache. Perhaps he was thinking too much into it.

 Glesto turned into the street with Aunt Kole’s house. He could see the tree growing from her yard, dwarfed by some of their neighbours’. Glesto stared at it for a moment and wondered if he should train on it later in the evening.

 Then he noticed someone was standing under it. In fact, there were two persons.
 He quickened his pace and as he approached the tree, he overheard a conversation.

 “Ya gotta sign the form, Aunt Kole! It’s due tomorrow, plez??”

 “I’ll sign it tomorrow morning, there’s no need to rush things.”

 “But why? I don’t get it!”

 “Just to be sure nothing crops up, Tomus. Oh, your brother’s back.”

 “Eh? Oh hey Gles!” Suddenly, out from under the shadow of the foliage, Tomus jumped out.

 “Glad you’re home, and I see Aunt Kole still isn’t going to sign our forms, huh?”

 “Right? Bummer, but hey, ya get to stay at home with Karen!”

 “Hold it, what’s that supposed to mean?”

 “Aww come on. There’s gotta be somethin’ going on between the two of ya, right? Hmm?”

 “Knock it off, Tomus. Ma’am, wait!”

 Aunt Kole was just about to enter the house. She turned around, keeping one hand on the doorknob.

 “Yes, Glesto?”

 “I understand that this is probably in our best interests but why drag the acknowledgement so late? No offence, of course.”

 “None taken, and I understand. But you know how these overseas trips are, one little mishap and it's trouble for everyone. I've already told Tomus that I'll sign the forms by tomorrow morning.”

 “Ugh, alright then. Um, ma’am, about Karen…”

 “Hm? Is there a message you wish for me to pass onto her? Karen isn’t back from tuition yet.”

 “Yes well, something’s just been bothering me about her. She doesn't… well, how should I say this… she doesn't seem to sit well with the notion of me going overseas for a while.”

 Aunt Kole seemed to have expected this from Glesto; she took her hand off the door.

 “Karen’s talked to me about this, yes. If I may put it bluntly, she has feelings for you.”

 “W-what?”

 “That’s right. I had promised to keep quiet about it but since you’ve actually come to me and gone straight to the point, I suppose there’d be no harm in just telling you.”

 “Ah… well uh, that probably explains why she was acting a little off this morning, nevermind then. Oh yeah, there’s one more thing, ma’am.”

 “What is it?”

 “The fan in our room seems to be broken.”

 “I see. I’ll go replace it later.”

 “I can do it myself if there’s no need to trouble you. Tomus, the hell are you doing!?”

 There was a loud thump accompanied by the rustling of leaves as Tomus landed on his backside. He had been trying to climb the tree since he was starting to get bored.

 “Ack. I thought that branch woulda been sturdier with all those oranges hangin’ off it.”

 “That’s a tree, not a rock wall you idiot! And I thought it grew lemons?”

 “Dunno, lol. But do these things look yellow to you?” A lone orange fell from somewhere between the leaves and bounced off the grass, landing at Tomus’s feet with a squish. “See? Even this tree’s telling ya it grows dem oranges.”

 “Is this where you get your oranges, ma'am?”

 “Oh yes. Back before you boys were here, I used to make orange juice for the other kids in the neighbourhood. I sometimes still make too much out of habit and I have to leave the spare in the closet.”

 “I… see.”

  Glesto cleared his throat.

 “Well, I should get down to studying. We still have a math worksheet due by tomorrow.”

 “Then I won’t hold you any longer, in that case. Tomus, would you like to stay out here to wait for Karen?”

 He was attempting to climb the tree again.

 “Wat? Oh yeah, of course!”

 Standing at the far end of the street, I was watching.

 The shower Glesto took was quick. When he came out, he rushed through drying his hair and left it as a wet mess.

 He pushed open the bathroom door and blankly stared at the closet opposite him, allowing the warm vapor inside to diffuse for a moment. He gave a few seconds before snapping out of it, then solemnly headed upstairs. When he passed by Karen’s room, however, he felt the impulse to knock.

 “Hey, Karen-” Then he remembered she wasn’t home yet. Silently, Glesto retracted his hand and made haste to his room.

 There were two headaches awaiting him: the floor was covered in a thin but nonetheless significant layer of dust and someone had knocked the wall clock off of its peg. Not much thought was required to figure out who that might’ve been.

 Glesto went over to his table to open the windows, then he slung his bag up onto his upper bed and sat heavily onto Tomus’s, recoiling when something hard pressed against his thigh and realised he still had the pocketknife on him. Pulling it out of his pocket and throwing it to the table, he closed his eyes as he lay down while sighing.

 The math worksheet was a lie; he had already completed it back in school before PE. What Glesto had really wanted was some time to himself (and in particular, some peace and quiet away from Tomus).

 For some reason, he could not get Karen out of his head. He had told himself repeatedly for the past ten years to quit with sentiments, to be a pragmatist, and now this had to happen. If Glesto had known signing up for the exchange programme would bring this much unnecessary tension, he would have just ignored the offer.

 Though now that he thought about it, it was actually Aunt Kole’s idea to have him and Tomus sign up for it in the first place. When she heard the neighbour’s kid talking about the upcoming trip since last year, Aunt Kole had gone straight into their room to make them sign up. Glesto and Tomus had never been outside of Melbourne since they came to live here, not after what happened to their parents...

 Glesto opened his eyes. He should have known better than to pursue that train of thought.

 He threw a glance at the clock that was ticking away on the floor. 7:45pm.

 

 The girl turned the corner just as the two boys before her had done. Her steps were slightly clumsy like one who was dazed, but she was doing her best to be optimistic. Melancholy lingered behind that smile.

 Tomus was making a great rustling ruckus in his attempts to climb the orange tree. In fact, he was so preoccupied with the matter of tree-climbing that he failed to notice the approaching footsteps from the road.

 “What… Ha, hey Tomus!”

 “Eh? Oh hey Karen!” Tomus waved at Karen from the leaves.

 “Still at it? You know you’ll never get to the top with all those oranges in the way.”

 “You don’t get it. To defeat the orange, you must be one with the orange. That is the orange way of life, capiche? Ow.” Tomus had poked his hand on the end of a branch.

 “Suuure. Where’s my mom?”

 “Aunt Kole’s out buyin’ groceries and stuff.”

 “Ah.”

 She squatted down to untie her shoes and noticed Glesto’s pair of sneakers at the door.

 “Glesto’s back?” asked Karen in a voice that was not familiar to her.

 “Yas. He was actually lookin’ for you, I think.”

 “Really? Alright, thanks.” Somehow, her reply sounded false.

 

 What was this empty feeling she felt?

 Karen couldn’t put a finger on it ever since it came to her attention. Everytime she was reminded that Glesto was going to be overseas for several months, she would get a deep grievous sensation in the pit of her stomach. She was aware of the trigger and was almost used to the unpleasant feeling by now, but what was the reason she felt that way?

 Entering the house, her feet carried her up the stairs.

 The reason; it was the sole factor she did not understand. Was it really so hard to think of? Or was the answer right there and she simply could not come to terms with it, like she had feared?

 Did she… love Glesto?

The door suddenly swinging open on Karen’s right made her gasp, making her realise she had overshot her room and instead ended up in front of the Rheeman brothers’. The figure rushing out stopped short of colliding with her, and since Tomus and her mother were outside…

 Glesto almost headbutted someone on his way out. That someone, to his mild shock, was Karen.

 “Ack! Sorry, didn’t see you there.”

 “It’s alright, it’s alright, uhm…”

 “Well, I’ll talk to you later. I’ve got something to do.”

 “Huh? Um, okay...”

 Without a moment to spare, Glesto had gone around her and made his way down the stairs, leaving a rather stunned Karen in his wake.

 He silently walked into the closet, making sure he was unseen as he closed the door behind him. Ignoring the various knicks and knacks on the shelves, he raised his arm up to the highest level and felt around for something. When he made contact, he gingerly pulled the object down.

 He had the files. The significance he knew not but there they were, in his possession. Hidden away and collecting dust, but for me as a witness to see it resurface in the boy’s hands. I stood in the doorway as I stared him down, but his eyes will not meet mine.

 Glesto could feel a draft when he came out of the closet and noticed the front door was open.

 “Hey Tomus! Did you leave the door open or something?”

 The reply came from outside accompanied by the sound of a breaking branch.

 “Nope, I thought Karen was the last one to go in.”

 “Oh, that’s right.” He could hear the water running in the bathroom. “I'll ask her once she’s done showering then.”

 Heading upstairs again, he failed to observe the door slowing closing on its own.

- - - - - - - - - -

 She was the only one walking along the dimly lit road but years of buying groceries at this hour had gotten her used to it. It was oddly quiet, however, knowing the neighbours in these parts.

 Aunt Kole was pondering on heavy matters, not that anyone else would understand. With bags of produce in one hand and her handbag in the other, she didn't seem to realise she had begun to mutter to herself.

 “If those two don’t get chosen… I suppose that would be a good thing…? But for them to become Alphas...it's what Gerald and Amelia would’ve wanted, right?”

 She walked under the light of a street lamp. Her shadow was her own, but there was another behind her.

 “Arekiles.”

 Aunt Kole’s eyes widened and by instinct, she spun round to face the speaker.

 “Relax, it’s me.”

 “Oh for heaven’s- don't do that!” She released her grip on something within her handbag. “Why in the world are you here? I'm sure Gion has enough problems as it is, does it not?”

 “You got me there.” The figure was standing just outside the light, keeping his features vague; his voice was young but deep. “I'm here to tell you about the Seekers. Two of them are arriving on Earth and their trajectories are headed right here for Melbourne. You know the implications.”

 For a moment, Aunt Kole didn't know how to respond.

 “I… the two brothers will be chosen, is that right?”

 “Not necessarily. Your daughter could be one of them, and perhaps it could be someone we have yet to account for.”

 “I’m sure the latter is unlikely.”

 “Naturally.”

 “So if Karen becomes one of the two Alphas, what of the brother who isn’t chosen?”

 “We follow the plan and train him during his time in Italy. I trust you have not yet given the green light on their trip?”

 “Of course.”

 “That’s good. Great work.”

 Again, Aunt Kole wasn’t sure what more there was to say at this juncture.

 “By the way, Arekiles-," the man started again.

 “Don’t called me that. I call myself Ann around here.”

 “Whatever. The older brother has the profiles.”

 “The profi- what? Oh, you mean the folder Glesto tries to hide from me.”

 The figure moved backwards in a fashion that suggested it was taken aback.

 “You knew of it?”

 “He keeps it in a shoebox in my closet, and I know I don’t ever put shoes in my closet. Did they happen to see you?”

 “No. Well, if there’s nothing else to address then I shall take my leave.”

 “Try not to trip on your shoelaces like last time, hm?”

 “That never happened.”

 The man stepped away, lifting a manhole cover in the middle of the street. Aunt Kole snickered.

 “That’s where you opened the portal? Of all places?”

 “Yes, well, this area is just houses and more houses. Any suggestions?”

 “In a tree, perhaps.” The man turned to look at her and tilted his head to one side. “Oh, I’m just joking! Goodbye.”

 He climbed down the manhole, his fingers fleetingly visible when he slid the cover back on.

 The bags weighing in either hand reminded Aunt Kole where she was. She hurriedly headed back towards her house, the silence serving to emphasise the oddity of the encounter she just had.

 “...Arekiles. Hm, I almost forgot my own name.”

Author's Note

Ah hah, ha. I have had zero experience with relationships, romantic or not.