NOT FINE

As mentioned, there was always someone that showed stronger emotions and spoke before he could. This time, it was Eric.

"What?"

"WHAT??!!"

Eric's shout made Ares's ears numb, especially when their faces were only a phone thick away as he was basically like a piece of gum that refused to be removed with his ears glued to the phone.

So when he shouted, a lot of damage was done, but they couldn't concentrate more on that. The news was the wildest dream they ever saw it coming.

"Is that Eric?" Ares faintly heard Jaxon ask just as Eric snatched the phone and placed it on speaker.

"Yes." His friend answered and continued without hesitation. "And excuse my language but what the actual f*ck?"

"I know." They heard the manager sigh exhaustedly on the other end. "They were moving him from one place to another when he attempted to escape... or to commit suicide. I'm not sure which. In the end, he was cornered on the rooftop and jumped off in front of many people.

"The building had four stories. Landed head first. Instant death. But the thing is, a few steps next to where he jumped were clothing lines filled with towels and sheets. So we can't tell if he aimed to jump where he did.

"Another thing is he didn't seem to show any sign of... planning this act, and the police were saying maybe someone coerced him into this.

"So," Jaxon took a big breath. "The very bad news is that the trial is now postponed to God knows when."

Drained yet indignant air flowed between the three, who had their mouths tightly sealed like clams desperately growing pearls.

Just then, the others walked over to them with joyous but confused smiles.

Karson sat on the grass in front of the two and looked back and forth between the phone and the two boys. "What's going on?"

Eric silently explained what Jaxon just informed them. Nobody spoke a word after that. The atmosphere around them was as icy as midnight in winter and heavy as the snow after a hostile snowstorm.

Ares had a burning anger in his heart he didn't know what or who to aim to. Because of that, the rage just kept getting bigger and bigger, unbearable and vociferous.

Who was to blame?

Who was responsible?

Yes, Benjamin was a big part of it, but if he was truly coerced, why would anyone do that? And the worst part was that he could do absolutely nothing about it.

What happened, happened, and there was no way the universe would suddenly grant him the ability to go back in time to stop the pilot from jumping and serve his time.

And if he was feeling this amount of anger, he couldn't dare imagine what the direct victims of that demon felt right now.

Ares was the first to regain focus and quietly asked the man on the other line. "How is... how is Ms Queen doing?"

There was a moment of silence before the manager answered, "She's umm, alright for now... Anyhow, she has no plans to work at the moment so if you have time, you should come and visit her."

"... I'd love that." The boy replied honestly. A tiny smile was about to make its way to his lips but faded as soon as he remembered the current situation. "I'm unable to make any promises right now, but I really do want to meet her. I'll message her and call her whenever I can, and please tell her she can do that to me. Please send her our regards."

"Alright, I'll tell her that."

"Thank you."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Right after Eric's thumb pressed the end call button, Omal, sitting next to Orion, slightly leaning onto the other, asked in a low voice. "Will you really be able to see her though?"

Ares stuffed his phone back into his pocket and cast his eyes down. "Maybe I won't have a whole day with her, but I don't need a whole day. Even if I could only see her for five minutes, I would be more than greatful..."

A cool, almost icy, breeze carrying the salivating scent from the cafeteria passed through them briefly. Birds on the ground flew away at once, and the sun hid behind the heavy clouds as if it was scared of what was coming next.

At once, the cheerful and mellow atmosphere under the toasty sunlight turned chilly and gloomy. A Gust of air unmercifully blew in the courtyard, shivering and encouraging many to take shelter now that it was getting cold.

Ares stood up wordlessly with his drink in his hand. "I'll ask my father when I can be free." He turned to his friends, still seated, and gave them the best smile he could manage. "I have to go now. See you later."

While Eric and Omal waved their hands in reply, Karson and Orion lightly nodded with a sense of gloominess.

As another round of wind shivered the remaining stubborn students, Karson hastily jumped up and hugged himself. "Well, this is sh*t. It's freezing." He then quickly tippy-toed like a jumping crab and evacuated to the cafeteria.

----

"Dad, I'd like to visit someone sometime this week."

Cristian unhurriedly tilted his head until his eyes were met.

A muted, almost suffocating, conversation was held between the unwavering two pairs of silver eyes until the elder slowly removed a pair of golden chained glasses.

Ares unconsciously stopped breathing from trepidation.

The thing about his father was that he could be a scary man at times, although that was a rare sight. And so, he averted his eyes timorously to the thin, cream-coloured files in his arms.

But he didn't have to stare awkwardly and aimlessly for long.

"Who is it?" A deep, dulcet voice with a hint of humour questioned.

Raising back his head, he found his father with a cheeky grin. The previous tension between the eyes was gone and replaced with teasing eye smiles.

"Oh wait," Cristian raised his hand, paused and thought briefly before his smile changed into a more reserved one. "Ms Queen?"

"Yes..." Ares nodded timidly. He felt the hotness emerge and spread all over his body like an uncontrollable wildfire. He didn't need a thermometer or mirror to know his ears were hot and red.

The man snapped his head to one shoulder. The son tilted his head in return in confusion written all over his face.

"Go." His father told him and gestured toward the door. That was when the boy finally processed that his father was pointing at the door with his head earlier.

"Oh..."

Cristian continued, "If your grandfather were to be here, he would have said the same thing."

The man then blithely placed the shimmering pair of sublime glasses back to his eyes and resumed reviewing a file on his desk. All the while, Ares stood there, dithering.

When the father couldn't feel the breeze of one moving to his cheek, he raised his head once again. "Son, I said you can go," While blinking leisurely with a hint of warmth.

"Now?" The younger asked dumbfoundedly. He was not expecting that.

"There is no time like the present."

"Now... O-okay." He nodded as if he was putting himself under a spell. "I'm going... Now."

And so, in a matter of minutes, he was in the car with Ranaan on their way to Eirene's house. Even in a rush, Ares didn't forget to contact both the actress and her manager if he could visit them tonight.

[That's surprising, but why not? You're welcome anytime.] Jaxon replied seconds after and continued, [Are you planning to meet Eirene too? She's with me now, so you can come directly to my office ;)]

A wave of blush crept on the boy's cheeks.

Everyone seemed to know what was up. How did they do that? Especially over a text? Was that some witchy juju he could learn?

[Thank you, and yes, I'd also like to meet Ms Queen. I'll come to your office in about forty minutes.]

----

"I'm going to have to peace out. This princess needs his beauty sleep. You know where the key is."

"What?" Eirene asked back Jaxon, sliding his arms through a long black coat as if going on a vacation. "I thought Ares will be arriving soon."

"Oh, he is." The man nonchalantly answered and grabbed everything he needed in his large hands. "It's just that if I stay here any longer without actually doing anything, I'm going to pass out in the next second. Bye."

And with that, the man disappeared behind the door as fast as the cotton candy melting in a bowl of water, with the side of a gust of wind blowing some of the papers off his desk onto the confound actress.

Just as Eirene wordlessly and dazedly collected the flown papers back to the original place neatly, hesitant, soft knocks pervaded the soundless room.

"Come in," She answered and hastily scanned her surroundings to check if it was out of order.

A mere second later, she found herself with the boy peeking first and timidly entering as if he had something wrong.

"Good evening." He greeted.

"Good evening." She greeted back and gestured to the sofa opposite of her to the nervous boy.

Ares sat on the brown leathered single sofa. Under the dim, orange lights, he appeared extra shy.

A moment of silence flowed between them before Eirene spoke first. "I'm fine." There was no need to clarify what she was referring to. They both knew.

She saw him nod as his lips formed the word, "Oh..."

The conversation ended there, with the two not knowing how to continue. The room was hushed for three minutes until the coffee maker in the back reminded them of its presence.

Eirene instantly stood up to serve Ares a cup when she heard him also stand up behind her.

"I'm sorry for coming in here on short notice... Especially at this hour," He said as he hurriedly walked towards the door and reach for the handle.

The actress's blank mind was suddenly filled with one thought, to let him go. So she unconsciously ran to him and pinched the hem of his suit tightly.

"I'm not fine. I need you... right now..."