First Landing

Mysterious things happen in Bayville." Maroon said, scanning the area that might lead them to their rooms. She stopped, and so did her second.

"What happened now? You are thinking there will be a ghost swirling through the ceiling?" Mayon asked, doubting her own strong-held beliefs after seeing a red fire swirling in the air some minutes ago.

"I am getting used to it." Maroon replied and grinned. "I think...we have lost our way to the room."

"Say what now?" Mayon was flabbergasted.

"It was supposed to be this way." She looked down the empty corridor with several doors which started counting from fifteen.

Mayon turned to the stairs where they had come from and began walking downwards...descending.

Maroon sighed and followed, adjusting her backpack on her back. "Why are the buildings the same?"

"You saw it for yourself before you started climbing."

Maroon sighed and quickly remembered something. "Oh!" She snapped. "Where are our bags?"

"You've got to be kidding me!" She yelled out in frustration.

"What?!"

Mayon didn't stop walking. "You said you wanted to check the rooms first before you bring them up!" She turned briskly and stared at Maroon wondering the doses of aspirin she took. "Are we on again about this your forgetfulness?"

"What?"

"Are we still going to deal with this in Bayville-a?" She had a habit of stretching the last intonation of her words.

"Oh! You mean my slight memory loss?"

"That. Yes. Whatever you want to call it."

Maroon thought for a second before shaking her head.

"Great. Better not be."

Maroon was Mayon's elder sister by three years. People who saw them would conclude that they were twins. Mayon was used to her forgetting things, it was no big deal to her but she always hoped it wouldn't land her in trouble one of these days.

Mayon wanted to pick a room that would fit her sense but was given room 9, Vondutch block, and here they were, lost and going back down the stairs to stare at more alike buildings. She was grateful that she had a sister whose nature was as indifferent towards things and people like the way cats block out any noise when they target a prey. She seemed not to be concerned and she was seldom intrigued by what people did. Nothing "wowed" her.

Mrs Panther, their mother, had enrolled for them to make some adventures in Bayville High where both young and old came to dwell for a mean time before returning to their normal lives. The journey took them two days by road from Stoptower to Bayville. This was how they knew their mother was committed to this venture. She told them stories one after the other of how her parents brought her to this great infamous school of old; Supernatural things happened there and they found themselves switching in times. But of course, it was only those selected that could switch between time lapse and the present age.

.....

.....

Mrs Phantom dropped her daughter's bags on the ground and closed the booth, then joined her daughter to look around. There were people dropping off their kids, some above twenty-five while others were young teenagers. The good thing was that, the age limit for this year's section was a range of 15-30. Anyone above and below was not allowed entrance. If not so, the entire place would have been crowed with children. They may make it next year.

Mrs Phantom smiled and folded her arms against her chest; she saw Mrs Baron's car pulling up and her three sons stepping out one by one. The eldest being Manuel was caught in hallucination or so, because he kept staring at Amber, her daughter, who didn't even notice his presence.

After watching for sometime, she turned to Amber. "Baby girl."

"Mom!" Amber wailed and rolled her eyes. "I am not a baby. I am twenty-one years old. Please respect my maturity!"

"Amber Phantom?" Her mom called her and waited for another lamentation.

"Mom, that's too formal. You sound like one of those school principals with glasses and big noses." She demonstrated and grinned at her mom.

Mrs Phantom smiled. "It seems Mrs Baron decided to give all her kids some time off."

"What? Where?" She searched the people and them noticed the boys, especially Manuel who was now looking at her without shame. She swallowed and looked beyond him. "Kids."

"I caught him staring at you for a while now."

"Oh mom!" She narrowed her eyes and took her sunglasses from her breast pocket, putting it on. "Much better." She stared at Manuel through the shade and saw him put on his shades as well. She smirked. "Jerk!"

"You two would be goo together." Her mom grinned.

"Mom! He is not my type!"

"He likes you honey."

"I don't see him doing or saying so. How would you know?"

"It starts with the stares. He can't take his eyes off you darling. He sees his stars in you and he just can't seem to it let go." Her mom chanted in an intended girlish manner and laughed.

"What a bummer. You are embarrassing me mom. You sound like a 16 year old."

She tapped Amber's shoulder so she could look at her. And when she did, she said, "I was once in your shoes, my dear." and laughed.

Amber picked up her bags, placed the small one over her shoulder and rolled the bigger one with its wheels. "Mom, you better get going. It over 48 hours travel for you. I will be fine."

"Forty-six." Her mom placed a kiss on her cheek. Amber grimaced and tightened her hand on the handle of the luggage. "Mommy will miss you, Amber Phantom. The house will be boring without you—"

"I never once stayed in the house."

"More to say it will surely be boring. But I am happy you are taking this adventure. I want to hear every bit of it, including Mr Manuel Baron's part."

Amber stared blankly at her mom through the shades without saying anything.

"Okay. Okay honey. I will keep my mouth shut." She placed another peck on her cheek and sat down in the driver's seat. She started the engine. Amber waved at her.

Her mom smiled and put on her dark shades, making Amber roll her eyes as she watched her speed off into the meandering roads.

Her mom smiled and put on her dark shades.

Her mom was one of her role models and despite the fact that they didn't live together, they were a lovely pair of mother and daughter. A mother who had a carefree spirit and a daughter who possessed both her mother's carefree nature and her father's distant and unsociable one—this led to a lot of mood swings from her.

She pulled her bag toward Mrs Baron's car and stared at Manuel from her shades. She glanced at Antonio who was behind him and pretended to go towards him until she stood by Manuel.

"Hi." He held his bag and faced her with his shades on.

Instead of her to respond to his welcoming greeting, she retraced her steps and stood in front of him. She pressed her lips together and looked at Antonio. "You know...you should stop staring too much. You are being too obvious. Everyone can tell you have a crush on me."

Manuel smirked. He didn't expect that. "And what gave you the impression that I stare if you weren't staring in the first place?"

"My mom. She saw you staring and drew my attention to it. So, stop. Please."

He removed his shade, displaying dark brown eyes. "My eyes, my stare. Make me stop."

She smiled at him, displaying her dimples which betrayed her AJ detective look and walked past him to Antonio and Mrs Baron. "Hello Mrs Baron."

She turned to Amber. "Oh! You are here." She looked at Manuel.

To Amber, it was as if her mom and Mrs Baron were planning on sending them to a mutual covenant and that was not going to happen. "Hey Antonio." She intervened before Mrs Baron could take it any further.

Antonio smiled. He was a year younger than Manuel who was twenty-three years old. "Amber. I thought you weren't gonna make it."

"Nah! I had no intentions of coming until my able-handed mom convinced me."

Anthonio studied her for sometime. "It looks like you are in your good mood. Anybody seeing you now will think you are the friendly type..

"I AM the FRIENDLY type." She hissed.

"Don't go about biting people's fingers."

She raised a brow. "That's one cold advice."

Antonio rolled his eyes. "You are in ALF mode and it suits you best." He turned to his mom. "We are good to go."

"Okay." She said and opened her car door. "Take care of Lason."

"Lason is a grown up. He can take care of himself."

"Even though." She grinned and closed the door.

"I can take care of myself Madame." A young slim boy with hooded shirt, same height as Anthonio and a resemblance with Manuel and Mrs Baron stood at the side of the car, holding two cases. "I am twenty."

"Not in Bayville. You follow rules. Always tell your brothers where you are going. Okay?" She smiled at Amber. "Take care of 'em boys for me."

"Aye Mrs Baron." She saluted. "I Will flog them really hard."

Mrs Baron laughed. "I love this girl. She reversed her car, turned the gear and hit the road.