Merula 3:1

Chapter 3:1 -Headaches and stalkers

My headache didn’t go away from that day onwards. And I hate headaches. So why not a take a little pill and get it over with you might think? Here’s why. I hate pills, can’t swallow them no matter how hard I try. So I was stuck with this glorious headache and hoped it would ease off soon enough. It did some when I was alone so I sought the quiet halls of the library as often as I could escape my new classmates from 4C. They really thought I was Jesus.

The preparations for the tests went alright. I had already done most of them and today I would do another two. Then it was this business with Rogan. It only got worse but that was only to be expected after my not so much thought through attack on his private life. But each time I saw him I still felt a bit satisfied. Then my head ached even worse as to punish me for my lack of conscience. As I mentioned our relationship only got worse. It was at the point where he almost begun to snarl when he saw me. Which was almost convenient, he was like a rattlesnake warning me not to take one step further. That way I could avoid most of the time. That system worked at school. But not at home, in the small flat. Somehow that tiny flat had shrunk. I run into him around every corner and there aren’t that many corners but still we managed not to escape each other’s company for even a second. Unlucky us. Unlucky me.
This is how my headache didn’t fly out of the window as I hoped it would but instead grew worse for each day that passed. Now, I wasn’t the only one affected by our intense role play. The whole family were. We were all tip-toeing around Rogan as he was the bomb of the family.
This is how my week had looked like, in order to avoid Rogan. In the mornings I was the first person up. I took the earliest bus to school and went straight to the piano room. Miss Helen, who liked me an awful lot for being a new student, lent me her key to the room so I could practice on my own. When I didn’t attend class or have an unnecessary test I hid in the library. But even there I miraculously run into Rogan from time to time. Was he stalking me? We made our courtesy glares and took off in opposite directions. By the end of the week he must have understood that the library was my area as he stopped showing up there. Mandy must have told him I was studying for my several tests.
Back at home, whenever I could, I disappeared out in the park belonging to the block and took a lot of deep, deep breaths. I had been right about the swing hid by the overgrown bushes. It was the best. But I couldn’t stay outside forever. Dinners went alright, especially when Rogan didn’t show up for them. Evenings went even better as I stayed inside of my room. The bathroom was a complete warzone, obviously, as there was only one. How had this family survived with one bathroom this long? This is how we survived our first week as a new family. The weekend however…
Saturday morning. A long breakfast. I was exhausted after yesterday’s tests and ate my breakfast slowly. Too slowly for some. I guess Rogan was waiting for me to finish my breakfast before he could eat his. When the clock stroke eleven Rogan had had enough of waiting. He walked into the kitchen and sat down on the only available seat. The one next to me. It took him one minute to detonate. But you know how destructive an empty belly can be.
-Get her out of here! I don’t want to see her!
-Rogan, we can’t throw her out. She has nowhere to go, Hazel tried to meddle.
The rest of the family quickly dispersed from the kitchen.
-If you don’t do it then I will! Get up!
Rogan abruptly pulled my arm and I had to follow. His grip around my arm was tight.
-It hurts. Rogan, let go, I said, a tad irritated.
-No! You’re getting out of here, I don’t want you here.
Ok, so I was getting more than irritated now.
-Who says you can decide? I questioned him and tried to resist.
His grip only got rougher as he dragged me to the hall.
-You’re going!
This was ridicules and my arm hurt, so to act equally childish as him I sat down on my butt.
-What are you doing? He asked incredulous. –Get up!
-No!
-Are you stupid? Get up! He screamed at me.
-No, I’m not stupid. It would be stupid of me to let you push me away.
For a second Rogan didn’t know what to say but then his fury really got growing and he grabbed my other arm as well to pull me across the floor to the front door. Of course I resisted but without much force against Rogan who was really strong compared to skinny little me. Then I saw the front door towering over me and real fear kicked in.
I didn’t want to leave. I liked it here, even more than my real home. And now I didn’t have anywhere else to go. This was my home. On the other side of that door awaited cold loneliness. No family or friends to support me. I was afraid. I started kicking and screaming for all my worth.
-No, no, no, no! I don’t want to! I shrieked. –Let go of me! Let go!
It turned into a real battle and I wasn’t going to lose that easily. But suddenly the front door was open and inch by inch Rogan dragged me out of the flat. I started crying, embarrassing I know, but that was how scared I was.
-NO! I screamed for the last time and then everything turned black.
No, I didn’t pass out. The light bulbs exploded. And with that unexpected event my and Rogan’s fight ended. Because it wasn’t just the light bulb in the hallway but in the whole building, it got completely dark. Oh well not completely dark but dark enough to surprise us.
-What happened? I heard voices from the living room.
-Power cut?
-This time of the year?
I could hear Rogan’s heavy breathing beside me. I was afraid he would throw me down the stairs or something.
-What just happened? He asked with a low voice.
-Power breakdown? I suggested and shrugged my shoulders.
-No… ,Rogan said.
-What then? I asked.
-Something else.
-Like what?
-I don’t know, Rogan said and stood up.
Affected by the moment he reached out his hand to help me up. At first I stared at it as if it was a dog waiting to bite off my hand but I quickly decided to grab the opportunity and took his hand. There was a small jolt as our hands connected which made Rogan realise what he was doing.
-Sorry, he said and jerked back his hand swiftly while staring at me with his forehead all wrinkled.
Then he turned and walked down the stairs instead of back into the flat. Had he forget how he seconds ago had tried to throw me out? Or had he realised how silly he had acted and that was why he said sorry? I couldn’t get more confused.

To be continued...
By J.L.Frick

The Broken Ones -Epilogue

Epilogue

The following weeks the rain kept pouring down the mountains, washing away the blood. It was as if the island was mourning the victims of the battle. Funerals were held, tears were shed and brushed away. Ard decided to cremate his brother’s body as was the tradition of their homeland. He spread the ashes over the green island but saved some if he one day would return home.
The killed spring guardians were buried on the south side of the mountain and the killed monsters got buried on the north side to remind everyone who visited the spring of the battle for its protection.
The moment Jack lost all control the monsters were released by his spell. The surviving spring guards had rushed to the spring to gather water and then run back to the monsters and forced them to drink the water. They were all cured, physically, but the memory of all the things they’d done were still there. The islanders took them all in to help them. Touched by their kindness many of the cured monsters decided to stay and repay their debt. But some of them decided to follow the new chairman of the Academy.
Ard’s powers, although still in its cradle, made him the most powerful broken alive. The council members who’d followed Jack to the island immediately recognised Ard as their new leader. Ard had of course already seen the difference he could do in the world and accepted the position. Jagger decided to follow Ard back to the Academy.
Jack was already forgotten. In the chaos after the battle Sassa had escaped with him before no one ever thought of looking for them. But Ana said it didn’t matter, Jack was no longer a threat and if he tried to rise again Ard would know.

Soi sat at the threshold of the kitchen door leading out in the garden and rested against the wall. The rain had stopped for a moment and the sun pushed through the heavy clouds to shine on the small garden and Soi’s face. Siri came and stood right behind him.
-You’ve got a letter from Ard and Jagger, she said.
-Read it for me, are you kind.
Siri broke the golden seal of the Academy and unfolded the letter carefully.
-“ Soi, I think you will be glad to hear that I have re-coloured the Academy, or at least the residences.”, Siri read.
Soi smiled with his eyes closed, enjoying the sun.
-“And I think you will be even more happy when I tell you that my parents have sent me a letter.”
Soi sat up straight.
-Read that again, Siri.
-“…my parents have sent me a letter. The rings Haz sold to buy the ship returned to our parents. If only we had sold our rings sooner…”
Siri looked up from the letter and met her brothers eyes, her eyes were tearing. Soi stood up and put his arm around her shoulder.
-“ I’ve seen images of a wedding, I hope you won’t forget to invite me and Jagger.”, Siri continued.
-Wait, what? Soi said. –Who’s wedding?
Siri tilted her head and watched her brother closely.
-It’s not mine! Soi defended himself.
-No, it’s mine. I knew Nibbles was planning something, I just didn’t know what. So much for the surprise, Siri sighed. –I better not read anymore in case he reveals something else.
Siri walked back into the kitchen.
-Like what?! Soi called after her, then begun to read through the letter thoroughly.
A sharp sunbeam hit Soi’s eyes and he looked up from the letter. It was a sun reflection from Ana’s ring that swung around her neck as she came down the mountain with a raincloud right behind her. When the first drops of rain hit her she began to run towards the house. Her smile turned brighter than the sun. She joined Soi in the doorway, safe away from the rain. She was drenched.
-Does it always rain around here? She asked, trying to sound irritated but her bright smile revealed her.
Siri came back with a dry towel.
-I thought you liked the rain? Isn’t that why you’re smiling? Siri teased her and gave her the towel.
-Oh no, I hate rain, Ana said still smiling radiantly.
-Then why are you smiling? Siri asked, confused by her smile.
Ana’s smile only grew wider and her grey eyes sparkled. Soi knew why she was happy. She could run free no longer restricted by her leg.
-Not because of my little brother, right? Siri teased.
Soi was stunned, he didn’t know what to say. Ana’s smile turned shyer and she refused to meet his eyes.
-Eh, it seems like Ard has found my black mare, or rather she waited at the front gate of the Academy when they returned, Soi rambled on to break the awkward mood. -What do you say, should we return to the mainland, Ana?
Ana’s bright smile returned.
-As long as we get away from the rain.

The End

To NOT to be continued...

By J.L.Frick

Merula 2:3

Chapter 2:3 -Rumours (yes I've changed the title which I'm fully entitled to)

Even though I prefer to be alone lunch break was kind of fun. My new class gathered around me like I was Jesus, they the twelve disciples and every word I said were Gods words sent from heaven with a text message.
-How did you solve no. 11? It was so difficult.
-No. 4 question a, were you supposed to use Pythagoras’ or what? I tried that but…
-You probably calculated wrongly.
-What was the answer to 12?
-Can you teach me?
-Can you forge the next test for me?
Then Mandy waved to me across the cafeteria and the questions changed topic. And I stopped taking part of the conversation. Not that I was ever a part of it as much as it circulated around me.
-How do you know Mandy?
-She’s like the coolest person in school.
-Do you know how she does her curls?
-She’s like an old fashioned film star, like Hollywood in the twenties.
-You mean thirties.
-Do you know Rogan too?
-Isn’t he sexy like hell?
-I know.
-I heard he’s single, if you don’t count his stalker Lindy.
The girls all laughed.
And then the questions turned into rumours.
-I’ve heard he’s on meds.
-What kind?
-Psychiatric, like he’s depressed.
-He does look depressed, he looks so sad.
-I heard he beat someone awhile ago.
I am not a fan of spreading made-up lies and tried to smuggle myself out before someone noticed me. Then a girl said:
-I’ve heard he tried to kill himself. You know, his left wrist, he has a scar there. That’s why he always covers it with bracelets.
Somehow this gossip seemed real. I looked at Rogan who was located in the back of the cafeteria. He did have bracelets and they covered his left wrist completely. If he once had tried to kill himself it wouldn’t be strange if he was on meds either. My curiosity grew. I had to ask Mandy.

After lunch I was called to the expedition. There the headmaster, a plump older man, and another teacher, with a face of stone, waited for me. I immediately hated them both and I’m not the kind of person who hates anyone, except Rogan. Now, don’t blame me for disliking a person based on the first impression. They didn’t like me either. I saw it in how they looked at me. Disbelief and great dislike. I was not the person they had expected. They had probably imagined a straight back, braided hair-kind of girl with glasses on the tip of the nose. Not a black haired, rebellious looking girl with piercings. I looked like the girl who was the root of all evil in the school. That was just my exterior, but the fact that they judged me for of it made me dislike them. Mildred sat behind her desk and followed our conversation with her small glass-covered eyes sparkling of curiosity.
-You are probably going to change class to another one that’ll suit you better, the headmaster started.
-Probably? I asked. I wasn’t all too surprised by the news except for that one word.
-Mr Twigs reported about your success on the math test and I’ve gone through your previous grades. But…
But what? I thought dryly and tried to not look too bitter.
-This week we will test you in every subject so that we know in what class we should put you in. We will keep a close watch on you and decide what to do at the end of the week. My advice to you, young lady, is to not try to out-do yourself as these tests will not in any way affect your grades. They will only give us an idea of what educational level you’re at. Mr Stone here will supervise you. Any questions?
Oh, I had plenty. Like, is his name really Stone? Not Graveyard, as in he’s so dead serious. A lame joke I know, humour wasn’t really my strong side. I still smiled on the inside when I shook my head.
I walked out of the office holding a paper of the dates for the upcoming tests.
Now, how to prepare for a test you can’t really prepare for. First things first, find the right location where you can sit for hours without being bothered. The library. Secondly, make sure you have something to nibble on when you get hungry because you’re not going to leave this place for anything except bathroom breaks. So, apples and a banana and a water bottle. Third, make sure you have the right equipment. Papers, pencils and a rubber. Fourth, … I give up! I don’t know. Somehow my afternoon trickled away like the tiny grains in an hourglass, while I stared at the wall in front of me. When the clock stroke six the librarians chased me out and I wandered to the bus stop. Guess who I met there. Surprise, surpsrise! Rogan.
Our eyes met and he turned away. I was too tired to get irritated.
The bus ride was long and tiresome. I could feel a headache building up and I massaged my temples gently. Walking to the Evaeus flat from the bus stop I slowly followed in Rogan’s trail hoping he wouldn’t mind too much but without him I wouldn’t find my new home. I still couldn’t grip what could have changed him so much from the boy on the metro. Those were the thoughts going through my head as I watched his stiff back. He was well aware of my presence but completely ignored me. It hurt me more than I thought it would do. Then I saw his bracelets on his left wrist and was reminded of the rumours I’d heard. Maybe that was why. Maybe he had been hurt before, incredible hurt and now he tried to protect himself from ever getting hurt again. Maybe rejecting me was a way for him to feel safe. Maybe.
I caught up with him and gave him my widest smile.
-Hi, I said still smiling.
Rogan wrinkled his eyebrows, clearly irritated but I ignored that and everything else he had done so far and still managed smile.
-So, how are you doing? I tried to make it sound as natural as I could, despite that his glaring brown eyes from this morning popped up in my head. I was still smiling but my cheeks begun to hurt.
Rogan kept ignoring me.
-Soo, I heard you’re on meds.
Yep, that gave an effect. Though, not the one I was looking for. Me and my big mouth.
-None of your fucking business! Rogan roared at me and stormed off.
Couldn’t really blame him. But somewhere inside of me I felt satisfied. Which wasn’t the feeling I had set out to feel. But Rogan’s neglect made me mad and I wanted revenge for… something.
Maybe, after all, he was just a jerk who couldn’t handle that the girl he’d kissed moved into his flat to live with him and his family. What a jerk.

To be continued...
By J.L.Frick

Ny blogg! New blog!

I've created a new blog! Yeah! And I will fill it with fairydust! The only downside is that it's mostly in swedish. So sorry guys. But I'm considering to write in english as well, but I'll probably going to consider that for another week... I'm so slow, I know! ^^

So this new blog is called, in swedish, Pyssel och Politik- which means pottering(?)(I just translated it on tyda.se so I'm not so certain if it's correct, anyhow...) Pottering and Politics. Now, I'm not that political of me, so don't expect any ranting about how this party is better than that party and so on (maybe just a little). This blog will be filled with photos of my pottery, links to awesome sites, odd music, recipies, quotes (I love quotes), random stories, swenglish and maybe some korean and french as well!

If you find this inspiring go ahead to my new blog Pyssel och Politik!

And no, I won't stop writing in this blog, I just like to keep my stories and the rest of my life seperate. So if you're curious of me, the writer of The Broken Ones and Merula, and find the profil part a bit lacking, you can check out the other blog and also find out why I'm not busy posting more parts of Merula or the epilog of The Broken Ones.

Love// J.L.Frick or Hojjan

Merula 2:2

Chapter 2:2 -School

Mandy was right. The school was one big grey square, hovering like an ominous raincloud. Dull and ugly. And it was bigger than my little private school. Mandy thought there were about 3000 students going to her school, compared to mine with a total of 300 pupils. But the size didn’t scare me, on the contrary, it suited me perfectly. Here I could easily hide, be one of the thousands and I wouldn’t stick out. I could be left alone.
On the other side, I could also easily get lost among the many corridors. Or rather, I would get lost, the question was when. My sense of direction had never been that great. Grandma used to say I was lost like a needle in a haystack. She was right of course. I would get lost in my own neighbourhood. But I always thought that was because it didn’t feel like home. Like it wasn’t my home, my place in the world, that I didn’t fit in. The one place I could find without a map in my hand was grandma’s house. Of course when she passed away mum and dad sold the house and all the furniture. I only got to keep two things from her, her wedding ring and her wedding picture. And now I only had the ring left as mum and dad sold our house with all the stuff in it. I don’t know why I wasn’t more shocked. Maybe I hadn’t got it yet. I guess I had to wait and see.
When I finally found my way back from my deep thoughts I had already lost Mandy who had been touring me around school. It was as we were meant to lose each other. Where was I? Trapped in a long, blue never-ending corridor. The best thing I could do was to keep walking straight ahead. Maybe Mandy was just around the next corner. But no matter how many corners I rounded she wasn’t there. What did it matter, I got to do my own sightseeing of this grey school. As I’d suspected there were too many corridors but luckily they were all coloured differently. First floor was blue and was home for social studies; language, civics, economics and history. The second floor was green, it was the science floor. Third floor was yellow and housed the library and school cafeteria. Last floor, the fourth, was red and was home for the passionate aesthetics. I walked passed a room with wide windows. On one side of the room the wall was covered with huge mirrors and a bar. In the middle of the room stood a black beautiful piano. I hadn’t played since grandma’s piano was all of a sudden sold, along with the rest of her belongings. It had felt like the house and her things were sold the same day she died. As to bury her memory along with her body.
I could feel my fingers itch to sit down and stroke its keys, feel the cold ebony and let a melody flow through my fingers and fill the whole school with music. Unfortunately the door was locked.
-You’re new, aren’t you? A woman’s voice said right behind me as I was drooling over the piano with my nose pressed to the window.
-Yes, I answered and pulled my bangs to the side as I always do when I’m nervous.
The woman was long, curvy and had equally long and curly blonde hair. A teacher, I suppose, yearned by all male students.
-Do you play the piano? She smiled comfortably.
-I do.
-If you want to you can take classes here, on your free time of course. I’ll teach you.
-Alright, ok thanks.
Do I need to say that I felt really stupid? What was it with me and making a bad first impression?
-You’re welcome. Now, what time suit you best, before or after school?
Oh, this was going very quickly.
-Before, I answered, not really thinking it through.
At least I would get up in the mornings.
The teacher put her hands to the side, tilted her head and watched me closely.
-Now, you’re the kind of student I like. Do you know how many students I teach before school starts?
-Eh…
She held up a finger and tipped my nose.
-One, and that’s you. Since you’re the only one and I like you I’ll give you two lessons a week á thirty minutes. What do you say?
-Wonderful, I suppose, I said weakly.
-But you haven’t signed in yet, I take it?
I nodded.
-I’ll walk you there, it’s a bit hard to find.

It sure was hard to find the expedition, hid away in a deep corridor on the second floor, and as if it wasn’t enough knowing I probably had walked past it a couple of times, I was expected as well.
-Miss Edith Sword, the old woman behind the desk called me with a reprimand voice. –I thought it was you. You walked past a few times, but you didn’t see me even though I waved at you. You’re a straight forward girl aren’t you?
-Oh Mildred, don’t you dare read her horoscope, the blond woman complained.
-Miss Helen, I was simply asking the young miss a question, Mildred said innocent.
The school bell rung.
-Ehm, where is my classroom?
-Oh, yes. That is of course the most important thing here, Mildred said and swiftly looked through her many papers on the desk. –You really are straight forward.
-Her class, Mildred, the bell just rung.
-Fine, fine. Class 4C, maths first so it’s this floor, room 217. The 2 tells you which floor it is and…
-I’m already familiar with the number system. We had it at my old school too, I interrupted and took my schedule.
I thanked them both and walked away to find my class. Surprisingly enough it took me less than two minutes. I seated myself in the back of the classroom and stared out of the window until the teacher arrived.
-So, math test today. Hope you’ve studied, was the teacher’s first words.
For a second I panicked then the papers were handed to me and the test begun. I was done in half the set time. Which was when the teacher realised I was new. He stared puzzled at me before he scoured his papers.
-Miss Sword, am I right? He asked and walked to my desk. The students’ eyes tore away from the test to fix on me instead.
-I’m sorry, I should have read my papers more carefully.
I didn’t blame him, there was a huge pile of papers on his desk.
-As you haven’t studied for this test I’ll give you something else to do instead. If you give me…
I handed him my test and he run through it lazily.
-I see you’ve already answered some of the questions, he stated with a bored voice.
-I’ve answered them all, sir.
He looked up from the test to meet my eyes. Apparently he decided to believe me as he scrolled through the test once more, this time reading it carefully.
-Jeez, girl, you’re sure good at math, he said after correcting my test. –Which school did you attend before?
-St Avery’s, sir.
-A private school, I see. So those teachers does teach you something after all, not only eating up my salary, I see.