Chapter 3: Mirages Of The Past

Chapter 3: Mirages Of The Past1

Demetri woke to the shrill voice of her digital alarm clock. It was an early June morning, and the sun rose in a dawdling motion across the horizon. The sky was a newborn azure, the clouds reminding Demetri of the peaceful sleep she had been drifting in moments before. 2

She got up, her legs haphazardly kicking aside the covers on her bed. Pulling on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, she descended the stairs and into the kitchen.3

Her father was already slurping his coffee and reading the newspaper at the table.4

“Morning Sunshine”, her father said cheerfully.5

Demetri groaned as an appropriate morning greeting.6

“C’mon girlie! Time to start the day, it’s a marvelous morning!”7

Demitri slammed a piece of bread in the toaster as a reply.8

“Why, when I was your age I got up at four in the morning to…”9

“Dad, don’t you have some stocks to check?” said Demitri indifferently.10

“Oh C’Mon now Petri, buck up. You only have less than a week left at Kensington”.11

“It’s not soon enough”, said Demitri snatching the toast from the toaster’s grip and stuffing them in her mouth.12

“Orange juice, love?”13

“No fanks”, responded Demitri with a mouth full of toast. She gulped. “Got to go. Bus.”14

“Oh, Petri, it’s the first of the month. Your grandmother sent me a post, she wants you to visit after school”, her father said.15

“You’re kidding me. Do I have to?”16

“You haven’t been there in awhile, and she wants to speak with you about Midsummer’s eve.”17

Demitri groaned. Her grandmother lived with her cousins. Last time she had been, she almost got in a cat fight with her cousin, Bella-Rose. She had been making fun of her Faye name given to her when she was a baby.18

Most Faye girls are named after flowers that grace the gardens, but Demetri had been named Greenwood-Rose. The Rose clan had been known for being very high in the Faye society. In fact, her Grandmother was the ruler of Great Britain’s Faye Court. “Greenwood” was more of a boy’s name, not suitable for a Faye girl. Her grandmother hid this however, by calling the half ling child “Green”.19

Demitri grabbed her bag, and headed through the door, ignoring her father’s muttering. Finn, whom was munching on a plump red raspberry on the chipped white banister, greeted her. His cheeks bulged, the scarlet juices spilling down his furry little chin. He grinned the best he could when he saw her. 20

“ullo’”, he said, mouth brimming.21

“We have to go see Grandmother Rose after school, Finn”.22

Finn gave an enormous gulp. “Right then, you do that.”23

“Oh no you don’t. You’re coming with me.”24

“Why? I don’t want to!”25

“Neither do I but we have to”.26

“I’m not going then. I’m staying here”.27

“Fine, runt. Stay. Get eaten by the banshees”.28

“They don’t come ‘round here, tarty pants.”29

“We’ll see”, said Demetri smirking, as she heard the familiar groan of the ancient bus round the corner and come to a stop in front of her.30

“Cheerio then”, she said, as Finn evaporated into thin air. 31

She hopped on the bus, and sat down next to Louise, whom had her yearbook out, and a red pen. She was muttering to herself.32

“’Choo doing Lou”, she asked eyeing the book suspiciously. The book had several scribbles and circles around various male students.33

“Looking”, she replies monotonously.34

“For what?”35

“You”, she said flipping a page.36

“Well, I’m not in the section, I…”37

“No…I’m looking for someone for you.”38

“What? Someone for me?”39

“No, Tad looks peaky whenever we see him. But Michael…”40

“Louise! I told you! I don’t want to date random lads until I turn into a loony.”41

“Why not? It’s already been three months since you and Ben had the row.”42

“Yeah I know, but I’m just not ready yet.”43

“Well I think you are.”44

“Lou, its times like this that I can see into the future. You in your late twenties happily married for the fourth time, six kids.”45

“Stop being such a prat. Besides, you and Brandon seemed to get on well at the cinema.”46

“Ugh now I know why they call him Brandon ‘Big Gob’ Markus.”47

“Slipped you the tongue, didn’t he?”48

“Hah! Slipped? How about shoved?”49

“That bad, was he? Well, no matter, he was a bit on the dim side. S’pose he plays to much Footie. I mean, you know those Games nuts.”50

“Lou, I really don’t want anyone right now. Besides, I think you need to drain some of your hormones. It’s like you have testosterone radar.”51

“C’mon Demitri, we’re sixteen years old.”52

“What about slowing down a bit? Sixteen isn’t that old, and really, I’m in no hurry to do anything I’ll regret.”53

“Everyone else has…I mean…doesn’t it feel awkward being one of the only ones that hasn’t done it yet?”54

“No actually, because I’d rather wait for love than do it just because other people are doing it.”55

“Oy…you’ve spent too much time in the Counselor’s office.56

The day passed by quickly without any happenings. Demitri had watched the clock all day, dreading the minute school let out and she would see her grandmother. She hated to think of her previous visit, how she had disgraced her mother’s name. Last time was a fiasco, that Demitri had no intention of repeating. But as much as she wished that time would ultimately stop, she found herself in her French class at two o’clock - the last class of the day. 57

Her teacher, Mademoiselle La Verne was sitting on her desk at the front of the room, talking about the French revolution, and Napoleon’s reign across Europe.58

“Marie Antoinette was only a teenager, like your selves, when she was escorted to the guillotine on her execution day. If you will turn your books to page one seventy-five, you will see a first hand account of a witness to her death. I want you to translate the passage from French into English. What you do not finish by the end of this class will become homework. Begin!” she sang.59

Demitri reached into her bag for her French book, a pen, and a sheet of notebook paper. She didn’t know why the teachers insisted on cramming the students with knowledge less than a week before school ended and holidays began. Her thoughts drifted to how she would spend the holidays. Her father had talked about taking her to New York City, the London of America. New York is after all, where he met her mother, Briar Rose. 60

Demitri strained her memory, forgetting the assignment. Her father missed her mother so much. She had died, or rather disappeared fifth teen years before and was never seen again. Demitri felt sorry for her father, and wished she could have remembered more about the night when Briar Rose disappeared.61

She remembered her mother holding her tight as she went through the field, pointing out different flowers. Her mother leaning her to the flora and laughing in her rich alto voice when little Demitri had come up, wrinkling her nose caked with golden pollen. Oh how they’d giggled and rolled in the dewy fields, stopping to observe the butterflies dance in the saccharine air. But then the sun went down…and the fireflies came out. Under the full moon they had made daisy chains and danced until their feet grew lame and the fireflies laughed with enchantment.62

At that moment, a pencil hit Demitri on the square of her neck. She instantly turned around to see Louise waving her arms franticly. Not knowing what Lou was trying to tell her, she turned back around, to see Mademoiselle La Verne glaring at her with squinty eyes.  63

“Miss Greenwood, is there a reason why your paper is blank fifteen minutes after this was assigned? Do you wish to do it all at home?” 64

“I’m sorry Mademoiselle La Verne, I was…distracted.” Demitri said coolly.65

“Well you will never pass the final with your head in the clouds. French doesn’t teach itself, you know. I suggest you pay more attention.” Said Mademoiselle La Verne, a slight tremor in her voice.66

“I will Mademoiselle.”67

Demitri sighed as her teacher strode back to the front of the desk. Opening her French book, she tried to concentrate, but was alarmed when a small paper ball landed on her desk. She unraveled it, and recognized Louise’s scrawled writing.68

‘Not a good idea to piss her off, she’s constantly PMSing.’69

Demitri turned to look back at Louise who winked at her, and they both bean to giggle.70

“Miss Greenwood, Miss Townsend, you are testing my patience.” Mademoiselle Laverne stressed.71

“Sorry Mademoiselle”, the both said at the same time.72

The bell finally decided to ring ten minutes later. Demitri walked out with Louise, still laughing about what had happened in French class.73

“So what were you so dazed about? You looked like a zombie on drugs”, giggled Louise.74

“Nothing really”, Demitri said, her voice becoming softer.75

“Oh C’mon you can tell me.”76

“My Mum. I was thinking about the night she died.”77

Louise paused, her grin disappearing. “I’m sorry”, she said truthfully.78

“Its alright Lou. I never really knew her. I mean, she died when I was two.”79

“But she just disappeared, right? Like out of thin air.”80

“Yeah but they found her blood. Look, your bus is leaving. You’d better go,” said Demitri hurriedly.81

“Right then. See you tomorrow mate!” called Louise as they parted for the bus.82

Demitri waved and walked out of the gates of her high school. She dreaded the walk home, because she know if she didn’t show up for her grandmother things would not go well. She could only hope her cousins were away, so they couldn’t pick a fight. It wasn’t so much the fact that they were competing cousins; it was the fact that Demitri, a half Faye, was heir to the Realm Throne. 83