Under Nirvana - An ARK

Birthday Special – Flash

Story by Bria

Original Song by C.A.S.

Last chapter in Griffin.

Next chapter in Glowbug.

Bria wobbled, her own head spinning as she tilted her aviators back up. She leaned against one of the walls of the thatch hut, feeling a sweat racking her entire body as memories of her old life gradually subsumed her vision. With a clenched jaw, she slid down to the sand, taking a seat and clutching the golden heart locket in her pocket.

“Got somethin’ you wanted to say, partner?” Bria muttered, holding the locket up to her eyes.

Her eyes stirred. Memories overwhelmed her, memories she’d kept in the back of her head ever since she moved to this accursed country– memories she’d kept ever since she decided to fulfill her eternal duty.

~

The classroom was quiet. A rather lean, red-haired woman wearing a red dress paced from one end of the room to the other, tracing her chalk along the blackboard and creating a long white line underneath the words, “LOVE”.

Murmurs flooded the room. Some girls whispered to each other, giggling as the instructor twisted the cap back onto the marker. A few of the boys nudged one another, looking around the room mischievously.

“She’s talking about you, dude. It’s a sign.”

“Yeah! Talk to her already!” another said.

Bria, who sat in the middle row of all the desks, exhaled in frustration, pushing her sunglasses further along her nose. This entire discussion was pointless. She could never understand how fellow peers could get so caught up in something that was so simple to comprehend.

‘Even my own aunt–’

“Would anyone like to answer the question?” the teacher asked. “What is love?”

A few of the girls whispered. Then, one shouted, “Ms. Park, Scylla would like to answer!”

All the heads in the classroom turned to a rather timid girl with long black braids, glasses, and braces running all along her teeth. She squealed, covering her face and putting her head down on her desk. Her friends laughed while she yelled in response, “Stoppp!”

Ms. Park rolled her eyes. “How about a volunteer?”

A few heads turned, looking at each other to see if one would relent. Finally, a jock with blonde hair and a sturdy build raised his hand.

“Love is when two people do anything for each other, no matter what it takes!” the jock declared. People around the room nodded their heads in agreement. Ms. Park seemed to nod along too, slightly satisfied.

“Okay then. Cedric, give me an example.”

The jock scratched his chin. “Hmm. Like me and my girlfriend.”

Some of his friends snickered. Bria rubbed her head, feeling a headache coming on.

“And who is your girlfriend?”

“Madison, of course.”

Everybody in the classroom let out a synchronized “Ooooooh” at the blonde cheerleader near the back of the room. She shrugged nonchalantly, before blowing a kiss at Cedric. Cedric only smirked. The entire room seemed to burst into laughter once more.

Except for Bria, that was. And one of the other boys in the class.

Bria spotted him sulking near the window overlooking the school field. He was a beast of a man. He was at least twice as wide as the desk, and she could see his chest hair matted down his sternum. The hair on his head was a mess too. It looked barely combed.

The boy sighed. Nobody seemed to notice, except for Bria. But of course she’d notice. How couldn’t she? The way he gazed at Madison whenever the class quieted down?

‘He had feelings for her,’ Bria thought, brushing her long, red-brown hair to the side. ‘Can’t help but feel bad for him.’

She still remembered the meal he’d prepared for her, only to be greeted with the cheerleader and her jock kissing by the lockers. It was a shame, too. He’d spent all day working on it, and he was a real master at his craft.

Bria averted her gaze from the poor soul. There was no point in grieving fate.

‘Besides. You can’t coerce someone into loving you with just a meal–’

“My dear niece,” Ms. Park blurted. Bria’s head jolted up with wide eyes.

“Yes?”

“What did we say about shades in the classroom?”

Now everybody was looking at her. She gritted her teeth. Her fingers didn’t budge an inch.

“I don’t remember, Ms. Park.”

Ms. Park frowned, before quickly snapping with a pointed finger, “No shades in the classroom, you know that! It’s school policy, and not only that but a sign of disrespect. Take them off. Now.”

The class didn’t make any remarks. The boy next to the window looked on earnestly, frowning slightly. Bria huffed. Her damned aunt had given her enough red slips to warrant detention, and she didn’t feel like dealing with any of that. Not with what was to come later today, that was.

She reached for the temples of her glasses when the door slammed open.

BAM! Everyone jumped in their seats. Standing at the doorway was a boy wearing a backwards baseball cap and a fluffy, pastel red wool jacket. His green cargo pants made a slight noise when they shuffled against the linoleum floor. He tilted his head to stare at the rest of the class.

He shook his head. The rest of his luscious brown hair moved along with it. Some of the girls blushed when he flashed a toothy grin at Ms. Park, who was now scowling.

“Mr. Paul Parker. Do you know what time it is?”

He glanced at the clock. It was just a minute or two before the end of the school day. With his hands still in his pockets, Paul shrugged his shoulders and winked.

“Time for class?”

Everybody started howling. Scylla giggled quietly to herself. Even Bria chuckled, covering her mouth as she did so.

Ms. Park was completely red. She pointed at his desk near the front of class.

“Sit down. Now.”

Paul just stood there for a few more seconds. When Ms. Park started walking down the aisle of desks, he took a single step forward. Bria’s smile grew wider and wider with each step he took.

Paul crouched to take a seat, but before his bottom could even make contact with the plastic chair…

BRINGGGGGG! Everyone let out cheers, scrambling from their seats and rushing out the door. Even with a fruitful, private education people were excited to leave the hallways of this school they called Wilson High.

Only Ms. Park, Bria, Paul, and the boy at the window remained in the class. Paul threw his hands up in the air playfully, skipping over to the boy and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Carlos! Ready to go? A big night is ahead of us.”

Carlos nodded, still staring out the window.

“Yeah. Just… give me a minute.”

Paul sighed, taking his hat off and holding it close to his chest. “If this is about Madison then–”

“Just go. I’ll be outside soon.”

Paul turned away quietly, whispering “Okay” under his breath before exiting the class. Ms. Park watched Carlos with a slight intrigue.

Bria stood up from her desk, but Ms. Park yelled, “Ah ah ah! Wait!”

Bria groaned. She mentally prepared herself for another lecture from her aunt by sitting down and shoving her sunglasses further up her nose.

A few minutes passed. She knew that she was waiting for Carlos to leave, but she was hoping that he’d stay a little longer so that Ms. Park could give up and just let her head out. She had places to be.

A minute of awkward silence and Carlos rose from his desk. His face was dry with tears. He shambled out of the room, closing the door behind him. Bria cursed in her head. Looking back at the board, Ms. Park was wiping it down.

“My dear plumeria. Shall we talk about your bad habits?”

“How is it a bad habit? It’s literally hurting nobody!” Bria cried. “So what if I wear sunglasses inside the building? You don’t enforce the dress code on anybody else! You just have something against me–”

“It’s for your own good,” Ms. Park said, stepping up to her and looking up at her face. Bria was much taller than her aunt. “You’ve become too comfortable with hiding your eyes, when there’s nothing wrong with them.”

She reached for Bria’s face. Bria quickly slapped her hand away.

“Don’t touch me!”

“Dear–”

“Stop it. Stop it,” Bria said, her voice shaking. It felt like her eyes were swimming now, swimming in a void of cluttered, spontaneous feeling. She took a few steps back. “You’re not my parents. You don’t get to decide what I do with my body. Nobody does.”

Bria stormed to the door.

“█████!” she shouted at her.

Bria paused in her footsteps. She looked back in horror.

“You…”

Ms. Park looked at her without any remorse. Bria’s fist clenched.

She wanted to hit her so badly.

‘But I have to wait,’ she thought. ‘There are greater duties on the horizon.’

“Okay,” Ms. Park breathed a heavy sigh. “Can we at least talk about… the future? I’m your godmother too! Your parents want to know if… well they’d like to know when you’ll marry. It’ll be important for your future. It is for everybody.”

Bria didn’t speak. She wholly wished that her aunt would stop speaking. ‘Please. Just stop,’ she thought hopelessly. ‘Just let me go.’

The word rang in her head like church bells chiming. ‘Marry.’

Ms. Park started to list off people. Bria felt like she couldn’t move. Her whole body went still as she kept on naming an array of boys in their class, and then her grade, until finally Ms. Park’s lips uttered something she should never have uttered.

“Okay… if not him, why not that friend of yours? The one in the other building, who you always spent time with? B–”

SLAM! Bria was gone in an instant. When Ms. Park swung the door open, looking left to right, she couldn’t spot a trace of her anywhere.

“My dear! Wait, I’m sorry if I upset you… have you two dated before and it didn’t work out?”

Bria heard her words as she slipped through the shadows of the hallways, her hands in her pockets. She adjusted her sunglasses again. Ms. Park was wrong. That was not the reason. Nothing she ever said would be the reason.

‘Of course she wouldn’t get it.’

A tear dribbled down her cheek.

‘People like you don’t get it.’

Perhaps Bria was wrong. Love was something too complex for most to wrap their heads around.

Average fools like Cedric only knew love for its sensuality– kisses under the moonlight, hand-holding in the halls, and horrible pick-up lines. Average fools like her aunt only knew love for its utility– taking care of the kids, bringing home rent money, and unwavering servitude to a partner.

But only fools like Bria knew love for what it could really be. That love is irrational. That love was honest. That love meant showing your true colors to someone you could trust. That love meant finding parts of yourself you could never find with an average fool. That love didn’t always mean confiding in a partner.

Ms. Park wouldn’t see Bria again. She would never uncover the truth.

Bria had a duty she’d have to fulfill one day. That was her vision of love.

And the only one that knew was her.

Her and her best friend.

~

The sky above brewed with thick dark clouds, blocking the sun and its glow on Wilson High. Squinting her eyes, Bria could almost notice ice growing along the edge of the pavement. It didn’t look like it would melt anytime soon.

The hallways still burst with students, roaming to and from classrooms wearing various club uniforms and sport attire. The students of this school had always been studious, but Bria could never fathom the idea of being so passionate about it simultaneously.

‘I suppose it’s all for university,’ Bria realized. The thought of it never occurred to her. With what was to come, there wouldn’t be a time or place to go for any sort of higher education.

Bria soon found herself at the front gates of Wilson High. Stepping outside, she took in the view one last time. A forest of large pine trees towered in front of her, still as shady as always. A cat with fur as black as night stood on a tree branch with a cat with fur as white as clouds sitting next to it.

The birds were singing. The flowers were blooming.

“It’s a beautiful day outside,” a voice suddenly recited in a deep voice. Bria turned calmly. Standing right next to him was a boy with a farmer’s hat and a silk kimono. He brandished a rubber katana, pointing it at Bria from a safe distance.

“On days like these, mysterious women like you…” he posed dramatically. “Should be celebrating your birthday!”

Bria rubbed her head in disapproval. A soft laugh came from a boy behind the cosplayer.

“Quit it, John. You’re going to scare her off,” the boy said. He wore a white apron and blue jeans. The black shirt underneath his apron was cluttered with splotches of paint.

“Err, right. Sorry about that, Ian.”

“Don’t go apologizing to me!”

John bowed respectfully, his hands planted by his hips. “Apologies, ma’am!”

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Ian shook his head. “You-know-who was looking for you. He said something about it being your birthday? So he was wondering if you wanted to attend your… birthday party? He said you already knew about it but wanted us to let you know that we’re hosting it at my house. Instead of his own. I’m not sure. You’ll have to ask him.”

“He said you already knew the details, madam lady,” John retorted. “And you also somehow knew what Ian’s address was. His words, not mine.”

“Okay, shut up,” Ian warned him. “We’ll see you there then?”

Ian grabbed John’s wrist and pulled him along the sidewalk. At the end of the street, two familiar boys were waiting— Carlos and Paul. When they reunited, they turned a corner, disappearing from Bria’s vision.

Bria exhaled, pushing her sunglasses up again. Unbeknownst to these boys, this very moment had been rehearsed to a tee. There was no other choice, after all. If this plan didn’t succeed, the duty would never be fulfilled.

She glanced at the trees one last time. The cats were still perched on the branch. The white one licked its paws. Then, the black cat quickly hopped off the branch to another. The branch shook, the white cat squealed, and it slipped off the branch, hitting its head on the moon-colored rocks below.

THWACK!

The black cat looked down and cried with visible horror.

And when Bria blinked, the two cats seemingly swapped positions. Now the white cat stood on the branch, staring down at the corpse with its tail swishing back and forth in anticipation. The clouds above parted briefly, and the sun’s light shone on the rocks, painting the surface an orange-red.

Bria took a deep breath as a fox crept out of nearby bushes to grab the cat’s neck. The two predators locked eyes with one another before the fox dragged it deeper into the forest. Bria’s breath hitched.

She would fulfill her eternal duty, no matter what it took.

~

Bria knocked on the door of the humble abode.

“Coming!” a gruff voice shouted from inside. She recognized it to be Carlos’. Bria stood patiently with her hands behind her back. Shuffling came from inside, and the door swung open. The lights were off, and nobody was inside. Bria squinted her eyes.

“Come in!” Carlos yelled again.

Bria stepped inside, the lights flicked on, and a stream of confetti shot into her face, knocking her sunglasses off. Her heart froze up as everybody clapped. Someone presented a cake to her.

“Happy birthday!” the four boys all shouted simultaneously. Bria shielded her eyes with her hand, looking at them with a nervous smile.

‘They haven’t noticed,’ Bria thought. ‘They… haven’t noticed?’

The boy with the baseball cap, Paul, knelt down and picked up her sunglasses, dropping them in her hand. “Sorry ‘bout that, pal. We were wonderin’ if you’d ever show.”

‘Or maybe… they don’t mind at all.’

“Yeah. He was stressed. Said something about a party later tonight too. You know about that?” Ian asked. Bria shook her head.

“I can’t reveal too many details.”

John saluted. “Well then. So be it, mysterious woman. We shall leave the cake on the table. Drinks and other refreshments are on the counter for your enjoyment.”

“But be careful, because Ian made them!” Carlos whispered with a slight chuckle. Ian shot a look at him. Bria was surprised to see Carlos so happy, but she didn’t question it.

A slight grumble came from her stomach. She didn’t mind a bite just now. She walked into the small kitchen and noticed a plate stacked with chicken sandwiches. She picked one up off the platter and took a bite out of it. Her eyes sparkled in surprise.

“How’d you know?” she asked, taking another large bite. Ian laughed.

“He told me fried chicken was your favorite. Fortunately, sandwiches are something of my specialty, not even Carlos can compete…”

“Now that’s just a lie,” Carlos mumbled, looking away and crossing his muscular arms. Paul gave them all a mischievous grin.

“Of course you are. You make a killer sandwich. Mayo I ask for more?”

“Shut up,” Ian said. “You’re horrible.”

“Aw. But my puns are anything but sub-par! Lettuce continue!”

“No! No continuing!”

“You’ll have to make me stop, dear Ian.”

“Give him a knuckle sandwich bro,” John said, dropping the act and nudging Ian on the shoulder. Ian groaned, rubbing his temple. Paul turned back to face Bria. She opened her mouth to ask a question.

“Where is he?”

Paul squirmed nervously. “He said he was at– ‘the place where it rained’.”

Bria’s heart dropped. ‘No… no. No, this is all happening too soon. I can’t–”

She twirled around, rushing out the front door.

She was too late.

~

When she arrived at the park, it was already starting to rain.

Her footsteps pounded against the mud ferociously. Each step she took left its mark on the earth to be inevitably washed away. Her hair was drenched, her clothes were soaked, but she didn’t care. She just needed to see her best friend, even if it would be for the last time.

BOOM! Thunder crackled in the distance. Bria’s sunglasses slipped into the earth in the commotion. She didn’t look back. She could find those later.

“Hey!” she cried into the rain. “HEY!”

But there was no response. She felt herself getting more desperate, she felt her heart beating faster. Her hair was getting in her eyes, too. She knotted it up in a bun the shape of a lotus flower.

“I’m here, Khem! Come out! Please! Our duty still remains!”

She finally saw him.

He was standing at the very edge of the lake, peering into the water in a sullen daze. His shoulders slumped, and the flowers around his boots wilted. Bria ran up to grab his arm.

“Khem! What are you doing? This… this shouldn’t be happening. Not until later–”

He pulled away from her. “Hey. Don’t touch me! I’m waiting for someone.”

Bria was taken aback. She squinted her eyes. “It’s me! Khem–”

“My name’s not Khem, er… oh. I do recognize you. You’re– you’re Bria, no?”

“No, not that name. That’s a fake. Remember? We did it to twist things in a different direction.”

“Look, lady. I don’t know who you’re talking about. I’m just waiting for my best friend. That’s all.”

“Ben,” Bria whispered. “I know your name. That means something. Right? I’m your best friend.”

He stared into Bria’s eyes. He blinked once. A few tears dribbled down his cheeks, but the rain made it wash away quickly.

“I’m sorry,” he managed to whisper. “I’ve forgotten your face, best friend. I think… I will forget all of you eventually.”

“Don’t forget,” Bria choked. “Just don’t forget. It’s not hard, it’s not!”

He knelt down to sit in the mud. He glanced up at the night sky, filled with its stars. Bria couldn’t help but look up with him.

“Do you think,” he continued. “we’re best friends in every universe?”

“...of course we are.”

“Do you think I will ever remember in any of them?”

“...of course you might.”

He tilted his head down. His voice seemed to get quieter.

“No matter what happens to me,” he mumbled. “Promise me… promise me you’ll–”

His lips moved, but no voice came from them. Bria buried her face in her hands. The golden heart locket around her neck he had given her so long ago glowed softly.

The dream around her shattered like glass.

~

She gasped softly, pocketing the locket as quickly as she could. She looked around. There was nobody else in sight.

She stood up, patting the dirt off her clothes and adjusting her aviators again.

“Don’t forget,” she murmured.

She walked off, toward where Celeste and her brother’s hut was.