A Boy, a Dog Girl and the Boy Who Had Everything: Part Three

Chista stared at Baltz.

Baltz stared at Chista.

Behind them, the train waited, colored smoke rising from the stack in front. Passengers milled around them. The other four winners of the magic competition were already aboard.

“Say it again,” Chista demanded, her arms crossed.

“Must I?”

“Yes, you must.”

“Fine. I was a complete jerk since the moment I met you and I will be the luckiest boy in any of the Bell cities if you deem me worthy of a chance to be with you at the dance.”

“And?”

“And…Twigbert was incredibly majestic.”

“And?”

“And…you’re pretty when you’re angry?”

Zack and Honey stood a respectable distance away. Her hand dipped into the popcorn bag she had bought.

“Can’t believe you bought popcorn,” Zack said.

“This is entertaining,” Honey mumbled through chewed popcorn.

“Alright. Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re getting on this train. You’re going to your stupid vacation. And when you get back, I’ll let you know if I forgive you enough to give you one dance.”

“Thank you. It is…maybe more than I deserve.”

Chista studied him carefully. His eyes did not leave hers. He did not flinch under her scrutiny.

“I’m a failure,” she said quietly.

“You were.”

“What am I now?”

A brief moment of silence. The conductor called for everyone to board.

“Interesting.”

Chista nodded.

“Go. Get. I have a lot of thinking to do.”

Baltz picked up his expensive looking suitcase. It seemed as if he wanted to say something, then thought better of it. With a nod of his head, he boarded the train.

“What am I doing…” Chista sighed, shaking her head.

“A question I ask myself all the time,” Zack said, slinging his arm over her shoulder and leading her away.

“Popcorn?” Honey offered some to her.

“I still can’t believe you bought popcorn,” Chista said.

“It was entertaining,” Honey said as she emptied the last of the bag into her mouth.

The train pulled away. A great many thoughts would come to Chista Sollei before she saw Baltz Maridan again. One would win out in the end.

*

“So, let us recap,” Zack mumbled sleepily into the table. Honey and Chista sat around him, their scrolls open as they finished their report work for the night. “The Fallen Doctor had a human wife. He had children with her. When Akla-Hest discovered his betrayal, he killed the other generals but kept him alive.”

“And he did so as a form of torture,” Chista said, chewing on the end of her pen. “The dark lord knew evil could never be defeated. The Doctor’s children would spread, multiply and be threatened again. The curse made it so if the Doctor ever woke to save humanity, his presence would create a horrific plague.”

“It’s a love story…” Honey said.

“Messed up love story,” Zack murmured onto his curled up arm.

“The Fallen Doctor loves his family so much he’ll spend eternity apart from them rather than putting them in danger. He reminds me of…”

“Don’t say it,” Zack grunted.

“Well, I’d say we’ve done more than enough writing for tonight,” Chista said, standing and walking to the kitchen. “You two want a drink?”

“Yes please!” Honey said happily.

Zack let out a soft snore.

“Aw. Sleepy,” Chista said, sitting back down and handing Honey her drink.

“He’s had a lot on his mind lately. The project, the weirdness with Baltz, and of course…”

“Yeah…”

The nursed their drinks quietly. Chista shifted uncomfortably. Finally, the question she wanted to ask came out.

“Would you still date Zack if he was a jerk sometimes?”

Honey tilted her head, her forehead creasing. “But he is sometimes.”

“Please. You two are perfect and it’s sickening.”

Honey shook her head dramatically, her long hair floating around her head. “No, we can be annoying sometimes. He overthinks a lot of things. After how we got here, he’s been trying hard to not screw up. It makes him grumpy when he thinks he did the wrong thing, or when he did the right thing but not fast enough.”

“I never see him acting like it,” Chista said, her gaze dropping to the sleeping boy on the table.

“I think he’s afraid you’ll kick him out. The mean man…his father…I only have dog memories of him, but having one of the people you’re supposed to know you can trust treat you like you’re…disposable…”

“So you’re with him despite his past sometimes making him a jerk?”

“No. Because of it. He could be mean. He has so many reasons to be. But he tries to be good. He fails sometimes, but whenever he hugs or kisses me, he’s saying he’s trying. He’s trying for me.”

Chista rubbed her eyes, suddenly feeling the late hour. “Tell it to me straight. Should I give Baltz a chance? I know I shouldn’t logically, but…I’ve gotta admit, I’m curious.”

“At first I thought he was like the mean man. But Zack’s father never said sorry. He left. Baltz went to you. He bowed. I don’t know how much of a something it is, but it is something.”

Something. Chista nodded, agreeing with her adoptive sister. However, she was glad she had until Baltz came back to decide what the something was.

*

Madam VanVeer stood before them. The assembly had been called early. All students and teachers gathered in the auditorium, whispers and laughs filling the cavernous hall, wondering what it could be about. Finally she walked on stage, her face stern, her expression grim.

“I will be brief,” she said, her voice ringing through the room. “Last night the train carrying our contest winners was attacked. No group has taken responsibility for it. Several people are confirmed dead. All five of your fellow students…are missing.”

There were gasps, more quiet whispering. The five students were all popular, well liked by the greater community. They had many friends on campus. But for three students sitting near the back, only one boy was on their mind.

“Baltz…” Chista said, eyes blazing.