Chapter 2- Before the lightning spear

-“Even if because of me you were placed with a curse would you still love me?” replied the young girl.

I nodded. She was happy, and I was blushing because of her beautiful smile. The dream ends. I woke up, and got ready for school, I got to cook for Alcestis and me. My high school's name is Dreamers Academy. That is such a lame name, but it's close to home, it's a bit prestigious, and well some colleges look up the top scorers of this school. Alcestis is quite smart, she says I am too, but if I am not going to college I prefer to support her while working a minimum wage job. Our guardian died two years ago, and left us some money, but not enough for two to go to college. We are in our senior year, and even in our sophomore year I would not get in a foster home.

Alcestis’ and my family are all dead, and to live with strangers is the last thing I wanted to do. Eh? Why do you need so much information about me even if I am not the main character? I say do not sweat the old details and just listen to my story up to the point where the wolf impales me, otherwise you are a jerk for not listening to a guy’s last wish. I go to Alcestis’ room to wake her up. Woah! She is so cute when she is sleeping! My girl is the cutest girl ever, yes you should be unhappy since I got the cutest girl and no one else does. She has penguin’s pajamas, since she thinks they are incredibly cute. She is slender, around 5”4. She has long black hair with blue eyes so beautiful and profound, like when you see the blue sky and are too relaxed and decide to take a nap, and her skin is porcelain white. Me? Really, there is an incredibly cute girl sleeping on a bed, and you think of the side character!? Well I will go and say the first point quickly....I am 5”6. Yes I am short! So what!? You have a problem? A man is not judged by his height but by his actions! My skin is a bit brownish, I heard my great grandparents were Hispanic. Maybe, I heard that a long time ago. My hair is completely white like the snow. Many people always make rumors about me, like I’m dying or something because of my unnatural white hair at such a young age. My eyes are brown. I am a bit slender, with a bit of muscle but not too much. I usually wear something to cover my neck like a scarf, and also something to cover my ankles and wrists when they are exposed, so I always wear long shirts and pants. Why? Because I just do not like people looking at them alright! If someone were to be very close to me and take a good look at my face they may see a few lines on my face like tiny scars about to fade forever. The rest of my body maybe that way. I’m not telling. Anyway, I am about to kiss her while she is sleeping but I get kissed instead. I see you were waiting for this chance, well you got me, and thank you.

-“Good morning, Icaros”, she said smiling while blushing.

I felt like I was sleeping in something fluffy and soft when I saw that. Yes this is life! Eh? Why would my parents name me with a name that I would grow so ambitious that I would fail in the end? Well I’m going to die, although my biggest ambition was not reaching the sun but to make Alcestis happy. But it seems I failed, and that was way too big of an ambition for me.

-I reply back, “Good morning cute penguin!”.

She smiles and jumps to hug me. She gets ready for school, she is embarrassed as she undresses, but she knows I won’t look away. It's only fair, I have caught her peeking while I get undressed too. We eat some eggs and bacon with some toast and orange juice. I know, but I was too lazy to whip out something spectacular, but come on, who in their right mind does not like bacon!? If you raise your hand, I feel so sorry for you, you do not know what true happiness is, I mean if you were dating Alcestis then you might but unfortunately for you, I am. What!? It's alright since I am dying, you bastard! I bet you are not smooth enough! Anyways we leave our house and go to school and we meet my best friend Enkidu. Such a great name, a friend of a king of heroes, yet I am not king, I am someone doomed to fail and drown, not in a sea but in my own blood, as I failed in my one and only ambition. He is taller than me, around 6”0. He is so awesome, he never points out our height difference. He has very short black hair military style not like my wavy bed hair. I do not care for fashion, but sometimes I do dress up finely since Alcestis always does for my sake. Our uniforms are very standard. White suit shirt with a tie, black pants and a jacket, for the girls a skirt two inches below the knees.

It is great that it is winter and not summer. They make us come in summer too for a few weeks, can you believe the torture in that uniform, especially since they order us to wear that thick jacket! Enkidu looks cool, especially since he has an unsheathed sword in his back. My guardian Daedalus had some great connections which allowed Enkido to use a sword in our city. It’s not a big town but not very small, but even so I do not know how everybody got accustomed to him wielding a sword, it is a lethal weapon, someone should complain more often, although I am grateful that no one has. I dislike bickering, especially the annoying complaint type. We finally reach the gates, and head to the classroom. We go to the fourth floor where the senior classes are held. Why would they make seniors climb up to the fourth floor every day! They should teach those freshmen some discipline, and that way they should realize that learning takes effort every day.

There seem to be some preparations for the school festival celebrated every year. I was very excited, especially because street vendors use it as grounds for their ultimate food competition, which they brought new grand recipes or upgraded old ones. It was a bit epic to see the showdown. I was too excited! There was Don Jose Alfredo a taco street vendor who made a mix of tortillas and pita while mixing spices for carne asada at mediterranean food style while serving some shredded cabbages bathed in olive oil and wine.

- “One must go beyond their own culture to enrich further and thus contribute to la Raza!”, said Don Alfredo with a look of way too much guts.

There was Tarou, a ramen street vendor who makes soy sauce pork ramen. His ramen had two different types of noodles, one used for spaghetti, and the other for ramen, while having the pork been cooked outside texas bbq style medium rare while being bathed with a broth of a menudo, and the last touches inside the ramen. It has some Indian spices like from a curry, he made it in a way that it would be very balanced.

-“I am a man of few words but if you want me to converse, I shall do it with my ramen and my kickass broth!” Said Mr. Tarou speaking like a challenger ready to take on the champion.

There was Ashley, an Irish food vendor, whose best plate she made was potato soup. The soup had potatoes, some carrots and some beef. She uses rice on the soup like a Mexican chicken soup, while using blue cheese and queso fresco.

-“I grew these potatoes with love and hard work, I struggle to surpass my family’s potatoes methods, and now that I have, my potatoes and I shall not lose”, said Ashley elegantly and ready to take anyone on with her price and cultivated ingredients that she put so much effort on.

There were so many great contenders! I wonder if this year a newbie might rise up to the challenge and put up a fight!

Oh well, for now to first period here I go, and so Enkido, Alcestis and I climb the stairs until reaching the third floor I crash with someone, I fall almost to the stairs almost going to the second floor, but I make a good reflex movement with my quick feet and able to make a jump forward! Unfortunately I fell flat on my face. At the same time I hear someone also falling near me with a cute, ”Ah”. I look up and get a peek at some pink panties, the girl in question is flushed bright red, gets up in single jump while covering her skirt while my fiancé presses down my head with her foot, and calls me a bad boy, while having a look of a smiling grim reaper and I’m about to be executed, and laughing like, “Ohohoho”, in a sinister way. Enkidou steps on me too since it seems like fun. The girl who still has blush red in her face is called Maira. She has brown hair, with two braided ponytails, and somewhat a yellowish-brownish eye color, like if it was the most pure honey out of a bee hive. She also happened to have some incredible child rearing hips that instead of the skirt being two inches below the knees it was right at her knees, and a very big chest yet not too big, maybe DD cup? She is very kind and likes to help anyone in academics or sports. She became a student in this school last year and became or more like wanted to be Alcestis’ friend right away. Eh? Sports, why?

Well this academy boasts for any kind of talent, especially academic efficient wise. So even though I won’t go for college, I did my best to score in this academy and be in this academy to enjoy my school life together with Alcestis. Anyway as I am released from their fun of stepping on me because of my lucky perverted chance that was quite unintentional and coincidental unless you are a character from a novel. I stood up, while Alcestis hugged my arm, and looked at Maira like saying, ‘He is mine!’ like a conqueror, and Maira nodded vigorously while blushing all the way up her ears, is what I will like to say, but her hair for some reason has always hidden her ears.

Maira told us she was running because she had to go to the bathroom so she continued right away and so we arrived at our classroom English Literature. My favorite class! I used to hate English but when reaching the realms of great works of literature you cannot help but fall in love with books over and over again! Why did not many teachers make you love literature from the very beginning with great works that elementary students are doomed to be engrossed in!? Well I should not judge them, I do not get people that much and I have never taught, but even just looking at today’s society one can help but wonder that an education revolution is needed as a new reform in the education system. But then again I bet everyone felt that way at any time period, oh well I would act arrogantly and think that my time period is special and we need one now!

We sit on the back, and soon many boys and girls flock around Alcestis and Enkido. Alcestis is the Diva and the top scorer of our school while Enkido is the blue prince for the girls, and the manliest man for the boys that are envious and admire him. For some reason people praise me too, since I am not that lame, and since I am dating Alcestis and best friend of Enkido, thus they jump to the conclusion that I must be super incredible too, and that I must be incredible humble and thus do not show off, but quite the contradictory, because I LOVE TO SHOW OFF! I do not mind it so much but sometimes there are so many people in this school that expect grandiose stuff out of me. So therefore it is quite an inconvenience, since if someone feels like I’m responsible for their disappointment, I would like to reply with, ‘I never agree to participate in your delusions!’

Oh! One of the super hard core girl fans of Enkido is pushing through the people and trying to talk with him. She does not have much in common with him except for being in the same fencing club. Heck all the girls in the class are part of the fencing club! Can you guess why? Of course it’s obvious, it’s because of Enkido! He is so great at swordsmanship, although the club limits it to fencing style. He even went to nationals, and he never had any problems, it was flawless victory over and over again and yet Enkido says he was grateful since he improved a lot. Talented, strong, yet humble….so cool!

The lecture began, it was my favorite class but also we only were going to have a class in the morning, and at the end, and between we will enjoy the festival. The class ended, and the teacher ended the class, festival here I go is what I thought but the teacher calls me to speak with me. So very annoying, I know what he wants to converse about or more like persuade about college. I have already told him what I would do, but yet he says things, ‘You have a lot of talent yet you do not like to show it off, you should rethink in using your blessings!’, ‘You should not squander such great opportunities’, oh come on teacher, stop praising me with falsehood, I know you are also victim of the Alcestis-Enkido effect, and now believe I am responsible to take part in your own delusions. He calls upon me.

-I instead reply, “You should look for a beautiful fiancé instead of bothering with me, you are single and now have reached Level 35, when you reach Level 40, it will be in a flash you know?”.

By level I do not mean his teaching level but his age. Of course he knows I like to use games and novels like terminology, so he knows what I just told him, and he is very furious, but he is very kind and so lets me go to enjoy the festival. Yay, let's enjoy this to my heart’s content.

There were many clubs doing many different things! Of course many schools in America, I heard they do not usually hold festivals like this one, which is quite disheartening, I mean we are in our youth, why the heck would you miss having fun in your youth!? Oh, well my school did give festivals, especially this big festival, but the main attraction or at least for me would start much later. So we went and browsed around. We were near the entrance gate where there were any food stalls. It seems at the end of the opposite of the school they even brought a Ferris wheel! No way! Why!? Well I could spend it with Alcestis. There in one of the food stalls there was a taco stand, do they know that Don Alfredo the taco vendor will come!? Foolish newbies! Ha? It seems like they are high school students, maybe raising funds? Are we allowed to do that? Who cares, let’s see.

There lay many students, but one particular student stood out making tortillas at an incredible speed. She had a body that would make men lunatic and howl at the moon, she had her hair in a bun, and with hair net to not let any hair fall on the food, yet you could see it was fiery red, like the dawn of the day. Her eyes are so green that you might think someone mixes beautiful herbs, and uses it as paste for some very skilled artist to color them. Those eyes are a shiny enlightening green, like bursting with excitement, like a kid, awaiting her Christmas present, she just had to wait. I came to her and greeted her. She greeted me back with a big smile, very pure and honest. I ordered three order of tacos, 4 in each order.

-“Right away my dear Jack in the box!” , she replied heart wholly.

I do not know why she gave the nickname Jack in the box. Then again although she is very interesting and she is also very weird, heck our first time meeting each other was weird. I was just walking to the supermarket to buy some ingredients to cook for Alcestis and Enkido, when I saw her walking the opposite way. She was wearing a one piece (not short or long) jacket and a witchy hat, all red, with some black boots, while holding a broom, or staff looking thingy. It was not Halloween, and I was not aware of any festivities to dress up, yet she wore such a daring cosplay (although I do not mean that it was very revealing just that it looked too red and witch like to walk in town, thus doom to attract any attention). She was looking to the floor, for some reason right now those eyes were not a shiny enlightening green, but captivating cold, a bit hollow yet mysterious green. Her depressed look ruins a bit of her beauty like there is no hope in the world, they should just let it burn like her fiery red hair. I thought of maybe asking her why she was feeling down, but would I be able to? I mean I am not a protagonist, at most I am a side character, as if my mere presence would have cheered her up. We passed by each other and I heard someone sniffing me, I looked behind me, and she was sniffing me!

- “ I smell something interesting! Although you look like a side character, if I’m around you I will see something interesting!”, she said with joy while jumping with a victory pose, and her eyes regaining a shiny enlightening green.

Then awkwardness began when we stared at each other. Well, more like she kept staring at me and I kept giving her glances if she stopped staring at me. Then she made a portrayed symbol with her hands and kept looking at me from different angles. I responded by giving in and posing for her.

- “ Yes, baby, give me more, more! Be free you beautiful beast!”, she imitated an old man's voice and I replied by being a free beautiful beast posing even better.

-She started laughing. “You are not half bad”, she said while semi laughing and taking the tears of joy from her eyes from over laughing so much.

- “Ok, on a serious note, I was seeing something weird on you, so I was making sure what was it”, she told me.

- “ So what was it, Miss Witch”, I replied giving her a nickname after she cosplayed.

-She then looked a bit serious and smiled, “ A death flag of course!”.

-“Ah?”I coughed it out in surprise, “Miss witch that is a really bad fortune telling”, I told her right away.

-She replied a bit sassy, “ Well, not everyone is lucky my dear Jack in the box”.

Eh? That is my nickname? I know I started it but please give me something cooler or that relates back to me! Please, I demand a cooler nickname! or is Miss witch too simple? How about Fiery Enchantress!? I thought. But nevertheless who knew Miss witch’s fortune telling was correct. I mean, I am dying, so I did have a death flag. Eh? Why me? Why not Alcestis who was targeted, well she might have gotten lucky.

Wouldn't the wolf just kill her after me? That is the good point but what can I do after this recollection, I die. But maybe Enkido would get a rage power up of feelings and friendship, and with a lot of plot armor, he will unleash the sword inside him who coincidentally is a werewolf slayer. Then he will protect Alcestis from the werewolves, while making a pact with the vampires, which later on he would make a harem with bunny eared girl, vampires and werewolves, and a grief stricken Alcestis. If it gets more fantasy like maybe mermaids and fairies might get into the mix. Eh? You do not like that, well maybe Miss witch, a girl who will do anything to not be bored? Or bunny eared girl? Or the cute and talented heroine Alcestis? Heck, maybe even that damn werewolf has a chance. Well it does not really matter for me, after all, after my story gets told, I die, right?

So like I was saying about Miss witch, we become friends, and from time to time I have to recommend her tv series and books to get her entertained. I do not know why it became my responsibility. She got really good at making tortillas because I recommended her to watch a telenovela, but she said it was boring, although she got interested in mexican culture. She learned a lot and about so many things, especially about history and mexican food. She did not like telenovelas so much, she says that only mexican movies and books are good.

Apparently like Alcestis she knows so many different languages. I barely know two...and trying to learn a third one. How do they do it! I thought it would be easier after learning a second language but it's not, well at least for me. Her group finishes our taco order.

- “I already finished the book you gave me....it was boring. I totally like those fantasy action romantic comedy novels, but this one did not have any spark at all!”, she screams like she just ordered something expensive, and I scam her with a low quality product.

- “Oh, I see is it because the heroines were written to do some perverted acts with the main protagonist and some of them were your type? Typical of a teenage boy confuses a good story with sexual interest”, she states with a sassy tone and like if I was a horny middle schooler, when in fact I’m a year older than her.

-” I would like to prepare a comeback argument...but....that is the reason I kept reading the series, it seems like the author after the first novel saw that his novel had no spark, and so he added love comedy into the novels with a bit of erotica to make his audience keep reading. But, hey, at least he found the type of writing in which he excels at.”, I reply honestly, even Alcestis like it for that reason too, Enkido on the other hand dropped after the second volume.

- “Well I like erotica too once in a while but I prefer a story with a good plot, I hope you will give me a good book this time, with the same setting but better plot”, she states like if she was the queen of a kingdom.

Hmmm...a good plot is it?...I could recommend some, but what about the new novel I’m reading, maybe if she likes it I would have someone else to read it with, Alcestis says she doesn't like it because in the first chapters the side character that she really likes narrates the story from his point of view before dying, so since he is not going to be used anymore, she won’t continue reading. I do not get her? Is just a side character, if he was not given proper character development and then disposed of, then obviously he was not important to the story! Oh well, there is a trend where minor characters are more liked than the protagonist.

-“ Then how about ‘The Hero Awakens When Sang Upon An Aria’, I am currently reading it. I like how it's just building the story for the climax that I saw a bit in chapter 1”, I say confidently.

She replies a bit disinterested yet taking the bait, “ Hmm, that kind of story, I hope it's worth it, or else I might just burn the school for fun, jajajajajajaja!” .

-“Mukajajajajajaja, you are such a riot, but take care in saying those thing some people might actually believe you”, I say joining in the fun and we both giggle while her group and Enkidou are in shock and worried, while Alcestis is munching on her tacos.

- “She is such a joker, but do not take her so seriously, some people sometimes actually believe she would actually do the jokes she says, because she sounds like she would actually do it, but come on! Do you actually believe that such a cute highschool girl would do something like that!? I believe in cuteness, because cuteness is justice! In conclusion, Alcestis, it is the most powerful justice there is!”, I reply while giving me a nice pat on the shoulder saying,’ nice me!’ in my mind.

Alcestis and Miss Witch are blushing. Miss Witch is giving a thumbs up, while Alcestis stops munching on her tacos and hiding her face in my chest. Life is wonderful, suck it anyone who does not have such a life! Enkidou is laughing at me because he said that I was way too corny, while the students that hear me, have looks, like saying, ‘ that is so corny that is cringy, the cringe is real!’ with an exasperated look. Well, at least some girls are blushing and our novel writer of my class, aka our very own mega nerd, is on his knees punching the floor because he kept repeating, ‘It was such a great line, why can’t I come with such great silly and embarrassing-public shaming for the rest of my life-lines like that!’. Wait a minute, are you jealous or making fun of me, which is it!?

We continue browsing through the festival, hmm, it seems there is a couple fighting, or more like a guy apologizing and a girl crying. Oh it's Mark and Pauline, eh!? It's our very own, ‘They are like childhood friends but they act like a married couple and quite possibly will be in the future!’ is what my classmates will scream with excitement. I wonder what happened, this is the first time I see them acting like this, usually they act so cutely and purely together that kind of makes me want to puke. I love Alcestis and we act sometimes like that but not to that level. In terms of relationship pureness, if I was the Duke, and Alcestis was the Duchess, they certainly will be the rulers of pukey-cutey- very pure relationship kingdom. I wonder what will happen, oh well, at least I am having a blast with my fiance and my best friend, I am not too good nurtured to seriously be worried of other people but I do hope they resolve their fight. Yes, I’m the kind of people that ships people together and sometimes is very hardcore about it. With celebrities? That is so lame. You have to witness how great their ship is with your bare eyes or else you are just ship pleb!

We tried so many different stalls, it was so great what different classes thought of. But before going into the food tournament, Alcetis decided to go to the Ferris wheel. I am totally down for that. We get in line with a bunch of couples also doing the same, while onlookers just stare at the line. Some envious looks, some gazes were like trying to kill us with daggers some other gazers just were ,’oh how cute!’. There were people passing by on and on staring. They were making many of the couples on the line very uncomfortable. Some people left because of how awkward it got. And it got much more awkward when ‘that’ guy came in passing by.

-” REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! All of you popular people die! No you shall explode instead! Yes, explode! That is what should happen to all popular people!”, some salty guy with a lot of fervor was screaming this until security came in and decided to remove him from the festival and got lunch detention. I go to say even I feel awkward around him. Whichever teacher is in charge of lunch detention, I am so sorry...and thank you.

-” Well, I got to admit he is always expressing his opinion regardless of the time or situation. I kind admire his confidence to do so”, said Alcetis bashfully. Okay salty guy, you have gained another fan, unfortunately I do not think she will ever say so in front of you. In all honesty I also admire him a bit, not that I ever want to hang out with him, but just admire him from afar. Like a special unicorn that throws up rainbows, and you think is gross but at the same time you are in awe.

-”Ha...is your turn, please do not jump, shake or force the door open when you are inside the Ferris wheel.”, said a bored and unmotivated employee. He is so out of it, I feel sorry for him. Who hurt you ferris wheel safety guy? Who did it? But I feel like I might be trapassing his privacy. Alcetis and I a bit bum out go inside, as it initiates. She sits close to me, hugs my arm, and then looks at me.

-”You are too cute!”, I let out my inner emotions.

-”Well so are you!”, she says so as he blushes.

We look at each other while the ride is happening, our gazes link like they were linked eternally and a world gets created in our own lala land. We start laughing, we start doing the ‘I love you more’ to death, we remind each other of stories and we kiss multiple times. We hold hands once more and gaze at each other. And then we heard gloom incarnated.

-”Ha....sir, madam....once again your ride is over, can you move on and leave the ride?”, said a very unmotivated and sad looking employee that seemed to have been calling us out for a very long time. We blush, and he sighs, and we leave.