Here we goooooooo!

This is going to get a teensy bit fun now. Hopefully.

I don't know where I'm gonna end this chapter yet. 

More importantly, wHy's it taking Thomas Astruc 170 dAyS mOrE tO rElEaSe oNe ep oF S6?! you left us on a cliffhanger have sOME MERCY- 

Anyway, let us get on with it. Enough lollygagging.

...

She dozed off on a window-sill. Naturally, she did not wake up peacefully.

The window wasn't open, good for her, so when she actually finally fell into proper sleep she fell face-first and whammed into the floor. 

Astrid's agonising shriek woke everyone up. By everyone, I mean Cassandra and Newt.

"AGH *stifling the urge to scream* what the hades-" was all the to-be-fourteen year old girl could conjure using the now-flattened pancake of a face after she descended, landing on top of the unfortunate maine coon, "So sorry Aster let's just-"

"Clare come on, seriously? Just how many times have I told you NOT to sit there?" Cassandra came in, rubbing her eyes as she helped her sister up.
"You okay C?" Newt asked as he rushed to get her up. He was an idiot and a real pain but he was also the best brother that could exist.

"Guys off to sleep, come on, nothing to see here." She said as she got up and stretched her arms. Astrid made his way to her room, his silhouette fast as a shadow.

"Sleep on the bed now, yeah? And we're the stupid ones." Cassandra smiled as she made her way back. 

The trio went off to bed and woke up at 11. They wouldn't have woken up that early but hey, the furious screams of a half-indian mom was just enough to get them out of their beds.

"ITS AFTERNOON AND YOU SHAMELESS CHILDREN ARE STILL ASLEEP?! GET UP THIS INSTANT AND GET TO WORK! YOU HAVE SCHOOL TOMORROW DO YOU REALISE THAT?!"

Three consecutive groans, filled with the same emotion- annoyance.
The best things always had to end. And honestly, what's better than sleep? Excluding Taylor Swift and a good book.

Laying down on her bed with a stuffed elephant and a black cat, Clare LeBlue opened her heterochromic eyes, starting from an azure blue and mixing with viridian with the aid of turquoise. It was genetic. She got it from her dad. 

That was the only thing that gave her away, but hey let's not divert from the scene.

She took a deep breath, which eventually turned into a yawn and pushed her blanket away. As per routine, this was when her 5 minutes of pure lethargy began.

The laziness was disrupted by the sound of extremely upbeat lyrics, written in Korean. 

"CASSANDRA DO YOU MIND? I DON'T SHOVE TAYLOR SWIFT IN YOUR FACE ALL THE GODDAMN TIME DO I? DO ME A FAVOUR AND TURN DOWN THE VOLUME?!" she yelled.

"I SECOND THAT, SORRY BUT BTS IS NOT MY TYPE, CAS" Newt added.

"YOU ARE BOTH RIDICULOUS" And the volume decreased till it was no longer audible to Clare and hence, not to Newt either.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She was no Cinderella or Snow White or Aurora, so even with shoulder-length hair, her head seemed to hold a black tangled mess, more tangled than the chromosomes in the nucleus of cells.

Her room was pretty average- a single bed, an almirah for clothes, a shorter almirah for books with a printer on top, a foldable study table with the shelves full of books, a swivel chair, and barely any space to walk. 

Three walls were white, one was red and textured. One of the walls was completely hidden thanks to furniture, another held the periodic table of elements and the third nested the bathroom door, a window and a door to the common balcony.

Astrid made his way to her lap, rubbed his pawdorable face against her legs and then climbed down, all the while earning ear scratches and a smile from his favourite person on the planet.

Clare knocked on the bathroom door. 
"I'm inside!" Came Cassandra's voice. 

What? Were you expecting a single bathroom for her in a family of 5+1 cat? I hope not. If yes, that's a bummer. 

She made her way to the balcony while trying to make her hair look a bit more decent. This particular street of Paris had quite a few Indian households, and the last thing she wanted to hear was aunties commenting on her hair too. She had not gotten over the 'You're getting fat' remark from last Diwali yet. The only thing keeping her from starving herself to death was her absolute love for food.  

As she leaned against the balcony, Newt joined her. 

"Last year of school, how you feeling?"
"Good morning to you too, Cicily"
"I'm very serious right now. Come on, you've been very quite recently. I don't like that."

He paused, his gorgeous hazel eyes turned to her, then he looked down and smiled, "I don't know how I feel. I mean, I'm going to be an adult this year. Officially. I'll never go to school again. I'll have to get a job and move, all that if I actually get into Harvard. I won't have the band anymore, so this is my last year I'll get to jam with you and the guys. I just... I don't feel like I'm ready."

"Newton LeBlue, you may be immature and annoying and absolutely insane, but you are incredibly talented. And you're my brother, maybe not by blood but hey, you're still my bro. Mark my words, you'll be one of the greatest writers the universe has ever known. You will get into Harvy, Nikki, you will. The gang's gonna be incomplete without you, though. "

"I don't know, I mean, Newton was famous for science-"

"He loved literature and music, like you."

"Hmm, can't argue with that. I just... I am seriously not ready."

"You never will be. I mean, no one wants to grow up, right? The more you grow the closer to death you get."

"Why do you- I won't even bother completing that sentence." he said as he chuckled.

"Sup guysss" came a sweet voice from behind as an arm flung around each of their necks. Cassandra LeBlue was simply gorgeous. Her long, flowing black hair and perfectly smooth wheatish skin. Heck, even her eyes were the shade brilliant blue. 

She was a literal princess, the golden girl. All the neighbourhood aunties tied knots of her beauty and her intelligence around, making every girl feel less. She gave every house the perfect cousin to compare children with and put them down. She was the perfect height, with a perfect tan, perfect hair and perfect grades. The only reason she had no boyfriend yet was their mother.

And because she had not yet met the one for her. 

"School tomorrow. C, I hope you won't cry in school?" 

"Seriously, I don't care if Cydney is in his section. He won't fall for her, he likes me. Besides, the last thing I want is to cry in school. That's just... against my principles."

"Sure about that?"
"Come on!" Clare groaned as she turned and walked back inside and into the now empty bathroom. 

The rest of the day was long and boring- studying for IJSO, chilling with Astrid, studying for IJSO, annoying Newt, studying for IJSO, panicking for not having enough ink, studying for IJSO, writing names on the new textbooks, studying for IJSO and finally watching B99. Did I mention studying for IJSO? If I didn't, I did just now.

You see, IJSO was a big deal. Unpopular, but a big deal for this aspiring astronomer. NOT an astrologer, no she did not want to read fates and do zodiac and stuff. She loved reading the stars, they fascinated her. Cracking IJSO would make her way to MIT easier, and oh she had dreamt of going to MIT and then joining the ESA since she was 7. 
Someone promised her that he would be her partner, all throughout the way. 

He broke it. That's where the trust issues began.

This person was her crush, supposedly. She'd had one on him for 7 years, that's right. 
Ah loyalty. 
Only reason she continued this after he left for hostel around 6 years back was because she knew he liked her too. Plus, rumours. 

Anyways, she set her alarms and drifted to sleep at 11 like always. This was going to be a pretty messed up year for her. Not for Cassandra though.

All through the day Cassandra had been working on her designs and texting her friends on that secret instagram account she'd hidden from her parents. Obviously Clare and Newt knew about it. 
World famous fashion model Adélard Archambeau was going to be attending their school from this year. Although Cassandra basically preached his mother and owner of the famous fashion brand 'Élégance', Madame Aimée Archambeau, she was not very eager to meet this guy. From her experience, rich people were not necessarily nice and humane.

Her life was completely on track. She was inspired, she had ideas, she had solid goals for her future. Living in Paris, the city of love, there was only one major goal she had set for her personal life this year- finding a boyfriend. 
Clare thought of this idea as cringe and idiotic. Let's just say that the youngest LeBlue's love life was complicated.

But that's a secondary focus. 

The atmosphere seemed quite electric that night. Cassandra stayed up late, secretly, doing absolutely nothing except stare outside her window.

Suddenly, her eyes lingered on to one spot. There was a strange blood-red glow in the distance which she had initially assumed to be a lightbulb. 
It did not act like a light bulb.

Soon enough, the light moved in the dark abyss of night, going straight up into the sky, circling the moon. It was joined by another glowy thing, except this one was kombu green. Therefore, barely visible. The two 'orbs of light' had the fifteen-year old's full attention. 
Her only theory? Mutant fireflies painted red and kombu green respectively by good-for-nothing children.

Her first instinct was not to tell her parents, not discover it on her own, not click pictures. 
She went to wake Clare up since she was more of the theory-maker. 

"Why must you Cassandra" was her first response when Cassandra sneaked in and cleared her throat right beside her face. 

"You've got to look outside. There's some strange moving thing right over... I swear I just saw it. It was right there, there were 2 colours and they were continuously moving around the moon and-"

"Do you have a picture?"
"...No. Well I was going to-"
"I believe you. I'll look into it. It can't be an aurora obviously, Paris isn't plasma-worthy. I think, at least. Climate change is messing everything up but okay. Let's both of us get some sleep right now cause we have school tomorrow."
"But... Fine. One was red, one was kombu green."
"Kombu? How'd you even spot it, it's literally pitch black outside?"
"It was glowing and the colour got fainter and brighter and it just, I just know it was that. There were specks of neon too."

"Sounds to me like some new firecracker or something. Don't worry about it sis, sleep. We've got a long day ahead."

"Right. Goodnight Cicily, love you."
"Love ya too Cassie, goodnight."

The curiosity of a scientist is useful, sure, but also hazardous at times. Such times include times like this.
Clare couldn't help but think about what Cassandra said. Kombu green was something that lights didn't usually show in. One memory rattled at the door of her train of thought, but it seemed like the door was jammed. 
She knew that she remembered something, but she didn't remember it. Awesome. 

Naturally, it kept her awake for the next 30 minutes before her thoughts diverted to something else. Or should I say, someone else.

At the brink of dawn, the LeBlues were up and about their routines- silently and unwillingly getting ready for school and work. 

"Cassandra it's been 10 minutes, you're going to scrub the enamel off your teeth if you don't stop, come on!" Came Newt's voice, knocking repeatedly, "I'm gonna lose it Cas so you better move it!"

"I'm out, go on. Jeez Newt, get some bladder control."
"You have no idea how neat and controlled I am. You won't find a guy who uses the bathroom with as much civility as I do. I hate sharing a bathroom with you two."

"Love ya too now go on, stupid." 

Clare was using the downstairs bathroom, their parents'. Her mom was an early bird, the kind which willingly wakes up at 4:30 and takes a bath before 5AM. 

She came out, of the bathroom nothing otherwise because she was straight as Highway 85, Saudi Arabia. 

Wearing her house uniform, yellow for Le Vallon, or as she liked it- Hufflepuff, the first thing she did was crouch on the bedside were Lucas LeBlue still lay, fast asleep.

"Pa, you better get up or you're gonna get late"
"huh? hmm" he murmured.
Clare smiled and kissed his cheek before ruffling his hair, successfully annoying and waking him in the process and leaving. A job well done. 

Lucas LeBlue, the dad, was quarter Indian and the rest, French. He worked as a food scientist in Danone, one of the major dairy companies of France. 

Soon enough, it was 7:15 and time to catch the 1 hour-long school bus. 
The first day of grade 9, 10 and 12 respectively.
Big day.

The bus followed the usual path. The most egoistic 6th grader, the favourite senior and her younger brother, the always-late siblings, the nicest 6th grader, the LeBlues, then some overconfident fifth-graders who were 'archenemies' and would annoy the hades out of every senior on the bus thinking their remarks were so witty when they were actually more cringe. To add on to the effect, they would occasionally add an absolutely nonsensical and irrelevant cuss word in the end. After the annoying little children was  Alderic Dubois, one of the most consistent and determined people Clare knew.
He had confessed his love to her 4 times the previous year, one time twice in a day. 
Consistency.

Naturally, Clare opted for the safest option- brotherzone him. 
Clare used to hate Alderic because he always annoyed and made fun of her back when they were pre-schoolers and then primary students. Since then they never had the same section. He soon enough ended up in her bus, and as it turns out, like any other series' absolute truth, boys pull only those girls' pigtails whom they like but don't know how to get their attention. It's stupid but it's the truth. Clare did not like it. Sure, they were friends, but nothing more. She liked the guy, but as the guy, oh no. Nein. Non. Nahi. Nay. Aniyo. Never.

He came and sat behind her like always. 

"Dubois."
"LeBlue"
"Intend on failing this year?"
"Come on, you've started? Already?"

She rolled her eyes and turned. "Section?"
"D. I've applied to change it though, to Alain's. E"
She took a few seconds to respond. Why was everyone except her in D?

"Oh. Cool. I'm in B. But I swear, if you dare. DARE, change your section to mine, I'm gonna claw you out of my class"
"Message received" he said raising both his hands in surrender.
"Good."

And then Alain came in. He nodded and the two returned the nod. The illegal UNO trio reigned supreme. Though they were not official, the three of them were perfect crime partners. 
Alain sat behind Alderic like always. He was Clare's closest guy friend, basically a second Newt, except he has only 20 days older than her. 
"Dude what is up with your obsession? With me, not Clare."
Audible annoyed groan from Clare. "Bro are you for real? We're not even at school yet"
"Eh. MY insta ID is A-L-A-I-N-N-N, you seriously changed yours to A-L-D-E-R-I-C-C-C after seeing mine?!"
"I tell you he's gay, Al"
"I mean ideally I'd second that but, four times"
"Leroy copying you is literally the last thing I'd do in the world"
"Right, you pathetic *f word* piece of *styx*"

"Alain, my dude, it's morning and the first day. Do you mind? A teensy bit of self control?"
"Well he is a *f word* *bast-*"
"Cool. Cool cool cool. Continue." And she turned. It was no use.

Meanwhile Newt continued his attempt to woo Elise. Not the Elise Beethoven wrote Für Elise for, no. Newt declined every single time Clare asked him if he had a thing for her. He didn't seem to know himself. The world was so full of idiots after all.

Cassandra LeBlue was lost in thoughts. Those blobs, what were they? 
She was just thinking, wondering. They suddenly seemed familiar to her, like she had seen them before. That was a possibility, maybe she just didn't remember, but they seemed to fly. Independently and willingly. They were not controlled, because they circled the moon in her gaze. To anyone else it would seem like a random oval or something, but a perfect circle around it. What were the chances? She was clearly meant to see that. Unless of course she imagined it all. What if-

"Cassandra, what do you think?" Came Josh's voice. He was the elder sibling who was always late. Cassandra knew he liked her, and thankfully, never confessed. 
"Huh?"
"Adélard Archambeau? Which section do you think he's in? I reckon he's in A. It's got a lot of popular kids, plus, his initials are As, so why not?"
"I really don't care what section he's in."

And Cassandra withdrew. Which was pretty unusual, since she was extremely chatty. 

"C, you brought it?" came Alain's voice. 
"Yeah. Mum didn't check my bag today, come on it's the first day." She smiled as she took out the pack of UNO cards. 

"Listen, guys, I really need to practice-"
"Yeah you'll probably address us for the opening ceremony. Ex-head of Middle School Council" Alain smiled.
"You can practice on us, don't worry, we'll have enough sleep to sleep in the audi again" Alderic chimed in.
"Thank you, you guys are the best"

8:33, they were here. 
Homeroom started at 8:45 and then a CT at 9. 

L'École Duperre was slightly different from most european schools. It had fixed time tables, fixed classrooms, fixed houses, and most of all, a no personal technology at all policy. Obviously people sneaked smartphones in like some seniors did cigarettes but hey, you can't stop them.

Clare made her way to her new class, dropped her bag on the middle row first seat, her favourite spot, and headed to the audi with the folded piece of paper she had memorised by heart. 
9:01 and it was time. 
The welcome and the first dance was smooth enough and then it was time for Clare.

"We've had a long year. The first session after COVID, finding ourselves having skipped almost our entire middle school without actually coming to our haven, was tough. But today, my dearest friends and respected teachers, is the first blank page of a new 365 pages long book. 
We've all come a long way, some of their journeys have been experienced in real time by our long, winding corridors, and others are here for a new start. I am Clare LeBlue, the ex-Head of the Middle School Student Council, and today, I have the glorious opportunity to welcome you all to this new path- Grade 9. I-"

And she paused. Some of the students who were seated in the back were aware of what she just saw because they saw it too. 
"Okay everyone, I need you all to be very calm. Very, very calm. All of you will rise up row-wise and head quietly and calmly and un-worriedly if that's a word, to the emergency exit to my left and your right, okay guys?"
"Clare, what are you-"

CRASH.

And the emergency alarm rang. Everyone looked out the only window in the audi on the emergency exit- The left wing was down.

A life-size transformer and a teddy bear were fighting. And they were swatting away something- two things. 

One radiated blood red, the other kombu green.

The teddy bear's head turned in the direction of the audi, its eyes were pitch black and bleeding that colour. 
There was utter chaos as from small whispers and murmurs, the voices turned to screams and shrieks.
The floor beneath their feet crumbled to dust as they fell.

...

That's  about it for now. 
Quick note, full sentences in italics imply thoughts by that character.

Idk when I'll update next but I'll try as soon as I can, alright?

Peace and Blood! 🔪💖
Adios!
~Claretta✨