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Ever since Talia could remember, she would always be weirdly ecstatic waking up on the first day of school. She never knew why, but butterflies always fluttered in her stomach when she put on her uniform and then traveled to the kitchen to help her mother make breakfast. Her father would always make a cup of coffee, snagging one of his many mugs from the hooks hanging from under the cabinet. He was big on collecting them and the quirky sayings never failed to make Talia smile. She was happy because she knew every morning, she would see her parent's cheerful faces. She thanked them everyday for their sacrifices so she could study and live out her dreams.

But this morning, Talia felt no such thing when she woke up after shutting off her alarm. Today felt different. There was no urge to jump out of bed and set a one-minute record to get dressed. Like a vampire sucking blood out of its victims, all the joy drained out of her and seeped into the cracks of the wooden floor, never to be seen again.

Talia exhaled and stretched, feeling the soreness pound her lower back like a hammer. She admitted she wished she slept in her old, nice bed, but for now, she was stuck using a lumpy mattress as her cushion. It did a number to her neck, which was so stiff, she almost mistook it for being made out of plywood.

She headed for the bathroom. Switching on the light, the giant square-shaped mirror was the first thing she saw upon entering. Her hair was like a bird's nest, and her eyes stared back at her deeply, as if she might turn herself to stone. This time around, rather than her aluminum eyes sparkling, there was a cloud of inky fog, cloaking any shimmer her eyes might have had, causing her eyes to appear dull and smokey. There were also two dark patches underneath her lower eyelids, which made Talia look like a raccoon. Nothing a little concealer can't fix.

Truthfully, Talia's fear of having another nightmare prevented her from shutting her eyes for even a second. Which, turned out to be a big mistake.

Despite her lack of sleep, she somehow found the energy to wash her face and go to her room to change into her uniform. She tucked her white button-down blouse into her plaid skirt, then slid on her knee-high stockings. The school gave students an option to wear either a navy blue blazer that had the school's emblem stitched in the front, or a button-down vest of the same color. Talia went along with the blazer.

Another mandatory accessory was a burgundy diagonal-striped tie, which Talia was able to execute a perfect Windsor knot. However, that was not always the case. She had a vivid memory from freshman year, where she struggled to tie a perfect knot, as she never had to wear a tie before that day. April was not any better; her tie defied gravity in all sorts of ways.

When Talia entered the kitchen next, she was a little surprised to see her father still here, apparently done preparing breakfast.

"Oh, Dewdrop. Good morning," her father said, wiping his hands with a paper towel.

"Good morning, Abba." Talia could smell honey, sugar, and all the other heavenly scents one inhaled waking up in the morning. "I thought you had left for work already."

"I decided to clock in a little later than usual. I did not want to leave without you seeing me— especially on your first day of school. I also tried to make your favorite." Seth set down a bowl of steaming porridge glazed with honey in front of Talia.

Talia was almost caught in a trance once seeing the familiar dish. It was like her brain froze. Her mother would always make this for her on winter mornings, but occasionally she grew to whipping up her daughter's favorite meal when Talia's craving was to be fulfilled— even if it was not on a chilly day. Talia remembered the satisfied look on her mother's face as she stirred groats, tossing out scraps of her life when she was a little girl while she watched the butter dissolve into the milk. Genesis was not much of a talker when it came to her past, but perhaps the nutty aroma loosened her tongue.

Every memory she shared with her mother chatting over a bowl of 'hot cereal' (as Talia used to call it), felt like a knife stabbing her heart until it was deprived of blood. Her emotions unfurled like a carpet and before she even realized it, droplets of her own tears fell on the surface of the kitchen island like rain.

"Dewdrop?" Seth was right by her side in the next second.

"I am sorry, Abba," Talia gave a tiny hiccup and tried to stop her weeping. "Just seeing the porridge made me think of Imma. . . I miss her so, so, much."

That was one thing Mr. Elbaz agreed on. Losing his wife who was also the mother of his child was another pain altogether he could not describe. He knew this was an extremely difficult time for the two of them, especially for Talia. He could not think of anything more traumatic than a child witnessing the murder of their own mother.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, habat sheli." Seth took his child into his arms, trying to calm her down by smoothing her hair. "I miss her as well. But she would not want to see you cry on this important day. She may not be here physically, but spiritually, she will always be in your heart. Do not ever forget that."

Talia sniffled and weakly nodded. If only she was not robbed of her life. . .

"Come. Let us do the blessing," Seth proposed. "I believe it is my turn to say it."

Seth closed his eyes and held both his hands inches apart from his eyes. He begun to chant the blessing in Hebrew, with Talia simply losing herself in the words sung. He was always better at it than she was.

When Talia was just done adjusting her backpack straps, her father came up to her, an instant camera in his hand.

"It is a tradition, remember?" Seth said. He thought that just because his wife was dead, did not mean all of her traditions had to die with her.

"I suppose so," Talia agreed. Her father set the camera down on the table and quickly went to Talia's side. They smiled as bright as they could when they heard the SNAP!

Well, as bright as they could with a dead wife and mother.

***

"I look like one of those snobby rich girls who complain to waiters about their macaroni and cheese touching their green beans," April complained. She glanced over at her best friend as soon as she said that. "Present company excluded."

The journey to school was not long, so Talia and April opted to walk— just like how they always preferred it since freshman year. Both their fathers offered to give them a lift, but the two girls kindly declined their offers. This was beneficial for both parties because: 1. their fathers would not be late to their jobs, 2. Talia and April would be getting their exercise requirements met, and 3. The two girls would have time to spend together and talk about their ongoing side investigation.

"Any problems with the tie this morning?" Talia tugged at her backpack straps.

April looked like she had ate sour grapes. "Dude, whoever said third time's the charm was wrong. I struggled with that obnoxious thing for more than ten minutes before I had to turn to YouTube."

"How did that go for you?"

The redhead showed off her tie. "Fabulous. I may have lost the previous battles, but at least I won the war."

Talia chuckled lightly. "Well said."

". . . Did you have any more freakish nightmares?" April asked when they got closer to school grounds.

"No. But I am bound to have one sooner or later."

"Let's just hope it doesn't involve doppelgängers or your mother's ghost. But I've been thinking about what you said about the ninja clan stuff and everything. . . but do you really think members of the Foot Clan are still around today?"

"I am sure of it. How many groups do we know of that send black sand-filled envelopes to their targets? That is the only thing left to find when the bodies are discovered. It sends both a message and warning to people known and unknown."

"Well, then the person who murdered your mother got what he wanted."

Both girls did not bother to speak on the matter anymore. They approached their school, already spotting dozens and dozens of students entering through the entrance or exiting from the bus. There were many more who were reuniting with old friends or just dawdling and making small-talk. Dangling from above was a royal blue banner with the words WELCOME BACK VIKINGS! printed in bold, yellow letters.

"Welcome back, hell," April said dully. "I've missed you."

***

Attempting to get through a swarming crowd of buzzing students, both old and new, was like trying to clean spilled molasses from the floor— stubbornly impossible. Talia and April had separate schedules, so April had to go her own way. The bell was going to ring soon, which did not help Talia's ability to maneuver around the crowd whatsoever. After much squeezing through people and even some unintentional pushing, she was able to make it to the hallway where her first class was located.

By now, the hallways were less flooded of people. Everyone had seemed to know where their classes were, except for a couple of students— who were either asking teachers for directions or making last-minute stops to the restroom.

Talia's first class was Advanced Placement U.S History. Others might voice how history was the worst class to have in the morning, but Talia had a different opinion. There was nothing more exciting than learning how much civilization has improved in the last handful of centuries. In a way, she loved learning about the tragedies from the past that captured the public's imagination from the beginning.

Of course, these horrific tragedies were not to be romanticized, but Talia thought it was fascinating to learn about them, because they all came together in a pivotal moment that forever changed the country's direction in terms of culture and politics. The domino effect was embedded in history altogether, and that is what Talia loved analyzing.

She was walking to reach the end of the hallway when she saw a boy going in the opposite direction of her. Male student's uniforms had the same color scheme as the girls, but instead, khaki pants replaced the skirt. This guy hung his head low, having his ears plugged with a pair of earbuds. He did not seem to be paying attention to anything.

Unfortunately, Talia was such in a rush to get to class, that she was not able to slow down in time before her shoulder collided with the boy's, causing both to stumble. The boy's wired earbuds came tumbling from his ears.

"I'm sorry," Talia apologized, her cheeks flushing. It was only the first day and she was already bumping into strangers. "I was not looking where I was going."

When the boy looked up, Talia got a close-up view of his features. Apparently, the victim of her clumsiness was a fellow Asian, with straight hair the color of the night sky. His skin was as pale as ever, as if he had been in seclusion for several years. His monolid eyes abruptly darted away once he saw her face and, without uttering a single word, quickly scrambled to his feet and dashed off.

Talia spotted something on the ground— a cellphone with a shiny black case on it. "Hey, wait!" She hollered, waving the phone in her hand. "You forgot your. . ."

But the guy turned around the corner and disappeared.

". . .cellphone." Talia sighed to herself. What was with him? One look at my face and he runs away as if he saw a ghost. She stared at the phone in the palm of her hand. How was she going to give this back to him if she did not know his schedule? Let alone his name? With those options ruled out, the only one remaining was to go to the principal's office.

She slid the phone in her backpack. She figured she would go after first period.

***

"You were the last person I'd expected to bump into someone," April told Talia when lunchtime rolled around. Her best friend had spilled everything about what happened this morning. "If anything, bumping into people is kinda my thing."

"It was an accident," Talia said, still feeling embarrassed from earlier. "But he seemed in a real hurry to get away. . ."

"I bet he was a freshman," April guessed. "The newbies are always trying to get away from the upperclassmen."

"Maybe. . ." Talia frowned a little, doubting it. "

"Hey, at least you did the right thing by turning the phone over to the principal. Let's just hope mystery boy has reunited with it by now. Anyway, come on. I'm starving."

The lunchroom was already packed, with hungry students clutching trays and forming an extended line. Different cliques such as the jocks and theatre kids already chose their tables and were the loudest out of everyone. When the food options came into view, it was difficult to see it and not salivate— baskets of freshly grown fruit, a variety of salads, tin trays piled with different meals and entrees (including options for vegans and vegetarians) and there was even dessert. Drinks also came in an assortment of bottles and cans.

"If I could stay here all day, I would," April grinned, not hesitating to load her tray with heaps of food.

"At least it gives people a reason not to leave campus for outside food during lunch," Talia smiled.

The girls' preferred sitting outside, where they did not have to listen to the overlapping noise coming from over fifty students and enjoy their meal in peace as much as they could. Plus, to Talia, it felt nice to eat outside, where she could stare in awe at the bushes, trees, and all the colorful flowers. Nature was beautiful to look at.

"April! Over here!" Not too far from where they were standing, Talia and April spotted two boys, with one of them waving to the redhead to come over.

"Oh! Taly, you remember when I said I wanted to introduce you to some people?" April nudged Talia. "Well, that's them!"

"Really?" Talia said.

"Yup. And don't worry about a thing. They'll like you, trust me."

"Mikey! Raph!" April ran to their table. Talia did the same.

"So, you guys," April set her tray down and clasped her hands, as if she was about to do a grand introduction, "I want you to meet someone." She gently pushed Talia forward. "This is Talia."

"Hello," Talia said in her best polite voice.

"Ah," Mikey was the first to step up, "so you're the one who April talks about from time to time."

Talia had a look of surprise. "April has talked about me?"

"What kind of friend would she be if she hadn't? But it's nothing bad, of course! Say, your hair is really pretty."

"Oh, thank you," Talia felt her cheeks grow warm from the compliment, but she nonetheless smiled. "I try to take care of it."

"You're lucky you have such flawless curls. Mine always give me problems. Care to give me some pointers some time?"

"I would be happy to."

Raph coughed and elbowed Mikey. "I think this is the part where you say your name."

"That's right!" Mikey gave out his hand and smiled brightly, revealing a shallow dimple on each cheek. The splash of freckles that ran in a stripe along his nose danced in the sunlight. "My full name is Michelangelo, but just call me Mikey."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mikey." Talia gladly shook his hand.

"Or you can refer to me as Drr. Prankenstein. Second r in 'Dr.' because let's be honest— when spelled that way, it just makes it a thousand times more cooler."

"And may I assume you are assigned that nickname because you are a prankster?"

"I'm not a prankster. I'm the prankster." Mikey wiggled his eyebrows.

"You done, yet?" Raph rolled his eyes.

"And this right here," Mikey skipped to his brother's side, pulling at his cheek in order to forge a smile, "is Raph- short for Raphael. Don't take it personal if he acts grumpy around you— he does that with everyone."

Raph slapped Mikey's hand away. Talia could see the curtain bangs framing Raph's forehead, and his Asian features only served to remind her of the guy she bumped into this morning. Raph's eyes were like emeralds— a heterogeneous blend of different shades of greens that, when hit at the right angle from the sun's rays, made it seem like she was staring into an endless painted variety of patterns. Which just proved her point that green eyes were the most rare and attractive of all the eye colors.

"Hey," Raph also extended his hand. "Don't mind Mikey too much. He's always been this weird."

"Weird is a good thing," Talia expressed, shaking Raph's hand.

"See? She totally gets me!" Mikey clapped his hands.

"I do not believe I've seen you both before," Talia said. "Are you guys new here?"

"He is. I'm not," Mikey affirmed.

"Against my will," Raph grumbled. "I was doing fine at my old school. For one, we didn't have to wear dog collars." He pointed at his neck with absolute disgust.

Talia's face drew a blank. "You mean a necktie?"

"An abomination to mankind, actually."

"Exactly," April nodded.

"If you don't mind me asking, but which school did you previously go to?" Talia asked Raph.

"St. Joseph's," he replied.

"The all-boys school?"

"That's right."

"Where there are rumors that for every troublesome boy expelled, two more take its place?"

"Not rumors. They're actually true."

"It's funny that for being named after a saint, that school has nothing to do with holiness," April snickered.

"Our Dad thought it was for the best," Mikey dropped himself in the conversation. "Something about how he didn't like Raph being badly influenced by his peers."

Our Dad? Talia registered those words before putting two and two together. ". . .You and Raph are brothers?" She did not say it like they were two extraterrestrial beings, but rather with genuine surprise.

"Technically, I'm adopted." Mikey shrugged. "But it's not all about the blood, y'know?"

"I agree."

"However did your dad manage to convince you to attend such a prestigious school?" April snorted at Raph.

"Like I said, I didn't get the chance to vote," Raph scowled. "It was basically enroll here or be grounded. Which, I'm starting to think I should've gone with the second option."

"Roosevelt Prep High isn't so bad once you get to know it," Talia attempted to sway his opinion.

"I don't even know if I want to get to know it." Raph just waited to see long it would take for him to get sick of this school. By his estimate, probably a day.

"It will turn out alright in the end, you'll see. Besides, what is the worse that can happen?"