Et Itur Ad Astra

Side A: Golden Hour, Track 2 - Interlude

Spring 1997, 29 May, Freshman Year

It was the third week of high school, the third week of a new beginning for the students of Freshman Class Ten, who dissolved into the lunch crowd like milk in coffee.

The lunch crowd in particular provided good camouflage for Clarie Lynn, who momentarily felt like prey stalking her predator. Hidden by hordes of students, she watched Eugene Jung, tiptoeing above the crowd to catch sight of him. Hesitant, she hovered around indecisively and waited for the right moment to strike.

"Who're you staring at, huh? Which hot guy is it? Quick, tell me," whispered a voice conspiratorially in her ear. Clarie yelped, jumping as two cold hands grasped her shoulders from behind and a voice laughed in her usual snorting guffaw.

She caught hold of the hands and warmed them in her palm, groaning.

"Misty! It's you! I knew you by your cold hands." She turned and sidled up to Mitsuki, cradling her arm in hers, and buried her face into Mitsuki's shoulder. "Argh, help me! I don't know what to do!"

Across the cafeteria, Tsukito Hoshikawa caught sight of them and made a face. "So gay," he muttered under his breath.

Idiot, shut up, mouthed Mitsuki back, drawing a line across her throat with her thumb in a threatening manner. Tsukito stuck out his tongue and looked away.

"Why? What's wrong?" Mitsuki asked, diverting her attention back towards Clarie, who looked exhausted.

"Please help me with this, Misty. I have to go find Eugene Jung and ask him to join the annual maths contest. You know, like the freshmen always do." Mitsuki's eyes widened, taking in the news. But then again, she felt as if she shouldn't be surprised. Clarie had always had an aptitude for maths, seeing as how she had started self-studying algebra when she was nine. At the time, she'd complained about how inferior she'd felt to Tsukito at the playground, where he'd merely snorted and told her it served her right for not studying.

Mitsuki and Clarie went back a long time. They'd known each other since they were nine, and now at fifteen, entering high school together, they were still close as sisters. Clarie's shyness was no new issue to Mitsuki, who sighed in a world-weary manner and placed both hands on her shoulders, looking her square in the face.

"Look, Tsukito has talked to me about that guy before. Eugene. I can go ask him to ask the guy. If you want." It was rare that Clarie agreed to burdening others with a problem she could solve herself. But this was one she most definitely could not, and she wished she were more like Sage, who most definitely wouldn't have a problem approaching someone new.

"Thank you so much, Misty!"

"Nah, it's fine." Clarie watched as Mitsuki smilingly hopped over to Tsukito's table and whispered something in his ear. Tsukito nodded, and Mitsuki made her way back, wrestling through the crowd of students with a smile that lit her path. "See! How easy. It's okay. I'm sure you'll get better at this."

"I sure hope so," said Clarie. But she felt unconvinced.

***

Dulcet Creek held an annual Think-N-Win maths contest for students in high school. Being a small town, each year's participants often preceded the next year's, and so on. This would be Clarie's first time participating. Also in the freshman category would be Eugene Jung, her classmate whose eyes were colder than ice. As they stood on the podium, she realised her head barely reached his shoulder.

Gulping nervously, she fixed a strand of ginger hair back into her milkmaid braids. She and Sage had woken up extra early today to do their hair. It had been a custom ever since elementary school; sharing the same room, Sage would do her hair in the morning and she would do Sage's. This morning, Sage had ensured every last stray hair was pinned down with a touch of gel. Standing on the podium in her cleanly-pressed clothes, Clarie felt all eyes on her and her palms began to sweat.

Clarie had never talked to Eugene Jung before. But as they stood together, Clarie was reminded of all the times Eugene had skipped class – maths class – and yet had scored close-to-perfect scores during all the tests, second only to her. But it was different. She spent her days and nights poring over her maths textbooks, making sure she understood every single equation, and this guy had the nerve to just walk in and... ace everything. Without even trying. The mere thought of it stirred green envy in her and made her want to take a step away from him from where they both stood on the podium, waiting for the contest to begin. She felt a bitter taste on her tongue that she tried to ignore, instead smoothing down the creases on her wrinkles from where she'd sat earlier. beside her, Eugene Jung stood still and cold as a marble statue.

In a flash, the rules of the contest were announced and Clarie's sweaty palms curled into fists by her sides as she struggled to keep her breathing straight. Her teachers were standing beyond the wall of reporters armed with their cameras and flashing lights. Legs beginning to tremble, Clarie suddenly wondered if it had been such a good choice agreeing to join the contest.

"From Dulcet Creek High School's freshman category, introducing... Eugene Jung and Clarice Lynn!" Bowing, Clarie gulped and held the bow a second longer than she should have, wanting to shield herself from the myriad of press that had gathered to report the happenings of the annual Think-N-Win contest. After all, Dulcet Creek was a small town, and happenings like this were big events. She pictured her face plastered on the school newspaper, and blanched.

"Hey," she whispered over to the guy beside her. Much to her chagrin, he side-eyed her.

"What," he whispered back. They both stood stock-still, vision blinded by the photographs being snapped every other second. For a moment, they locked gazes, and the world was drowned in screaming white. Then it was gone, and they saw stars in each other's eyes as their vision cleared.

"Good luck," he whispered, with the hint of a tremor in his voice. Surprised, but undoubtedly touched, Clarie nodded minutely and grasped his shirtsleeve in what she meant as a show of solidarity. The guy beside her stiffened and she felt through the thin cotton that his palms were clammy. Heart softening, she relaxed the slightest bit. So it wasn't just her. He was as frightened as she was.

Somehow, that made her feel worlds better.