WHACK.
"Ah! Ah! Okay!"
Sam is hit again with Mason's katana, harder and faster this time.
"You were just thinking you didn't think I could do it, weren't you."
Mason catches his friend, holding the katana high still.
The school ground bustles and the day starts to form around them. Masquerade awaits.
"Well, hey buddy, I think it'll be okay."
Sam puts his hand on Mason's shoulder, shaking him a little for reassurance.
Mason can only muster,
"Eh?"
Sam brings Mason in closer now. Wrapping his arm around Mason, pushing their chests together for an awkwardly tight hug.
"I'll make sure of it, man."
He speaks into Mason's neck.
Mason pushes Sam off of him,
"Whatever, Sam."
Weirded out by him, Mason gives his friend a very peculiar look over.
"Anyways…"
Mason wants to brush past this.
"Have you seen Melody yet?"
His voice is still robotic and droning. He turns his head slightly to see the gates in case she just arrived.
"Melody?"
Sam's eye flares red for a half-second. Mason notices.
"Sam,"
Mason starts with an intent tone.
"Aren't you sick of being beaten by Melody?"
Mason wears a soft smile.
"Wha-?"
Sam's eyebrows curl together. Genuine confusion. Sam's Cursed manifestation looks simple enough that his eyes shade over to a deep red, much like the Demon's of the war, but past that- Sam's nature takes on a partner. A completely different version of the Sam that's proper and prim, study-ready on a whim and test-aceing in a flash. This other Sam is one who likes girls. Not just in the way most boys have crushes on them and want to talk to them, his other personality really likes girls. With a special affinity towards their busts.
Just then, his eyes flash again.
"Why do you think I bother her, she hits me, I get a bit closer to her b-"
WHACK
This time, Mason looks around for who hit him, holding his katana down to his side, so it couldn't be him.
"He was saying something gross, wasn't he?"
Melody chimes in from behind the tree, holding her flat palm out in front of her face, directing it at Sam again as she comes out from behind the trunk.
"How'd you know?"
Mason looks at Melody, who's peeking around the tree and joining the two of them now.
"I felt my skin crawling."
Melody wraps her arms around her, shivering and wriggling her muscles about.
Sam pulls his head back up, keeled over in pain.
"Gaaaah. Okay!"
He shouts, rubbing his head furiously. Sam's eyes are their regular green as he winces through the pain.
"Sorry."
Mason and Melody share in a laugh, nudging each other as their welcome.
"So, Mason!"
Melody starts, bouncing closer onto him.
"I wanted to ask, were you able to get that 5,000 words done?"
Melody leans forward, Sam shields his head out of habit.
"Cheh, no, dammit."
Mason bites down, lowering his tired eyes. Mason looks past both Sam and Melody now and off into the courtyards of Masquerade where several masses of students huddle together and talk much the same.
"Okay!"
Melody turns down, rummaging through her bag at her hip. Her uniform twists tightly over her curves as she reaches down and over. Sam quickly averts his eyes.
"I stayed up extra late to get this done! Hopefully, it works for your new teacher."
Melody excitedly shoves the essay towards Mason, both hands extended with the fine white papers in them. Lowering herself to half a bow, Melody waits for Mason to accept her offering.
"Melody…"
Mason says under his breath, sounding as tired as ever, but for another reason.
Sam looks at Mason, expectantly and cautiously.
"Please let me help…"
Melody thinks to herself as she forces her eyes closed tightly, remembering last night back at his house and what she felt.
Her hands still hung in front of her, Melody notices he hasn't accepted the handoff yet and slowly looks up, leaning her head slightly to see Mason's dead eyes.
"Hmm?"
Mason is staring at Melody, clearly fighting not to show any sort of emotion, at this point anything could happen. Mason could be mad about it, happy, or even feel pity. A chilling wind blows through the three of them.
"Thank you,"
Mason says, his voice and tone are improved from the normal monotone and tired, he sounds genuine. His face cracks the smallest smile.
"-but a big part of why I challenged Gentus, why I told him I'd do his work and improve on it…."
Mason stops and thinks about the day before, about his yelling at Gentus, about his anger over Breck, and about his memories of home.
"- was because I thought… I thought if I gave it my all, I'd be able to step out ahead of everyone. To take that one step further to being strong enough…"
Mason's honesty pours out of his mouth, to a point he doesn't know if he's comfortable with, but knows it's worth saying now.
Sam and Melody look back at their friend, their shoulders lose their tension.
"So, keep your work. I'll hand what I have done into Gentus."
Mason pats his bag, tightening his grip on his katana to his other shoulder.
Melody tilts her head at Mason, looking with kind eyes at her friend.
"I know you'll be stronger Mas."
Her thoughts resonate with his feelings.
"Sure thing."
Her sweet voice breaks through the air.
Continued in PART THIRTY-THREE…