Board Thread:Fun and Games/@comment-34320391-20180712000122/@comment-35702393-20180725104646

I was under the covers, playing PvZ (yeah, I’m old school), waiting for time to pass by. My brother knows I decided to sleep by eight and I waited for an hour before he went and slept as well. I’m really careful when sneaking out, especially if it concerned my brother. Caleb was a light sleeper. Anything can wake that guy up, it’s freaky. I continued playing the game to kill time (not to mention I slightly panicked coz a bucket head was about to eat my pea shooter but I freaking cherry bombed his ass so my lawn is perfectly safe).

I checked the time.

9:15.

Breakout time, baby.

I quietly removed the thick piece of cloth covering me and maneuvered myself in the dark. I can’t turn on the lights. Caleb would get suspicious so I had to find my way in the darkness. My parent’s room was just next door but that wasn’t any of my concerns. Mom and Dad aren’t here.

Why? I don’t know. They never tell me.

My parents are on a business trip, or probably a meeting that they can’t miss, so they go somewhere without telling me. At some points, they talk to Caleb about things but even Caleb doesn’t tell me. I’ve always assumed it was somewhere on WingMaiden Island. Heh, its funny. Our family moved to Berk from WingMaiden Island yet none of my other relatives live there? The Morgans have no single connection at WingMaiden Island. Our relatives are mostly at Caldera Cay (Defenders of the Wing Island) and yet, I’ve never been there before. My parents try to avoid the conversation about my birthplace… like they don’t want me to find out.

I don’t bother asking. I know someday I’ll find out, but not now. But something has been bothering me for a while now, though. The day that mom and dad and I had a fight, they said I’ll be moving out of Berk this summer.

I don’t want to leave Berk. I have friends here. The only friends I’ve managed to make and to think I’ll be leaving them.

I was supposed to tell Cora the other day about this but I didn’t want to make her sadder than she already is. Her dad refused to feed her, at that time she and Newt were still having an argument so I didn’t want to burden her even more. I’ll probably tell them someday. Sometime. Not now but someday. The situation we were all in was enough as it is. And besides? Who would care when I’m gone anyway?

I crept through my room, looking for a jacket.

Where is it?

I needed a jacket. I was wearing some loose comfortable grey pants and a maroon tight-up shirt. It was pretty cold here at Berk. I’m actually surprised that it still rains here. Mostly it just snows or hails. The seasons change though so I guess it got warm enough for rain.

But still… it was freakin’ cold wtf Berk.

“Ah, screw this.” I gave up with looking for a jacket. Finding my way in the dark was harder than it looked and my room was pretty huge. I just went to my door, slowly opened it, and headed down stairs to sneak out.

I beg the gods, don’t let Caleb spot me please…

I was closing the stairs and decided to plug in my earphones. Gods I needed new earphones, or maybe even headphones. But all the cool gadgets always go to Caleb so I always end up with crappy ones. I shrugged.

Quietly in a corner, I looked through my playlist to find the perfect song to ease me of my fears. I was pretty scared, and that’s a lot coming from me. I wasn’t scared of being caught and get sent to jail or whatever… I was scared of Caleb’s disappointed face the moment he finds out. I respect Caleb… a lot. He may look like a favorite child and I would always get compared to him but he was my brother. And he cared for me… but to see him disappointed in me feels like absolute shit.

What song? Hmmmm…

I needed a song that won’t scare me to death.

Hmm… maybe a little classic won’t hurt…Oh! Phantom of the opera… why not?

BEWAAAAARE THE PHANTOM OF-

Nope!

I instantly pressed pause. Dang Phantom of the Opera was NOT the song I needed right now.

I scrolled through my endless playlist. Come on, there had to be something out of all these songs I downloaded.

Ah… the perfect song…

“You’ve been deep in a coma,

But I stood right here

When you thought there was no one

I was still right here

You were scared but I told ya

Open up your eyes…”

I don’t know why I chose this song. Felt right… like… maybe I needed to realize something. I headed down stairs, quietly, careful not to wake Caleb up.

“Never stopped being someone

Who could love you well

Had to show you the hard way

Only time would tell

Revalations and heartaches

Make you realize…”

I heaed out of our house, with ease, promising myself to be back by midnight. I ran to the direction of the arena, eyeing the Mess Hall and seeing someone I’ve been wanting to see for days now.

“I was always… in front of you…”

Nik.

I didn’t get to hear the rest of the song coz I took off my earphones and ran to him, who seemed to be pretty busy listening to music as well. Damn… nice headphones Nik. Nik knows how to style himself up… lucky.

I ran to his direction, ready to hug the crap out of him.

I wanted to scream out, “NIK OH MY GOD I MISSED YOU, YOU LITTLE SON OF A HALF-TROLL, RAT-EATING MUNGE BUCKET! IM SO GLAD YOU’RE OKAY!” but decided not to since I’d wake up the whole Berkian population if I attempted on doing that.

I just ran to him, slight tears forming on the corner of my eyes and hugged him out of nowhere, giving him the biggest bearhug a red-head could ever summon. I caught him by surprise too. The moment I neared him, he flinched and he froze when I hugged him out of nowhere but I was glad he hugged back just a few seconds later and we stayed in that position for a while… just admiring the silence in each other’s arms.

I missed Nik. A lot. He was one of my closest friends ever! I wish both Cora and Newt were here (and Riley if ever he isn’t dead) so all five of us could just… reunite. But right now, I only had access to Nik so I’ll take it.

I heard a faint sound of music coming from his earphones…

“And I know I was born to be yours…”

It’s probably just my imagination.

“R-Red…” Nik stated awkwardly before I realized I was being too clingy. Woops. I immediately stepped back, not wanting to go through more of his… uuh… personal space.

I gave him a smile before looking at the direction of the arena, “Come on! The guards are on break, we can-“ Nik suddenly grabbed my arm before I could take another step further. Okay, what the frick?

Nik shook his head, “We can’t. I’ve been here for about fifteen minutes already and I saw someone head to the direction of the arena.” Nik said, in all seriousness.

“Who?” I asked.

Nik looked at me with angered and suspicious eyes, “Arkin”.

Well… shit.



We headed inside the Mess Hall.

The Mess Hall is always left unlocked. Its open 24 hours but me and Nik were the only ones who decided to go there tonight. It was dark… like, pitch black.

“Do you know how to turn on the lights?” I asked. “Yeah, but it would be too risky turning on the lights. Guards would get suspicious.” Nik stated with his I’m-such-a-genius voice. I rolled my eyes, know-it-all.

Nik found a random candle by one of the nearer tables and light it. We chose a table and sat down first, waiting to kill time.

Until now, all I can think of is Arkin…

…and I think I know why he was in the arena.

“You okay?” Nik asked, looking at me. I smiled a little, nodding my head, “Yeah. I’m cool. It’s just… Arkin… he seems really suspicious lately.” I said. Nik scoffed, “That guy has always been suspicious.” He added.

Not always.

I looked away from Nik, he doesn’t know anything.

Nik noticed my uncomfortable silence so he asked, “D-did I say something wrong?” he asked me and I sighed, “Arkin wasn’t always like this. Sure, he’s proud and a little rude but he wasn’t always this… hateful.” I tried to look for better words but it was really no use.

“You knew him?” Nik asked again. I nodded, “Yeah.” I smiled at some of the memories, “I knew him… and he hates me.” I finished sadly. Arkin misunderstood my feelings… and it led to even more misunderstandings. I better tell him now that I have the chance. Wouldn’t hurt anyway.

“I think I was 10 or 11 years old when I first saw Arkin. He was a year older than me but we were in the same school back when I was still in Wing Maiden Island. He was pretty famous. He was talented, mysterious, he was true to his word, he was mature and he would do anything to prove he was right and until now, he never stopped.” I started. Nik was just sitting across of me, listening carefully.

“I was pretty famous too, but in a different way. I was the school bad girl. No one dared pissed me off and everyone knew that. Anyone who wouldn’t agree would get a taste of my fist the next day… but I wasn’t really happy with what they thought of me, at first. I wasn’t always the type of girl who punched dudes in the face. I also had a heart… but I guess when I got older I told myself, if everyone thinks of you as a girl who’s always angry and will never be loved, what’s the point of being anyone else? So I stood up to that reputation… until I met Arkin.” I continued.

Jesus, I sound like a love struck puppy… probably because I was… and I still am.

“At first, I just admired him. His artworks always told a story or a part of him that no one knew. He was an artist… and the more I thought about it, the more I’ve come to realize that I was in fact in love with him”.

Nik suddenly choked on air, coughing really hard like he just got verbal diarrhea.

I panicked, half because Nik was choking really hard and I had the urge to call 911 and half because we might get caught. “Are you okay?” I asked, almost standing up to help him.

“Y-yeah… totally fine.” He coughed a bit more before taking three huge breaths just to calm him down. What’s up with him?

“Sh-should I continue?” I asked him, a little weirded out by his sudden reaction towards what I said. He nodded and said yeah (although he looked like he wanted to punch someone in the face… just saying).

I shrugged, “Okay.”

So I continued.

“Anyway… yeah. I wanted him to notice me, so I went and showed off my own artworks, hoping he’ll notice me and that we’d become friends. Buuuut, he sort of took my affections for…” I trailed off, looking for the right word.

“Rivalry.” Nik finished.

I nodded.

“Do you… still like Arkin?” Nik asked, scratching the back of his neck, nervously. I sighed, knowing I can’t lie to him. Luckily, Nik didn’t choke when he heard my answer but he looked a little disappointed and I really can’t blame him.

“Yes.”

I really have to face the harsh truth that somewhere in this red-head’s heart, Arkin is still there. Screw love. Always ruining everything.



After a few more minutes of talking about random stuff, we headed out of the Mess Hall and made our way to the arena. It was a pretty long walk from the Hall to the arena so me and Nik had a few more moments of silence.

We walked slowly to the arena, looking if there was any security cameras anywhere, and luckily, there wasn’t any. It was a clear night. The cold wasn’t helping and I started getting a little chilly, regretting not looking for a jacket. I’m not sure if Nik noticed me so I just shrugged it off.

We were almost at the arena.

We hid behind the small oak tree and bush close to the arena and waited there for the guards to take their midnight break. Me and Nik took deep breaths. This was exciting. Fear turned me on at times, and I have never done something this illegal before. It’s new yet exciting for me. I noticed there wasn't any guards and someone was still in the arena.

Arkin.

I looked at Nik and he just plugged in his head phones again, listening to who knows what. Shrugging, I grabbed my earphones, put them on and looked for another song, waiting for Arkin to head out.

What song…?

Chainsmokers anyone?

“Been reading books of old

The legends and the myths

Achilles and his gold

Hercules and His gifts

Spider-man’s control

And Batman with his fists

And clearly I don’t see myself upon that list”

I had the urge to look at Nik again.

“But she said where’d you wanna go?

How much you wanna risk?

I’m not looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts”

At that time, both me and Nik saw Arkin head out of the arena, but he left a few of his stuff there. Arkin… was a perfect guy to every girl… but, heh. Would he be perfect for me?

“Some superhero

Some fairytale Bliss

Somebody I can turn to

Somebody I can kiss…”

Arkin was gone. This was our chance. I grabbed Nik’s hand and we ran to the arena quickly looking around for the weapons whereas I looked for the underground hatch Riley took me to, but I looked back at Nik to see if he was keeping guard, and I smiled.

“I want something just like this”

Heh… maybe I do.

I held Nik's hand, tightly by the way, at first it was me pulling him but I need not remind you Nik is like... really fast. Dang this guy has long legs wtf Nik. So now its basically him dragging me.

Arkin left a few of his stuff inside the arena, it looked like a bag stained with dried paints and liquids. I didn't notice it more because I ran to one of the rooms in the arena and found our weapons neatly stacked in a corner.

I grabbed all of it and was about to hand Nik some of the other weapons but then I noticed he wasn't behind me.

He was looking at whatever Arkin did.

And he wasn't happy about it.

Nik growled, "Its not fair... Red..." Nik said, looking at the wall.

I made my way towards him, while carrying the other weapons, and saw what he was looking at.

It was the portrait of me.

The one I did just a few weeks ago when Riley was still here, and both of us soaked in the rain. Those were precious memories. But now.... Arkin ruined it.

Probably using the spray paints and acrylic colours he had on his bag, he vandalized my portrait. My face was splattered with red and purple paint with a huge spray-painted wprd written on it, saying "Ugly". He vandalized my work of art...

...boy was I hurt.

"Its not fair that you're still in love with a guy who'd do this to you.... its not fair..." Nik growled.

I sighed. I was kind of expecting this.

What Arkin did is one of the many ways he does to show he hates me.

Then suddenly...

"Hey!" Me and Nik turned our heads to see Arkin standing right in front of the entrance. We froze.

Oh no...

Arkin approached us angrily, staring daggers at me. "What do we have here?" Arkin smirked. Nik suddenly went in front of me, staring daggers at Arkin. He was protecting me in a way... and I liked it.

"From what i know, you guys aren't supposed to be with each other. Ha, wait till your mother finds out about this." Aekin growled, stepping closer to Nik this time.

Nik smirked, "And I'm pretty sure she would love to find out that you were responsible for vandalizing one of Berk's most oldest places... isn't that right... Arkin?" Venom was laced in his voice and I was honestly getting creeped out by the both of them... while carrying heavy weapons god damnit.

Suddenly, a ray of light made its way to the center of the arena.

"Who goes there???" A distant voice called out.

"Shit." Arkin whispered.

"Clerik." Nik added.

We needed to hide... or else all three of us are gonna get screwed.

Then I remembered something...

Riley's bunker!

"Follow me!" I told them and we ran to the far corner of the arena. I dropped the weapons and looked for that latch that led underground.

I then felt something under the stone floor. The latch!

I opened it and the entrance for the bunker revealed.

"Get in. Now!" I told them and they followed. Arkin went in first, while me and Nik grabbed the weapons and went inside next. We quickly closed the hatch door and waited for Clerik to clear the area.

His footsteps got louder and louder, signalling all three of us he was standing right above us. He must've noticed the vandalized work of Arkin, and the mysteriously open door to one of the rooms where me and Nik got the weapons from.

"Someone's here..." I heard Clerik's growl and he examined the place further...

"Cora!? I know you're here...." I almost snapped. Cora? What could Cora have done here? She's the least of the suspects.

I turned to my surroundings and noticed that it was pitch black. I couldn't see anything. Just slight silhouettes of both Nik and Arkin but I can't even point out which is which.

"I'll look for a candle." Someone said. I didn't recognize whether it was Nik or Arkin so I shrugged it off.

I was freezing.

The bunker was cold and I was shaking. I really wish i had brought a jacket but I didnt. And now Im freezing to death.

"N-nik.... brrrr... I... I'm freezing...." I said in a whisper.

Then suddenly, someone wrapped their arms around me, and rested their head on my shoulder...

Oh my gods... NIK!?

I wanted to punch him in the face. First he hugged me in the arena a few weeks ago and now he does it again... I mean... maybe I should just get used to it... he might do it again and he's actually really warm.

Then suddenly, "No one's here..." we heard Clerik spoke and the footsteos slowly died down.

Clerik was gone!

I pushed away from Nik's grasp and opened the latch again. I looked out a little and saw that no one was there.

"Let's get out of here." I sighed before helping myself up. Then Nik, and then lastly Arkin.

All three of us walked in silence out the arena before Nik grabbed Arkin's arm and stared at him. "You keep our secret. We keep yours. Deal?" Nik reached his hand out for him to shake it, and surprisingly, Arkin took it.

"Just get out of my way. Especially you, Meadow." Arkin said and went off with his colored stained back pack.

I sighed before looking at Nik.

We headed home.



We walked home in silence.

It was weird because the sky was starting to get brighter. From what I knew, it was only Midnight.

I agreed I’ll be the one keeping the weapons for now while Nik studied the maps. Cora had left me a message earlier that they’d found the perfect hiding spot with Newt and I smiled. I’m glad those two are okay now.

I still can't believe Nik just back hugged me out of nowhere. It isnt like him.... but I do appreciate it.

Both of us were tired so we sat down on a nearby bench, settling down the weapons first and taking a breather. I looked at Nik and he looked at me. We both smiled. I guess it felt overwhelming to think that we had just sneaked out and go to a private property. We’ve done something we never thought we’d do and right now, we just really needed to smile.

Makes things better.

"Thanks for hugging me back there. You kept me warm." I blushed a little.

Nik raised a brow, "w-what?... I didn't hug you..." he trailed off.

If... Nik didn't do that... then...

“Ah. The Midnight sun's almost here. It happens here in Berk. Its quite beautiful. Its still sunny but its midnight.” Nik explained, cutting off my unwanted thoughts.

I was shivering now, really cold. I’ve exposed my skin to cold temperatures for hours being in Riley’s bunker. Even if I tried, I couldn’t stop shivering.

Nik suddenly moved around and took off his jacket and without a word, he just slipped it on me like a blanket. It smelled like vanilla and honey… and it was warm. I smiled, grateful. “Thanks… Nik.” I awkwardly stated and he smiled back.

At that moment, the sun was rising. And it was beautiful. The skies were tinted with orange and pink and the clouds made the view that much more amazing. And to think it was still midnight. Me and Nik headed back to our homes with smiles plastered on our faces.

Tonight was great, and the rising sun made it even more perfect.

All I know is that all four of us are gonna train tomorrow… and we’re gonna fild Riley. Because if there’s anything we deserve, it’s the fact that we’re innocent. And maybe… just maybe… I can make enough memories with my friends this summer before I go away.