Checkmate - Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Before the darkness is set to fall, Hana and Althea together with the two other pairs—Madeline and Heather, and Joshua and Charles were all excited for the last big event held tonight.
A huge amphitheater nestled into the hillside adjacent to the main building in the heart of Neos AthensUniversity, which is an outdoor space that incorporates a series of stone steps into a grassy area surrounded by trees. The amphitheater included hand-carved limestone that was locally sourced. In the center of it was heavily stacked of firewood, ready to be lighted any minute now.
"Where are your friends, Hana?" Althea asked.
"They said they'd be here," Hana said, wonderingly. She glanced around and amidst the faces were no familiarity.
"Who cares if her friends are here or not?" Madeline said casually, biting into her licorice. She and Heather were sitting on Althea's right. Joshua and Charles took the seats behind them.
Hana decided not to engage when she saw Althea's peaceful face. She decided not to let Madeline and Heather ruin their moment. The cold October air seeped through Hana's jacket and she huddled closer to the Althea.
"BOO!"
Multiple cries and screams emitted from Hana, Charles, Madeline, and Heather when they noticed a live episode of the walking dead behind them. Althea and Joshua, on the other hand, were unfazed. Then the sound of laughter rang through the air.
Hana looked up to see the sight of her friends rolling on the floor, laughing, removing their mumming props.
"AHAHAHA! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN YOUR FACES!" Samantha laughed. "I'm pretty sure Hana had wet her pants!"
Hana blushed madly from shame. "I did not!"
"Hey Hana, is tackling a girl your usual defense mechanism?" Liezel asked, she and Fallon were behind the mischievous trio and didn't participate in the scaring, but pretty much quite enjoyed the show.
"I know she did, right!" Samantha said while erupting into another fit of laughter.
Hana's face was crimson. "Shut the hell up, Samantha!"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Madeline asked, with a deadly look on her face and she tried to intimidate Samantha who was suddenly wearing a tux, and her hair sleeked back. Madeline immediately was thrown off guard and flushed.
Natalya turned to Althea and Joshua. "Didn't you guys get scared even a little?"
"Not a bit." Joshua crossed his legs.
Althea just stared at her impassively, unfazed that she was. S soon came to know that Hana's arms were still around her waist and they two were still in an awkward position. She didn't hate it. In fact, she liked it a lot.
"Hana, you can let go now..." Fallon said, gesturing to Hana's arms. She was holding the latest book of the Midnight series.
Hana looked down, surprised, and then yanked herself away from Althea's arms, blushing. "Right, sorry." She said, looking away. "Would you guys sit down? Where's Professor Andrea by the way? Have you seen her?"
"She met with an old friend, a short-haired woman with a unique fashion sense," Fallon replied.
"I think you mean a woman with a badass villain costume." Liezel chided. "I swear she must've seen that giant anime that's trending on the internet these days."
Samantha slipped an arm around a still speechless Madeline and settled her back on her seat. "You okay girl?"
Hana stared at them, slowly unveiling the hints like a blooming rose, and figured she didn't need to help Samantha pick Madeline up—literally and figuratively.
Fallon stared at the space beside Hana but thought against it. She settled herself next to Heather who stared at her as if she has wanted to talk to her for so long and Liezel sat down next to the Finnish girl. Samantha and her group sat behind them next to Joshua and Charles.
They all launched into their own small conversations. Samantha trying to chat up with Madeline who continued to flush, Natalya, Hildegard, and Liezel with their new crazy ideas, Fallon and Heather about Midnight, and Joshua and Charles about football while everyone settled down around huddled together.
While everyone was talking, Althea noticed Hana scooted closer to her. Althea glanced over at Hana and the shorter girl met her gaze when she saw that Althea was looking.
Hana cleared her throat and determinedly looked at whoever was talking with great interest.
Althea chuckled softly, wanting to play with her a little. She faked a shiver. "Wow, it's really getting cold out here..." she said softly, sneaking a look at Hana who turned her head.
Hana was furiously thinking through her options. "Why... why didn't you bring extra more layers?"
"Oh, I did wear much as I can," Althea answered.
Come on Hana. Take the hint.
"Then take my jacket..." Hana said unzipping it.
Althea quickly placed a hand on her arm. "No, no that's okay, Hana. You'll just get cold too."
Hana stayed like that, hand on her zipper, wonderingly debating whether to do it or not. Slowly she raised his arm an inch...
"Oh, for mushroom's sake, just put your arm around her so we can all get some closure," Liezel said and both Althea and Hana snapped sideways to see everyone looking at them with exasperated looks on their faces.
Hana's face turned beet red but Althea took her chance and scooted right up against Hana. The Japanese girl finally took the hint as she wrapped her arm around Althea.
"Finally..." Liezel said. "Waiting that long was almost painful."
"S-shut up, Liezel!" Hana muttered under her breath.
Althea just laughed at what was happening and settled closer to Hana, resting her head on Hana's.
As everyone continued the conversation, warmth spread through Althea's chest, and for the first time in a long time, she felt completely right.
Althea stared at the Filipino girl who once was irked at her very existence. She was confused as to why Liezel was annoyed at Hana for not getting the message Althea was hinting at so much from the beginning. Usually, Liezel would be against the flirting because she liked Hana the way Althea liked her too.
But what was that?
Althea was clueless to know what Liezel was playing at, especially since Liezel told Hana to wrap her arms around her rival for Hana's heart. She stared at the laidback girl who sat on her far right.
Liezel knew someone was staring at her and caught Althea's gaze. She simply gave her a nod and a smirk, sending Althea's head spiraling to many questions.
There were too many answers and theories Althea had for that matter but she came to a decision that she shouldn't worry about it too much and found herself watching the sun slowly set over the landscape, casting its crimson-gold beams of light across the flowing clouds. The waning gibbous moon rises with otherworldly grace, shrouded in the mystic light as a veil of mist follows in the great orb's wake.
As the shadow of the earth fell, a serene silence breaks upon the ground, signaling the chorus of music from the orchestra. And as these grand rhythms build, and the tension grows, a great passion swells within everyone, causing them to sing out in a chorus to the astounding orchestra.
"Everyone!" the Headmistress showed herself, carrying a torch. She was a bubbly short woman donning short gray hair, a weird hot, and a red robe. "Students, Faculty, Staff, and Alumni... it gives me great pleasure to address you on this auspicious occasion of our wonderful Samhain Festival. A night like this is very important as it allows us to uphold Luna Nova's tradition. Following our olden traditions and mixing them with modernity has proven to be a tedious task, but with us all together, of every generation, with one heart of Luna Nova—for we all work together to the same future. I do hope that the experiences of this day will be worth the sacrifice you have made. I want to thank all of you for the amazing support you have always extended to the alma mater. Thank you and have a wonderful evening. With this torch vested in me, let the fellowship we share for the night of the Samhain Festival begin!"
The final night approached, with all of its attendant memories, Samhain Festival in Neos AthensUniversity was celebrated with nightly gatherings at bonfires, where friends and family shared stories about the years past. The week culminated in mumming and guising as always, where everyone dressed in fantastical costumes as kings and queens, soldiers and hunters, and witches and fairies.
Althea had loved the roar of the fire as years passed for it sounded like a wild beast, crackling and growling and hot as summer. She remembered her mother, dressed in a paper witch's hat and white velvet cloak, blowing kisses across the flames to her father, dressed like a joker with gold and silver baubles hanging from his cap.
"Hey, guys!" Samantha called them all. "Hilde, Nat and I will get some foods and drinks from the food area, anything you guys want?"
"Will it be no trouble?" Joshua asked.
"You are Thea's friend. It's a hundred percent okay if you tip us some money," she said, half-serious making Joshua arched an eyebrow at her.
"Were you able to carry it all?" Charles asked. "Perhaps I should help."
"No need Charles." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Miss Petrov has super strength."
"What?" Charles tensed.
"C-can I come?" Madeline asked.
Samantha fixed her suit and ran her fingers through her hair confidently to disguise the prevailing anxiety. "Of course you can, my lady."
Madeline's face turned red like her hair.
Heather stifled a laugh once they left. "This is the first time I saw Madeline with a crush."
"Oh, my!" Fallon squealed to her. "She's got hit by the cupid's arrow? I freaking knew it!"
Althea tuned them out to focus on every single light and noise that filled the amphitheater, watching them laughing and dancing from her corner. She almost wished she could dance with Hana.
"Hey Althea," Hana whispered.
"Yes, Hana?" Althea wondered why they were whispering.
"I know it seems silly but, I don't get Samhain Festival that much. I know it's like an Irish Halloween."
Althea's face displayed nothing but a casual smile but her eyes told more. "Basically Hana, You see, Samhain marks the darker half of the year which means the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. They say Samhain is when the boundary between this world and the otherworld connects, making it easy to be crossed."
"You mean that's when monsters come and visit us?"
"Not technically monsters. In Irish mythology, those are the spirits and the fairies. Offerings of food and drink were left outside for them. The souls of the dead were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality."
"So it's like the Day of the Dead?"
"Close enough," Althea said. "I could give you a thorough lesson about it but I fear I might bore you and ruin the fun."
"Althea no!" Hana pouted. Slowly she reached out and placed her hand over Althea's.
A new smile played on Althea's lips and a slight blush rose to her cheeks. Hana's skin was smooth over hers and her touch made Althea feel protected.
"I'd never get bored when I'm with you."
Althea's lips curved upwards. Even if it was an obvious lie, she was glad at Hana's determination to keep her attention. So she told her all about it—From the Irish folklores to the Gaelic calendars, from the costume-wearing to divination rituals. From the door-to-door visit to the games, from Celtic neopagans to Wiccans, and food that often involved nuts and apples.
Samantha and company returned with pastries and sweetmeats just in time when the first, explosion made them jump and they laughed nervously. Above them, the fireworks had begun in the near-black sky. As everybody applauded at the colors at the sky, Althea tried to be subtle when she shifted closer to Hana, and for once she caught the shorter girl adrift.
Althea quickly moved so that their hips touched and wrapped her arm around Hana's shoulders, her finger tracing gentle patterns on Hana's arm. She rested her head on Hana's shoulder and inhaled the scent of pickled plums that always lingered on her skin. Content in body and mind Althea and Hana watched as the sky exploded with fireworks.
As soon as the fireworks display ended, someone was clearing her throat on the microphone, "Evening ladies and gentlemen!" It was Wafiqah, the Master of Ceremonies for every event at the University "Is everyone having fun?"
"YEAHHH!"
Wafiqah giggled. "That's what I've been waiting to hear! Now I know that everyone is asking, why am I here up on stage? It's because..." she waved a card she was holding. "I have information and winners of the titles I had to announce!"
Everybody tuned in, whispers and theories went about. Crystal clear that the judges already had a favorite.
"Here we are tonight! The announcement we've all been waiting for!" Wafiqah stalled, as imaginary drum rolls played.
"Here it is!" Hana pounded her fists on air as if it were a table.
Althea watched Hana's throat as she swallowed, and she wondered if Hana could hear the pounding of her heart. She was nervous, afraid that something wrong might happen. The feeling was extraordinarily nerve-wracking.
Both of them might not admit it, Althea discerned that the two of them were somehow rivals. Whoever wins the Moonlit Witch title has a higher probability of being chosen by Professor Oakley.
Althea wouldn't know how to react when she loses. She also wouldn't know how to act when she wins. To win or to lose, what was the best option for her? Standing at a balanced blade, she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose to halt an oncoming headache.
"We are pleased to announce that the winner of Moonlit Witch Title is Althea Lancaster."