"Tina-trollface! So what if you know that I have nude pictures on my boyfriend's cellphone? It's not like you can take his phone from him and show others anyway! I'm not afraid of you anymore." Cecile's tall frame towered over Tina. The bully looked like a distorted reptile with three eyes, never blinking.

Tina refused to be intimidated. She had cornered the girl before, now she just needed another tactic. Yes, it was Cecile's dream but Tina was the one connected to the Dreamweaver. Is it possible that she could manipulate this dream, too? She had enough of just questioning her bullies about their secrets.

They needed to suffer more.

"You look ugly even in your dreams. Guess Jonathan can't help you with your looks, after all."

That got Tina's attention. "You know about Jonathan's ability?"

"Duh. It's a 'secret' everyone knows."

"But you're still not afraid of me?"

"Before, I was. But, now, what the hell? Fuck you, bitch. Not anymore." Cecile's neck elongated as she stared Tina down. Her voice was full of menace when she said, "You know what? Tomorrow, I'll get my girls to take you to the women's restroom, the one on the second floor of the old building. No one goes there. It will be just us. Then I'll strip your clothes piece by piece and make you smile in front of the camera--"

"Stop!" Fright gobbled Tina. She shoved the reptile body of Cecile away. The bully laughed, but Tina didn't care. She had felt the coldness of Cecile's body and was able to hurt her. Even only a bit. She could hurt her! This time, it was Tina's turn to laugh.

"Why are you laughing? Wait. Wait! What is this? What are you doing?"

Tentacles that were Tina's hands encircled Cecile's long neck. Tina squeezed as hard as she could and found joy when the bully was unable to do anything but panic.

"Die, you bitch!" Tina was overjoyed. She laughed and laughed as she squeezed the life out of Cecile until the other girl's reptile body stopped moving and became limp. "You've died tonight and you'll die every night by my hands," Tina promised.

Claire left Palasyo Marilag with Linda and the maids. Jonathan was in his room studying, Linda said. As far as Claire knew, Jonathan hadn't attended a single Sunday assembly nor participated in any activity by the Church of Heavenly Angels. Sometimes, he would just wait outside the church until the assembly finished. That was weird considering that his mom, Linda, was a devout. Maybe, he was one of those teenagers who knew what they believed in and did not let others dictate which religion they should submit to. In a way, Claire admired that trait of his. She could never imagine going against her father and refusing to devote herself to their church.

The sky was still dark when they reached the church. As Claire hopped out of the black van that took them to their destination, she saw her father enter the building with her siblings. She had the habit of greeting them every Sunday and every church activity after she was hired in the Belmontes' mansion.

"Papa!" she called her father.

Taneo Mendoza looked a decade more than his true age. Wrinkles formed on his skin and big bags were under his sunken eyes. The years of stress and hard work showed on his face. But it brightened when he saw his eldest daughter. "We weren't able to speak last Sunday. You were with your friends."

"Yes, Pa. They spent the night at Palasyo Marilag."

The older man's eyebrows furrowed. "You hosted a sleepover in the house you're working at?"

"I-it's--" How could she explain what happened? She couldn't tell her father that she dozed off inside the cabinet in the room she was forbidden to enter. She forced a smile. "Linda insisted, Wendy said. Anyway, it was fine. At least they got to attend the Sunday assembly, right?"

Her father somewhat agreed. "I guess." He looked past her and waved at Linda, who waved back with a smile. He reminded her daughter, "Don't cause any trouble to anyone inside the mansion." He dusted off the imaginary dirt on Claire's shoulders. "You're doing this for the Belmontes and our sacred church. Do everything they tell you to do and devote yourself to them."

"Yes, Papa," Claire responded.

"Good. Go back to your group and make me proud."

They separated after Claire had mussed the hair on each of her siblings' heads and she had kissed her father on his cheek.

Soon, the "sacrifice" began. Drummers beat their drums at one side of the church as a single singer sang in an old language only known to the heads of the church. The Belmontes knew it, of course, but they never taught it to the common people.

When the drums stopped, the singer sang a high note and all the churchgoers bowed their heads to say their gratitude to the angels who had been protecting them from evil. The preacher from the last assembly was wearing a red shirt and red pants to symbolize fire and blood. He prayed loudly for a bit and then asked the followers to fall in line. They would be putting their sacrifices into the large wooden box by the altar.

The others didn't need to know what one devout would be sacrificing, so they could cover their sacrifices inside anything--paper, cloth, bag, etc. Claire clenched her sacrifice tightly within her hand. She put one of the few pictures of Keith and her together in a white envelope. And as she placed the picture inside the wooden box by the altar, she whispered a prayer that she may find Keith and find an answer to Keith's connection to Jonathan.

The drummers began a more joyous beat as soon as the people finished offering their sacrifices. They were led outside where the wooden box with their sacrifices would be burned as they share a feast.

Linda was the head of the church so making sure that everybody was able to partake in the feast was her responsibility. The cook of the Belmontes offered help and prepared a very sumptuous meal. The kaldereta was divine with the beef meat soft and tender. The bopis, a dish made with pork innards, tasted like heaven.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Linda's younger sister, Corazon, joined Claire and Bettina at their table.

Claire smiled at her. "Yeah. How's...?" She vaguely pointed at the bulge on Corazon's stomach.

"Oh," the beautiful woman exclaimed. "I'm due by the end of the month. I'm so excited to finally meet him."

So, Corazon was pregnant with a boy. "Can I touch him?" Claire asked.

"Sure." The woman faced her and Claire stood up to touch her belly.

"I think I just felt him kick!"

They all giggled.

Those who were done with their food left the church. And after everyone was gone, only then did the staff of the mansion climb into their van and headed back to work.

Claire was about to enter her room when an arm draped over her shoulders.

"Come with me and have some fun." It was Jonathan, doused with his usual spicy perfume. He took Claire's hand and led her down the stairs.

"Jonathan, I have some work to do. Sorry, I can't go with you now." She took back her hand and walked back to the stairway. The boy blocked her path. "Jonathan..."

"It's a nice day to be outside! Please don't tell me you'd rather be cooped up in here with your boring documents."

Claire sighed. "It's my work. I get paid for it. I need to do it."

"Linda said you can have your day off."

The girl's eyes widened. "She did not."

"Yeah, she did." At that same moment, as if on cue, Linda walked by the central passage. "Linda, Claire can have the day off, right? I'm planning on having fun with her."

The caretaker just waved her hand. "Just be home by tea time."

"See?" Jonathan's smile was ear to ear. Somehow, that made Claire smile too.

"And where are we heading, mister?"

"It's a surprise."

When they reached the car, Jonathan blindfolded Claire. The road was bumpy and the ride was longer than she expected.

At last, they exited the vehicle and Jonathan guided her as they walked over rocks and soil. She could hear the slow rush of water somewhere near. The boy removed the cloth over Claire's eyes and she saw a clean, sparkling river in front of them.

"Surprise!" Jonathan exclaimed.

"That's--" Claire looked at him. "That looks really beautiful but I'm telling you, I can't swim."

"Oh, that's alright. I can't swim, too."

The girl hit him on his chest, slightly laughing at the joke.

But the boy said, "No, I'm serious. I don't know how to swim."

Claire gaped. "Then why the heck are we on a freaking river? We both can't swim!"

"We don't have to swim. We can just dip." Jonathan began stripping off his clothes.

"But what if we drown?" Claire looked away as the boy confidently paraded his naked self. No. Still with his boxers on so not totally naked.

Jonathan rushed toward the body of water. It was only three-fourths of his body deep. "It's too shallow to drown us. Come on!"

She shook her head. She didn't want to take off her clothes and risk dying in the middle of a forest. Her death would surely break her father's heart.

"Claire!" The boy shouted. "It feels sooo nice! Just get in here!"

She watched the boy.

"Claire!" He called her in a sing-song voice.

But dipping in the river looked really nice...

"Fudge it." Without stripping, she headed directly to the river and splashed water toward Jonathan. The boy laughed and she was reminded of Keith again.

Maybe it's true that--

"What?" he asked.

The girl only shook her head. "Nothing." Then, she splashed water on his face again.

Laughing, the boy also splashed water on her in return. They spent a moment like that, playing like kids in the clear river.

"Why are you sitting on a throne in dreamland?" Claire suddenly asked as they walked against the tide. "You're like a king in there or something?"

"Not really. No. I don't think I am fit to be a king." He wiped the water on his face and Claire realized how awfully handsome he was. He stopped walking and so did Claire. His gray eyes stared at her as he pushed against the water and lessened the gap between them. His hands encircled Claire's waist in a strong grip. He leaned closer to catch her lips.

Claire immediately pushed him away. "I'm sorry. I'm-- We're friends, aren't we?" She didn't know what to say. She liked him, yes, but not enough to let him kiss her. She tucked her hair between her ears, feeling awkward.

The boy broke the silence. "It's alright." His smile still didn't quite reach his eyes. He lovingly pinched her cheek. "You're saying that now, but I know someday you'll be the mother of my daughter."

She huffed and kicked his knee under the water. "Not a chance, Del Monte." She ran away and Jonathan chased her. "What's your favorite ice cream flavor?" she asked randomly. "Bubblegum!"

"Bubblegum." They said at the same time.

Claire's heart was full. She was almost certain of her theory.

The sky had turned gray. Soon, water poured down the sky. The two teenagers hurried back to the car and let Yulo drive them back to Palasyo Marilag, laughing and having a good time on their way home.

Jonathan and Claire were both early for class. The girl and her friends hung around the Dreamweaver's group as they wait for their teacher.

Two female second-year students burst into their classroom and started shouting curses at Tina. Claire recognized the two students. They were Tina's bullies. Weren't they three?

"You fucking bitch!"

"Murderer!"

"Psycho!"

"Die!"

They tried catching Tina's hair, any part of her body, or her clothes. Jonathan's peers shielded her from the rage of the two females. The bullies were so angry and their eyes looked puffy from crying.

Lester stood between them, "Why are you so angry at Tina? Weren't you the ones who bullied her before?"

"Yeah. And she fucking deserves it!" The shorter of the two said with spite.

The other finally said, "Cecile is dead. That Tina-trollface fucking killed her!"

Word Count: 2,093
Total Word Count: 17,276