Project: Death for Classroom Zero

Chapter 52: Toddlers

She brought a piece of clean cloth to him.

In the middle of sunny morning, Carlissa Fauxier has brought a clean face towel towards a man who was busy attending to the orchid-bearing plants arranged on the clay pots, at the front of their door. Along with the face towel is a wide tray of hot coffee (two cups of it), freshly toast sliced breads, fried hotdogs, bacons, and eggs.

“Arvin,” she called. “Have some breakfast first before doing something on my plants.” She laughed because ever since that man—who is named Arvin—came to her house, all he ha done was to attend to her home-growing plants.

“I just want to check them since I think they’re having a hard time. Thriving on a pot is hard for the plants, that’s why you have to take care of them,” that man—Arvin—has said.

“Well, I think they are glad that you were taking care of them,” Carlissa Fauxier said.

Hearing from her, Arvin flashed a dashing smile. Secretly, Carlissa’s chest grew in panic while taking that slightest opportunity of looking at his ever-glowing smile. Ever since he had saved this man from near-death experience, he could not help herself but to admire the beautiful carving of his face. He was a modern day Adonis; a handsome man—and she couldn’t help herself but to fall.

Yes, that man was the one whom she had saved when he appeared beaten, tired, and unconscious in front of her house. Carlissa never sincerely cared for someone—not even to her son, Tristan Fauxier. But since Arvin came to her newly-renovated house, she learned that exact spark of wanting to attend someone; to care for someone inside the house.

She has never cooked delicious breakfast to her son, nor would want to. But with the charisma of this mysterious Arvin, the past two days that had passed, she was very eager to cook food for him.

“This was delicious, Carlissa.”

Carlissa’s reverie was disrupted when the man she was daydreaming about, has called her name in the real life.

“O—Of course. I am the one who cooked, so expect that it is always delicious.”

Lies. If only Arvin would now go to the kitchen, he would see the mess that Carlissa had done. She has to consume a tray of egg just to make a perfect serving of sunny side up; has to cook bacon and hotdogs once again because she has over fried it. She was a disaster at the kitchen.

What can others expect to her? Most of the time, she has spent her life being irresponsible even when the time came she accidentally had a son. Since teenage years, she had no concrete and responsible plan to her life—and it was reflecting to her, presently.

“Are you sure you are living alone? It was as if you’ve had experiences of taking care of the household,” Arvin said. He was laughing as he munched the last fried hotdog on the plate.

Having that question, Carlissa felt uneasy. Suddenly, she remembered that she has told to this man. She has told that she does not have any husband, or had any child. The former was true, because Tristan was only a product of one steamy night to her past boyfriend; the latter was of course, a lie—she had a son, but she does not want to tell it to anyone.

“Of course, I am living alone,” she said. After that, she neared her head to him, “Why, are you seeing other people aside from you and me?” she squinted her eyes, as if attempting to scare him.

From that, Arvin laughed. “There was no ghost here. Haven’t seen any,” he said. “And believe me, I’ve seen things way more terrifying than a ghost.”

“More terrifying than a ghost? What were those things?” she asked, curious.

Arvin has once again smiled. “Nothing.”

Carlissa gave him a smug face to try to provoke him. “Really, you are hiding something to me,” she said. “Was that horrible thing you’re telling was connected to the thing you’ve been muttering the first time you came here? The ‘Toddlers’?”

Hearing the word “Toddlers”, Carlissa could sense the discomfort which Arvin was trying hard not to show. However, in the fine eyes of Carlissa, he had no escape. He couldn’t fully pretend.

She again smiled at him. “It’s okay,” she said. “If you don’t want to tell me right now, I understand. Just tell me when you are ready—if ever you would,” she said.

“N—No,” Arvin then suddenly exclaimed. “I think you deserve to know this. I would be a real pain in the ass if I don’t tell you this thing. At least, I will tell you something so that your trusts to me won’t be broken.”

“Hey, I said it is okay,” Carlissa insisted. Yet, deep inside her, she knew she was intrigued of what he will tell.

“The ‘Toddlers’ you are asking … is my real-life nightmare,” Arvin started speaking.

“Real life what? Nightmare?” hearing what Arvin said, Carlissa became confused, curious, and full of questions.

“Yes. A nightmare that I don’t want to see again,” he said. Carlissa’s stare went towards the balled fist of the man, and she noticed the strong pressure he was giving just to close it—a sign that he was controlling the fear on his self. “But I know … it would come hunt me one day. I know, the Toddlers would find me once again.”

“What was that? The Toddlers?”

“The ‘Toddlers’ is a modified creature that was made on a hidden laboratory. It was made to guard the secrets inside an unidentified organization. I happen to become part of those people who knew the secret—I once belong to a secret organization. And … since I am now defying to their misdeed practices, the ‘Toddlers’ were tasked to find and kill me.”

“So that means I let a member of a mafia organization enter my house,” said Carlissa, and then she laughed. “You know what, Arvin, if you are going to think of excuses to not tell me the truth about your existence, at least make it real and believable. The story you’re telling is too obvious a lie.”

“But …”

“It’s okay, Arvin. I don’t mind if you won’t tell me about your real self. Long as you are here, and is not doing any anomaly, or any kind of trouble, my house is always welcome for you.”

As she told those encouraging words, she took a deep courage from her chest, then held Arvin’s hand.

Arvin looked at his hand which was being caressed by Carlissa. Sooner, he smiled—blissfully.

“I guess you will just believe me once the Toddlers find me in here.”