Canti

Disclaimer: I do not own Demon Diary.


Canti
By 11


Chapter 01

“Yes, I got over 50! It’s a 52!”

“That’s great, Raenef!” The two boys hugged.

“I got a 79!”

“Chris, that’s great! You always get a better score than me,” Raenef said with a grin.
Both of them were surprisingly happy about their higher than last time scores. Both boys were about the same age but with differing characteristics. Raenef had longish blonde hair that was tied up in a very small ponytail like state. He had blue eyes and sported a light blue shirt with a darker blue vest and jeans. Chris had short black hair and blue eyes as well, though his were slightly darker than his friends. He wore black pants and a gray shirt.

“Yeah, but Hejem will still probably yell at me.” Chris said with a small frown as he put the test in his backpack.

“This stinks.”

“At least it’s not Erutis chewing you out.” Raenef supplied.

“Oh yeah, your sis is, not to be mean or offending, but she’s a real witch about you getting your grades up,” Chris said as the boys found their lockers in the dismissal throng and started putting things away and getting stuff to take home.

“I don’t really want to go home right away, though.” Raenef sighed after shutting the locker door. Chris nodded.

“We could always go for a shake or something, maybe swing by the arcade for a while if we have any quarters first?” Chris suggested.

“Yeah, that’d be good. I think I have about a dollar to spend too.” Raenef said, checking his pockets for change.

“Yeah, so what’s Erutis’ new punishment for bad scores,” Chris asked as they headed to the exit.

“Confiscating my games and x-box and Playstation2 and just about any and all games and consoles that I own,” Raenef sighed yet again.

Chris patted him on the back.

“She’s been really mean about it lately,” Raenef grumbled, “but it’s not my fault; I study all the time. I’m just not getting the material for some reason. Or maybe it’s just these tests.”

“Yeah I think they’re rigged.” Chris nodded.

“You boys are just lazy.”

A heavy backpack swung and hit Chris in the back of the head. “Ow! What was that for, wench!” Chris yelled, rounding on the girl. She looked at the pair of boys with disdain.
“I just said you were lazy. I can’t believe the excuses you come up with sometimes,” She told them as she brushed one of her pigtails over her shoulder.

“Hi Leeche, how are you today,” Raenef asked as politely as he could. Leeche looked at him with a kind smile. She was about the boys age and had long blonde hair tied at both sides of her head into pigtails with red ribbons. Her hair itself was very curled, though whether it was a perm or natural could be called to question. She had green eyes and a slightly smaller stature. She wore a long sleeve shirt with a pink body and red sleeves with low rider jeans.

“Just fine, and you?” she asked sweetly.

Raenef nodded and she continued.

“But really, you say you study, but it’s quite obvious you spend more time on those games of yours rather than your work.”

“I know I’m doing badly… but I really do study… it just doesn’t make much sense the way they explain it…” Raenef mumbled quietly.

“Raenef, please. I refuse to have a husband who can’t get good grades. You are going to college, after all,” Leeche said obstinately.

“I know, but I can learn the same things at a higher class school at a regular one and I can get into a regular one… the texts just don’t make sense…” Raenef mumbled again, fidgeting slightly. Ever since he started going to this junior high and meeting the girl, Leeche, she had decided without anyone else’s knowledge or consent that she was going to marry him.

No one really took notice of it after the first couple of weeks of jeering. But Chris, his best friend since junior high, had stuck with him and after it blew over, it was more of just a slight nuisance sometimes to have her always around.

“Leeche, just shut up! Raenef tries his hardest so get off his back already. It’s not like you’re actually his fiance anyway, so go engage yourself to some other guy. That was some weird idea you had about making someone your fiance,” Chris told her.

“Who gave you permission to butt in? I am conversing with my spouse,” Leeche told him arrogantly.

“Oh, conversing? Sorry, it sounded more like hounding. But I guess that’s the point of a good spouse, is that what your little ‘wife to be’ book tells you?” Chris asked.

“I do not need a book to tell me how to make my fiance happy. It is no concern of yours, anyway, so go away, Chris!” Leeche told him angrily.

Raenef watched the exchange, not daring to take a side. The honking of a loud car horn got all three_s attention. A teenage girl with short red hair and green eyes stood by a dark blue small car. She had on low rider jeans and a white shirt, and she wore several chain necklaces. “Oi, Raenef, come on!”

Raenef smiled as best he could and looked back at his friends, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Chris, Leeche. Bye!” He said with a wave as he hurried over to his sister and the car. Chris and Leeche waved as he climbed in the car with his older sister, and high school student, Erutis. “So… what was your score for the test today?” Erutis asked with a smile.
“Um… better than last time?” Raenef offered trying to smile too.

“Okay, good. Well let me see, what did you get?” she asked as they pulled into their driveway and he handed her his test.

“Raenef…” she said after a moment and looked over at him.

“This has to stop. I mean, 52? Yes, better than a 46, but not by much. Is it the material? The questions? What’s throwing you on this? I know you do the work and you study the work. I make you do it, so what’s going on here that you’re not getting?”

“It just doesn’t make much sense,” Raenef muttered with a frown. “What doesn’t? What doesn’t make sense to you, Raenef?” Erutis asked him.

“A lot of it. I got a few of the basics the subject itself, the math formula, and how to do it, but when they ask stuff like, ‘So-and-so spied 80 this was 15% more than such-and-such spied. How many did such-and-such spy’?” Raenef said as a for instance. “It’s not an equation and I really just don’t understand what it is they’re actually asking.”

Erutis nodded and got out of the car and the two headed into their small one story and incredibly messy house. With Erutis’ multiple gas station and restaurant jobs, it was only about enough to pay their bills for food electricity water and land tax as well as gas and food. Erutis rarely used the car except when she had previously been out at the grocers. Not surprising that she had food in the back to take in. Not a word was spoken between the two as they unpacked the car and put the food away and in the fridge.

“I’m going over to Mr. Clerce’s. I want you to try and study the materials you are able to understand for your next test. I will make dinner when I come home and call you when it’s done,” Erutis told him as she got the keys again.

“Okay?”

“Okay,” Raenef said, heading for his room.

Under any other circumstances he may have tried to beg his sister to take him too, so he could go over to Chris’ and they could hang out but now was not the time, when Erutis was in a frustrated mood. She didn’t show it when she was frustrated and instead just became really quiet to avoid lashing out at people and if you tripped her up while she was in a mood, you would get a very quick and painful lashing. It was better to ask her when she was in a happy mood, like right after one of her relaxation nights or when she had gotten a date for the weekend and was feeling generous. Those were the times she was more likely to be amiable about it and not have to require something in return either, like messy or disgusting chores. He sat down at his desk with his books as he heard the car drive off.

She probably wouldn’t be back for a while, but that was okay, he had plenty of work to keep him busy.

“Chris, I want to see these halls spotless. That is your chore for the day. You do this, and you may do what you wish till dinner time,” The older man and Chris’ guardian told the boy. Chris groaned, but nonetheless, started in, if not a bit reluctant at first. Hejem Clerce, Chris’ legal guardian and owner of a local temple, also a good friend of Erutis.

“It’s good to see you Erutis, thank you for stopping by.” The man told her kindly, inviting her into the main room of the temple where some tea waited, and the two took a seat.

“Thank you very much Mr. Clerce, I realize it was a bit rude of me to come over without an invitation, but I did call you earlier, you got my call, didn’t you?” she asked as if to make sure.

“I did, I meant to call you back, but I wasn’t able to,” he replied.

“Oh, okay good, because I really needed to talk to you; it’s about my brother,” Erutis explained.

“My brother has lately had a lower than expected academic achievement. I also know that at the beginning of the semester Chris also had some troubles, didn’t he?” Erutis asked. Mr. Clerce nodded and motioned for her to continue. “I was just wondering what it was that you did to help and improve his abilities, because if possible, I would like to do the same thing for my brother.”

“It’s nothing special really. I tutor him myself after school. Regardless of if he has a test or not we go over the materials to make sure he understands it, and by the end of the lesson, we both have a feeling of improvement I believe. Really I just go over the material with him and help him to understand it better, it’s not much, but it’s what I can do.” He told her, taking a sip of his tea.

“But I don’t have the same amount of time to teach Raenef, I’m not always home at the times I would have to be in order to do what you’re talking about. Is there any other alternative that you can think of?” Erutis asked.

“You could always hire someone…” Hejem suggested, “someone who wouldn’t cost too much. I am aware of your situation. That you work to support the two of you between your friends, your job, work, and school.”

Erutis sat and waited patiently until Hejem spoke again.

“You might want to try at Junko.” He said after a moment.

“Junko University?” Erutis asked.

“Yes, I work there part time as a literary teacher, you know.”

He nodded, “I just know there’s a lot of students there with a great deal of free time and you may try to persuade one of them to help tutor your brother.”

“That’s a great idea. Thank you so much, Mr. Clerce, I really appreciate that,” Erutis told him as she stood, “I have to go now, but thank you so much for your time. This has been a great help.”

“Glad I was of use. I will see you again sometime.” He nodded.

“Yeah, bye!” she said with a smile as she left.

The next day she was visiting Junko University campus. Sure it was to find a tutor for her younger brother, but that didn’t mean that she could look around and do some research and so on. And so the next day there she was in the middle of campus looking around for people who looked like they had some free time. Now she wanted to find the library, but had no idea where it was.

She headed for the nearest building figuring she might be able to find a staff desk and get directions. As she reached for the door handle, the door opened and she found herself facing a male student, far too young to be a teacher. He had long dark hair tied back and bound at his nape. He wore almost all black. It wasn’t that cold out but he still wore a long coat. A coat and a pair of sunglasses shielded his eyes from view. The student wore a long sleeved shirt and boots, matching his unapproachable visage.

“Uh…” Erutis started oh so intelligently, a flush of light pink gracing her cheeks, “I was looking for the library. Do you know where it is?”

“Yes,” He answered.

“Well… uh… where is it?”

“Where is what?”

“The library.”

“What library?”

“The one on this campus?”

“What about it?”

“Where is it?”

“Where is what?”

“Are you going to help me or not.”

“I answered your questions.”

“But I don’t know where the library is.”

“You didn’t ask me where the library was.”

“Yes I did.”

“No you didn’t.” He told her calmly. “You asked where ‘it’ is.”

“Where is the library?” Erutis asked as calmly as she could.

“Down past the science building and on the other side of the cafeteria. The clock tower sits right on top of it so you really can’t not see it.” He pointed her in the direction.

“Oh, Thanks, uh… your name is.” Erutis said looking back at the student.

“Eclipse,” he answered, walking by her to get out of the doorway, heading across the campus grounds.

“Thank you.” Erutis called after him quickly before hurrying off towards the library and clock tower, which could be seen over the buildings.

“Eclipse Ravenhold, eighteen years of age. The Ravenhold family being a very distinguished and respected member of society. He is a top student at Junko University and expected to go far. Congratulations on the success of this start up real estate business, but you know it’ll succeed, after all I, the incredibly talented Lord Krayon Ayerwip, am your manager, so you can be sure it will go quite well.”

“Is there anything you needed to talk to me about, Krayon or did you just call to make extravagant speeches?” Eclipse asked over his cell phone, which had previously rang just as he had seated himself at a comfortable bench under the nearest tree.

“Not at all,” Krayon laughed over the mobile communication unit.

“First of all we have just sold the third feature we purchased about a month ago and that six unit piece on parkway we just got so that’s all good. This is coming along really well. But I was wondering what you were doing Friday, cause the boys and I are having a big party around five till twelve.”

“It’d be really good for you, you hardly ever get out. Everyone’ll be there and everyone wants to see you too. It’ll be fun. Get you to loosen up some.” Krayon told him.

“Come on. For your best buddy?”

“Krayon,” Eclipse sighed to his friend, “I thank you for the invitation, but I probably won’t be able to make the party.”

“Why? What are your plans for that night?” Krayon asked, “Sit and brood? Or are you just going to sleep or maybe just do pointless extra credit work that you don’t in any way need at all, considering you ace all classes?”

“You’re a good manager and a good friend, Krayon,” Eclipse told him with a smile, “I have to go now though, bye.”

He didn’t wait for the rebuttal and hung up. If he had stayed on, Krayon would have been trying to persuade him for the next half hour or however long it took for him to just give in to his bugging. He was already seated on a bench with his laptop up when Krayon had called. After hanging up, he put the phone back into his school bag/case and started back at his laptop, currently doing a spell check for simple mistakes he might have made while typing without pausing to check the spelling.

Thing is, the report itself wasn’t even due until next week. Well that was a great success, Erutis thought sarcastically as she wandered back across the campus.
She had been to just about every place on the campus looking over for students that looked like they had some free time. Not a lot of them even wanted anything to do with her and it was starting to bug her a lot. Erutis hated being ignored. Glancing across the campus now, she spotted the same youth with long dark hair who had directed her to the library.

“Hey it was Eclipse, right?” she asked as she walked up to the young man who was currently doing what appeared to be a spell check on some document project or another on his laptop.

“Yes?” he asked. “You couldn’t find the library?”

“Oh no, I found it,” she said with a smile and seated herself next to him with a sigh, “but I came here looking for someone who could tutor my little brother after school.”

“What about you yourself?” Eclipse asked her.

“I have work, it’s hard living alone without parents you know. I’m lucky I can support us so he doesn’t have to go to foster parents or any of that crud” Erutis said.

“But most of the students here don’t seem interested at all. I doubt they’d be wanting to work on just $25 a week either.” That sounds a reasonable price, actually, Eclipse thought. He knew a lot of students on the campus with a lot of free time who could probably tutor Erutis’ sibling, himself included, but he wasn’t about to be so stupid as to tell her that.

“I’m sorry you couldn’t find what you needed,” Eclipse told her as he closed his laptop after saving the document and slipping the computer back into the folds of his school bag.

“Hey, what about you, Eclipse?” Erutis asked, getting up when he did. She had struck home, but he wasn’t about to let her know that, though those two seconds of hesitation might have already given it away, hopefully not.

“I’m afraid I don’t have the time for it at this time, sorry,” he lied, trying to put as much honesty as he could into his voice. But just then was when his class schedule decided to fall out of his school bag. Someone up there must really hate him.

“Funny. You’re only taking four classes, based on their times you have a lot of free time actually,” Erutis said, looking it over and then at him rather hurt. “It would only take about an hour or hour and a half every other day or so, you know.” Eclipse frowned slightly, guilt stinging slightly at the girl’s face.

He hated lying, and if his schedule hadn’t fallen out just then, he probably would have gotten away with it too. “You seem like a nice girl, Erutis. But tutoring a child for a part of my college life just really doesn’t appeal to me.”

“Please! Eclipse! Just try it for a week or so! And if it’s really absolute torture for you, I won’t bug you anymore! Please!” She cried, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

Eclipse sighed inwardly, might as well do it. “One week only, an hour every other day?” He asked.

“It would be better if you could do it every day, but yes.” Erutis nodded.

“One week, an hour every day.” He stated.

“What’s your address? And what times should I be there?”

Erutis smiled happily, feeling completely elated. She would try to make it a point to make a lot of thank yous to Eclipse for doing this for her. Can’t be too bad, and what the hey, you know, why not, Eclipse rationalized with thought. After all it’s only one week.

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