PAUL WOKE UP THE NEXT DAY and had his coffee that his mother brewed, before heading early to her police-work. He was getting to see lesser of her these days, as she was busy in her Serious Crime Division…

… that was still investigating the abduction-zoo case, where the criminal named Hajji… was still dodging the eyes of the law.

He wished that the serious crime case WOULD BE SOLVED SOON, as he saw her working late, and returning home tired, stressed and disappointed daily. Even worked late hours, so much so that...

… he did ‘not’ see her coming in last night, as it was way past his bedtime, after his binge of Season 2 of his favourite K-drama…

… and Mom left out to work before he woke up. And, Paul did ‘not’ have a chance to update…

… with the ‘minutes’ of the ‘group therapy’ meeting of yesterday afternoon – but he knew that Ms King would had-done that, by calling her up.

He hoped his busy-Mom would be rewarded soon for her-untiring dedication by the departmental promotion…

… the twice-weekly of the ‘night-police-school’ she was dedicated…

… that would pay off, where she was aiming for as A DETECTIVE INSPECTOR.

-O-

Tomorrow was school reopening day – where the school was closed for the last 2 days, with police investigations, of the ‘explosions incident.’

… Paul wanted to do some studying done this morning. He attempted the subject he dreaded the most – Mathematics. His Maths teacher, Ms Constance Bloom always told in class, that Math was an adventure of puzzles, where one used logic to solve it. She was sent by the school back then, to America for a program called ‘Russian School of Math’ – which by the sound of it, was confusing too...

‘… go-figure…’

But both of his friends, Jane and Alicia were both ‘natural’ in the subject – especially Jane who top the class in Math… whose ambition was to be A SCIENTIST. While Alicia wanted to be A BUSINESSWOMAN, like her mother someday.

If he wanted to someday be AN ARCHITECT like his late father…

… he should take an initiative to like and practice Math too.

From the IKEA dinner table, he sat and looked upstairs, and wondered ‘what’ would his twin’s ‘new’ ambition be like – recalling-to the annoyed-Jane Wilson who told Peter straight in his face yesterday, which even made him snigger now…

… that one-armed-boys-should-not-play-tennis.

‘Where is the ‘Perth’s famous idiot’ at…?’

He had ‘not’ seen him, since yesterday’s group meeting.

<>

IN HIS ROOM, PETER WALKER WAS AT THE TOP of the world. With Janey agreeing to sign-up to be his partner, in the mixed-doubles – he was back-in-business…

… he was back at the drawing board, for HIS ‘COMEBACK’ – TO further take his famed, pet-project of the “Perth’s Famous Couple’ to the next-level – after its ‘breakup-video’ setbacks.

Looking back at Janey’s terms and conditions, Peter FELT IT WAS ‘DOABLE’ – and ‘not’ rocket-science. All he had to do is to go FOR AN HOUR OF tutoring by her, in exchange for her participation, to-play tennis for-him…

… maybe, he would get TO WOO HER BACK, to be his girlfriend ‘once’ again… because he really missed being with her so-much. Anyway, he ‘was’ also-her ‘beacon’ for her 3rd-Eye – and blind-Janey would COME TO HER ‘SENSES’ soon, that she ‘needed’ him, anyway – and, soon they would kiss-and-makeup.

… Peter had rearranged his trashed room yesterday, after taking photographs of it as evidence – and HE SENT IT TO his inspector-mother by Twitter. He also told her by-texting that the home-surveillance ‘camera-upstairs’ WAS FAULTY, as there were 39 seconds of blank-footage – when it should have recorded the perpetrator(s)…

… as usual, there was no response from her – solving all the crimes in Perth, BUT ‘NOT’ in her own backyard.

Peter Walker was excited to go back to school tomorrow. Ms King had promised him, where she WOULD ‘TALK’ TO PRINCIPLE HARRIS to lift his ‘ban’… to give permission for him and Janey, to sign-up for the double’s knockout…

… if that does ‘not’ happen tomorrow – then hell would break loose again.

<>

PAUL WAS STUCK WITH A MATH QUESTION – he WhatsApp Alicia for clarifications. By mid-morning the Chinese girl responded with a video-call, along with her latest-updates that she received – that Principle Harris’ recent absence of leave was because…

... he attended the FUNERAL OF HIS EX-WIFE, who died of heart attack, at the age of 40…

… they both spoke with a sad sympathetic tone, that now the principle WAS A WIDOWER – and similar…

… to his inspector-mother, who was a widow 2 years ago.

Paul changed the subject and asked ‘HOW’ JANE WAS in her ‘post-trail,’ from yesterday. Her BFF responded that Janey was cheerful – and looked forward to school tomorrow… unlike feeling ‘down’ last weekend.

… Paul was glad that he had Alicia on his side, to tell him ‘stuff’ and answer doubts – because in the ‘trial’ yesterday, he was revealed with SO MANY FACTS of the ‘famous-couple’ that he had ‘not’ known of. There were TOO MANY ‘SECRETS’ hidden among the Cursed-trio, which was personal – ‘not’ as they had debriefed about their ‘dirty laundry…

… and also, his twin was ‘not’ in speaking terms with him.

They both then spoke of Jane, and ‘more’ of her Uncle Jack, who was a mentor to her, but Janey would ‘not’ trust him now, once he gave her the new AI Boyyo – where he had imposed T&C that had a demand-of-her-own-time-and-privacy.

Paul told Alicia of his worries about the Kimura Star’s lab-test results of Peter – whether if the Curse of Asmodeus, would ALTER THE DNA of the Cursed-trio.

The conversation led to Peter the Cursed-One, ‘who’ was THE PRIME-CULPRIT…

… who had and would cause disasters in wherever he roamed in Australia – where his own ‘curse’ was unpredictable when he was ANGERED BY ‘CAROL & TOM’ in Perth… but the destruction was out-stationed in the east, in Queensland – with the partial destruction of the Great Barrier Reefs.

They both sighed together when Paul too mentioned that Peter nearly brought down his own father’s house yesterday, with his uncontrollable anger.

… Alicia was dressed in her shorts, on her single-bed at home –when she was video-chatting with Paul. The Chinese girl saw the portrait of the abstract art on her wall – that her BFF had presented her yesterday.

It was the blue-variant of colour schemes, of ‘Paul-in-the Aurora Australis.’ Alicia framed it overnight… and hung-it her bedroom wall.

“Tell me more, Pauly… when you WERE UP THERE when you were fighting BlackStar?”

Paul chuckled as he recalled the incident last week, at the zoo… that led him, to skyrocket upwards to the night skies, dragging Peter along.

“It happened so fast, I shot-up and rescued Jane-falling – and I CAN’T RECALL MUCH of how it ended, the next thing I know it was game-over – we had won and we defeated BlackStar…err…you should ask details from Jane, because she was there much-longer, maybe an hour or so, with the face-off with BlackStar, all by herself.”

That made Paul to ponder of the ‘blackout’ he faced that day – AND A 2ND ONE – recently he faced 2 days ago, where he confronted Peter, regarding THE PHONE-BOMBING. Paul was in a ‘blur’ about it, as he listened to the excited Alicia speak…

“Janey told me about how she used her power-blast, at BlackStar where she ‘pew-pew-pew’ and BlackStar ‘foom-foom-foom’ back at her – and Janey said it was like a tennis match, in the skies.” The Chinese girl laughed and continued. “And then ah, there was this ‘dragon’ which flew around at her. Paulie, do you REMEMBER THE DRAGON?”

… it was all ‘coming-back’ to Paul OF THE ‘DRAGON’ – and…

… the red-one-armed-demon, with a flaming sword.

“Yes, the dragon had big horns, like an African water-buffalo… and we both were avoiding its attacks, of it swooping towards to gore-us down … I DON’T RECALL what happened next… err, sorry.”

… Paul can’t recall he had A ‘JUMP’ INTO his persona – of the Archangel, St. Michael.

“That was a scary dragon – ‘not’ the cute one, like Charizard from Pokémon.” They both laughed. Then Alicia snorted, and asked…

“Did you GROW A PAIR OF WINGS…? Janey said ‘you’ did.”

“Crazy blind-girl! What am now, I’m Bird-man?”

“No, Big-bird.”

They laughed again.

“Maybe that ‘what’ Janey saw with her 3rd-Eye – with you… as her ‘other’ beacon – as a cute Big-bird.”

Paul stopped laughing. “Ali, there was also, ‘this’ RED ONE-ARMED DEMON there too…”

“What red-one-armed-demon…?”

“Donno-who… but ‘he’ was there ‘twice’ that day, in the skies – and I also recall ‘once’ briefly, at the Treeton field trip too…”

‘… where was Peter in the Aurora Australis…?’

“Pauly… do you think Peter is this demon?”

She saw him nodding unsure, in her Samsung screen, saying…

“I guess so – it fits the description of ‘BEING’ ONE-ARMED – but he WAS ADULT-SIZED and red-ugly, like Darth Maul – armed ‘not’ with a lightsabre, but a flaming sword.”

“Wow! I like Darth Maul of Star Wars – I read the books.”

“Yeah, I too read the comics…” The blur Paul unconsciously responded, still recalling his lost-thoughts.

“WHAT HE-DO – attack you…?”

“No, he was there a moment – then, he tackled and knocked off the rider – from the buffalo-dragon – and they both fell down to earth…”

“Pauly, do you think that the red demon’s sword, had something to do WITH PETER’S TENNIS RACQUET? I clearly remember Janey telling-me, that Peter also ‘disturbed’ her, by coming in her dreams. And, on-one occasion of that dream… he had told her to hold his racquet – and poor Janey SENSED AN EVIL AURA in it, and it freaked her out… like a bad nightmare.”

This was a gem of revelation, of the Cursed-trio’s ‘secrecy’… that the Babolat which his late-father, had presented Peter as a birthday present – was equally ‘cursed’ like him.

He clearly remembered Peter saying, as it was ‘his’ weapon-of-choice.

“Do you think that is possible, by going into other one’s dreams like that movie-Inception, like how DiCaprio did?” Alicia asked.

“That was WHAT SIMY TOLD me in my own dreams – ‘she’ said it is ‘Astral-travelling’ – I googled it up in YouTube… and it was a weird-universe of its ‘own.’” Paul said.

“Have you entered Janey’s dreams?”

“No… we have ‘not’ cross-path yet – neither with Peter– although he had succeeded in INVASION, OF HER SLEEP-PRIVACY – and have frightened her too.”

“You too ‘be careful’ out there, WHEN YOU ARE DREAMING – I say this, because I care for you, Pauly…”

Instantly, Paul had a rush of POSITIVE VIBES OF EMOTIONS, that he radiated outwards…

-O-

At the Wilsons, the yellow glowing Jane, felt that good feeling of her ‘other’ beacon – and the blind-girl giggled… knowing her BFF was lovey-dovey with him…

… but at the Walkers, the pink-glowing Peter, WAS JEALOUS – of what-was-going-on-downstairs…

... in his twin’s room…

… why CAN’T HIS OWN FAMED ‘famous-couple’ love-strategy work…?

<><>

THAT WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, Peter cycled to Stamford High’s tennis courts, for his first-tennis self-practice of his school’s final term. He was the only-student there at school, which was still-closed under police investigation.

There were teachers in the building, when Peter at the open court switched on the Spitfire tennis ball machine – running over to the other side of the net, with his Babolat in his hand, to begin his practice.

The one-armed tween knew Coach Jonah was watching him through the blinds, from his office window. Peter turned up for practice today, just to SPITE HIS COACH – that he was a serious player, who was also a handicap.

<><>

PAUL WAS RUNNING LATE, and the school bell had rung, on Thursday morning. He was nowhere near his classroom, as he was physically manoeuvring his wheelchair, with his 2 hands. The first lesson was Math – and Ms Bloom started her class, on the dot-of-time.

He was in the emptying long outdoor corridors… leading to the classes wing. It would be a minute if he moved ‘manually’ – Paul looked over his shoulder, and saw no one behind him.

… he decided to ‘POWER-UP’ HIS MODIFIED wheelchair – his fingers shot mild-electricity in the disc plate, on his right wheel… it then powered the dynamo, and the wheelchair sped on-its-own.

… Paul soon heard voices…

“Whoa, look at Ballerina Paulie there – whoa, look at him Go-Speed-Racer-Go!”

…Paul heard running footsteps, chasing him from behind…

… it was the Donovan Brothers, who frequently bullied him in his wheelchair. They were the ‘twins’ and a cousin-brother. They were Raymond, Terry and Harry Donovan.

Raymond and Terry claimed they were-twins, but actually they were ‘not’…

… it so happened, that the Irish Donovan family were having a ‘productive’ year… when they were born – that their mother gave birth of Raymond in January… and Terry in December.

The trio was gaining on Paul, who was escaping from their torment if they caught up to him. Paul panicked, and shouted at them…

“Go away!”

One of the laughing Donovans caught up, and hung on behind of the wheelchair, Paul panicked more. Then, Terry came running on the right-side, grabbing the right wheel of the moving chair…

– unknowingly, TOUCHED THE METAL disc-plate… that electrocuted him.

The chair stopped in reverse… as Paul was gasping with fear, as he saw Terry on the floor with epilepsy…

… he heard Raymond shouting at him...

“What did you do to my brother, you crippled-freak!!?”

<>

THE MATH CLASS ENDED – there were 2 curious students, who were seated there – Peter and Alicia were wondering what HAD HAPPENED TO PAUL, who was absent for Ms Bloom’s class.

A busybody-student ran up to Peter, informing him…

“Pete, your Ballerina Paulie-twin, is at the VP’s office… for illegal modification in his wheelchair – which electrocuted Terry Donovan, from the other class. Terry is now in the Infirmary.”

The one-armed tween shook his head, and saying…

“There goes his ‘big-brain-short-legs’ experiment – I told that fool that it was dangerous when he went-crazy ‘test-rode’ that speed-buggy of his at home. Now THERE IS A VICTIM, Terry-Dee – and there goes, another Stamford High’s student deprived of his education.”

… but...

... Terry Donovan was the last-boy too, in his class, like Peter.

At front of the class, Jane switched the subject in her AI tablet, from Math to English. The blind girl heard Alicia in a worried tone, mumbling to herself in Hokkien…

“Ali, what is wrong…?”

“I think Paul is in trouble.”

<>

PAUL WALKER WAS SITTING ON HIS WHEELCHAIR – facing Ms Burnell, who was taking-down his incident report, of the electrocution-incident, outside the empty Principal’s office. Squatting, behind the wheelchair, was the school-maintenance-guy, who was using a screwdriver and hammer, as he hacked, the welded metal-disc, attached to the right-wheel.

… the puzzled worker wished Ms Burnell was ‘not’ there – or else HE WOULD ASK PAUL, where is the ‘power source’ WAS COMING FROM, to juice-up the dynamo.

Ms Burnell told Paul to go and wait inside the Principal’s office… and the worker placed the illegal-modification spare-parts on the Principle’s desk, and he left.

… Paul was in mixed-feelings of all fear, guilt and shame at that moment. Terry Donovan had recovered in the Infirmary, and was sent home, to rest – for what he had ‘done’ – and did he MISUSED HIS CURSED-POWERS irresponsibly?

And, he has never been in the Principal’s office ‘before’… unlike his twin.

… will the school CALL-OVER HIS MOTHER, who was busy at her police-work? Would his mother trust him now, after he ‘was’ gaining back her ‘trust’ since the zoo-incident?

-O-

At 9:00 AM, Principle Harris came… and stood outside the office, while he was briefed for a minute by Ms Burnell. Paul observed ‘them,’ outside the glass-door – and he trembled.

The Principle came alone… into his office for his first day after his leave-of-absence. The man closed the door and greeted…

“Good morning, Paul.”

… in tears, Paul blurted out. “Principe Harris, I’m so sorry of what happened to Terry, and I accept the mistake I-had made.”

Tom Harris nodded in silence, and he PICKED UP THE METAL-disc from his desk.

“Quite a science-project you had going, in your mid-term holiday – very innovative and creative – DID YOU LEARN this in school, in your after-curriculum studies?”

… Paul nodded and whispered. “Yes, sir.”

“Your mother would be proud of you, Paul – of the fine-job you have performed in school.”

… Paul was CONFUSED WHEN HE HEARD that if Tom Harris was being-sarcastic…

“Sir, are you going to call my mother now?”

“No… Carol should be busy at work… and there is no need in distracting her.”

“But, what about Terry…?”

‘No worries Paul, Terry GOT IT COMING-to-him – those Donovan brothers are a nuisance and troublemakers in school – and one of them will be ‘here’ in my office weekly, for ‘SOME’ DISTURBANCE THEY MAKE, and I have to deal with it.”

“So… I…?”

“You are dismissed, Paul – go, run along to your class – and study harder and get better grades.”

-O-

Paul nodded and exited the door, held by the man, as he patted Paul’s shoulder before he shut close it, behind him.

‘… is that it…?’

Paul thought, as he slowly made his way to his classroom…

… was he getting a free-pass and set-off Scotts-free –because his PRINCIPLE WAS ‘SEEING’ his inspector-mother? He noticed Principle Harris the ‘widower’ was casual… and relaxed, just now…

‘What was there to mourn, for an ex-wife? Who had it ‘coming’ like Terry Donovan?’

But Paul STILL FELT THE GUILT, of hurting Terry just now – and he would tell his mother ‘about’ the incident, once he got home later. And, for Principle Tom Harris…

… he should be KEPT HIM-FAR-AWAY ‘from’ his mother… for the sake of mankind in Perth of the wrath of the Cursed-One.

Everyone looked up when the saw Paul rolled into the classroom in his wheelchair, interrupted the English class. He apologized to Mr Bailey, his English teacher… before parking his wheelchair at his chairless-desk.

“Are you okay, Pauly?” The worried Alicia whispered.

Paul flashed a grin and an ‘okay-sign’ with his hand. Instantly, he released a positive energy-out. BLIND-JANE ‘FELT’ IT TOO… as she turned over to the ‘blue-glow’ and she smiled.

… at the back of the class, PETER FELT PAUL’S positive-energy ‘thrown-about’ – he was disappointed that his twin WAS ‘NOT’ PUNISHED, unlike in his case with Zubeer Khan at the tennis court, which led into a hoo-ha until his inspector mother was called in too – and she made a ‘demand’ FOR A ‘SEVERE’ PUNISHMENT as possible for him.

Peter Walker grudged his twin – and ‘others,’ who were out there, TO TAKE HIM-DOWN.

<><>

AFTER A SLOW TORTURE OF AGONY by sitting through a couple of subject periods, Peter exhaled with relief when History class was over when the bell rang.

He hated Mr Alexander Hull, his History teacher who made fun of his weak students – with Peter being the butt-of-his-jokes always. Mr Hull’s philosophical insight was the great fallen empires were the cause-result of its leaders… REPEATING THEIR ‘MISTAKES’ as they don’t change and learn from the history of past mistakes – and that applied too – to the history of his ‘weak’ students, who DON’T WANT TO ‘CHANGE’ by learning, from their own mistakes.

… it was recess-period with hungry students, trailing to the canteen – but Peter ran over, to the student counsellor’s office, near the Infirmary...

“Well Ms King, did you talk to him…?”

“Not-yet – Principle Harris is holding an urgent staff meeting – discussing about the phone-bombs explosion incident.”

The one-armed boy SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDER a couple of time… of what-has-that-got-to-do-with-his-question...

…Peter then spoke…

“… this is ‘urgent,’ Ms King – Coach Jonah is itching-now, and will be calling-on the closing deadline, this afternoon for the application entries.”

“Okay, I will talk to Principle Harris – once his meeting is over.”

“Make ‘SURE’ YOU DO THAT – I’m counting on you, Ms King – I should have ‘an’ answer, before the last bell today. Thanks!”

He shut the door and left.

Ms King sighed at her current position that she WAS DANGLING ON STRINGS, pulled by this monstrous puppet-master. She was nervous about approaching the principle later… and also dreaded if she ‘failed’ to convince him, for a favourable outcome.

Outside, while walking in the hallway towards the canteen – Peter met the senior student Jason Lang.

… Lang was the basketball student who phone-camera Recorded His Viral Video of the ‘Perth’s Famous couple’ – that spiralled crazy in YouTube – when a handicapped couple beat the able-bodied Doug-and-Zoe in tennis… which had commanding over 40K hits.

“Jason, do you want ANOTHER ‘MEGA-HIT’ SCOOP – to make your YT channel bigger and popular?”

Without batting his eyes, Jason Lang leapt-in and went yess…

Peter took out his iPhone, and showed a video of his trashed bedroom – claiming that some terrorist-hacker ‘broke’ into his house, and stole his passwords of his personal social media accounts in his iPad – and, ‘MADE’ A PHONE-BOMB VIRUS that exploded on ‘faces’ of Perth’s receivers, of the ‘couple’s-breakup-video.’

He shared the video to Jason Lang online – and smirked… seeing his ‘minion’ running away – to do his next bidding, for HIS COMEBACK of fame of the ‘Perth’s famous couple’ campaign…

… his PR was done, for the day.

<><>

THE STAFF MEETING CARRIED ON in the board-room, by Principle Tom Harris – and it went well…

… while Tom Harris was away, out-of-town for HIS EX-WIFE’S FUNERAL – the Mayor of Perth, John Blake had visited the explosion-victims in hospitals, to have his re-election media coverage of Perth.

It so happened the Major and the Principal were good friends, who played golf together regularly and have memberships in the ‘same’ prestigious country club, where they hang out, for drinks after golf.

… Mayor Blake called up Harris during the funeral, and informed him of the terrorist-phone-bomb ATTACKS IN ‘HIS’ SCHOOL and, suggested that a ‘campaign’ should be done, to get the good reputation of Stamford High ‘back’ from bad press.

The Mayor suggested a HEROES’ AWARD to be given to those involved at the recent South Perth’s Zoo – where the 5 – SHS students and student-counsellor – who have rescued Baby Samuel, from the ‘still missing’ abductor. That ‘was’ good-press that could divert the public view, from the explosion-victim tragedy.

The Principal fully agreed...

… in the same phone conversation, Principal Harris too ‘suggested’ to the Mayor – that Inspector Caroline Walker TO GET HER PROMOTION… as she had worked hard in the police-serious-crime division, on the zoo investigation.

<>

MS KING APPROACHED THE PRINCIPLE’S OFFICE to ask permission for both Peter Walker and Jane Wilson to participate IN THE MIXED DOUBLE list… despite Peter was under the ban, to play for the final term.

… Principal Harris ‘approved’ it whole-heartedly at once – where to her surprise, the student counsellor… that she did ‘not’ have to do much convincing. Ms King used to know him as a firm disciplinarian – who stood by his hard and tough decisions, that he made in the past.

Earlier, she heard from teachers that the Principle had ALSO ‘BENT’ THE RULES… and let Paul get away, for electrocuting Terry Donovan.

… Ms King saw him phoning up Coach Jonah – to inform that the handicapped-couple should be included, in the submission of the school tennis-junior tourney…

… after a dispute with Coach Jonah, it was DECIDED THAT PETER’S BAN still stayed… in the Boys’ tennis category.