Chapter Six.
BlackBall
Calix arrives at the cafe we decided to meet at precisely on the second it becomes five ’o’
clock. He’s punctual to an eerie degree.
“No car?” I enquire.
“No. I thought it would be romantic to walk,” he says and I smile at him enthralled.
We walk from the café to the graveyard. One gate leading to the dead ,the other to the black city of the living dead. Calix opens the gate, the black key the only hint of the awaiting destination.
There is a unique atmosphere here, it’s not excitement but even these gloomy citizens seem to have a whisper of expectation in their eyes. They all seem to know some important secret and I can’t help but wonder what it is. I look at Calix quizzically. He smiles, holding out his arm to usher me into the city. There are huge banners everywhere, silver with purple lettering.
‘Tonight SuperBall-Eternal Blacks VS Purple Predators.’
This feels like a huge event, there are crowds of people, dressed in black as usual or all-purple.
“What is all this Calix?”
“The SuperBall, the biggest sporting event in the city. It only comes around every eight years.”
“Eight? Wow that’s a long wait, what sport do they play?”
“Blackball, the signature sport of this city.”
Everything looks cinematic, a blur of black, purple, and silver. There’s a distant echo of a slow motioned chanting. The Blackball cheer of the Broken, a faded memory in the subconscious of a premiership football match. It’s like a party’s taking place in a shadow world.
It’s still an old black and white film crackling from dust, but more vivid than before as if a little colour is fighting to break through.
They march to the beat of a different instrument, one that I never knew existed. I can hear what a harpsichord and see stalls selling mini banners. The black fountain in the centre of the city is spouting its glorious water. The dark lullaby sounds its musical notes through the whole city. It’s eerie yet wondrous, sang by the BlackBall fans, the closest to passion they could ever hope to touch.
“This is amazing Calix, why didn’t you tell me?” I enthuse.
“I wanted it to be a surprise.” I can see he is dressed up in his regalia, all pomp and pageantry.
“Are you on duty tonight Calix? You look so…”I pause not quite knowing the correct word.
“Regal, like a Prince,” I continue.
“Why thank you Seren, I’m introducing the games .I’ve reserved a seat in the Royal Box for you.”
A surge of joy turns to panic.
“The royal box! Calix what about your father?”
“Actually Seren ,father doesn’t get involved with these sort of events. He knows they are good for the city, uniting everyone and bring a sense of patriotism but he’s dubious regarding the amount of excitement they bring on. He worries they might cheer everyone up too much, so he made me patron of this event and I’m always the official face of the games. It’s a great honour, my absolute favourite duty to perform. That’s why I invited you. I had to make sure you could be a part of it.”
“Oh Calix, this is wonderful. Who else will be in the royal box?”
“Well there will be my Dads secretary…”
“What? She’ll only tell him that I’ve been here”
“Hmm, there is that. I know, why don’t your wear a disguise?”
“What kind of disguise?”
“There are BlackBall cheerleaders back stage. You can dress up as one of them.”
“Will this work? Even with a costume she will know my face.” He stops for a moment, trying to think up another of his master plans.
“Well to be really convincing I guess you’d need some kind of wig. There’s a costume dress shop across the street. We’ll try there. Come on.” He grabs my hand and leads me away from the great stadium .I’m temporarily dumbfounded as I see a zeppelin floating above my head with ‘Eternal Black’ written on it.
In the shop window, there is an Elizabethan style black dress. It looks like a collection of antique dresses.
“What kind of shop is this Calix?
“They sell very elaborate, one-of-a-kind, hand made clothing and accessories. It’s where a lot of people get stuff for balls and special occasions. They sell wigs as well, come on.”
We walk through the door and are greeted by a tall, elegant looking woman. The shop looks like a boutique, the costumes seem haute-couture.
“Good afternoon your Royal Highness, what a pleasant surprise. Is there anything in particular I could help you with?”
“Well Seren needs a wig,” he says, motioning to me as I blush .
“A wig? Her hair looks perfectly lovely to me, all those auburn tones,” she says kindly.
“Its for the SuperBall, I’m dressing up,” I say quickly and truthfully.
“Oh I see. Well we stock only the finest wigs here Seren. Is there any particular colour or style you are looking for?”
“Umm,” I look at Calix, not really knowing what style I’m meant to be choosing myself.
“Can we see your selection?” he says in a non-committal tone.
“Yes, follow me please,” she walks briskly through the parlour, her exceedingly high shoes clip-clopping all the way through.
On a wall at the back, wigs decorate it like a form of hairy wallpaper, each a work of art displayed beautifully. Strawberry-blonde bobs ,a Marie Antoinette heavy looking hairpiece, long jet black hair, curly purple hair and edgy platinum blonde tresses.
“A lot of the cheerleaders had blonde hair, Calix,” I whisper so I’m inaudible to the shop-keeper.
“Shall we take the blonde wig then Seren?” he says out loud.
“Yes, the platinum blonde please. I’d like to look as different to myself as possible!” I say enthusiastically.
“An excellent choice Miss, bold yet still effortlessly stylish,” she says theatrically.
She shows me to a seat in front of a mirror that has Hollywood style light bulbs all the way around it. I sit down excited as a child in a dressing up box. Calix stands looking on. The shop keeper aids me in putting the wig on. I put a less than glamorous rubber cap on first to gather all of my natural hair, then she places the razor cut wig on my head.
“Oh Seren, it looks amazing. You would barely recognize you,” says Calix.
I look in the mirror and I certainly don’t look like myself. I like it, though it’s so different to the usual me. I look edgier.
“I’ll take it.”
“Very well. You look fabulous darling, the perfect hair do,” says the ever enthusiastic shop keeper. We buy the wig and walk swiftly back to the stadium.
It’s grown dark, louder and busier since we’ve been in the shop. There are crowds everywhere. I have the wig on, and Calix is smiling at me like he’s impressed and fascinated to be walking around with a girl that is me and yet doesn’t look like me. We’re holding hands.
People are bound to think that Calix is dating somebody new.
“Don’t you think I should get some new clothes? I still have my same old look. I won’t quite pass as a cheerleader in this,” I have to shout because it’s still so loud.
“Yeah you do look too much like you dress wise. We’ll look for a clothes shop.”
Calix chooses to go in the most upmarket shop in the whole shopping centre, but as a girl I’m much more shopping savvy so I grab his arm.
“Hey Mr! Cheerleaders don’t shop in places like this. Didn’t you see what those girl had on?
Miniskirts and tiny vests.” I lead him to a shop that seems to sell mainly party wear, glitzy and short .Exactly what I’m looking for. Upon entering ,I spy a sequined black skirt.
“I think this would be good.”
“Isn’t it a bit too long? I mean for a cheerleader?” he asks.
“It is, but it’s the shortest I’ prepared go. I can be a cheerleader with modesty,” I say and he laughs. I search through the rails and come across a pretty top that’s sparkly and black.
“Perfect!”
I think I’ll pass as a cheerleader. I only hope the Kings secretary doesn’t recognize me from before.
“Shouldn’t I wear make-up as well? She’s used to seeing me looking natural. After all Calix she is bound to pay attention to me, just because I’m with you. She’ll think we’re dating and wonder what happened to me, you know the real me ,what with you being seen with another girl so soon.”
We pop into a chemist, which is old fashioned and quaint with bottles of aromatherapy liquids everywhere. I choose a plum lip gloss which is cheerleader-esq, while at the same time retaining a little of myself.
“This will do. Please try to keep her away from me though Calix.”
“I will Seren, I promise. You really look different, but I don’t know if she’ll fall for it. Besides, even if she doesn’t, she won’t with absolute certainty be able to tell father you were here. I’ll just deny it saying I brought a cheerleader.”
“Okay, Calix, we’ll do it. I can’t wait to see this.”
We walk out to hear ‘Welcome to the Black City’ by My Deathly Romance playing in the stadium and hear the vast crowd singing along.
“That song could be the anthem of this city,” I enthuse.
“ True,” he agrees.
“It’s one of my all time favourite songs,” I shout.
“Mine too. Come on Seren, this is it, the event to be at. I’m so glad you’re here. You’re making this moment perfect for me, even though you don’t look like yourself,” he says and we both giggle.
We go backstage. Calix is obviously a V.I.P, not simply because he’s royalty but also
because he’s contributing to the game as well.
“We’ll go and meet some of the stars of the sport.”
“The stars? I don’t even know who they are. I’m sure it would mean a lot to some people Calix, but I’m afraid that it won’t to me. For all I know they could be any old players.”
“Shh…don’t say that and actually Seren, I would like to meet them. I’ve met most of them before, some are pals but they have a couple of new players who I’d like to be acquainted with, even if it’s just for the sake of duty.”
Calix can be my perfect date, a romantic hero but whatever time it is, he really does seem dedicated to his royal duties. His father’s probably drummed it in. We walk into their changing room and the boys are all kitted out in black shorts with black sport shirts. Each shirt is emblazoned with a silver ‘EB’. They look so fierce and determined, a team ready to win.
“Hey Prince Calix, great to see you again,” the most striking (in terms of looks and charisma) team member steps forward and greets Calix with a special handshake. They must know each other better than I thought.
“Seren, this is Frederic Forefront,” Calix introduces me to the one man that could rival him in looks, although I get the feeling Frederic Forefront is more arrogant and rebellious than Calix, so not my type anyway.
“Pleasure to meet you,” he says gazing me fixedly in the eye. This is not a man to be messed with.
“Our team are just getting prepared for the game. It’s very much a mental thing. Our physique and stamina are what we work on all year round after all.” He has an interesting speaking voice.
It sounds foreign, although his English is perfect, better than that of most English natives. I wonder if he was recruited for being broken. He looks focused and extremely disciplined but I still get the feeling of a dark secret lurking somewhere underneath. It would appear that the whole team are in awe of Freddie. Every word he speaks they listen intently, obeying him as one would an army general or commander in chief.
“Well, you really go for it tonight, give it all you got. I’m backing you one hundred per cent, but don’t tell the other team,” I say.
“We always give it one hundred per cent Seren. Tonight we ramp it up to one thousand,” says Frederic seriously.
“Great, we look forward to seeing you win, although as a patron of the games I’m meant to be impartial.”
“Come on Seren, time to face Dad’s secretary,” says Calix marching out into the stadium.
“Enjoy the game,” says Frederic.
“Thanks and you too. Bye,” I say, finding Freddie intimidating without Calix by my side.
“Do you know him well?” I ask Calix as we make our way up to the Royal Box.
“Yes. We used to be close friends. We’d see each other everyday, but Frederic started travelling a lot with his BlackBall so it was more difficult to stay in touch. He really is a fascinating human being. He’s supremely fit.”
“Did he join the City of the Broken because he was broken?” I ask intrigued.
“Do you mean was he recruited?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t recruit him, because we’re both similar ages. He was actually one of the first people to join, not long after my mother died and Dad sank into a deep depression. Freddie was an abused child who turned to football as his only way of coping. He was really sad and lonely. My dad recruited him and he didn’t hesitate to say ‘yes’. Football became Black Ball. This city saved him Seren.”
“Wow, I guess I always see all this depression and melancholy as a bad thing, but it certainly wasn’t in his case.”
“He’s a great star now. If he’d carried on as he was, his talent never would have been nurtured enough to make it in football. But in BlackBall, he’s number one.”
The chanting from the crowd is immense, and they participate in a Mexican wave of misery.
All around us is a sea of little black diamonds studding the seats of the stadium. The
Royal Box is positioned in the perfect location. We accessed it from stairs that led from the changing rooms, after all I’m sure Calix doesn’t want BlackBall fans heckling him. We open the door to the box, which only has five other people in it, although the secretary isn’t one of them.
She can’t have arrived yet.
“Good afternoon Prince Calix. How wonderful it is to see you again,” a red head with pillar box red lips lurches forward and smooches Calix on the cheek. I expected this from the mass of
BlackBall fans, but the royal box I thought would have a little dignity.
“And who is this?” she looks at me with disapproval.
“Anita, this is Ser…” I cough remembering that tonight I’m not Seren.
“Oh I mean…this is a cheerleader.”
“A cheerleader?” she changes her expression from disgust to surprise in an instant.
“Why, my dear Calix, would you want to be seen at the social event of the year with a cheerleader?”
“Well she’s…um-”
“His date,” I blurt out annoyed at this woman’s insolence.
“Oh I see. Lucky little thing to be seen on the Prince’s arm, that will score you many a future gig I’m sure.”
“Anita! She is not with me just for her career.”
“Why of course she is darling. Besides there’s nothing wrong with that. If you’re going to be a gold-digger ,at least be with a handsome Prince. She chose well,” says Anita who speaks with a slight lisp.
“I’m not a gold digger. I don’t care that Calix is a prince. It’s enough that he’s lovely, intelligent and beautiful to boot.” I smile and he smiles back at me.
“Whatever Sweetie. Calm down. Let us try and enjoy the game, do.”
I’m outraged Anita, winding me up, achieving her aim and then making out as if I was kicking up all of this drama. But I don’t react and ignore her instead.
“A cheerleader aye, young fellow? Your Father won’t approve of that. Humph cheer,” a stuffy older gentleman with a hat tilted to cover one eye sits at the front, saying this without turning around to face Calix .
“I’m sure he will approve far more than if he knew the truth,” Calix whispers in my ear and I giggle at this.
“Seren, try to stay emotionless remember,” he whispers.
“It’s dreadful isn’t it Popsy?” says Anita.
“Oh I don’t know, a cheerleader isn’t so bad. She’ll have plenty of stamina to keep up with Calix,” says a lady with golden hair.
It’s strange that people pay me more attention when I’m blonde and sparkly.
Calix looks annoyed at all the fuss ,like he’d rather just soak up the atmosphere of the game. I don’t blame him. The other two in our box include a prissy girl who seems horrified by the banter going on around her. And then there is the man who’s set me on edge since we’ve been here ,he has dark glasses on and for whatever reason I feel like he’s listening intently to every single word being said, but trying to do so undetected.
“Who’s that ?He gives me the creeps,” I say nudging Calix, slanting my head to Mr. Dark Glasses.
“That’s one of Dads secret service commanders. He gets invited to this all the time, one of the perks of his job I guess, although I think he is a big BB fan,” he whispers.
Calix and I sit in two reserved V.I.P seats, right at the front of the box. Teenage girls scream
“Look Prince Calix!” He smiles out of politeness but like he’s completely used to this attention.
The players all begin to line up on the playing field, which is tarmac with high white goal posts. It’s vast ,surely you could fit five cemeteries on it.
The Eternal Blacks line the pitch looking muscular, dignified, heroic, with the man who embodies all these things in the middle, Mr Frederick Forefront. On the opposing tem, opposite the Eternal Blacks are the Purple Predators ,who I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting but look every bit as fierce as the Blacks but with added bulk. The players on this team look heftier, the Captain being double Freddie’s width, though it looks like muscle and not flab. The Captains lock eye contact for a moment and it’s earth shaking stuff, they both look deathly competitive.
The whistle is blown and the game begins. The black ball is perfectly round and could be a bowling ball, but its made from a softer substance. Rubber? Plastic? I can hear Anita complaining in the background.
“I cannot stand Black Ball, common sport,” she says. She’s certainly made an effort dress wise.
She’s wearing a black wide brimmed hat, a statement making black feather collar- which is circular going all the way around her neck and down her chest. Her stomach and arms are covered in black circular discs made from PVC, the tamest part of her outfit is her black pencil skirt, although its simplicity only serves to further draw attention to her elaborate top half.
Kick off has began. James passes the ball to Forest, both members of the EB’ s and he kicks it into the goal three minutes into the game. Amazingly the crowd don’t go wild and I’m baffled by this for a while and then I remember where I am. Instead erupts a distant dreary chant
‘Forest, Forest’ because of course Broken city members cannot show any flicker of excitement or joy, let alone the ecstatic roar I was expecting upon Forest scoring. I think I made the most fuss out of the whole crowd, clapping loudly. Anita gave me a very disapproving look but then I am supposed to be a cheerleader. Speaking of which I can see the real cheerleaders waving black pompoms, dancing solemnly as dancers who could never quite perfect a routine. Their eyes look sad, they dance lifelessly although all the while looking beautiful and graceful but not all singing, all dancing as I would have thought them to be. More despair leaders.
The black ball moves around the pitch like the speediest beetle, wanting to escape the pursuit of the players. The match entertains me more than any other sport I’ve watched before.
I’ve never been one for sport but I’m thrilled by the game. Maybe it’s the players, they all seem to have a secret that lurks beneath the glossy veneer of professional BlackBall players. And they do, that’s the reason they are members of this city. They must all be in some way, broken. I look at them glimmering in success and find that magnificent. Then I think of Anita, I wonder why she’s here. She looks so polished ,so together and yet she can’t be. It’s all an illusion, her outfit, her strength. Calix’s watching enthralled, he clearly is a huge BlackBall fan. His profile is perfect, his midnight hair, those piercing eyes that look like they could know your every thought, every secret, the longing of your heart.
Four all.
Both teams have played incredibly, refusing to let the other have the upper hand. But there’s only two minutes left to go. The score board, the true star of the show having the honour of the final bow.
“This is so close Seren, I’m glad you are here to share this moment. It’s rare, timed to perfection, flawless,” and for the first time in the whole match, he takes his eyes off the game and stares, with the same relentless focus into my eyes just as fascinated as he was with the game. This has to be the most perfect moment of my life, despite the fact I’m dressed as another person. Then he leans in and we kiss, making the match blur into obscurity. I hear the whistle blow and realize the game has ended. We missed the ultimate moment, or did we? I think on reflection, I was part of the ultimate moment.
Looking up at the score board I see the result. Eternal Blacks ‘5’:Purple Predators:‘4.’
They did it! Frederick Forefront stretches his arms wide, embracing victory with open arms.
“You two are completely irritating. Your smooching blocked my view during crucial moment,”
Anita complains behind us.
“Sorry you missed the last goal Calix,” I say apologetically but not really caring since I’ll remember our kiss a whole lot longer than a Black Ball major match.
“Don’t be Seren. I was scoring my own goal.” I blush and giggle, becoming more of a cheerleader by the second.
“Seren,” I hear the voice of a woman and look behind me, forgetting my faux cheerleader self for the moment.
It’s the Kings secretary. Oh no, she recognized me.
“I knew it was you. Why are you all dressed up like a harlot, dear girl?” she asks puzzled.
“Um…”
“Do you know this girl?” asks Anita clearly annoyed with me.
“Why yes, that’s Seren. The girl Calix has been dating for months and who his father told him to no longer see.”
Oh no. Suddenly I’m aware Mr. Creepy in the back row gets up abruptly, despite the fact the huge moment of the presentation of the cup to Frederick Forefront is happening on the pitch.
I knew he was spying on us.
“Calix I think that your father sent that man to watch us, he will probably report back what he’s seen and heard.”
“Dad always does things like this, he promises me he won’t. He never trusts me. But don’t worry Seren, we’ll just use our plan and look broken, then he will have to accept you.” I don’t know how he does it but one look at his perfect face is all I need to be thoroughly convinced this master plan of his will work, even though our cheerleader scheme fell flat on its face.
“Better take off the make-up and dress more depressingly though,” he adds raising his eyebrows at me.
“Yeah, I don’t think we’ll convince him in this,” I concur.
Before I rush off to change into morbid mode, we decide to watch the presentation of the cup to Freddie.
The cup itself is exquisite, black onyx, with a gold plaque reading ‘Eternal Blacks’. Fans in the audience are wearing their Black ‘EB’ scarves and black and silver confetti is raining from above. There is even a giant balloon reading ‘Eternal Blacks, Eternal Champions’ that floats across the sky travelling to a paradise unknown.
Frederick, despite his great win, still looks guarded, as though he doesn’t trust anyone, knowing full well the fickleness of his fans who may adore him one moment and turn their backs on him the next. His team mates line the field, with him at the centre and flash bulbs explode around them.
“That’ll be front page on the Broken Gazette tomorrow I have no doubt,” Anita says behind us, as if she thinks them undeserving of their win.
“Front page on all the papers, and some tabloids I’m sure. Young Frederick is exceedingly popular with the girls who read those magazines,” says the Kings secretary.
After the presentation along with crowds of others, Calix and I depart from the stadium.
He grabs my hand and leads the way. It’s dark now.
“Come on Seren, change into you regular clothes and I’ll walk you back.”
I giggle as I’ve never seen Calix this flustered before, he’s normally the very definition of cool composure. I wonder what the hurry is. We run through the city centre, with Calix practically dragging me along all the way. Suddenly I’m aware of several bright lights shining directly on us.
“Stop there,” a voice shouts with authority. As I turn I see a group of people, who look like police, all dressed in black uniform.
“Your Royal Highness Prince Calix, we’ve been directed to protect you and rescue you from the unsafe influence of Miss Seren Loneheart. She is no longer allowed within a mile radius of you.
The King has passed a new law.”
“What? This is absolutely ridiculous. I love Seren,” says Calix.
“She has corrupted your judgment Your Majesty. I’ve been told by the King himself you’d come out with such a line. We must protect you Your Majesty and Miss Loneheart has been found to be unsafe.”
I just stand there is shock. How could the King do this?
“Seren go please, he always does this. I’m sorry.” Calix looks sad, so defeated .I feel like his father is destroying him as much as our relationship.
I walk back through the gate of The City of the Broken in a trance like state. My mind is so cluttered with horror it cannot process thoughts. Calix. And yet with this knife in the stomach is accompanied elation.
“I love Seren,” his own words. I never even had to drop a hint for him to say this.
But what good is his love when his father prevents him from seeing me? And that shouldn’t be the case, Calix is an adult and a prince. It’s entirely up to him if he wants to see me or not. It’s as if his father has convinced everyone he’s been brainwashed by me.
‘Corrupting his judgements.’ How manipulative and devious that man is. I go home and sit on my bed remaining in a trance. This is wrong. How can the King get away with this ?These thoughts run through my mind on a loop .I’m so traumatized, I feel numb. I try to sleep but I can’t. So this is what it feels like to be an insomniac. Why did I have to fall in love with a man who has a tyrant as a father? He’s effectively caged him in that city and blackened my name. But why does the King not want me near Calix? Why does he think me unsafe? The only way to find out the answer is to meet with the King himself, although this won’t be easy. Now that I’m considered ‘unsafe’ if I return to the city those guards will be on my back, even if I don’t go anywhere near Calix. Perhaps I should just be upfront and request a meeting with the King, though I’m certain he will say no, in fact his secretary will simply dismiss the request. I feel so pathetic. There must be something that I can do to change his mind. I still haven’t officially joined The City of the Broken as a citizen yet, before I was just there as a guest of the Prince. Maybe if I did I’d have more access to the king and Calix .Maybe the king would approve of me more.
Since we’re on holiday from school, I have no chance of seeing him that way either. It’s so frustrating. Still unable to sleep from the distress of being banned from seeing my beloved Calix, I decide tomorrow I will resolve this. I’m going to the City of the Broken and demanding to see the King. His secretary has met me before and even though she’ll probably know of the situation, I’m sure I could convince her to at least ask him to think about it. After all he told me to stay away from Calix ,not the city. Maybe I could even ask the King if I can become a citizen, Calix did recruit me in the first place for this very purpose.