Chapter 5

Hilda and her friends got off with a warning. The lady at the counter who had given her the key was all cold and steely.

"You know how the Privet Place Bank deals with thieves?" she hissed, after Hilda shamefully handed back the brass key. "They lock them up in juvenile detention for a week. Then, after that, they do community service for another month. Cuba deals with theft very seriously." She put away the key, and gave them the most dirtiest look Hilda had ever seen. It made Hilda start gulping in terror. "You're lucky you still get to go to Blackwood. If I were the headmistress, you would be expelled."

"But it was her vault. The Anna Willows girl was the thief!" Rose cried.

"You've got a nerve!" the woman screamed. "Ms Willows even had her own key, unlike Ms Ston- whoever this girl is!"

"I'm Hilda Stone."

"You'll be Hilda Stone when pigs fly!"

"Let them fly, then," Genevieve snarled. "Because this girl is Hilda Stone, through and through. Nobody knows that better than me."

"Nonsense, girl. Now get out of Cuba."

"But I have a right to be in Cuba." Genevieve replied coldly, calmly. "I have a vault here, and I would like to deposit money."

"How do I know if you are also a fraud?" the woman shot back.

"Because my father is the most paranoid person ever. He has installed biometric scans that only permit myself and him."

"And I need to get to my vault, as well." Rose piped up. "Legally you have to let me in."

"And whose vaults are these?" the woman said.

"Huang." Genevieve said

"And Waters." Rose added.

"The Huang vault and the Waters vault. Along with the Spencer vault, they are three of the richest vaults in Cuba. How can I believe you?"

"Biometric scan." Genevieve said exasperatingly.

"Just get out."

"We have right-" Rose tried

"And I have a right to refuse entry to criminals. Just get out."

"We're not-"

"Just get out."

"But-"

"Just get out."

"You see-"

"JUST GET OUT!" the woman finally screamed. "JUSTGETOUTJUSTGETOUTJUSTGETOUT!!"

"Sorry." Hilda whispered.

She walked out, shuffling her feet. Genevieve followed her, and then Rose went out as well.

"Was I actually a thief?" Hilda said, as they half-walked, half-runned out of Privet Place.

"No, of course not." Genevieve said.

"But how do you know?" Hilda sobbed.

"I just know. The incident at the-"

"The Caveman thing?" Hilda intercepted.

"Yes. You actually are Hilda." Genevieve said. "And everyone there at that - erm -"

"Riot."

"Yeah." Genevieve replied uncertainly. "Everyone there knew that."

"Even Anna?"

"Willows." Genevieve hissed. "Yes. She knows. But she won't comprehend."

But, she looked at Rose as if she meant much, much more.

Luckily, Hilda never caught that.

"Ok everyone." Rose replied, trying to break the ice. "My place?"

"YES!" Genevieve cheered. " I get to see fault in another Huang Corp house!"

"Uhh. That's besides the point." Rose said.

"Precisely why I'm doing it."

"Gits." Smiled a tear-stained Hilda.