SEVENTEEN

Lee spun a pen between his fingers then anxiously started tapping it on the desk when SHE walked in.

The class commenced when the teacher walked in and she looked unusually flustered, what was going on?

He decided to observe and saw she stole occasional glances of Amane, and he sometimes returned them with a smile, he had to do something...

He knew no more lies would work, so he actually had to do something for her...

Scarlet Sapphira opened her locker and several envelopes fell out of it, this used to be usual, until the boys came about, now they were back, and they were all from one person...

She opened the first one, and it was a handwritten letter in Lee's handwriting, they were in a sequence, with a patch of pink which grew deeper red as she progressed according to which letter was next, the last one wasn't complete, it was just a short clause,"Look back..."

She turned back and widened her eyes when Lee knelt down before her, all cleaned up, then asked,"Scarlet Sapphira...I wanted to ask you if you would go to the Spring Dance with me..."

She looked into his eyes for several seconds, this was her original plan, but things changed...she didn't know what to say as for the first time, she was saved by Akane, who yelled,"No!"

Everyone looked at her as she stormed forward then slapped Scarlet Sapphira across the face and Lee tried to push her back, and Akane also ran from the crowd, but she remained silent as Akane yelled,"Don't you guys see what she's doing?! She's just manipulating you, like she does everyone else! Lee, you aren't allowed to be with this girl."

"And in what position are you to give me orders?"He asked.

"I'm your sister and I care about you..."

Amane then placed his hand on Lee's shoulder and said,"Bro, that's enough."

"Why?! So you can have her?!"

"This is getting out of hand, it was fun while it lasted but..."

Everyone was shocked as he said that, but Lee shoved Amane to the side then said,"I'm not letting you win, not again."

He turned to Scarlet Sapphira and she had no idea of what to say, looking at all she had brought upon herself, she had no more tears to shed, only one word to say,"Yes..."

The world went blank for Akane as Lee asked Scarlet Sapphira for clarification and she could only nod, everyone in the hallway forgot what led up to that moment and began to cheer for the duo then Amane placed a hand on Lee's shoulder and said,"Congratulations..."

He then left Scarlet Sapphira smiling as she hugged Lee.

He promised that he was going to make her happier than any other person and this actually began to sting Amane, if he did that, how would she feel when it was time to let go?

Scarlet Sapphira walked home still smiling and hiccuping as tears began to flow, and she fell to the floor in the middle of the road and cried.

She tried to pick herself up until someone came from behind her, it was Jack Johnson.

He lifted her up below her arm and she said,"I thought you were mad at me..."

"...I was, I'm not anymore, because I know you've changed."

She looked at him, then thanked him as he helped her take the walk to the bus stop, then they went home, with her tears dry, but her face still unable to adapt, she had nothing left in her, no motive to hide, no reason to deceive and seeing her, Rose and I ran to give her a warm embrace, then the tears began again and we asked her what happened, then she told us everything...

***

Rose also had tears, along with me, then said,"We found them..."

I was as confused as everyone else as she said,"We found Ruby's children..."

Scarlet Sapphira and Jack Johnson widened their eyes as their breathing rate accelerated, I ran to call everyone else, but didn't find Ruby, till she slowly walked out of her room and down the stairs, with silver tears in her blue eyes.

She then asked,"Did you really find them?"

Scarlet Sapphira didn't know what to say, then Jack Johnson said,"The boy is called Lee, Lee..."

"...Wong Song..."Ruby spoke,"...is that his name?"

The two of them nodded as she asked,"And what about the girl, what about my daughter?"

Jack Johnson nodded several times, but Scarlet Sapphira looked away, remembering all that she had done against...her cousin.

Ruby burst into fresh tears and Jack Johnson and Scarlet Sapphira hugged her tightly, then promised to reunite her with her children.

The night of the school dance came up and Jack Johnson walked out of his room, in his blue tux and tie, he then went into Scarlet Sapphira's room and was stunned when he met her...

She was bewitching before, but now she was plain stunning.

She wore a rose coloured dress which fit closely to her thin figure on the blouse and flowed perfectly to the floor like a lace garment.

The belt of the dress was fitted with optic fibres which gave it a warm golden glow and the lace outer covering had a cold, blue one, contrasting with the pink dress beneath.

Her red hair had been woven into thin dreads and put over her shoulder in a half ponytail, with a sapphire and ruby broche holding it together.

She did a twirl and asked how she looked and her brother was short for words as Markella came from behind with a thumb cushion and pins between her teeth, she removed them and said,"I'm sorry I couldn't do better, it was on such short..."

"Are you kidding me?!"Jack Johnson yelled,"...the dress is drop dead gorgeous! You're amazing cousin Markella, just like your dad...both of them."

Markella made a sweet smile as Jack Johnson put an arm through Scarlet Sapphira's, then they walked out of the room.

There, they were met by Junior, who wiped a false tear and said,"My little babies are all grown up."

"Don't ruin the moment..."Scarlet Sapphira retorted as they walked down the stairs.

We all were on our feet when they walked down the stairs, I couldn't believe those were my children...I was so proud as Scarlet Sapphira showed me her first ever smile that I knew for sure, was authentic."

They walked out to the car where the driver waited for them and helped them in, then the car took off and so did my little children, take off from the nest.

At the dance, both Amane and Lee waited for something to happen, someone to arrive and when she did, the entire hall fell dead silent...