THIRTY-NINE

Amane walked back into the class, distracted and hurt, more hurt than he ever had been, physically and or or emotionally.

The entire hall was dead silent as he sat, then Red Brair gasped and ran to him, asking what happened to his eye but he brushed her off, then dismissed the class.

Amane got home long after Scarlet Sapphira as he had walked, wondering what he may have done against Scarlet Sapphira, but nothing came up.

The young man walked to his mother's room and heard a gentle sobbing, then looked through the slight opening on the door as Scarlet Sapphira cried, holding his mother's caring hand.

Amane decided to let her vent and went to treat his injury.

Looking at the mirror as Markella dabbed a towel soaked in methylated spirit on his divided eyebrow, she asked how it happened.

He sighed then said,"I have no idea, the moment I showed up, she began acting strange and then this happened...I think I should quit the job."

Markella squeezed the towel and dipped it in the recently boiled water she had put down for emergencies, before slapping it, hard, on Amane's hurt brow and as he yelled in pain, she asked,"Are you stupid?"

"No, why?"

"Because you're acting like Junior back there."She said as he flew through a glass door, crashing over a table and falling down the stairs, before groaning, then she looked back at him as he asked,"I don't get your point, I'm trying to do what she wanted."

"Let me rephrase that, you're trying to do what SHE wanted, has Scarlet Sapphira ever acted like this before? Do you know the number of sleepless nights she had when you were away? Now you wanted to be with her in school, where EVERYONE knows you're dating and you think you should call a quits? Really?!"

"So then what should I do?"

"It takes time for the truth to come out, keep trying, she'll eventually tell you, that is, if you don't lose your patience."

He looked back at the mirror and said,"Or my eyeball."

She leaned on his head and said,"She didn't get your eye, but personally, I'd say you look better with a cut brow."

***

Thomasina was setting up everything for lunch when she saw Junior munching on the shrimp.

She snatched them from him, flicked his forehead and said,"You'll get them when I'm done, idiot."

He rubbed his forehead then said,"Fine, I'll be patient...but do you think Mr Flyby will be?"

She looked at him and asked,"What are you talking about."

He grinned then said,"You know what I'm talking about, I've seen the way that hot jogger looks at you each morning, when you're playing, eating... dressing..."

She frowned at him then gave him a crescent kick to the side of the head, knocking him to the drawers, before giving him a side kick which threw him through the glass door, over the dinner table and down the stairs, then she rolled her eyes and put the shrimp down, but the words didn't leave her mind...

When I'm dressing?

No.

What does he know when he wore a dunce cap for twelve hours after a kid gave it to him and tricked him it was the 30th of February?

But he still knows EVERYTHING that goes on around here...

She turned to look out the window and saw no one, but still closed the shutters.

***

Scarlet Sapphira had cried for hours as Amane's mother tried her best to sympathize with her, but she knew she had to suck it up the moment the woman squeezed her hand, she was done crying...

She knocked the door to Red Brair's room where she wore her makeup while the maids did her beautiful hair.

When Red Brair saw Scarlet Sapphira's reflection in the dressing mirror, she dismissed the maids and turned to face her as she slowly walked in and sat on her heels before her.

Red Brair tilted her head and said,"Huh, you literally took to your heels, I guess Amane's face isn't indestructible after all..."

"Brair Rose, I know you're hurting because of all I did to you over the years and I'm sorry, but I thought we have moved past that as a f..."

"Don't you dare mention that word to me!"Red Brair hissed as she put a pair of scissors to Scarlet Sapphira's neck.

Scarlet Sapphira remained calm as she continued,"Do you know how traumatizing it was for me when my own best friend made me bald again and again, for years on end, harvesting my hair like angora and keeping it in her sick collection?! And my own father didn't care! You went on from bad to worse because it wasn't enough for you to abuse me, you also had to hurt everyone else, including your own family, and what did I do? I stayed obedient to my father's every bone wrenching order, until I met my mother...but even then she had to be taken by you because she's known you for longer, I've been good my entire life and you've been nothing but sick and cruel and yet you get the perfect family life and boy of both our dreams?! I don't think so..."

"Brair Rose, I'm sorry, I have no excuse for my actions but..."

"Don't you dare mention my name!"She said and slapped Scarlet Sapphira with the back of her hand.

Scarlet Sapphira remained motionless, then turned to her with a slight smile as Brair Rose asked,"Oh, being the good girl, are we? Fine, let Amane go, right into my arms if you really mean well..."

"B... cousin, I can't do that..."

"Aww, and I can't bear to see little Jack get hurt..."

Scarlet Sapphira immediately lost it and pounced on Brair Rose and she screamed as we all rushed in.

Luis and I held Scarlet Sapphira back as Rose and Ruby held Brair Rose and Scarlet Sapphira yelled for Brair Rose to stay back from her family, or she'll deal with her accordingly...

The old Scarlet Sapphira was back...we were worried this wouldn't last...