chapter 14

''I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea,

But we loved with a love that was more than love—

I and my Annabel Lee—''

– Edgar Allan Poe, 'Annabel Lee'

Approximately one year ago.

"Here take this stone," the young girl handed the blue stone to the blue eyed boy standing in front of her, "It's almost the color of your eyes isn't it?" She tilted her head sideways like a curious puppy, her eyes thoughtful and contemplative.

The boy looked at her and seemed to smile, "Why are you giving this to me?"

"Just felt like it? Now it feels like we have a connection and we'll meet each other again even if we have to part ways," She smiled shyly and stared at her baby pink shoes, her cheeks as vivid as a setting sun.

This was the first time she had ever tried revealing her feelings to him, or to anyone for that matter, and she wasn't sure if she enjoyed it much; her mother had taught her that feelings were a weakness and should, ideally, be kept buried deep inside, only to be examined in absolute solitude.

There was the feeling of exhilaration that came with acting on her feelings, as if a load she never knew she had been carrying had been taken off her back. But there was also the feeling of guilt that followed her around every time she broke one of her mother's rules which, thankfully, didn't happen often.

She liked obeying rules and having a schedule; it made her feel more in control of her life. Control was a rare delicacy she wished she could afford more often; she couldn't control her face-blindness, she couldn't control her feelings, she could barely even hold back her sweet gestures when she was around him.

The boy laughed good-naturedly at her embarrassment, "Thank you but I don't think I could ever forget someone as unique as you even if I tried to." The girl, startled, looked up at the compliment and mumbled a quiet 'thank you' as she nervously fidgeted with her small hands.

The boy smiled, aware of how he made her feel, and gave a short courteous bow, "I think I'll turn this stone into a necklace as soon as I can. Then I'll be able to wear it right beside my heart."

Venessa jolted awake and immediately clutched at her racing heart. Another dream about that kid she used to know once upon a time and yet it felt like the memory had just been made the day before. Her wistful eyes ran over Carter's familiar room as she thought about the boy, wondering what kind of a person he must have become.

Did he read books like Carter did? Maybe he liked writing better? Or maybe he had nothing to do with books and words at all and loved to go on mini adventures and was sporty? What was his name again? Why was she even thinking about him when she couldn't even recall anything about him except his sky blue eyes?

She heard Carter cough and remembered why she was sleeping at his desk instead of her own comfortable bed back home. Checking the time, she got up from the chair and walked to his sleeping figure. It was four thirty in the morning and here she was pressing a cold wet cloth to her best friend's burning forehead.

He had collapsed after overworking himself because 'if he tired himself out enough, he won't have the energy to think about Jacob and that would save him the heartache of losing him.' She frowned as Carter whimpered and groaned, "Jacob Jacob please come back, where are you going? Please no don't go..."

Carter's voice faded out as he settled back into his heavy slumber and Venessa's expression of anger slowly turned into sadness. She wished she could do something to help him but, in the end, this was something only Carter himself could solve.

As she stroked Carter's hair, she realized it would be a long time before she could bring herself to even think about forgiving Jacob. She could forgive a lot of things but hurting her best friend wasn't one of them. And never would be.

***

Present.

"He drank the coffee that Erin bought...?" Venessa bluntly questioned as Carter finished recounting the events. "Yeah."

Venessa's eyes hardened and she clenched her jaw; sure, she knew what type of a person Erin was, had even experienced it, but she hadn't expected him to do something like this. Carter stiffened as the doctor came out of Jacob's temporary hospital room, "Doctor...what happened to him?"

Ven squinted her eyes, how did Carter not realize what was wrong? It seemed pretty obvious to her. She focused on Carter's eyes and realized how teary they looked, instantly feeling guilty about thinking that way. Of course Carter didn't realize what was wrong; he was too worried about Jacob to think straight.

''We found traces of poison in his blood. Its good that he got here when he did. Although the poison itself was mild, it did make a harsh impact on his body which is mainly because he hasn't been taking care of himself properly. I suspect he would've collapsed eventually even without the poison if he had kept neglecting his health like this,'' the doctor shook his head, his eyes sympathetic and kind.

Venessa watched as Carter's eyes widened in realisation. The only way the poison could've entered his body was through his mouth and Jacob himself wouldn't drink poison which only left Erin...

''Is he awake now?" Carter mumbled, his brow crossed and eyes worried. ''No. His haemoglobin is pretty low and he needs a lot of sleep. But rest assured, he is perfectly fine. You can go in and stay with him if you like. We have given him the antidote and he'll soon make a full recovery,'' the doctor smiled and patted Carter's shoulder before walking off.

Carter turned to Venessa and plastered a mechanical smile on his face, "You came here with Alec right? I suspect you convinced him with food so how about you go and treat him first?''

Venessa's expression softened as she understood his request for space, ''Yeah you're right. Do you want to call Max and inform him or should I?''

''I'll do it don't worry,'' Carter told her in his best reassuring voice.

''Okay then i'll get going. Alec is probably waiting at the reception.'' With a last glance at Carter, Venessa walked off in cold fury, hoping she had done a good job of hiding it. Alec and his lunch could wait. Right now, confronting Erin was her priority.

Erin, unbeknownst to Carter, may have bullied her too but this had gone too far. He had gone too far. She knew she shouldn't think that way but she was glad it was Jacob in the hospital bed and not Carter; the intended target.