Amy sat on the side of her bed with Lair sitting beside her. They both sat down in silence.Amy knew Lair had heard her exchange with their mother, and he was trying not to bother her by asking for more details.”Lair, do you think mom will ever change?” Amy asked with a small voice.”I don’t know” He shrugged before crawling on to the bed. He leaned his back on the headboard and patted the side indicating for Amy to come join him, and she obliged.”Mom will always be mom. Don’t expect too much from her” Lair added, making Amy sigh.”Lair?””Hmm””Did you know I had a boyfriend in highschool?” Amy asked.”Yeah, we all knew. Wasn’t it Aunt’s Mellisa’s son? He gave you that didn’t he?” Lair asked as they stared at the painting ahead.”Yes he did, but it wasn’t Ethan” Amy replied.”He wasn’t your boyfriend?” Lair turned to look at her, while she nodded. Lair was surprised by this revelation. He thought Ethan was her boyfriend, atleast that was what she told them. He kept quiet as he waited for her to continue. He didn’t want to rush her. If she wanted to talk then she would.”No he wasn’t….It was Michael””Ethan’s friend?” Amy let out a short dry laugh, when she heard the surprise in his voice.”He wasn’t Ethan’s friend. It was just pretence. Sorry I didn’t tell you” Amy said as she placed her head on his arm.”It’s okay” He said as he patted her hair. He wouldn’t judge her. He also shared in the responsibility of her lying to them. He wasn’t really there for her, excepts when she came running to him with her assignments. He has been too engrossed maintaining his grades, because that was all their mother was focused on.”Micheal was really a nice person, you know. And that’s why finding out what mom did to him makes me hate myself” Amy was feeling guilty towards Michael. If she had not shamelessly chased him and forced her way into his life back then in highschool, he wouldn’t have suffered in her mother’s hand.”It’s not your fault. Whatever it is, that’s against mom’s conscience” Lair comforted her.Amy didn’t believe her mom had any conscience at all. From what Ethan had told her, she really doubted it.~~~~”Amy there’s something I have to tell you. Its something I was supposed to tell you long before now” Ethan said with seriousness. Amy glanced at him with equal seriousness. Maybe he wanted to tell her the reason why he left.”Does it have to do with you leaving?” Amy asked curiously.”Yes. But first you have to answer my question first. And promise not to act rashly” Ethan said. He was becoming nervous already.”Okay” Amy nodded.”When was the last time you met Micheal?” Ethan asked.Amy’s gaze suddenly felt intense on him, and her suddenly felt annoyed by his question. Was has that fool got to do with him leaving. She didn’t want to answer his question, because that was the last person she wanted to see or even hear his name, most especially now that she was moving on with her life to find love again.Ethan noticed the annoyance in her eyes as well as the unwillingness to answer.”Amy, please this is serious?” This was the main reason behind his return, not just his mother’s plea to escort her to a social gathering.It has taken him 7 years to make up his mind to return back here. It would take more than just going to a party to bring him back to undergo this moment.Amy frowned at him, she turned her face away from him and rested her head on the headrest.”I haven’t seen him not after he broke up with me” Amy replied reluctantly. She didn’t want to relive that awful moment ever again, but hearing his name was making her do exactly that.”And you haven’t seen him since then?” Ethan asked again. If his investigation was right, it meant that Amy hasn’t seen him since her second year.”What has that got to do with you? If you don’t want to tell me why you left, then don’t. Why are you taunting me with the name of someone who hurt me so badly?” Amy snapped. She couldn’t take it anymore. She angrily picked up her bag as she got ready to leave.Ethan panicked when he realised she was about to leave.”I think something has happened to him” Ethan blurted out. He couldn’t lose the opportunity of telling her what had brought him over. If he didn’t do this now, he was sure he’d never be bold enough to do it again. He was about putting him on the cross fire of Amy’s mom.”I guess he deserves whatever he gets” Her was about opening the door, when Ethan locked it and spoke. “I think your mother is behind it”Amy’s hand paused, her body suddenly stiffened as soon as she heard him.”What did you say?” Amy asked in confusion.”Amy, there’s something you have to know” Ethan said for the second time. He watched as Amy relaxed back on her seat, her eyes eagerly waiting to hear what he had to say.”The reason I left was because, your mother made me confess our little secret. I don’t know how she found out that you and I weren’t dating. And she had threatened to expose a secret of mine to my family, if i didn’t tell her the truth. I left because I was scared people would find out about it.But that isn’t the reason why I’m telling you this. Your mom had threatened Micheal to break up with you. She had picked him up on two occasions back then in school, and he always returned back completely bruised. Amy, your mum had him rusticated out of school in his second year and I think that’s why he had broken up with you” Ethan paused when he saw Amy’s expression. The poor girl looked like she was in shock. Amy couldn’t believe what he was saying.”You’re lying” Was all Amy could say. She didn’t believe her mother would do such a thing. Micheal must have broken up with her on his own volition. Because they had dated for two more years even after Ethan left.”Amy you know I’m not lying” Ethan declared.”Yes you are. Micheal left me, you weren’t there when he broke up with me saying those mean words to me. If you aren’t then why are you just telling me now?” Amy yelled. She was in total disbelief.”That’s because I can’t find him. I’ve been looking for him, for so long, but I can’t find him. You have to ask your Aunty. You and I know how she can be” Ethan stated.Amy’s face became pale white as she listened to what Ethan was saying.This was impossible.__________”Mom did you see my sketch book?” Jade called from inside her room. She had turned her room upside down in her search for it.”No” Her mother replied.Jade didn’t know where else to look in her room. She has gone through all her stuffs, from her wardrobe to book shelves but it wasn’t there.”Kelvin what about you?” She asked as she walked into the living room.”Don’t ask me, cause I don’t know. But if you’re willing to pay, I can help you find it” Kelvin said with a creepy smile.”Get lost” Jade snapped before returning to her search.”Check beneath your bed…I always find stuffs that I have missed for months there” Kelvin gave his kinded advice.”Unfortunately I’m not like you” Jade rolled her eyes as she smacked his head before walking back to her room.”Mom! Your daughter just hit me on the head with a baseball bat, and I think I’m about having a brain concussion” Kelvin yelled dramatically.”Kelvin, we don’t have a baseball bat” Grace told him. Kelvin almost bit his lip when he realized he didn’t think that through.”Then it wasn’t a baseball bat…it was a vase..maybe you can call my teac…””Kelvin if you’re still looking for a way to skip school, then you have to come up with something better” Grace said as she walked out of the kitchen.”Is there something going on in that school of yours that’s always making you so afraid to go?” Grace asked wiping her hands dry with a napkin.”No, there’s nothing going on…””Then is someone bullying you?” Grace asked again.”No! No one would dare” Kelvin hastily replied, as he fixed his gaze on the T.V.”Then it must be a girlfriend huh??” Grace teased as she plonked down on the sofa he was sitting on.”Mom??!” Kelvin cried.”What? Boys in your age do date nowadays. I might be aged but I know this things” Grace said with a teasing smile.”Yeah right” Kelvin sighed.”Here” She passed him a plate of freshly baked cookies, which he grabbed with a hearty smile. She sighed when she saw his cheery smile. He’s always so excited to eat pastries.”Kelvin stop complaining about school and just enjoy high school okay. Don’t be in a hurry to finish it..or try skipping it. Enjoy your childhood. You’ll get tired of adulthood when you finally get there. Believe me being an adult is a scam. So enjoy your young age and do the things people your age do” Grace said snuggling him closer to herself, as she placed a kiss on his hair”Mom! Leave me alone, that’s cheesy” Kelvin cried as he escaped her embrace. Grace gave him a mock-glare before snatching away the remote to change the channel.”Mom!!””Well if you’re going to act all grown up, go buy your own TV” Grace stated.Jade stood in the middle of the mess she had created in her room while trying to look for sketch book. Her eyes suddenly fell on the space underneath the bed.’Kelvin maybe right you know? There’s no harm checking under the bed’ Jade thought to herself. She squatted down to check, even though she really doubted her sketch book would be there. She has never been a careless person who would misplace her stuffs, hence her doubt about finding it there.But who would have thought the lost sketch book would actually be found there, so much for claiming to be a meteiculous person. But what caught Jade’s attention other than the sketch book was the small box lying under her bed. She could remember placing a box there, but she couldn’t remember what she had placed in it.Jade brought the box out, her curiosity was piqued when she observed it wasn’t as heavy as she expected. She sat down on the floor and leaned her back against the frame of the bed with the box was placed in front of her.Jade slowly opened the box, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw what was lying inside. She slowly picked it up and held it up, so she could have a proper look at it….It was indeed Jake’s suit jacket.She had completely forgotten about the existence of this jacket. The last time she saw it was the day her mother had asked her about it. She was sure that was the day she had placed it in the box.Jade kept her gaze fixed on it. ‘Why had she left it in the first place? It was easier for her to have gotten rid of it, because two months ago she had no idea that they would become friends and she’ll be able to get a hold of him, but there she was, still having his jacket in her possession.Her mind flashed back to that rainy day. She didn’t know how he had showed up there with an umbrella like he had been conjured, shielding her from the rain. For someone he didn’t know and someone who he had a night stand with, he had so willingly offered his jacket, even got her a cab to take her home.Jake was a nice guy after all. All his attributes which she had seen had given her the impression that he was indeed a nice person. Maybe there was more to him than he lets on.Should she return it back? After all it’s looks like an expensive piece. Thank God she didn’t get rid of it, she would have been feeling bad and regretful now.But how was she going to give it back to him? Giving him this would definitely trigger the memory she so wanted them to forget.Maybe she should just get rid of it. She was sure he had more than enough suits that he would never remember he once had something like this. Jade tried convincing herself.Jade’s ringing phone snapped her out of her thoughts. She reached for her phone on the bedside table. Her heart skipped another beat when she saw it was Jake calling on the phone. Jade’s eyes dashed to the Jacket again before returning her attention back to the ringing phone.She slide her hand across the phone to accept Jake’s call.”Hello Friend” Jake called in a sing song tone. He’s face flushed when he realized how cheesy he might have sounded. A smile tugged on Jade’s lips when she heard his happy tone.”Good morning Mr Jake. It’s obvious you’re in a good mood” Jade said picking up the jacket from the floor. Hearing his voice, she was suddenly feeling guilty for thinking about throwing his jacket away. That would be paying his kindness with evil.”Of course I am. It’s a new day, the weather is so good that I so want to go out. Do you want to hang out with your new friend?” Jake said with an anxious smile. The moment he had gotten up from bed the thought of Jade had flashed through his mind. A quick smile appeared on his face when he remembered what had happened last night. He wouldn’t be wrong if he said he was at his happiest last night.Jake anxiousness grew as he waited for her reply.”Mr Jake isn’t it too early to go out? And don’t tell me we are still doing the game thing are we?” Jade asked.”No we’re not doing that anymore. I just thought maybe we could hang out and get to know each other, that’s all” Jake said. His heart was racing as he waited for her to say something.”Please don’t say no” Jake said in a pleading tone. Jade kept quiet for a while as she contemplated accepting his request. She looked at the jacket in her hands.Maybe she should use this opportunity in returning his jacket, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea hanging out with him too. But then she had planned to pay Amy and Lair a surprise visit. It’s been so long since she saw the siblings. Maybe she could hang out with Jake for sometime, then she’ll drop by the Walker’s mansion after.”Okay. I also have something to give you” Jade said.”Okay” Jake’s face split with a happy smile. He was excited to hear her reply that he didn’t pay attention to the other thing she said.”I’ll pick you up” Jake added before ending the call.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 67
