Chapter 5

Barely out of the library's proximity Gianna, in all urgency, bumped head first into someone's chest. Looking up, she came in contact with a pair of cold sea blue stares unfortunately groomed with flawlessly organized lashes and trimmed brows. Gianna, coming back to her senses, took two steps back and was ready to walk past when Sean obscured her path with the chiseled body a jock of his age can have.

"Donut van," he chuckled, "Avoiding me. Again. Despite the impossibility."

Gianna frowned defyingly.

"What is that? You got something to say?" He defied back. At this time, a tiny crowd had begun forming. "Huh?"

"Leave me alone. Keep your taunts for later, I'm running late." She stepped in the opposite direction but was still blocked by his body wall.

"Like I care. And who are you to tell me what to do? I am going to taunt you whenever, wherever, and however I like," He emphasized the last sentence with finger stabs on her chest. "Is that clear?"

Gianna didn't reply. 

"Am I talking to shit or a human? Is that fucking clear?" Sean repeated between clenched teeth, the veins on his neck popping with anger. However, his opponent did not retort concerning his question.

She looked him deep in the eyes and said, "Just how idle are you to want to devote your time to me?" Head high. She reminded herself. "Isn't soccer enough pass time to you? Isn't the job at Spring's dinner?" Chest up. "Or do you need some more tips to leave me the hell alone? I've had enough okay? Get you another toy." She opened her backpack, fished out his and Elodie's immaculate belongings, and pasted it on his chest. "I'm no laundry service either. You might want to get you another one of that too."

Gianna attempted to walk past him again. When he made no effort to stop her again she brusquely proceeded with her journey, ignoring the hails from the massive onlookers. 

God help her in the days to come. She silently prayed.

The journey back home was on foot; only when she insisted and sometimes when her parents hadn't planned on returning home until later in the day and the circumstance right then was the prior. 

"I think I worsened things, Mimie," Gianna said, devastated and depressed. She had just narrated to Mimie what occurred between her and Sean halfway through their journey. 

"You d-did it for your good and I-I would've done same if I were you. I me-mean your lessons w-were at stake here."

Gianna sighed for the umpteenth time. She's been lucky enough to not see his face after school was over. Only God knew what he was transpiring or could it be she talked him away for good? For good, maybe not, but certainly for a pretty good period.

"Hey Gianna, Hey Mimie."

"Hey, Derek," the girls replied in unison as they paused in front of a flower shop owned by Derek's dad, one of Cold spring's renowned florists who had caught his mom's eyes as well as her aunt's—Lydia— whenever she visited the town. Together, they'll purchase a multitude of seeds and sprouts to suffocate the garden and house when they mature.

"What's with the long face, Gigi?" He uploaded a massive flower pot into his truck, wiped his sweat with the back of his hand, and anchored them on his waist.

Gianna found Derek charming with his stylishly tousled raven hair. He had a smile that turned her poor feet into pulp, however, she will never miss it for anything. Well aware of the fact that he was a lot older than her, Gianna could not help admire his good-looking oblong face and to-die-for faded green eyes even in her demented moments as she did right there.

"Bad day," Mimie summarized.

"As usual. What made this worst?"

"Never mind Derek, it'll pass away before the day runs out. Flower delivery?" She switched the topic.

"Yeah. Mrs. Jones's. She's been having a weird addiction to Transvaal daisies these last few months. Oh, hey, y'all coming to Machkie's Jub this weekend, right?"

"Sure. I don't think there'll be anyone in Cold Spring missing out on partaking," Gianna retorted almost cheerfully.

"Great. Looking forward to seeing you two. Gotta go now before my phone drowns in buzzes." He waved and hopped into his truck.

"What changed?" Mimie questioned concerning their previous topic as they set back on track. 

Gianna shrugged, "I ask myself the same thing. He didn't calculate me last year as much as this year."

"Have you asked Kelly?"

"No, it's been a while since I visited." Plus the fact that they weren't as close to each other in school. Almost as if she had two phases.

Kelly was liberal and sweet at one point and avoiding and challenging at another, so much that she had concluded that it must have been the disagreement of the courses they both offered. Science against art prone. They'd never gone as far as a casual salute in the corridors or when they met in two out of a hundred classes. In addition to the ordeal, her fear of Sean contributed to her distancing with Kelly out of school premises.

They walked in human hush for a good minute before Gianna called, "Mimie?"

"Hmm?"

"What happened to the McCarthy?"

"How d'you mean?"

"They used to be wealthy people, right?" 

Mimie nodded in understanding. "Well, my grandm-mother told me about some tenth or eleventh generation's f-financial crisis after being caught importing drugs. Said three-quarters of the Vladimir's for-fortunes were invested in that illegal affair. The remainder couldn't d-do anything to support the family and so they began selling all that they owned to meet up." 

"Did they meet up?" Gianna curiously inquired.

"She told me t-they almost did. But then again after that, the sib-blings of the Vladimir brother who ruined the family's prestige decided to-to have their shares of properties before more unforeseen trouble came. There w-was a big controversy be-before coming to a compromise; everyone had an equal share and lived where best suited them. The Vladimir brother, the one who ruined the family, stayed back in Cold Spring. As generations went on, the little they had became non-existent."

"What about the ones who left?"

"No one ever heard about the-them in Cold Spring again. It's like they detached com-pletely. My grandmother s-aid perhaps they wouldn't handle the shame they left behind. Oh, look at that bird. It's p-pretty colorful, isn't it?"

Gianna absent-mindedly nodded. 

Drastic. She thought.

"It's t-the third time I-I'm seeing it." She made a step to the bird being fed breadcrumbs by an old lady just to have it fly away leaving behind the others of distinct colors.

The old lady warmly smiled. "It's a lady Gouldian finch, it must have strayed during migration. She's still pretty skeptical about us."

Mimie smiled back and thanked her for the information before setting on her journey. She looked at the worry on legs walking beside her. "Are y-you worried about the tragic turn of e-events or Seans plans?"

"Both."

"Well, t-that's what the town ha-have known for generations and reported events mostly end up with ad-ditions, omissions, or modifications. Only the h-horse's mouth has the true information."

Now she had solid proof why the McCarthy won't and will never appreciate them and most definitely the reason she's being taunted every day of her school life. It happened to be that they bought the only thing of value they had left, the only thing their family bridge held on to, the only proof that they once were influential and powerful people in the society and the history of Cold Spring. Their only hope for a better life.

But none of it was their fault—the Donovans. All they did was buy and help them out. If there was anyone to blame for this, it was their generational grandfather who thought drug dealing was a technical path to being a multimillionaire. She realized after a while that she had just added a supposition as the others did. Probably as Mimie's granny.

It was time to go separate ways as Mimie took the left street to her home after begging her to not worry too much about the matter and happily waving her goodbye. Gianna on the other hand continued down the street towards the Harbor. That part of town was pretty much isolated from Mainstreet and other neighboring quarters, regardless, it wasn't dangerously isolated and one could spot individuals doing one activity or the other.

To say she was the only one in the entire school taking that way home.

A lady jogged past her with her earphones on, the music so loud that Gianna could hear the resonating rumbling battery drums of a familiar '70's R&B. A man in a gloomy outfit walked his dog towards the Habor state park, west of where she was headed—the private district around the Habor laboratory. Ahead of her was the road's dead-end that led to the famous Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory as well as the magnificent Harbor in particular. She'd been there a couple of times with her family to admire the setting sun up close, as her mother loved it.

The path had narrowed down as she took East and she could see her home twinkling from a distance. A step at a time admiring the serene environment beautified by tall yellowish birch trees in the air and brownish leaves beneath her feet, Gianna could have sworn to have seen a silhouette dance amid the trees.

The hairs on the back of her neck raised. Panic drenched, Gianna quickened her strides having it in mind that Sean was probably playing a sick game on her considering that was exactly the area he ambushed her the unfaithful day she saw blood in his eyes and felt conflict in his aura.

The small bush, a meter away from the estate's opening, ruffled. 

"Who's there?" 

No reply.

The bush shook again. Just when she was about to call out her nemesis' name did a familiar white and brown pup sprout out of the bush onto her. 

"Noah!" She called. Named by her sister before the sex of the animal was discovered, Petra didn't want it changed. "You scared me there," She picked up the cutie and nuzzled her nose against hers. The pup licked her mouth and barked. No more risk since its vaccination. "What are you doing here? How did you even escape? Huh? You naughty naughty little girl. Let's head home."

Together, the two friends made it to the paved opening leading to the extravagantly ornate fence.