“Hermione.” Aunt Courtney had a calm look on her face. “Do you have something to tell us?” I shifted on my seat as Annalise brought mashed potatoes to the dinner table. “I don’t understand.” My heart was skipping important beats and I was afraid I might get struck with a panic attack. Couldn’t she have waited until after dinner? “The school called and informed me that you got a one-month detention.” Aunt Courtney sounded like my mother right there. But mother would have been furious and wouldn’t talk to me until the next day when she would be calm enough to address me. “I can’t say I’m surprised. I saw it coming, I just did not think it would come this soon.” “Courtney, that’s not fair. We did not even get to hear her side of the story.” Uncle Michael tried to reason. “Ok then. Let us hear it.” My mother’s sister encouraged. I cleared my throat then looked at Ken for assistance. “Mom, those girls have been bullying Maya since she entered into that school. She was just defending

My heavy eyes blinked open lazily as bright light hit my face. I was disoriented and weak. My arms were tied tight enough to obstruct circulation and my head pounded rhythmically with a throbbing headache. I was too dazed to make out where I was and too weak to focus. What could anyone do if they were tied up with ropes that were attached to the roof?I bent my head to look down at the jewel that failed to alert me fast enough about the danger that already took over. It was still stuck at gray. Not shocking. I looked around me in the room and did not find anyone. The place looked like a slaughter house, with large white plastics for curtains and a steal table in the corner. It reminded me of how a theatre room in hospitals would look like but a lot more… scary. There was a ventilator above and little drops of blood here and there on the curtain.This was a damn slaughter house!My heart started beating fast and I could not hold myself. I knew I was playing with fire when I decided to

There was pin-drop silence. No one did anything but stare at my necklace. For a minute, I thought the necklace was a dead giveaway that I was Mabel’s relative-well that was if the resemblance failed to alert them. “It looks ok, nothing interesting.” Lucia said with an eye roll. “Let me guess, you bought it at an old, boring antique store for a dollar or something?” This one held a lot of Hector’s snobby attitude that I have been made to deal with for weeks. If this was not a family dinner table filled with people Hector cherish a lot, I would’ve said a good comeback. “Um… yeah.” I replied and the tension in the room slowly died down. I could visibly see Hector exhale. The buzzing was back and I slowly put away the necklace and dug into my food. “So Hermione.” Emilio started and I already dreaded what he was going to say next. “How did you and Bernardo meet?” “Bernardo?” I turned to Hector with a look of shock and he had his face squeezed facing the ceiling. Dying internally. This

“Tell me about your eating habits.” Mrs. Pierce had her closed note book in her hand. One leg was over the other and it managed to stretch her black pencil skirt. “I have little to say about my eating habits.” I told her. “Well then, tell me about that ‘little’.” “I eat a lot. That’s it.” I shrugged. “When did you eating a lot start?” Nice. That was very sneaky. She was always finding ways to make me mention my mother but I was always finding ways to dodge that side of the topic. “When I moved in with my aunt.” I said. “She has a lot of food in her house so I made myself comfortable.” “Did you always used to eat this much?”“Yes.” No. But she doesn’t know that. Who am I kidding? This woman has a degree in psychology, judging from the framed certificates on the wall above the little drawer not far from the exit. She waited for a while. We were doing this awkward staring competition. I get a dose of it every day and It’s like she never gives up in demanding answers with her eyes.

It was Monday. Another day of counseling, another day of endless work, another day to incur a headache. I was not thrilled about anything, but what I was thrilled about was meeting up with Derrick so we could sort out this uncle Michael thing. When I walked into school there were students flooded around a tree and it had roses and other kinds of flowers. Mr. Henry’s picture hung on the tree as students gave him their respect. I felt a zap on my chest. I hadn’t come with anything to offer him and I felt like I was a selfish heartless student who did not care. I stood in front of his portrait and just stared. Even my brain was blank. I did not know what to say to him. A tear rolled down my face, yet I did not know if it was for me or for him. Someone pushed pass me and left a yellow bouquet on the floor under the portrait were the dozen other Flowers and letters were placed. She moved aside and walked away. There were words printed on the bouquet. Rest in peace. I pray he does. I