Shenny had decided to take a duffel bag with her. After all,the Headmaster had said 'unnecessary luggage was advised against'.
Then she gave up and packed a big box. She went around her morning routine slower than most days. She used her bath instead of the shower and used jasmine scented flowers...like,where the hell did they come from? She shaved her legs and lady parts and dressed up in a black and white hoodie,paired up with blue slightly ripped jeans and her white Converse. She then added her peach natural lip balm and coated her lips.
She grabbed her satchel before getting her box and making her way down the stairs. She parked the box beside the front door then went to the dining.
Immediately she stepped in,conversation ceased. Her parents who were discussing froze and Kai who was chattering on a phone call halted.
Geez, she internally cringed,rolling her eyes, talk about awkward.
Ignoring the silence of the room,she went to the cupboards and took a bowl and spoon,then stopped by the fridge for some milk and then grabbed the carton of Rice Krispies from the counter and settled down at the chair at the end and began making her breakfast.
The room was quiet for a second then,
"Uh...yeah,Mike,so the soccer finals..." Kai turned away.
"So,um,my boss was all like..." Mom continued.
"Why was your boss all like that?" Dad replied.
Shenny ate,her eyes on her food,not bothering to make any form of interaction with anyone in the room. As she began to think of calling Milya,maybe to just say goodbye,her Mom spoke, "Shenny,darling,are you done packing?"
Shenny gave a brief nod and went on with her meal. "Bedlam Academy is a very interesting school,I'm sure you'll like it."
Shenny didn't bother to make any form of response and blatantly ignore her father. Before any one could say another word,she got up,dumped her plate in the sink and went to the living room. She went to her contact list and dialed Milya's number. It rang for like seven times before someone picked up the other line.
Shenny took a deep breath,closing her eyes. "Hey...Milya..." There was silence on the other end and some shuffling. "S-Shenny?" Her friend responded. Shenny gulped down saliva. "Milya,I just wanted to tell you that I'm..."
"Um,sorry. I can't talk to you...right now. I gotta go...I have to...feed my...bunny. And besides,I have a test coming up. Bye." She cut the call. Shenny stood there for some time,her heart breaking. Her best friend...she too bad abandoned her because of her curse.
A warm hand touched her cheek and her eyes flew open. She saw Kai,standing in front of her,his face etched with concern. "Shenny,what's wrong?" He asked. Shenny stepped away and pocketed her phone,and hurt flashed in her brothers eyes. She took a deep breath. "I'm fine."
"No,your not." He countered. Shenny glared at him. "I said I'm fine. What more do you want from me? Your already the perfect kid and you've got the people you love by your side. Stop meddling in my business." She snapped. Kai watched her for some seconds,silently. "You were crying." He spoke,quietly. "What?!" She snapped,irritated.
He reached out and wiped her cheek and brought the tears for her to see. "You were crying." She was crying? How come she didn't...
A car honk sounded outside and her heart skipped a bit. It was time. Time to leave.
Kai turned away. "Mom! Dad!..."
No!, she thought, I don't want them here!
Quickly,she grabbed her box and hurried outside. She slammed the door and put a layer of frost on the lock. Not too much. One that could easily be broken through in a few minutes.
Ignoring the chauffeur,she hauled her box in the boot of the car and slammed in shut. There was furious pounding on the door. "Shenny! Shenny! Don't do this!" Kai's voice. "Shenny,open the door,darling. Please,open the door!" Mom.
"Shenny,open the door!" Dad.
She nudged the chauffeur. "Get in the car." She pushed him and jumped into the back seat as the guy entered the drivers seat. "Hurry! Start the goddamned car!" She hissed and he started the engine just as the door burst open and her family rushed out.
"SHENNY!!" Her mother screamed, tears streaming down her face. Just as Kai ran towards the car,the driver floored it and zoomed off. Turning back, she saw Kai heaving heavily,his hand outstretched towards the car. Her mom was on her knees,her body shaking and Dad hugging her.
She turned away as tears streamed down her face. I'm sorry but I had to do it, she thought, I've freed you from your greatest burden. Mom,Dad,Kai...goodbye.
And I mean forever...
•••••••••••
Shenny was roused from her sleep and she blinked,accessing her surroundings. She was in the car,her Alice In Wonderland by her side,and her earphones in her ears. She put them in her satchel and saw the chauffeur waiting. "What?" She asked. He gestured,higher up what looked like a mountain and said,"We're almost there. I brought this. Thought you might be famished." He held up a bagel and Coke and she gratefully took it.
She looked around. "Why are we on a fucking mountain? And its snowing for that matter." She said,taking a big bite from her sandwich. "Endlenē is up there. Its a nice place." He said. "So,they put the fucking school on the mountain? Talk about cliché."
He chuckled. "There's a whole city within this mountains and it's called Endlenē,Miss. Bedlam Academy is just the learning and training institution there." School...why didn't he just say school? They stayed there a few minutes as Shenny finished her food before they started out again. Surprisingly,there was a trail that served as a road there and made their journey easier.
Shenny took out her phone and saw a lot of missed calls and voice mails.
Kai🙄🤡- 11 missed calls.
Mama😍- 14 missed calls.
Old Man🤓- 7 missed calls.
Kai🙄🤡- Two voice mails.
Mama😍- One voice mail.
Shenny opened her mothers voice mail first,
"H-Honey...I'm so so sorry...I miss you a lot...Shenny...*sniff*...we don't hate you...I love you...your father loves you...Kai loves you a lot too...if you thought otherwise...I'm sorry...just...just please...answer my calls,Shenny...I wanna hear your voice...please talk to me...send me messages...lemme know your okay...be safe please...I'll come for you...I'll always...I love you so much...*sob*...please Shenny...I love you so much..."
Tears were running down her cheeks as she opened her brother's own.
"Sis...you...*cough*...you didn't let me say goodbye...remember that time when I was in fifth grade, and I went for that lower grade soccer competition in San Francisco...the day I was leaving,you...you hugged me so tight and told me to break a leg...then-then you gave a knee cap,that you designed your name and Mom and Dad's on it,with mine in the middle and you wrote,'We're playing with you on that field,meatloaf,remember that..."
Shenny gave teary chuckle at the memory. The knee cap was so goofy. But Kai really wore it on the field to play,they all watched him on TV.
"...and then on the last minute for us to win against the Jaugers,when Neil,that pighead nudged me when I was handling the ball,I hit my knee but managed to get the ball in the net. After,when I was taken to the infirmary,they found out that my knee was still in shape and nothing happened to me. It was unbelievable...I loved that gift,Shenny...I still have it...in my Golden Chest of Treasures..."
Shenny laughed. The Golden Chest of Treasures was really a box Kai kept his old stuff in. Things he wanted to keep even if they outgrew him or he didn't need them anymore.
"I miss you..."
She opened the second one.
" Your not unusual,Sis...your the best thing that has happened to me...I miss you...and I love you...I'll call you and text too,please do the same...goodbye Sis..."
Shenny buried her face in her hands and sobbed quietly. Why did they have to do this? Keep tossing her around? One minute,they say they love her,the next,they send her off to some school in the snow mountains.
Shenny put her phone in her satchel and wiped her tears,before leaning her head on the window and watching the white vast land whip by.