Dustin was showing me a comedy skit on Instagram when Hermione came from nowhere slammed her hand on his locker door, making Dustin to almost drop his phone. Well he does have fast reflexes.
Unlike some people I know.
"Hey Doodoo, Tracy. What is up?" she asked giving us an obviously fake smile.
"The ceiling obviously." Dustin answered. Hermione glowered before putting back on her fake smile.
"I missed you guys so much." she said moving forward to hug me. I was so shocked by this change of events that I didn't hug her back.
And to be honest, I kind of missed this. Hermione, Dustin and I hanging out. I guess I was so wrapped up in Caesar and friends' situation, I totally forgot about one of my best friends.
And I gotta say, I hugged back.
"We did too." I said mentally screaming at the pinch Dustin just gave me.
She smiled, for real this time, and then looked at Dustin.
"Didn't you miss me Doodoo?" she asked, the 'get Doodoo to do whatever I want' already at its full force.
But he blocked it.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dustin blocked, as I like to call it, the HermStin look.
"Not in the slightest." he said then pushed past her.
She gave a sigh before looking at me.
"Should I be surprised?"
I shook my head.
She gave another sigh.
"I guess you are right. How about we hang out?"
I was about to say yes but then I remembered the promise I made Clark's little sisters to teach them after school's over.
"Sorry, I can't. I made a promise to help Solane and Selone."
"Who are they?"
"Clark's little sisters. They are homeschooled but their previous teacher married and moved out so for the meantime, I promised to be their temp."
She wore her infamous pout before changing it to a 100 watt smile.
"Maybe I can tag along? I would love to meet Clark's sisters. Will Clark be there?"
"Probably. But he will most likely be in the garage fixing his mom's truck."
"Oh, well good luck to him then. I will see you after school. Bye Tray Tray." she said and then she was gone.
-*-
A tray was dropped on the table followed by a blond boy that I know so well.
"Hey." was all he said.
"Hey. What's up?"
"I needed a new vibe."
"OK. From me?"
"Anyone apart from Fred, Clark or Jayden."
"I feel you."
"Hey Tracy."
I saw Dustin coming towards me with his tray.
"Hey man." Dustin greeted nodding his head towards Caesar.
"Interesting." Caesar answered. Dustin looked at me, in which I shrugged.
"So I'm taking you to Clark's house and I'm picking you up an hour before your parents get back, kay?"
I nodded then remembered something.
"Oh, sorry Dustin. Hermione is already taking me there and she will probably bring me back home."
The look Dustin gave me could resurrect the dead and kill them again.
"And you agreed?"
I shrugged in response.
"Are you fucking serious?" he asked.
"Uh yeah. She was really nice about it and that is something Hermione doesn't show often."
"Exactly. You know she is using you to get to them right?" he asked pointing at Caesar when he said 'them'.
"I dunno, maybe. And beside Dustin what is the big deal in taking me to Clark's. Hermione offered first and I agreed."
"Whatever. Suit yourself. Later man." the last one was directed at Caesar. He stood up and left the table.
"Interesting." was all Caesar said.
-*-
"Right here." I said as we reached a moderately sized house. It was even smaller than mine.
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked placing the gear in park.
"I guess. The house number is the exact one Clark sent to me."
"Well then, let's be temps." she said gunning down the engine and stepping out.
I rolled my eyes and smiled before stepping out. Hermione locked the car with the familiar beep I know.
We walked towards the house and before I could even knock or ring the doorbell, the door was already opened. Selone gave me a toothy grin and hugged me. Her black afro was held by a scrunchy
"I thought you were never going to come. I kept looking at the window and wondered when you were going to show up. Then I saw the Nissan park outside and I thought it was Mrs Gibberish because that is the exact type of her car but then I saw her and I saw you and I thought yay, Tracy came. But Solane isn't excited about it. Fact, she hates learning."
"No I do not." Solane said. Her brown curly hair was held back by an Alice band. "I just think it's dumb for kids to go to school."
"Who's the blond girl?" Solane asked.
"This is Hermione. She's Dustin twin sister."
"Oh wow. Hi. I've never seen a real life twin before."
"Mom's a twin."
"Yeah, but they are old."
"If mom hears that—" Solane started leaving the threat hanging.
"Oh no please don't. She will be mean when she wants to give me the syringe."
"Syringe?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah. I'm diabetic. Stage 3."
For a little girl whose intake of sugar is closely watched, she is really chipper about her disease.
"And a sickler as well." Solane added.
I looked at Hermione.
"They are not kidding." was all I said before I entered the house.
Their books and writing equipments were already set.
"So are you guys ready?" I asked.
"Yes." Selone answered just as Solane also said, "do we have a choice."
Then they looked at each other and yelled, "jinx." and Solane slapped Selone. Selone squealed and slapped her back.
"Oh my." I heard Hermione mutter behind me. "I'm going to get a bottle of water."
"Sure. Alright Solane, stop pulling Selone's hair."
-*-
"If 2x plus 2y equals 12, and x plus 3y equals 4 what is x and y?"
"Uh," Solane said before working it in her notebook.
"I'm done Tracy." Selone said.
I took her notebook and began to assess it. When I was done I gave it to her.
"12 out of 15. That is the highest I have ever gotten in an assessment." she said.
"y is minus 1 and x is 7."
I checked her textbook. She was correct but I wanted her to be sure.
"Did you check them?" I asked.
She looked at me, then at the notebook.
"Yup. Both equations." was her reply.
"Really nice Solane."
Just as I said that, a loud honk was heard.
"Mom's home." Selone said jumping up from her position on her chair.
"Selone. Did you ask Tracy if you could go?"
Selone stopped in her tracks and looked at me. Her huge brown eyes already pleading with me.
"Please Tracy, can I go?"
"Uh, sure?"
She smiled and squealed.
"Yay. Thank you." then she gave Solane a knowing look. Solane sighed and looked at me.
Am I sure this girl is 9?
"Selone can be a little energetic sometimes."
"You mean a lot?" I heard Clark's voice from the kitchen.
Behind him was Hermione. And she had a sour look on her face.
Holy sizzle! Teaching the kids made me forget all about Hermione. Why is she Clark? I thought she wanted a bottle of water.
"Yeah."
Just then the door opened and Selone rushed in, closely followed by her mom.
Looking at Clark and Mrs Colin, you would see a lot of similarities and differences.
"Oh hello Tracy. I forgot you were coming today."
"Hi Mrs Colin." I greeted. She gave me a smile and then looked at Hermione who was now standing beside me.
"I'm sorry do I know you?"
"Uh, no. I'm Tracy's friend, Hermione Benson."
Clark muttered something that I couldn't hear from where I was standing. But whatever he said, really upset Hermiome
"Oh hello. Clark why are you all oily?"
The three siblings looked at each other.
"Uh, he decided to take an oil bath."
"What?" Mrs Colin asked looking at the person who said it, Selone.
"Yeah. Oil bath is really good for the skin. It slicks and moisturizes the skin." Clark answered giving the little black girl a look.
Selone who was behind her mom, smiled and then pointed at the woman in front of her. Solane just looked really lost.
This girl must be an actress or something.
"Why would you take an oil bath. You hate it when your body as a slicky feel."
Clark's face reddened and I, I don't know why but, resisted the urge to burst out laughing.
"Uh, Mrs Colin. I should be on my way."
"Yeah. Sure okay." she said absentmindedly.
"Bye Clark."
"Bye Tracy."
The look he gave me said, "help me."
-*-
"So what's up?" I asked looking at Hermione who was focused on the road.
"Nothing. Why?"
"Well, you look pissed."
"Nothing. I'm fine."
"Are you sure Mione? You can talk to me you know."
"I do."
"Okay. Why were you coming out of Clark's garage with him?"
"I wanted to check out the car he was fixing for his mom."
"And why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you were focused on his sisters."
"Okay."
"I have two questions. One, why is Clark fixing his mom's car when she already has one. And two, how are Clark, Solane and Selone related. They look nothing alike and the girls don't look like their mom at all."
"Uh, one, the car she is using is actually a rental one from the company she works with. Sooner or later, they are going to ask for it."
Hermione nodded, "and two?"
"Two, Solane was adopted at Venezuela when Mrs Colin traveled to South America for work purposes
It took a lot of time and patience and I guess a court case, but Mrs Colin finally had Solane. That was when Solane was 4."
"What of Selone?"
"She wasn't actually adopted. Although after a few years of her living with the Colins illegally, she was a legal Colin."
"What happened?"
"Solane found her in a ditch with her placenta still connected to her body when they went for a trip to Atlanta. She yelled and Clark immediately called 911 before he even got to where Solane and Selone were. Solane had only spent a year and two months when it happened. Selone spent weeks at the hospital."
"So her being diabetic?"
"Is hereditary."
"And that was how many years ago?"
"Probably four years and a few months ago."
"So Selone is how old?"
"Dang, I forgot Math is not your strongest." I said with a teasing tone. I earned a nasty look from Hermione. "She will be five January."
"So next year."
"Yeah."
-*-