Emily felt like throwing her burger at Elsa but she stopped herself. It was too delicious to let even a single piece go to waste.
Giselle pressed her lips thin and wanted to mouth lash Elsa but she stopped her too. She doesn't want to ruin her mood. Giselle and Emily were childhood friends, they went to the same school and they were known to be better in tongue lashing than a physical fight. Most times, they tongue lashed people and go home body lashed.
They finished their meal and walked out of Nich's eatery after paying the bills.
It was already afternoon and the sun shone without mercy. Her head began to spin and she closed her eyes and held tightly to Giselle's arm, Giselle walked her to the car because even when she opened her eyes she saw nothing, everywhere seemed dark.
"Em, are you okay? " Giselle was worried. Emily didn't say anything so she decided to drive her home. When they arrived, the door was locked, Emily handed Giselle the key, her mother had probably gone to work. Giselle opened the door, and helped Emily to her room, she dropped the clothes on the floor, next to Emily's bed.
"Are you sure you're good? " Giselle asked for the umpteenth time and Emily nodded, giving her a reassuring smile, Giselle left.
Emily became curious. What does her mom use to make the tea? And why was it making her feel sick?
She laid there and slowly, she was embraced by nature.
Emily woke up. She stretched her body and yawned. It was morning, how could she have slept till the next day?
She stood up and walked to her bathroom, splashed some water on her face and towel-dried it before stepping out of the bathroom.
She unpacked the clothes they bought yesterday into her wardrobe, took her bath and got dressed in one of her usual jean trousers and body-hug T-shirt.
She went downstairs and greeted her mom. she ate breakfast with her mom and went back to her room.
She took her phone from her pocket and collapsed on her bed, she checked her phone and saw several missed calls and messages from Giselle.
'How're you feeling now?'
'hope you're better.'
'i'll check up on you tomorrow.'
She didn't reply the messages, she just dumped her phone on the bed and buried her face in her pillow.
She stayed up in her room all day, except for the time when Giselle dropped by and when she came down for lunch and dinner.
She tried asking her mother during dinner, what herbs she used in making the tea, but her mom would just change the subject.She retired to her bed, she couldn't fathom how she feels, it felt really weak from the inside, she asked herself so many questions.
'What herbs do her mother used to make the tea?'
'Why does Jake's mom give him the tea and doesn't give Giselle?'
'What did her dad came to protect her from?'
She closed her eyes in the middle of her thoughts and she fell asleep.
Rebecca couldn't help but worry about her daughter, even if her raven could stay calm, her phoenix couldn't; it'll fight till it's free. Was bringing Richard back into their lives the best thing to do?
She climbed upstairs and opened the door to Emily's room, she peeped and saw Emily lying peacefully on her bed. Emily was clearly coming of age and soon her raven and Phoenix will be out of control.
Emily woke up the next day, Hale and hearty. She stood up and did her daily routine; arranging her room, taking her bath and sometimes, joining her mom to prepare breakfast.
She got dressed and went to work. She was thankful that Chris (the pain in her ass) was fixed on an afternoon shift.
She greeted Micheal and Elsa when she came across them. She took her apron and started working.
"Hey, " Emily was preparing sandwiches when she heard someone call from behind. When she turned around, she found Micheal standing right in front of her. "Hey. " She said with a bright smile.
"My brother's birthday is on Friday and he is having a pool party. Will it be okay if you were my date? " This was the first time Emily was seeing Micheal a bit nervous. He was always the tough guy who was afraid of nothing.
"Yes! Uhm... I mean, okay, why not? " She didn't want to seem too eager. She turned around and smiled to herself, she didn't know why she was excited. Maybe it was because she could get a chance to mingle with the rich kids. She wasn't poor, but she was never classified as one of the rich kids.
After the day's work she hurried home. She spoke with Giselle on the phone and told her about the pool party and Giselle screamed out of excitement, she loved pool parties.
It's been almost a week and Richard didn't show up, Rebecca was worried and she was worried that she was worrying about a man she was supposed to dislike, but actually she was worried about her daughter. She cannot protect Emily alone, her powers can't be suppressed forever; Sooner or later she's going to find out what she is.
******************
Mike went home that Thursday night, he and Chris were the only ones in the house; their father had gone on vacation, (something he does often.) and their mother died in a car accident when Chris was three years old.
Micheal and Chris grew up without knowing what it feels like to have a father nor a mother. Their father never stayed with them and any time he was around, he never acknowledges their presence. He would always travel from country to country. Any time he calls, he asks about his eatery and doesn't give a damn about them.
"Hey Chris, " Micheal called as he walked in, he threw his backpack on the couch and playfully ruffled Chris's hair. Chris sat on the couch playing a video game. "Are you excited about your birthday party? " He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of brown beer.
"It was your idea. " Chris smiled still concentrating on his game.
"Dad is coming back from Nigeria tomorrow. " Micheal said, sitting on the couch and sipping his beer.
Chris rolled his eyes, "Who cares anyways? he'll leave as soon as he gets here, there's no need to be happy about it. "
"I'll be in my room. " Micheal said and Chris nodded.
*******************
Emily's alarm rang and she snoozed it, "Morning already? " She muttered half asleep. She grudgingly stood up and walked to her bathroom, brushed her teeth and took her bath. She arranged her room and was heading to the living room when she perceived a smell. She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed. This was... CHICKEN BURGER?? She hurried off to the kitchen to make sure her nose wasn't playing some tricks on her. Her mother never liked chicken burger so she didn't understand why her mother would suddenly go to the kitchen and make a chicken burger.
When she got to the kitchen, she was taken aback, her father was standing right in front of her.
How did he even get in?
"Hey Em, you're up so early? I was planning to come and wake you when breakfast was ready, anyways, it'll be done in five minutes. " He turned to Emily. "I came in through the window, in case you're wondering. " He smirked and continued with his cooking.
Emily took a few steps backward before turning around and racing up to her mother's room.
"He's here " Emily said to her mom as she flung the door open.
"Who? " Her mother was startled.
"Him. " It didn't take her mother long to pick up what Emily was putting down.
Richard is here!
She raced down the stairs and saw Richard coming out of the kitchen with two plates of chicken burger and one plate of stewed chicken in a tray.
"I remembered you don't eat burgers... so I stewed a chicken. " He looked down at the plates of food still wearing his usual smirk.
Rebecca chuckled, "You think coming here by..." She brought out her phone to check the time. "8:30am to prepare breakfast will make up for all your shortcomings? " She folded her arms to her chest.
"What do you want me to do huh? I made a difficult decision, just for the both of you. I missed our daughter grow, why are you making this so freaking hard for me? " He spat with an expressionless face, his words got to Rebecca but she couldn't let him see it.
"Seventeen years Rich, (She couldn't believe she was calling him by his nickname) you didn't call, you didn't visit, you didn't know how things were going with us, nothing. It was as though you meant every word you said. So yes, " She nodded. "It'll take more than just a plate of food to forget all that.
She stalked towards him and grabbed the bowl of stewed chicken.
"Mmm... " She nodded. "I never knew you could cook. "
She walked out of the living room with the bowl of stewed chicken.