The bell tolled, signaling the end of lunch break, and this time, we both returned to class together. The day whisked by in a blur, and before I knew it, the final bell chimed. I began to pack my belongings when Raven and I stepped out into the courtyard. There, I saw my mother, her smile a constant beacon, while Raven strode towards her stoic butler. I made my way to my mother, and as was her custom, she enveloped me in a warm embrace.
"How did today fare for you, Jade?" she asked, her smile mirroring the sun's own warmth.
"Yes, Mother, all went well today. But I have a favor to ask—may my classmate come over to our house? We need to study for next week's exams."
My mother's expression flickered with surprise before a broad smile took its place.
"Of course, you can, Jade. There's no trouble at all. I'm delighted—it's the first time you've brought a friend home," she said, her excitement palpable.
Our conversation was punctuated by Raven's arrival, her usual stoic expression giving way to a courteous demeanor.
"Have your parents given their consent, Raven?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued.
"As I told you, it wasn't an issue—they agreed," Raven replied, then turned to address my mother.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Smith. It's a pleasure to meet you , I'm Raven Nightingale , and I apologize for the last-minute intrusion. I hope my presence isn't an inconvenience," Raven said, her politeness accompanied by a smile that seemed foreign on her usually impassive face.
At that moment, I felt as though I was seeing a different side of Raven. When had she ever smiled like this, or been so polite to anyone? My mother, meanwhile, beamed back at her.
"Oh, not at all, you're not intruding. I'm very happy to welcome you into our home," my mother replied, her smile as wide as the horizon.
"I appreciate your kindness, Mrs. Smith. Shall we depart now? My butler awaits," Raven said, gesturing towards her butler who stood by the side of a luxurious car.
Raven walked towards the vehicle, and I followed suit, but my mother's words halted me.
"You see, Jade, I told you she liked you," my mother said, her smile tinged with mischief.
I had no time to respond; we were already at the car. Raven had climbed into the back seat, and the butler held the door open for us. As I settled into the car, sandwiched between my mother and Raven.
At first, I found the silence awkward as we rode home, the quiet only broken by my mother's occasional directions to the driver. The journey was brief, a mere five minutes before we arrived at my house. We descended from the car, and Raven bid her butler farewell before he departed.
We stood before the front door, and my mother unlocked it with a flourish.
"Please, come in. And young lady, feel free to make yourself at home," my mother said, her smile inviting and warm.
We entered the house, and my mother disappeared into the kitchen while I led Raven to the dining table. We settled down and laid out our study materials.
"So, where shall we begin?" I asked.
"I think we should start with math; it's the subject I struggle with the most," Raven admitted, scratching her head in frustration.
I nodded in agreement, and we dove into the work. To me, the problems were child's play, simple calculations that flowed effortlessly from my mind to the paper:
Count the number of apples in the basket and write the number below.
If you have 3 balloons and someone gives you 2 more, how many balloons do you have now?
There are 5 ducks in the pond and 2 more ducks join them. How many ducks are there in total?
You have 4 pieces of candy. You eat 1. How many pieces of candy are left?
Add the numbers: 7+1=?
But for Raven, it was a different story; she struggled with each question, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"Do you need help, Raven?" I offered.
She looked up, her eyes wide with a mix of desperation and relief, and nodded. I patiently explained the concepts to her, and within minutes, she began to grasp them.
"You know, if there's anything you don't understand, you can always ask Mrs. Pauline for help. She's very kind," I said, concern lacing my words.
But my suggestion seemed to strike a nerve. Suddenly, Raven's calm facade shattered, and she lashed out at me.
"What do you think? I've asked Mrs. Pauline for help multiple times, but she doesn't care about me, and it's the same with everyone else," she said, her voice tinged with anger and her eyes brimming with tears.
I hadn't anticipated such a raw outburst, and it was worse than I could have imagined.
"I'm sorry, Raven. I didn't know. There's no need to get upset," I said, trying to soothe her, but my words only seemed to make her cry harder. The air around us grew heavy with unspoken emotions, and I realized that beneath Raven's stoic exterior lay a tumultuous sea of feelings, rarely seen and poorly navigated.
In the midst of our study session, my mother emerged, a tray laden with confections in hand. Upon noticing Raven's tears, she set the tray down with haste and rushed to envelop her in a comforting embrace.
"What's happened here? Why the tears, Jade? What have you done?" my mother questioned, her gaze piercing me as she cradled Raven.
"Mother, it wasn't me, I swear I've done nothing wrong," I protested, my voice a mix of confusion and innocence.
Initially, my mother seemed deaf to my pleas, her attention solely on Raven, who, after a few moments, found solace in her gentle touch.
"I apologize, I didn't mean to cry in front of you, and truly, Jade is blameless," Raven managed to say, still nestled in my mother's arms.
"It's alright, dear, such moments happen. You're not troubling us at all. Jade, fetch some tissues for your friend, they're in the living room drawer," my mother instructed.
I hurried off, though the tissues proved elusive, delaying my return. When I finally came back, I was greeted by the sight of Raven laughing with my mother, a scene that coaxed a smile onto my face. Approaching the table, I extended the tissues to my mother.
She took them and began to dab at Raven's tears.
"No, Mrs. Smith, I can manage on my own," Raven insisted, a flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks, but my mother persisted.
"Don't fret, it's my pleasure to help. Besides, Jade, why don't you pass the cookies to Raven?" my mother suggested with a smile. In that moment, I felt reduced to a mere handmaiden. It hadn't been a full day since my mother met Raven, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that she had already taken a shine to her, perhaps even more than to her own daughter.