Chapter Three
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After last block and the bell rang, in the hall, Jen stalked up to me in her denim jeans and pumps.
"Hey Claudey. Miss me?"
I dodge past her,
"Not a chance."
She continues to prey me.
"How was this mornings drive with my bore of a sister, huh?"
"I drove her, she left, end of story now move."
I walk at a faster pace, one where her and her heels won't be able to follow.
Still behind me though, words still shot out of her mouth.
"You know, me and Esme have always been close but ever since that accident she had when she was little, she gotten all 'ugh' on me."
I stopped, turning to face her.
"What do you mean by accident?" I ask.
"Oops" Jen laughed. "I wasn't supposed to say that."
"Say what?" I asked again.
Jen laughed again.
"Well aren't you curious huh? Tell you what, I'll give you a day to figure it out and then I'll tell you."
Jen put her claws on my cheek.
"Till then, mystery awaits."
And just like that, Jen is gone.
I roll my eyes at her ludicrous behavior.
"Why does she have to be so weird?" I wonder to myself.
Either way, I guess curiosity kind of got a hold of me for a second there. Esme having some sort of accident intrigues me for some reason. Though that might be a mess up way of looking at it.
Exiting the school building and heading towards my car, the first thing I spot in the crowd of chaos is Esme. She was leaning uncomfortably on my car lid, seeming to shrink into the distance of screaming high school kids. She couldn't hide though. At least not from me.
"Hey Esme." I greet her.
Esme jumps slightly, turning to face me.
"Claude." she says back although not sure if in a statement or question."
"So am I, escorting you home again?" I ask already knowing the answer.
"Jen has ditched me again, so yeah, I guess you are."
I nod.
"Let me get the door for you." I say, trying to seem gentlemanly.
But before I could reach out and help, Esme blocks me. She shakes her head.
"No. I can do it by myself." with that said, she taps the passenger door before opening and then climbs in. The look on her face was undeniable. She was mad.
I climbed into my side to and started to engine, mystified by her behavior. Esme doesn't pay me any any attention. She just stares out the window as I pack away from the parking lot.
"What did I do wrong?" I ask when we were half way to our street.
"I'm sure you know." she mutters back.
I chuckle nervously.
"Know what? That you don't like doors being opened for you?"
I saw Esme's hand clench into a fist.
"No, I don't like that."
"Why? I was just helping, I--"
"I don't need your help!" she snapped. "I have enough people who help me as it is. The last thing I need is you feeling sorry for me. It's pathetic."
Now I'm completely confused.
"Wait wait wait, what are you--"
"Can you just take me home?" she tells me. "That's the only help I need, just take me home."
I nod, completely at loss of words.
What the hell is she talking about?
I park on the curb of her lawn and cut the engine. Esme was quiet for the rest of the way back so couldn't bring myself to ask her what she was talking about. Then what Jen told me earlier popped into my head. Accident? What does helping her have anything to do about an accident.
I watched as Esme climbed out my car, barely muttering out a thank you before she walked away. Unable to turn away, I stared after her as she crossed her lawn in an unusually slow motion. She was looking straight ahead and following her gaze, I happened to notice that just a few feet in front of her was a large tree that towered over and shadowed her house. I don't know how I didn't notice it sooner but I was there and by the looks of it, It looks like Esme was going to run into it.
I laugh to myself at the thought, knowing that Esme would just side step it since she was looking straight ahead.
But then Jen's mischief poked out from the window and she was laughing when I then noticed that Esme certainly did walk into the tree. I watched as Esme reeled back, her face and neck going red.
Jen's face no longer harbored the window but now suddenly became present at Esme side who had now fallen to the ground.
Jen looked up at me, smiling as if satisfied that her sister had just walked into a tree!
Wait.
Esme walked into a tree. The girl actually walked into the tree.
I turned away thinking, who walks into tree's?
What is she? Blind?
That thought alarmed me. I look back to Esme and Jen. Jen was guiding Esme towards their door, holding onto her hand as if leading her, helping her.
"I don't need help!" she said.
Shades indoor's, claustrophobia, accident?
How stupid could I be. It was obvious.
"Esme!" I yell out to her.
Esme jumps in surprise, probably thinking I had left already. Her ears turned bright red.
"Esme, are you blind?"
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