The Seventh Deadly Sin

Part Nine: Delinquent Act

"I ALWAYS OBEY WHAT HE WANTS ME TO DO. BECAUSE HE PROMISED THAT, HE'LL NEVER GO BEYOND WHAT I PERMIT HIM TO HAVE."

- MARY JANE

THE TEMPEST PLAY is my top concern and focus for now. And the practices have been doubled due to the period, ranging from two to three months from now. I started reading The Tempest, but I couldn't even proceed till scene 2 due to the skeptical schedule and Reid's pressure of the practices that he wanted to be done, "we'll be practicing five times a week, during English." He declared, and that would mean that I'd be spending twelve hours of my day in lectures and his practices, added up the tutor lessons in history.

As I said, the English were spent. Esmeralda gave me a sympathetic look, patting me on my exhausted shoulders as the bell rang. "You can manage it, Mary Jane. It's normal for the first two months of school, but after that, you can do whatever you want to do." She encouraged me, walking along as we proceeded down the hallway.

Some of the students I've seen while walking frequently glanced, giving me a look I've never seen before. Esmeralda nudged me on my shoulders and rolled her eyes. "Don't mind them; they are always like that when a certain outcast goes beyond their expectations." She explained, opening up her locker.

Emily and Luca walked toward us before Emily slammed her locker. Both eyes were fixed in agitated frowns.

"What happened?" Esmeralda asked, looking worriedly. Emily looks at the both of us before her expression softens.

"Alexis has been acting like a bitch right now. After the party, she began hanging out with the Frelli sisters," she clenches her teeth before pursuing, "she even changed her way of communicating with me and said that she wouldn't come back to our group unless Mary Jane left."

Alda and Luca stared at me with sympathy before I shook my head and smiled warily. " It's alright; perhaps Alexis was right. I should leave your group and be better alone," I said weakly, suddenly feeling the pain and sadness from the thought of losing them.

"Don't worry, Mary Jane; I'll try to talk with Alexis," Luca said, looking at my soft blue eyes.

We entered the canteen and sat in our usual spot. Before Emily offered to take our food from the serving area—the usual routine she would always do at every meal—Luca bid his farewell before settling down with his brothers and the other popular people. Alda smiled when we were finally alone at the table. "Thank you for lending me your trust yesterday," she said, genuinely waiting patiently for her meal.

"You're welcome. And thank you, too, for letting me sleep in your room last night." I said softly, glad that Alda was kind enough to invite me into her room; after I told her the events that occurred during my hours in the bathroom, Emily returned afterward carrying a handful of trays in both hands, settling it on top of our table.

"I'm sorry I took so long; the server was too slow," she explained with a hint of a frown. I took my tray and saw a bowl of cherries beside the lasagna.

"I was planning to put some apples since it suits lasagna, but the server put cherries instead."

I nodded and uttered my gratitude, eating the lasagna before Alda stared at the cherries with deep thought. "Did anyone of you know how to tie a cherry knot?" Alda asked, and I suddenly became stiff, putting my utensils down before taking a glass of water.

"I wish I were because mostly the people good at tying them are the ones good at kissing," Emily thought out loud, and the realization hit me. Is that why Dominic taught me how to tie it? I said to myself, remembering the time when I asked him about the tempest.

"It's hard at first," I admitted to Alda, taking a single cherry. But it would be easier if you keep trying till you get it," I said before tying the knot and showing it to Alda and Emily.