Efflorescence (ON HOLD DO NOT READ YET)

II - Out Of Hand

"Your mom is right. Just be responsible, Nina, please. Act your age." Dad told me. "Now tell me what happened to you."

I took a deep breath. Explaining every single detail would creep the hell out of my parents especially the part that I'm having eerie hallucinations. They would definitely make my curfew early than before. Or worse, never let me out of the house. So I gave them a different version. "I sneaked out with Shaye and went to a illegal party at the back of Stanton Museum. I got drunk, for the record." Dad shot me a dissapointed look. "Then, police found out about the party so we all tried to escape. Unlucky for me, a pointy wire at the fence near the football field caught my leg." I lied.

"That's all?" Dad asked.

"Yes." I lied again. "That's all."

"Okay then." Dad replied, not conviced at all. So is Myles who just kept being silent. 

"The good thing is you're home now and safe. I'll tend your leg, honey." Mom kissed my forhead and started tending my leg. I'm so glad my mom is a nurse. "Will it be okay by tomorrow?" I asked mom. "Surely. The bruise is not too deep. It will close eventually. You'll be fine." Mom assured me. I smiled at her. I love my mom and that's for sure. 

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When I woke up, I noticed my leg doesn't hurt anymore though it has bandage. I slid off my pajamas and put on my denim shorts and dad's old Harvard sweater. I grabbed some money from my drawer and drifted downstairs finding Myles. "Where are you going?" He asked, suspiciously.

"Goodmorning, Myles." I said as I tie my shoelaces. 

"You can't go anywhere, Nina."

"Why?"

"Nina, I'm sixteen. I know that you are lying last night. I can see it in your face." He said. Great. I rolled my eyes at his expectant face and hauled Myles into the kitchen so no one could hear us. "Tell me the truth." He told me.

I huffed. "Listen, you might think that I'm crazy when I tell you what happened."

"I already think you're crazy." He said.

I light punched him on the shoulders. "Okay, here it goes. A guy stabbed me in the party where me and Shaye went."

Myles' eyes bulged. "What?! Who's the guy?"

I gulped. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" 

"I was drunk okay!" I defended myself. "I don't even know why he did that. Maybe he's drunk too. And..." I stopped. I can't tell Myles about the old lady. "And?" He asked, expectantly. But I gave in.

I took a deep breath. "I'm seeing things, Myles. Things that aren't normal."

"Tell me. Please."

"It's hard to explain! It is really...horrible." I recalled the face of the old lady last night. I cringed at the thought.  "Promise me you won't tell dad."

"I won't. Promise." Myles promised. "Why didn't you tell me?" I spun to see who just spoke. I'm being stupid, of course I know who it is. 

Dad.

"I'm so sorry, dad." I was really sorry. Dad's face is white like all his blood drained from it. I can't blame him, so was I. "I'm sending you to boarding school." Dad revealed.

"What?!" I exclaimed, not believing what I just heard.

"You too, Myles. For siding with your sister." He crossed his arms. "Don't be surprised, your mom and I planned this long ago."

"That's crazy dad!" Myles sighed in disbelief. 

"Where are you sending us? Hell? Cause that's what boarding school is!" I retorted. Dad's mouth twitches. I can't believe he's doing this. I accept my punishment but he can't implicate Myles within my faults. "This is stupid, dad. I'm not going to sneak out again. I'll be responsible. I promise!"

"You are stabbed, Nina! Stabbed by someone you don't even know. Stanton is not a safe place anymore." Dad said. I know I'm stupid for being troublesome to them but he can't take us away from our daily lives. "But dad, school is almost over. Can't you wait?! And Shaye, she's here. I can't leave her!"

"School is halfway over. And if Shaye is a real friend, she won't take you into these shameful illegal parties. Besides, Crossbow Boarding School in Maryland is exclusive."

"Maryland?!" Me and Myles barked. 

"You guys will love it there. Me and your mom will be living in a nice house just one kilometers away from the school. She is also going to have a new job as a nurse in a nearby clinic." 

"But dad-" Dad raised his hand signaling us that there's no way to change his mind. I glanced at Myles, his face is blank. He's probably still processing everything. Well, this is it. My life, then again, is destroyed affecting my brother. Goodbye Shaye, Stanton and normal life.

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Shaye tapped on my window and let her in with a sullen face. "Last night was outrageous! All those running and adrenaline from the cops is priceless! I'll cross that one from my bucket list." Shaye beamed. 

"Yeah, right." I said.

"I thought you're going to my house this morning, I was waiting for you. And also, I'm sorry for not searching for you at the party. I just didn't want to be arrested. Anyway, what happened to you and Mr. Sexy Smile?" Shaye gave me her signature smirk, hands on her waist. 

"First of all, apology accepted. I did the same thing. Second, Mr. Sexy Smile stabbed me on the leg. Good thing it wasn't that deep. Third-" -"Oh my god! Oh my god no way!" Shaye interrupted dropping her hands from her waist in shock. "Oh my god I'm so sorry, Nina! I knew there was something off about him! I should not have dragged you into that party in the first place. I'm so sorry." Shaye sat beside me on my bed and glanced on my bandaged leg. "Does it still hurt?"

"Not anymore, thanks to my supermom." I said. "Oh! And third, I couldn't get out of this house because my told me to pack my things. Lastly, I forgive you again. It's not only your fault by the way."

"Ough! Thank goodness. I was about to stangle myself." Shaye said. "Wait, did you just said pack your things? Why?"

I can feel every weight on my body. "Yeah. We're leaving Stanton."

Shaye rose from my bed. "What!? You can't leave, Nina. You're my bestfriend, you can't go." 

"It's hard for me too. But you know my dad, he's the boss here." 

"That man!" Shaye hissed. "This means new school right?"

I nodded. "Yes. Crossbow Boarding School in Maryland." I said. "Never heard of it, actually."

"Well, I do." 

"You do? How?" 

"My parents kind of graduated there. I heard it's really grand but spooky." Shaye said. 

"That's great! Maybe you could tell your parents to enroll you there, too." 

Shaye pursed her lips. "Not gonna happen. My parents hate that place in every aspect."

"That makes the three of us." I said. 

"Nope. That makes the four of us."

I laughed. This is what I'm going to miss about Shaye. She never fails to keep me laughing.