Saving Neba

𝐗𝐗𝐗𝐈: Karmic justice

Unfortunately, her words had little to no effect on me. If Sandra had told her about my family's condition, then I wasn't going to be ashamed. Mr Steve already knew.

I wanted to go on. "If your daddy died right now, tell me, would you be able to survive on your own?"

She stepped back and her arms dropped unconsciously. She shut her eyes and opened them again then turned her face away from me. "You can't take criticism but you derive joy in giving them out. Do you know what that makes you?"

I could begin to hear Luan's breath. She was exhaling loudly. I, on the other hand, was enjoying this. "Stop talking to me, you useless bitch." Her voice was barely a whisper. Heck, it was barely as threatening as it used to be.

"I'm sure we already know, telling by our outfits, who the real bitch is." I walked towards the bathroom door and turned the handle, just as I heard her stifle a sob.

My heart clenched. I turned and saw her gripping the basin and crying out. Luan wasn't a person to hold in her tears, unlike Chloe who would never break in front of you. I wanted to go and wrap my hands around her, to comfort her just as Crypta had done when this same girl had insulted me.

The bell rang.

My heart kept screaming karmic justice and with that, I opened the door and left Luan Adams with her thoughts.

Emily was walking out of the library with a textbook when I spotted her. I sent her a smile but in return, she folded her lips. "Hi."

"I haven't seen Griffin since yesterday. Is he okay?"

She clutched her textbook tighter. "He's gone to Scotland to visit his sick grandmother. Did he not tell you?" Her voice sounded too plain and uninterested like she wasn't in the mood to continue.

"No, he did not. Are you in a hurry?"

"Yes, yes," she replied almost immediately. "I've got a French make-up test to write, bye!" She walked past me hastily, like she was afraid I'd call her back.

I shrugged. Now that my entire break time had been used up, there was no use going to the library. I turned around and began to make my way to the class. Taking a glance at the bathroom door, I noticed that the bathroom door hadn't been opened since I'd stepped out.

A sad smile crept up my lips.

The break was already over. Either way, I didn't have a pass and I would be late for class.

Grabbing strength from heaven knows where, I walked to the bathroom door, again. When I opened the door, Luan was curled up on the floor with her face hidden in her palms, sobbing quietly. Her short green dress formed a circle across the floor and because her knees were up and supporting her elbow, her thigh was partly exposed.

Silently, I walked closer to her. She didn't seem to have noticed my presence. I knelt beside her and stared at her, wondering what I should do. She appeared so, so vulnerable. Not like the Luan who walked confidently to shops and threatened to have her daddy close them down because they didn't have honey-topped doughnuts. I sighed as I released my hands from my sides and wrapped them around her curled body.

She shuddered in shock until I said, "Luan," and she recognized my voice.

"Get your filthy hands off me."

Truth be told, this girl was not making this easier for me. "I, er, I didn't mean to say any of that."

She sobbed even more, not bothering to look up. I guess she felt she had already been embarrassed. "You... You don't regret it."

"I--"

"Get your filthy hands off me, Emery Scother!" She threatened with a broken voice. I grunted and let go of her. Her body folded even further from the absence of comfort. I knew she needed it.