Valerie gave a soft knock on the wooden door.
She had submitted her applications a few days back, which meant she just had to wait to be called to the Dean's office. She shifted her weight. A minute later a voice answered, "Come in."
She opened the door cautiously. Then stepped inside the office. Dean Evelyn Richardson looked up at her through her horn-rimmed glasses. Then gestured to a nearby chair and said, " You may take a seat."
Valerie obeyed. She scrutinised her for some time as she read through some papers. Then the Dean spoke up again, "I was informed about Professor Brown a while ago. While I was aware of the happenings around Oxford, I was never tempted enough to question my students, not until I received your application. Plagiarism does take place among the youth. So I'll ask you." She paused, then added, "Are you sure that the person you are accusing is actually guilty?"
Valerie nodded, "Yes."
She went on, "You have proof against that person?"
"No, not yet" Valerie replied.
"Do you have any idea how far this case might go?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, and I'm prepared to take as much of the responsibilities as possible." Valerie answered in the affirmative.
"And if you have to enter a court? Mind you, you are not a local. Are you confident about your future?"
Valerie nodded again. Unable to form much words.
Dean Richardson nodded, "Very well, good luck young lady. I hope you successfully stand up against those who have wronged you. I will talk to the Chancellor and handle the rest. May you leave."
Valerie got up from the seat. Muttered a 'thank you' then left.
☆♤◇♡◇♧☆
Valerie drummed her fingers on the table.
He was late. Very late.
She stared at her wristwatch. It had been fifteen minutes past six and she had received no calls or texts all day. She hadn't even noticed him anywhere in the past twenty-four hours. Where the hell was Sebastian?
She finished the black coffee, payed the bill and left.
She had other things on her list. She scrolled through her call lists and rung him again. During the past half an hour, he had left him five missed calls, not wanting to interrupt him, just in case he was going through something important. But he hadn't even called her back.
She cursed under her breath as no one picked up from the other end.
She dialed Julian next, but in vain. He hadn't been around for nearly a week now. Then turned off her phone and walked back to her accommodation.
She'll deal with him later.
☆♤◇♡◇♧☆
Sebastian couldn't sleep.
He had been ignoring all her calls today. Why?
He couldn't answer himself. He replayed the conversation with his brother over the phone this morning.
"Go back to Woodshire, as fast as possible," Felix rasped. His voice had the tone of utter urgency.
"Why?" Sebastian was startled.
"Just do it, don't say a word to anyone else. Not even Valerie," Felix added, he must have sensed that Sebastian was about to interrupt him.
"But why?" He felt a weird mix of worry and annoyance.
"Go stay with mum for a while. Also, I think I know where Bryant might be, so don't do anything stupid before I come back. There are more than one person involved in this. If Valerie tries to reach out, ignore her. I'll explain everything to her later." He could feel him breathing heavily from the other end. Then he added,"I have to go. Bye."
Before Sebastian had a chance to process or say anything, his brother hung up.
He closed his eyes. After a moment or two, he got up from bed and left his room.
He had driven all day to return home. Just to find Ivory making pancakes.
When she opened the door, she had raised an eyebrow and just asked one thing, "Did they kick you out?"
And his lips had perked up. Then he had said,"Just wanted some pancakes, mum."
But the good thing was, she hadn't interrogated him much further. Somehow, she knew quite well that her sons were weird as hell. So the next moment, he was ushered inside and offered her pancakes.
Being home had felt really good. But then Valerie had started bombarding his mobile phone with missed calls and texts. He couldn't just unsee it after seeing it, so he had set it in 'silent mode', then locked it in his closet.
So here he was. Wandering through the second-floor hallway. He paused in front of Felix's room. Then pushed open the door.
After all those years, he still sometimes expected to just magically find him in that room, that he'll groan disapprovingly and ask what the hell he wanted. Then when he would be about to leave, he would call him back inside and show him something interesting. Maybe a new poem he had just written, or some new calculation he managed to solve after a hundred tries.
Or sometimes, maybe just tell him to stay. Then he would play a song and they would sing along to it.
He missed the time when life was fair.
He missed his brother.
Sebastian stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. The bed wasn't slept in for days. A small picture in a polished wooden frame sat on the study table. Two little boys stared at him with excitement in their eyes.
He moved to the table and looked through his drawer. Felix would not have been happy about this. Even so, he kept digging through his stuff. Then his hands caught a small piece of parchment.
He gently removed the pencil case blocking it, then unfolded the piece. Something familiar was written in a hasty handwriting, but he could make it out. The note said :
I might not return again mum, don't wait for me after this. I'm already a disappointment to some.
Sebastian patiently folded the note and placed it back inside. He didn't feel like doing anything more. He had kept doing this over the past couple of years, and he still had no idea why. Something Ivory herself didn't know about.
He went over and sat down on his bed.
He knew the note was more than two years old. He always read it whenever his brother popped up in his mind. This room was the closest he could get to Felix. He always hated himself whenever he did this. He was never good at letting people go. Not when he had known about them his whole life. Even if he knew he had to let go, he never allowed himself to.
And so he had to suffer. But now those feelings had turned into empty and unanswered questions. Questions he was not totally sure he could ask his brother.
Maybe his mother had known about it before he could because he never gave Felix a chance. But it was no time to cry over spilled milk.
He got up from the bed and left the room.
-
He kept scrolling through the missed calls, his hands twitching to just call her back.
Sebastian had finally taken out the phone from his closet, in case Felix had called him again, but there was no sign of him. Only missed calls from Valerie.
Then out of nowhere, a name popped up on his screen.
Julian.
He almost jumped out of the bed. Holy shit. Julian hadn't called any of them in days. Sebastian had to take this call. He swiped to accept it. Then spoke up frantically.
"Hello? Julian? Where have you been?"
A calm voice answered from the other end, "I'll explain everything if you have time. Firstly where are you?"
"I'm at Woodshire, why?"
"Good, because I'll be there in a few hours. We can meet tomorrow and you can listen to my rant." His tone was bland.
Sebastian was dumbfounded, "What? How? It's already past one in the morning, why are you out this late?"
"Tomorrow Osborne. Goodnight." Then he hung up.
Sebastian stared at his screen. What's with everyone hanging up on him without even allowing him to speak?
He turned off his screen and laid back down on the bed. Then rubbed a hand over his face.
Atleast I'll get some answers tomorrow.
☆♤◇♡◇♧☆
Sebastian stood just inside the Forest Valley.
He hadn't visited this place in ages. Although he did remember every bit of time he spent here. It's name did suit it. It was more of a forest than a park.
He started pacing impatiently.
He had no idea where Julian slept last night. Even if he slept at all.
It felt like everyone was just dumping some pieces of a puzzle on him and expecting him to work out where the rest of the pieces are. Just like one of those memes regarding an illogical maths question.
He was just about to call him for the third time today, when he noticed a blonde man approaching him.
Yeah, this was Julian.
He walked upto him with such pace that if anyone else saw him that way, they might think he was going to punch the other man in the face.
But he did not such thing.
Patience. He had to be patient.
Julian casually shook hands, then said, "Hey mate, how are you?"
Sebastian remained silent.
Julian huffed out a breath. Then said, "Okay, okay, I'll tell you." He paused for a bit. Then said,"My father came back home."
For a moment, Sebastian went completely still. Then said, "Your what?"
A/N :
Sooo, this was chapter twenty-one.
I hope that those of you who do read these, like it. I'll update soon. (Saying this more to myself than anyone else.)
On a side note, some of the places mentioned in this book are fictional and some are real.
That's it, have a good day/night. And also, don't forget to vote!
Bye!