Sterling
I don't seem to be able to find my ally in the hallway, though I swear I'd seen her go this way.
In class Kera had been throwing paper balls at her, and she just sat there and continued writing, ignoring it. It took every ounce of will in my body to stay put because I knew that my ally wouldn't want me to cause a big scene in front of everyone over something small like this. It's a good thing that girl Nadine told Kera to cut the childish crap because I was two seconds away from leaping out of my chair.
I don't understand why she's still letting Kera do things like this to her. It makes me so angry, but I know she wouldn't want me to interfere, so I'm trying to respect her preference. But just the mere thought of her being hurt by anyone in any form almost drives me crazy. For some reason, I have this instinctive impulse to protect her, even though she's been vehement about wanting to protect herself.
I also have this sort of natural radar so I'm able to sense when she's near me. Right now, that radar pulls me to an empty classroom at the end of the hall. It's the same one that I'd dragged her to on the first day of school.
In hindsight maybe I shouldn't have made a deal with my she-devil stepsister to bring Juliette to her back then (especially since said she-devil didn't even follow through with her end of the deal) but at that point I just wanted an excuse to approach Juliette. Ever since I'd heard that the girl I'd met outside Lucinda's Lair — who'd had me naturally drawn in by the mysterious charm behind her image of innocence — was coming to school in the East Wing, I'd been wanting to find a way to make our paths cross.
And it worked. I'd managed to peel past that first doe-eyed, naive layer of hers to find a bold girl full of grit who challenged me and the system we live in. The more time I spend with her, the more layers I discover, and I get even more enamored by her complexity.
I see her in the classroom with Kera, but right now the two of them are just standing and talking, and my ally seems to have everything under control for now, so I simply stand in the doorway and listen to their conversation, poised ready to make a move if I need to.
"You and my brother have been unusually close these past few days."
"Does that bother you?"
"Yes, it does, actually. The both of you are from two whole different worlds. You trying to breach the boundary that has been so diligently established and maintained by our predecessors shows a vulgar disregard for any sense of respectability or duty to our nation."
My grip on the doorframe tightens, anticipating Juliette's response with bated breath.
"In case you're not aware, Kera, there's just one world. The only person living in a different world is you, in your made-up universe where you've made yourself the centre." Kera's mouth drops open in shock, clearing not expecting my ally's rebuttal. "Using flowery language isn't gonna make you look more intelligent if what you're spouting is still narrow-minded nonsense."
Her answer allows the knot in my stomach to unwind and melt into a pool of warm relief. On the other hand, my beloved stepsister seems to have a completely different response, judging by how her eyes narrow sharply and her nostrils flair.
"Narrow-minded nonsense?"
My body jerks forward when Kera reels her hand backwards, but my ally catches her wrist midair, and I halt my movement. Kera struggles against her hold, but my ally's grip on her is too strong for her to break out of. Kera tries a strike with her other hand, but that's caught too.
"Have you gone crazy, Hybrid? Are you trying to make sure that your fake dad goes into early retirement?"
Juliette looks away from my screeching witch of a stepsister for a few seconds, before snapping her eyes back to Kera's with a newfound resolution flashing in them. "Earlier I was giving you a break because you hadn't realized the change in rules yet."
My ally twists both of Kera's arms in her grip until Kera starts yelping. I just taught her that move during our last lesson, and she's already perfected it. The sense of pride in my student is overwhelming.
"My father isn't working under your family. So you have nothing on me anymore," my ally spits through clenched teeth.
"I'll leave you alone if you leave me alone." She pushes Kera away from her, releasing her grip on Kera's wrists. "But if you mess with me again, you're not gonna get away with it next time."
With that, she turns and leaves a stunned and enraged she-devil in the middle of the room while walking towards the door.
She seems surprised to see me leaning against the doorframe, looking back at her with my head cocked to the side and a large grin across my face.
"That's my girl," I say before slinging an arm around her small frame and guiding her away from the classroom.
I lean down and whisper lowly in her ear, "You're particularly hot when you have that fiery spark in your eye."
Her cheeks blush in embarrassment at my comment, and those bright hazel eyes of hers are wide as they stare at me in frozen shock. She seems to finally regain her senses after a while and rips her eyes away from mine, looking down, adorably trying to hide her reddened face with her hair, which makes me chuckle.
Every time I think this amazing girl can't get any more attractive, she proves me wrong.
***
She's an incredibly fast learner.
I knew she had a lot of moxie under that deceivingly sweet and unassuming image of hers, but I honestly didn't expect her to be such a good fighter. She's really giving me a run for my money here.
By the end of our third lesson she's pretty much mastered the basics of defensive arm-to-arm combat, and left me sweating.
After I send her home, I make a trip to the mall. I want to buy her a gift, as a reward for her quick progress, and also, just because.
I'm walking towards the mall's main exit when I overhear a woman at one of the makeup kiosks reprimanding an employee.
"If you skip another day of work this month, you're fired," the young woman spits harshly.
"But I still have another eight days of unpaid grace leave this year," the middle-aged employee attempts to explain timidly.
"Ah, that's right. Your fifty days of 'grace leave' permitted by the law for you Bipolar loonies." The young woman rolls her eyes and sneers. "Fine, I can't fire you for truancy, because you're a grown woman incapable of keeping her own emotions in check." The employee looks to her with hope-tainted fear in her dark grey eyes, awaiting her next words. "I can, however, have you fired on the basis of a poor attitude."
The red-haired employee gasps, shaking her head fervently with her hand clasped over her mouth, looking at her employer pleadingly.
"I expect to see you at work every Friday, Saturday and Sunday like what I hired you to do. If you can't keep that commitment, I'll be filing for a dismissal."
"That's against the law. She could sue."
Both women turn their heads in unison, looking at me in surprise.
"In 2008, Congress enacted the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act to protect people from discrimination by their employer. If you fire her, she could have a case against you."
"Someone like her couldn't afford a good lawyer anyways. Don't worry about it, Mr Crawford." The young woman gives me an assuring smile.
I was hoping she wouldn't recognize me. But it's hard to remain anonymous when your male familial predecessor owns the shopping complex you're standing in.
"I'd get her a lawyer, and I'm a witness," I say in a leveled tone with an eyebrow raised. The young woman blinks a few times, taken aback by my statement. "Don't create extra paperwork for no good reason. I have no patience for useless things, and neither does my father." I hold in my grimace of disgust at that last part, face remaining passive. I hate bringing my male familial predecessor into these kind things, but sometimes it's necessary.
The red-haired employee looks at me in dazed disbelief. I take a closer look at her name tag.
"Keep up the good work, Lilith."
Giving her a small smile, I bow my head towards her and make my way out of the building.
***
In the limo I get a phone call. Once I see that it's from my private investigator, I immediately pick it up and bring it to my ear, swallowing thickly.
"Did you find her?"
"I managed to locate the girl in the photo you sent two weeks ago, but her identity doesn't match the name you gave."
My eyebrows knit together. "Doesn't... match?"
"The girl's name is Sienna Cadwell. She's fifteen years old and goes to Bay Shore Preparatory School For Girls. She lives around the area as well."
"But the necklace... She wore a necklace, right? With a phoenix pendant?"
"Yes, the same one as in the photo."
"Then it has to be her."
"The name you suggested didn't match with the profile we found of her, Mr Crawford. Her name is Sienna Cadwell... not Sara Crawford."
I breathe out heavily, running my free hand through my hair. It doesn't make sense. It's her. I'm sure of it.
After a few moments of silence he asks with hesitation, "Mr Crawford, is the Sara Crawford that you're looking for..."
"Yes," I answer before he can complete his sentence. "My sister."