The thing about life is when you least expect it, it throws you a month, particularly, a month where all your troubles come and visit. However, for me, life decided to take the said month and make it into a human so it's a month that causes me trouble instead of a month where different troubles visit.
If someone asked me which one I'd prefer, then it's definitely not the latter. Because this latter, this human-named-month has now discovered something he shouldn't have.
And I don't know what to do.
"What the...what—”
I can feel the heat rising to my ears in panic.
“June! What are you doing here?” Lily squeaks.
I glance from her to June. Good thinking, Lily!
His eyes look as large as his gaping mouth.
"Did you...did you just disappear and—just now—"
"What are you talking about?" I clear my throat. Might as well act the classic clueless way. Judging by his expression, he doesn't seem to be taking it well, so if I play clueless...
"Lily...you just..."
Lily gives me a worried glance.
"June, are you okay?" I ask. "You don't seem to be doing too well."
He squints at me. "That's not going to work."
"What's not going to work?"
"I saw what Lily just did."
Shit. I turn to Lily. "Lily, you're late to class. Why don't you go on? I'll talk to June."
She casts June a concerned look before nodding her head and leaving.
"No Lily, come back here—"
I snap, "enough! She's late for class."
"No, she needs to be here and explain how she disappeared."
Goodness gracious. It feels as though my heart’s about to jump out of its rib cages. "I think going to class is more important than listening to your wild imaginations."
His dark eyes narrow, before he’s suddenly striding towards me at a frightening speed. It takes everything in me not to run away from his heated glare. If looks could kill...
"Don't play me, Ar," he says, gripping me by the shoulders when he reaches me. "I know what I saw."
"Are you serious right now? Let go—" I struggle out of his hold, and just when I think I've succeeded, he pulls me back in and tightens his grip.
"No, I'm not letting go until you tell me."
I tug. "June! For fu—"
"What's going on here?"
My head snaps towards the voice and I'm startled when I see Ben. Immediately, I free myself from June's hold and run towards him. "I don't know, he just started attacking me, Ben."
"What the fu—"
"Is that true, June?"
Wait, what? I turn to Ben.
"You know him?" I scowl at a perplexed June.
"I usually meet June here when I drop the children off, Miss."
"Miss?" I ignore June's curious gaze.
"I'm Miss Chaos's butler," Ben replies. "Isn't that correct, Miss?"
I wince but nod nonetheless. Why's he talking this way? It's so embarrassing hearing my last name.
June coughs a little before covering his mouth. But I know he's hiding a laugh, that idiot. No wonder his brother's brain's filled with nasty thoughts. Which reminds me—"Ben, I'm late for uni. Can we go now?"
"Ar, we need to talk."
Ben glance from me to June and then back to me again. I hope he sees the urgency in my eyes.
"Fair enough, let's go."
"No, hold on—"
"It was nice seeing you, June," says Ben before he guides me towards the car park. It takes everything in me to not turn around and see the look on June's face. I wonder what he's feeling. Panicked? Confused? Angry? I don't know and I don't care because I'm not going to see him today. But I'm still stuffed. I can't believe he saw us. What am I going to do?
"Ben, can you take me home, please?" I ask when we're in the car.
"Of course, Miss."
I notice on the ride back that Ben doesn't ask any questions, even though he has many. What was I doing with June? Why was he grabbing me like that? Should he let my father know? Should he ask me? He's a little concerned...but thankfully, he doesn't say anything.
If she wants to tell me, she'll tell me.
When we arrive home, I all but jump out of the car and race inside the house, though not before thanking Ben. I need to tell father everything that's happened with Lily. About June though...I still don't know. If father finds out, what will he do? I don't know June, but I don't want him to get hurt. The last time someone found out...
I spot father in the living room reading a book. He looks up when I enter.
"What are you doing here, Ar?"
"Father." I let out a deep breath. "There's something really important I need to tell you."
He sets his book down and beckons me to sit on the couch across from him. "What is it?"
"It's about Lily."
He straightens. Lily is his favourite child even though he's never stated it before. Not that I blame him because she's my favourite sibling, no offence to the others.
"I went to drop her off today and overheard some students—"
"Overheard?" He knows I read their thoughts.
"Yeah, and they were saying nasty things about her. I think she's getting bullied at school."
He sighs. It's not a good thing hearing that your child is getting bullied at school, especially if they're really young.
Why didn't she say anything?
"Because she's scared you'll hurt the kids."
Father gives me a pointed look, either because I read his thoughts or straight out said he'll hurt children, I don't know, but I suspect it to be both.
"What are you going to do?" I ask.
"I'll talk to Lily when she gets back. But for now," he says, "go to university."
The incident with June earlier replays in my head. "I'm not going today."
"Why not?"
"I'm not feeling too well, father."
He knows I'm lying, and I know he knows I'm lying, and he know I know he knows I'm lying, but still, he doesn't say anything. Instead, he casts me a stern look before standing up and leaving the room. I suspect he's going to call the school. He's always been like that—calling the school to know everything and then asking us what's wrong.
I make my way out of the living room and into the kitchen. Layla is cooking and Ben is sitting by the island table, drinking tea. "Did you talk to your father?" he asks.
For a second I tense before giving him a confused glance. "Why would I talk to father?
Ben casts a sideways glance at Layla. She's stirring something in a large pot, lowly humming to herself and...thinking of mother.
"Because of June."
My eyes widen. No way, does he know? "Why would I tell him about that?"
He gives me a pointed look. Because June knows.
I suck in a startled breath. I'm so dead. I can't even lie to Ben because he'll know. But..if he knew, why didn't he say anything in the car? Why did he pretend to think of telling my father and—
Oh. I see.
He was giving me a chance to say something. A warning of sort. If I don't tell father, he'll tell him. So it's either me or him.
"I'm a little tired. I think I'll go take a nap." I excuse myself out of the kitchen, but I still catch Ben's last thought. A thought he intentionally has.
Go tell him now or I will.
Now?
Now?? That's impossible. I can't do that now. Ican'tIcan'tIcan't—okay, calm down, Ar, calm down. Deep breath. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.
Okay, if I see him, I'll tell him. If I don't, I'll keep it to another day. That's a good idea. Yes, it's a very good one.
As I'm making my way up the stairs, I bump into father.
"What?" he raises a brow at me. Despair must be written all over my face.
"I need to tell you something." The words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them. It's too late. I can't take back what I said. I have to tell him.
"What is it?"
It's okay, it's okay. Just tell him. "Not here."
He nods. "Let's go talk in the living room then."
I shake my head. "Not there either." Yes, Ar, delay it as much as you can.
He frowns, his eyes roaming my face. He's thinking how important must it be that I can't tell him in the living room—the place we have all our family meetings. He sighs. "Come, let's go up to the study."
I follow him up the stairs, past the dozen of rooms and into the study. I remember, whenever my siblings and I did something bad, he'd put us there where we had to write pages explaining what we did wrong and why we shouldn't do it. But I copped most of it, especially when I used my ability. Now I've learnt that if I were to use it, I have to think hard about the consequences. Can't say I've been doing that the past couple of days though.
"Go on, tell me." Father takes a seat behind his desk and I sit across from him on one of the chairs.
I knot my fingers together and rest them on my lap. This isn't going to end well. In fact, I can't believe Ben did that to me. I'm not ready to tell father yet, so why should I? It's not like anyone will believe June. They'll just call him crazy. Yes, they'll call him that. So there's no need for me to tell father then. I look up from my lap when he clears his throat.
"Well?" He raises an eyebrow.
"Someone found out about Lily's ability."
Again, the words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them, but this time, I don't need to look at father to know I stuffed up big time.
ns 172.71.254.55da2