The door clicked shut behind Renee, an irritated, stern expression on her face.
Jenevive spared her a nervous glance before snapping back to Miridald. Her hands trembled, her throat clenched. "You... you... Edric is-"
Miridald cut her short, unfazed. "Yes, Jenevive. Edric IS my son."
-------------
Back in the ward, the quad was busy teasing and laughing among themselves when something settled in Jesse. A realisation-or not, not really. It was just the grumble of his stomach. He was hungry. The only meaningful meal he had had was the breakfast Mdachi had made-it was delightful, just as expected. Mdachi was a great cook. After breakfast, nothing really serious. He had made noodles for lunch for himself and the twins, and had crammed himself with a bit of snacks while stuck at the house with James, but those hadn't really done much for him.
Rubbing his tummy, Jesse uncrossed his legs and turned to the edge of the bed. He pushed himself toward it.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"Huh?" Jesse turned to his sister.
"I said, where are you going?" Anita repeated.
"Um. Just to the vending machines I saw around a corner."
Anita grimaced. "You're hungry?"
"Mildly, but yeah."
"Then get me some onion-flavoured chips and a Pepsi, please," Mdachi prompted. "I'm starving too. I've barely eaten today."
"I'll have the same," Edward added.
Jesse turned to Anita. "And you?"
Anita looked between her two friends. "I'll just have the same," she said, turning back to Jesse.
Jesse leaped off the bed. "Hokey-dokey." He dusted his hands. "I'll be on my way now." He turned toward the door.
"Wait!" Anita called.
Jesse stopped.
"You have the cash?" Anita asked.
Jesse looked back at her over his shoulder, an unreadable pout on his face. "Do you really think I'd go to get food from a vending machine without cash?"
Anita sighed and looked away.
"Wait!" Mdachi stood up.
"Oh my God, what again?" Jesse almost snapped. He spun to Mdachi, hands held out. "What?"
"Ugh, Jesse, just give it a rest with the tantrum."
Jesse's face darkened.
Mdachi rounded to him. "Let's go get those snacks," Mdachi said, standing tall before him, hands on his hips.
He started toward the door, stopped midway, and looked back at Jesse. "You coming?"
"I'm not going anywhere with you," Jesse dismissed, walking past him.
He stopped closer to the door. "So just stop trying to get on my nerves, Mdachi, and go sit your butt down. I will be back with our snacks in a few."
"But how will you carry all of-"
Jesse held out a hand. "I'll manage. I have my ways."
Mdachi recoiled, suspicion etched on his face.
Jesse groaned. "I have other ways apart from ktsin, you know? Sheesh."
"What is that?... What's anything? Sin? Si? I've heard similar things a bit too many times now and I don't know what they mean."
Jesse looked Mdachi deadpan in the eyes. "Ktsin. K-T-S-I-N. Means magic."
Without any more explanation, Jesse left the room.
Mdachi turned to Anita. She was sitting beside Edward on the bed, watching the whole thing like a cinema piece with an intrigued expression on her face.
Edward was no different.
Before Mdachi could choke out his words, Anita spoke. "Not gonna say. Not now. Remember, it's furaha time. Not 'recalling and piecing everything that has happened' time."
Mdachi just sighed in defeat.
-----------
Grumbling to himself, Jesse stomped at the machines, irritation still flaring in him from the earlier exchange with Mdachi.
"Oh, look at me. I'm a four-eyed, banana-skinned nerd who likes to get on Jesse's nerves," Jesse mocked beneath his breath, his mimicry of Mdachi's voice almost on point.
He was still seething from the whole 'camera payback rebound'. Sure, he accepted the whole thing as his fault, and always would, no matter how Edward tried to mitigate it for him, but he still couldn't stop feeling dissatisfied-at Mdachi. The dude just knew how to get on his nerves whenever he wanted.
Sighing, Jesse turned to the first vending machine. It gleamed with sodas and other kinds of beverages. The other one stood prominently beside it, harbouring the munchy kind of snacks.
Jesse couldn't help but continue mimicking Mdachi as he pressed for his order, slipping in the cash.
"Whoa! Whoa!" a lady exclaimed playfully from beside him.
Jesse snapped to her.
"You better be careful with how you talk around here." She leaned closer, covering her mouth slightly. "Or your eloping endeavours might just..." The perfect word eluded her.
"Flatline?" Jesse filled in. "My breakout attempt might just flatline?"
"...Yeah. How did you-"
"I'm a bit of a joke person myself," Jesse clarified before she even asked. "And don't worry, I'm not crazy, just a bit riled up by a bud."
"A bit precocious for a kid, no?"
"I get that a lot." Jesse extended his hand. "I'm Jesse. Nice to meet you, beautiful lady with stunningly pink hair."
Temara blushed, taking Jesse's hand in hers. "Nice to meet you too, Jesse. I'm Temara."
They stayed like that for a second-or two-eyes locked, hands clasped.
A staff member happened to pass by at that exact moment, pushing a meal delivery trolley.
Jesse stopped her. "Excuse me, ma'am, may I know where you're taking this?" He gestured to the trolley.
The woman seemed a bit stunned, but she answered promptly and politely. "To the South Wing, sir."
"May I ask if there's room... to carry a bit more?"
The woman smiled. She stared at Jesse briefly, looked back at the vending machines, glanced at Temara, then back at Jesse again, her smile consistent-pleasant.
"Yes, sir. There is."
---
Packing the snacks into the empty space of the trolley, Jesse closed the door and straightened up. "I can't thank you enough for this, ma'am," he told the staff member.
The woman responded with equal etiquette. "It's my pleasure, sir. So don't worry."
Jesse turned back to Temara. She was standing in front of the vending machine with the munchy snacks, her phone in hand.
"I'll make sure to buy you a soda or coffee next time, Temara."
Temara smiled.
"After all, you did say I'm precocious."
Temara grinned even wider-her beauty more delicate with the dimples. "I'll be looking forward to it, Jesse. Have a great evening."
"You too, Temara." Jesse waved and turned back to the woman beside him.
He gave a nod.
The lady started off, pushing the trolley ahead, with Jesse marching beside her.
And just like that, they were gone.
Temara turned back to the machine in front of her and pressed for her order.
--------------
Temara walked back to her sister's ward with two bags of potato chips in her hands.
She was keen and cautious of every detail around her.
Those savages could be lurking anywhere. In any corner. Waiting for the right time to attack-so they could jump her and her sister.
Sauntering into the room, Temara handed her sister one of the bags.
Beatrice took it.
"So... any yield?"
Beatrice shook her head, rather disappointed. "No. Nothing. It's like they vanished all of a sudden."
Temara recoiled with a grimace. "That's strange. I thought they were tenacious."
Beatrice gave her a dry look.
"What?" Temara exclaimed. "If they aren't the ones who minced up your honey dearest, then I don't know who."
Beatrice set the bag on a cabinet nearby.
"They aren't the ones, Ema," she began softly.
"Why are you defending them?" Temara interrupted, clearly annoyed. "You know, Beto, I really don't understand all these supernatural things you've gotten yourself into-and now I'm dragged into it with you. Hell, we could've gone our whole lives without knowing any of this."
Beatrice sighed.
"But no," Temara went on. "My big sister-the poster, sweet, innocent child-just had to fall in love with a fucking abomination of nature as we know it!"
"Temara!" Beatrice urged through her teeth. "Keep it. Down."
Temara immediately stomped to the door, slammed it shut, and stomped back to her sister, setting the bag beside her on the bed.
Beatrice stared at it, then back at Temara. She opened her mouth, but Temara spoke first.
"How did it come to this, Beto? Mingling with anomalies and rolling around in bed with them?"
Beatrice felt offended. "Excuse me?"
"What? Sa unadai kusema-"
"Just shut up, Temara!" Beatrice snapped. "Do you really think I asked for all of this? I just happened to fall in love-and fell in love with a unique-"
Temara broke into a sarcastic chuckle, arms crossed. "Unique?... UNIQUE?!"
"Hallington was a fucking witch... wizard... ktsina... whatever you call it. He was an abomination and-"
"He was a PERSON, Ema!" Beatrice's eyes welled. "He was a freaking person. For God's sake."
With clenched jaws, Temara swallowed her words and nodded, indignation palpable. "Wow. You rarely raise your voice at me... Just wow."
She began pacing around the room, biting her lower lip in thought.
"Ema..."
"What really happened to you this afternoon before I arrived?" Temara snapped, spinning back. "Hmm?"
Beatrice's tongue caught.
"Still won't tell me," Temara nodded bitterly. "...Wow!"
"Em-"
"You know, Beto, just tell me one thing. Hmm? You met a caucasian war... warlock. Fell in love with him despite the odds, and the fact that us human beings aren't supposed to know about their existence. Tsk, tsk - bureau and stuff. Knew ALL about him, and still chose to stay with him. Witnessed him unravel about some prophecy and approaching Doom. Had him taken away from you by a vague, supernatural murder, after which you couldn't even, by the way, attend his funeral - openly. Had him task you with protecting a goddamn voodoo-hoodoo book. And, as if it weren't enough already - and as the cherry on top - have yourself wait up for him to come back from the dead. Biblical. Just because he once mentioned it possible. All the while trying to keep safe, and ALIVE, from a fucking, anonymous, fiendly pack of savages."
By the time she was done, Temara was gasping for air.
"So tell me, Beto," she continued, "what do you plan your life to be like? To ACTUALLY... be like?"
Beatrice could only stare.
"Hmm?" Temara pressed.
Beatrice still had nothing to say.
A bitter, painful smile formed on Temara's face. She nodded in that familiar, hurt way. "Haaah..." she sighed. "Of course."
She grabbed her chips from the bed. "Of course."
Without another word, she walked to a corner of the room and sank into the couch. She opened the bag and began eating, her gaze completely averted from her sister.
Beatrice sat on the bed, staring at her, clearly conflicted.
With nothing she could do, she lay down, pulled the sheets over her head, and remained there-silent.