A Dark Family Secret

*Sigh A New Boy

Crystal was forced to show Jeremiah the guest room because LR had to talk to Timothy urgently.

Crystal grunted. She wasn't in the spirit to make new friends, not in this situation. She took Jeremiah's suitcase and started making her way up to the guest room. When they got there, he put his hand in his pocket and thanked her. Crystal rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. Jeremiah scrunched his face in disgust and grabbed her arm vigorously. Crystal looked him in the eye and wrenched her hand free.

Jeremiah looked down at her arm -which now had nail marks and looked back up at her regretfully. She was about to start crying; her lips were quivering. "I am so s-sorry, I didn't mean to.", he said, scared to make her cry.

Crystal put her arm over her two eyes and cried. She didn't bother; he deserved to feel guilty. He didn't know what she was going through. If he knew, he would've just left her alone. Crystal turned around angrily and made her way downstairs. Jeremiah tried following her, but she gave him a death stare which made him recoil into the bedroom.

Jeremiah massaged his temple when he heard LR ask her sister what was wrong. Just as he expected, LR was stomping up the stairs angrily.

She didn't even knock. She just hit the door open.

"Why is she crying?" she asked him, trying to repress her rage.

He didn't answer, but LR saw the sadness in his eyes.

She released her fists and took in a few breaths before saying, "I am sorry." "We've had a rough time; Crystal is amiable once you get to know her.", LR said, sighing.

She made her way out.

"I don't think she wants to get to know me", he said to himself.

When everyone went to bed, Crystal couldn't sleep.

She wondered how everyone could sleep when the police could be looking for them. Or that hag. Crystal tried to close her eyes again, but a dream about her mother chocking her woke her up.

Crystal put on her pumps and made her way down to the kitchen to get a glass of milk.

When she was about to switch on the lights, she realised that someone already switched on the light. Jeremiah was standing there, staring into infinity.

Minding her own business, she went to the fridge, in search of milk, but it wasn't there. The milk was in front of Jeremiah. The same person she wanted to dodge. She grabbed for the milk at the same time he held for the milk.

"Sorry...You can have it", he said in his bass voice.

Crystal giggled. He was fearful of her.

"I am not going to hurt you or cut you with my nails.", she said, looking down at the injury.

"I am sorry about that-Wait. Let me help you.", Jeremiah urged.

Jeremiah looked for the first aid box and brought out a plaster, disinfection and a thin dressing.

Crystal smoothly took it out of his -implying that she would do it herself.

However, when she tried to put the dressing on, it didn't work. Jeremiah gently sat beside her and took the bandage out of her hands. While he was soothing the wound and putting the application on, she took her time to study his face. A chiselled chin, hazel eyes, brown curly hair and his skin, had an olive complexion. "He had the perfect face, she thought, but his personality...he needs to put a bag over it.", Crystal thought. But something told her that he wasn't what she thought he was.

Jeremiah caught Crystal looking at him, and for a while, they were just gazing into the eyes of each other, trying to figure out who they are.

Crystal laughed loudly, breaking the discomfiture. She felt guilty for feeling a flutter in her heart; it wasn't the time for new friends, best friends, potential boyfriends or whatever. It was time to focus on family.

Crystal stormed off quickly and didn't reply when he screamed good night.

Jeremiah breathed out loudly. "Girls are evil; they just use you and leave."

Both of them were determined not to be friends or anything like that.

It wasn't the right moment.

Crystal still couldn't rest. She regretted going down, and now she had more things to reflect about.