The Blind Teacher's Bait

Chapter 32. Beautiful

"JUNIPER GET DOWNSTAIRS now! Do you want to spend the whole day sleeping, lazy child?" Aunt Cho's pounding of my door along with the yelling woke me with a sudden jolt.

"I'll be down in a minute," I called back sleepily, knowing she wouldn't cease the pounding on my door unless I gave a reply.

"You better be." Her voice was now receding, her footsteps becoming faint. "You've been asleep half the day!"

I reached for the phone on the bedside cabinet to confirm how long I had been asleep. It was almost noon, I slept for close to twelve hours. I dropped the phone, stretching out of the bed still yawning.

I was exhausted, the same way I had been almost every day since I got a job and started coming home after hours. The job was mainly to avoid staying home with my family, my life here had certainly become extremely unbearable since I left PCA.

My hearing didn't go well as I had anticipated already and my expulsion letter came by mail a day after. I heard Jake had resigned even before then, the whole affair must have hit him harder than it did me. We hadn't seen since that day in the library and quite frankly, I couldn't summon the courage to even call him.

I ruined his life.

Even my life wasn't any better.

I returned with my aunt and sister immediately after and I've been a subject of ridicule ever since. The worst part of it all was that James was back in England now, getting worse from what I've heard and I wasn't allowed to go visit him. In fact, I wasn't allowed to go to the grocery store without permission now.

I had pleaded endlessly before being allowed to take up a shift at the same bakery where Car worked, my life now revolved around home and work. I walked into my small bathroom, splashing water on my face and running my hand through my tangled hair when I heard aunt Cho yell once again.

"Juniper! Get down here this instant!"

I didn't need to be told twice before jogging down the stairs still in my nightclothes and meeting her in the kitchen. She had on a blue, floral kimono dress and her hair pulled in a tight bun with her small eyes alert and regarding me with open dislike.

"I want you to go buy me yeast," she said, now walking towards the counter and picking up some plates. "Your uncle's family is visiting later today and I want to bake them that banana bread they like."

"Okay. Is that all?"

"For now, yes." She was dumping the dishes in the sink now. "And I want the one your boss sells, KC has the best yeast in town. Make sure you don't buy me rubbish."

I nodded, knowing she wasn't done talking and not bothering to make my exit yet.

"And make sure you come home early today," she was now washing the dishes with a determined expression. "I'll want you here so they can see you and your sister."

"Today is Saturday, Aunt Cho. I work till very late on weekends, you know that." I tried my best as possible to maintain the calm and even tone I had been using for everyone.

"Be home early," was all she had to say. "Now go buy me that yeast."

In less than an hour, I was pushing open the door to Kabella's Sweets, hit in the face by the delicious aroma of the afternoon pastries Carmen was now slowly arranging in the show glass. She looked up, hearing the little bell at the door tinkle as I walked in.

"You're early." She crossed her arms across her chest, grinning. "Or you've missed me!"

"Hardly," I snorted, not amused. Car had taken to cheering me up ever since I got back, it wasn't going to change the fact that I got expelled but I appreciated it most times. "Aunt Cho sent me to get her yeast from KC, apparently KC has the best yeast in town."