Unmarked

Chapter 17

Lavina came down the stairs as the night dragged on. She was in her pajamas since it was quite late. She stopped about halfway and sat down on the step. She heard Amilia and Oglm talking in the living room.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go track down Jasvinder."

"And how exactly are you going to do that?"

"I'm going to go see Elsie and see what she knows. And I'm sure I can dig something else up."

"Looking in a phone book will only get you so far, Amilia. What about Lavina? And your job?"

"Did your contact come through?"

"He did. But you have to play along with his story and make up an excuse for that." Oglm pointed.

"I know. I have no idea why my hair is like that. And I don't really have a mark anymore either."

"Can you still do magic?"

"Oh yeah."

Oglm sighed.

"And I won't be gone forever, just a few days. I'll call everyday, I promise."

"You better come back."

"I will." Lavina got up and went back up the stairs. She went to her room and held the back of her neck. She paced around her room for a little while. Then she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in." Lavina turned around.

"Hi there, sweetheart." Amilia walked into the room. "You want to sit down here and we can talk?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah, sure." Lavina sat on her bed and Amilia joined her.

"Well, Lavina, I am going to be away for a few days. I'm taking a little vacation before I get back on the job." Lavina looked to the floor.

"And you're coming back this time?"

"Yes, honey."

"Are you sure? Because last time you said you were going on a vacation, you didn't come back."

"I'll be back this time, I promise. I will call everyday, as many times as you want."

"Everyday?"

"Everyday, every night, every hour, if you want."

"Can we FaceTime?"

"Of course, sweetheart." Amilia put her arm behind Lavina's back and pulled her close. "I will not leave you again. I have no reason to stay away and I plan on staying with you as long as you will let me." Lavina smiled.

"Ok."

"Well, I'm going to go pack, ok? I'll see you off tomorrow morning and when I get back you can reintroduce me to my parents. How does that sound?"

"Good."

"Ok." Amilia patted her on her arm and then got up and left her room.

"Lavina!" Oglm yelled up the stairs. "Come say goodbye to your mother!"

"Coming!" She yelled down the stairs. Lavina got up from her bed and then went down the stairs. She gave Amilia a hug, Amilia gave her a kiss on the forehead and then Oglm took off with her. About an hour later Oglm came through the door, this time alone. He ruffled her hair, messing it all up and then went into his office. Minutes later Yxeyhzfkx and Cristel came through the sliding glass door.

"Lavina!" They said walking over to the couch. Cristel sat down next to her and put her arm around her back.

"What are we doing tonight, dear?"

"Uh- I don't know."

"Did Oglm make you dinner yet?"

"No."

"Well let's do that. We can surprise him, give him the night off, hm?" Cristel grabbed her hands and pulled her off of the couch. Her grandparents led her into the kitchen, got out some pots and pans and looked through the pantry.

"How about Ziti, Lavina? Five cheese?"

"Ok." Yxeyhzfkx got the cold ingredients and Cristel got the non-perishable ingredients. Yxeyhzfkx stopped a moment and looked to the sink. "What's the matter, grandpa?"

"It, it just looks like Amilia was here. She usually does this with her dishes."

"A, a, Amilia? My mom? How could she be here? Let me just take care of them, I've been a bit busy today, sloppy me." Lavina went over to the sink and rinsed off the dishes, then she put them in the dishwasher. Yxeyhzfkx and Cristel exchanged glances.

"Lavina, I have to use the restroom, I'll be right back."

"Ok, grandma."

"Here, let us get started, Lavina." Yxeyhzfkx said. He handed her the ziti and she filled up the pot with water. Yxeyhzfkx started on the sauce, making sure he had all the ingredients he needed. Lavina turned on the dial and waited for the water to boil, while Yxeyhzfkx waited for the sauce to simmer. Cristel came back down the stairs and whispered something to Yxeyhzfkx. "Uh, Lavina, who's living with you, dear?"

"Living with us?"

"In the room next to yours. It looks like a bunch of your mother's things."

"I thought you were going to the restroom."

"Well, yes, but I got lost again. This house is quite confusing when you don't live here."

"So who is using that room?"

"It's my study room, I forgot to clean it up from that one project about my mother."

"Oh, have you been sleeping in there, sweetheart?"

"From time to time, you know, when I'm up late studying."

"You should clean it up Lavina, it's so messy. If your mother weren't dead, I would have sworn that she was in that room."

"I'll get right to it."

"Here, sweetheart, I'll finish this and you go on ahead and clean up. By the time you're done we can all eat."

"Ok." Lavina said, giving him her spoon. She turned to the stairs and went up them. She opened the door to Amilia's room and walked in. She shut the door behind her and looked around. It wasn't dramatically messy, just a few clothes on the bed and floor, the bed wasn't made, the blinds were down and the closet door was open. Lavina went over to the closet and looked inside of it. Amilia was clever, I'll give her that, she made sure to hide everything in case some old buddy of her's stopped by. Her hamper was tucked away in the corner of the closet, behind clothes that she hung up, that she doesn't wear. Lavina went over and picked up the shirt and the pants on the floor, and grabbed another shirt from the bed. She assumed they were all dirty and went ahead and put them in the hamper. After that she shut the closet door and then opened up the blinds for some extra light. She made the bed, pulling all the sheets up so that the pillows easily covered them. Lavina spotted one more little thing, a stuffed animal on the floor, which she went ahead and put under the pillow, as to keep her mother's secret.

"Lavina!" She heard her grandfather up the stairs. "Are you ready? It's done!"

"Coming, grandpa!" Lavina went out of the room and closed the door, proceeding to the stairs and then descending them into the kitchen. Oglm stood with her grandparents and smiled at her.

"Well, shall we?" He said, motioning to the chairs. Lavina shook her head and then sat down. Yxeyhzfkx put plates in front of everyone and then pushed Cristel's seat in. She laughed and then gave him a nudge, after that, they all began to eat.