Amy Flemming | After the Flames

11

The day went very fast. The usual subjects like Math and Physics weren't a problem this time. During Physics we had a summery from the last semester and Ethan helped me with the equations that I was struggling with. I think that it will always be my least favorite subject.

"I just can not stand him." I hear Chester speak as I walk down the stairs. "You are jealous that is not a reason to act like a prick." Ethan tells him with a tone. I am surprised by his choice of words. I think about going back upstairs but I am not going to let their conversation stop me from doing my own thing. I enter the kitchen and make some hot chocolate for Valerie and I. I act like I don't see them since they have stopped talking. The whipped cream is added on to the liquid when I hear footsteps coming from the living area. Their conversation suddenly stops. I hear some footsteps approaching me.
"Amy." Chester says as he leans against the counter top beside me. "Yes." I answer him as I slowly apply the marshmallows onto the whipped cream. "I am sorry." He tells me. "For what exactly?" I ask him and look at him. "How I reacted yesterday." Chester explains. "It was a little bit unfair. Don't you think?" I ask him. "Yes. Sorry." He tells me with an apologetic look on his face. "What exactly are you so upset about? The fact that you weren't the first to be informed about the latch? Or the fact that it was Elijah who we told first?" I confront him with my question. His jaw clenches. "We didn't even have to tell him because he already saw me busy with it. He picked it up himself but Valerie probably did not tell you that part yet." I look at him. "I would have told you  that if you didn't get mad at me." I look at him as I see guilt in his eyes.

"If it was Ethan who we told first, would you be upset?" I ask him. His jaw is still clenched shut as he looks at the floor. "No." He mumbles. "I thought so." I react and sigh. I pick up the two mugs and walk upstairs to my bedroom not even looking back at him.

Valerie is still on her bed where I left her before I went downstairs. She is listening to some random podcast as I set the mugs down a little louder than I intended to do. "What is wrong with you?" She asks me as she sits up as she turns off the podcast. I explain what happened downstairs as she picks up her mug. "I think he is jealous." She tells me. "Yes, I think so too because he did have a conversation about it with Ethan." I tell her the conversation that I heard. "But he needs to fix or talk about it with you. He is our housemate. What does he want you to do? Ignore Elijah?" Valerie says as she takes a sip of the mug. "You are right." I tell her. "Yes, I always am." She says with a proud smile on her face. "What do I do now? I want him to trust me." I tell her. "Maybe you should go talk to him. You and Elijah have just experienced some trauma which only the two of you have been through. Chester wasn't there so he doesn't understand." I nod at her statement before taking a sip of my mug. "But that is no reason for him to act that way." She says.

Lucy comes in and asks if I want to join in with a game downstairs. I decide to participate in a game of Monopoly. The game ends when Kate announces dinner is ready. We tidy up the game and then set the table. During dinner, I can feel Chester looking at me a few times. I feel a little guilty since his seat is taken by Lucy and he has to sit at the other side of the table. Maybe we can talk later. The food is delicious as always as we talk about our days.

Chester, Ethan and Valerie empty the table and clean up everything as everybody does their own thing. They either go to their bedroom or do something else.

After dinner, I sit down to read my book in the living room when Kate walks inside.

"Amy, Uncle John is on the phone for you in my office." I smile and follow her towards her office. I pick up the horn from the wooden desk. Kate leaves me in her office alone. The door closes behind her before I start speaking. "Hello." I say. "Hello dear." I smile hearing his voice and sigh. "How are you doing?" He asks me with an interested and concerned tone. "I am doing fine." I tell him. "How is it to be back?" He asks me carefully. "It is fun to see everyone again but school is a little though." I admit. "I understand. I heard that you aren't allowed to compete in the PE lessons." He reacts. "True. It isn't that I enjoy that class a lot but since there hasn't been that much sports since the accident, it's annoying. I just want things to go back to the way they were before." I explain. "I understand, Amy but you have to be patient." He tells me with a strict tone. "When the doctors give you permission, you can do whatever you please but just not now." He tells me. "I have to get to the meeting, I will speak to you very soon." He says with a rushed tone. "I hope so too." I tell him. "Bye my dear. Stay safe and I love you." He tells me before hanging up the phone. "I love you to." I say as I have put down the horn. I sigh and brush my hands through my hair. I let out a few tears which I quickly wipe away with my sweater. I don't know why I am feeling sad. Maybe it is a combination of the sadness about me and Chester not working well or because I miss the family that I have left.

I look around Kate's office. I have never really been in here. Obviously, I did see some things when the door was open but not this detailed. I look around the massive office. There is even a top floor when you walk up the stairs in the corner. Maybe that is where she sleeps. This room is beautiful but also has a bit of a creepy vibe which doesn't make me that comfortable. I decide to leave the room. As I make my way to the door, I spot a picture on top of the dresser beside the door. I pick it up as I feel my jaw drop to the floor. I wipe away a bit of the dust covering the faces on the picture. My father, Uncle John, the woman Suzy that he was talking about, my father, another man who I do not know the name of and a woman: Kate! He did not inform me about her. I don't know why he wouldn't tell me about her. How couldn't he. I live in her boarding house. She is my care taker at the moment. I feel some feelings of sadness, anger and some frustration. I keep starting at the picture in the frame. I quickly set the picture back on the dresser when I hear Kate's heels on the tiles outside of the office. I open the door to get into the hallway where I meet her. "Did you have a good conversation?" She asks me as she reaches me. "Yes, everything is fine. Good night Kate." I tell her and quickly walk upstairs as I feel her eyes on me.

I feel fooled for some reason. Is she the reason that I am living here? Is she good or bad? Can I trust her? How well did they know each other? How close were they with each other?
I keep looking at the ceiling as I try to remember the conversations with uncle John. Never has he ever spoken about her. From all the conversations I remember with my father, I can not remember him talking about her either. There are some together  picture on her walls which I take some time to look what is on those but these are mostly decorative pictures or some pictures with people I do not recognize. The wallpaper is a dark green color. The room is dank and has a lot of wooden pieces of furniture. You can see that the room is older since the wallpaper is torn a little at the edges. I wonder how she got this job and became the owner of this house. Who was the caretaker before her?

I am so caught up in my mind that I don't realize someone walking towards me until I bump into something hard. I look up to see that it is Chester. "I'm sorry." I say as I look up at him. "You were caught up in your thoughts. It doesn't matter." He says. "Are you alright? It looks like you've seen a ghost." He asks me. "I am okay." I answer.

"Can we talk?" He asks me. I nod and walk with him to the garden. We sit down on the bench. "I am sorry for the way I reacted. I am just having a hard time." He admits. "How come?" I ask him with a worried expression. "Well, I have been feeling rather guilty about not being able to save you that evening. I was so busy with everything that I was not focusing on you." He admits. "Nobody could have expected what was going to happen that night. You were having a great time on stage before everything went down. Just because Elijah was there doesn't mean that I don't like you anymore. I understand that you feel bad about it but it is really not necessary to be jealous." I tell him. He gives me a small smile. "Can we just act normal again and not fight all the time?" I ask him hoping he can let this go. He nods before wrapping his arms around me.