Through Everything

Chapter 14

Three busy hours passed by at the fete as the school's clock chimed eleven o' clock. Jia's ears perked at the echo of the third chime, remembering that she only had less than an hour to put her plan in action. So, while Luna and Sophia were busy with a customer, Jia checked the photo that she had taken of Hamed's graph.

"Let's see....." she said in a low voice to herself. "Lunch is at one o' clock, which means that the fete will be least crowded between twelve-thirty and one. So, even if we have to close the stall at that time, it won't create a huge loss. So, I'll apply the glue around-"

"Jia, get over here!" yelled Luna from the front counter. "The cash drawer is stuck again!"

Jia tucked her phone into the pocket of her jeans. "Coming."

                                                                                 *******************

"Hello there, how can I help you?" asked Jia, noticing a kindergartener trying on some gloves. The child, who appeared to be no more than five years old, said nothing but kept on trying the different gloves laid across the counter. She glanced at her wrist. It was almost twelve-thirty. If she stood here any longer here, she might not have enough time to execute her plan.

Jia glanced over to Sophia. "Sophia, Luna told me you're great with little kids; can you help this kindergartener?"

Sophia returned her smile, not knowing that she was being plotted against. "I'd love to." 

Once Sophia was distracted by the kindergartener, Jia took a careful look around the stall, ticking off in her mental checklist; Sophia was distracted-yes. Luna was distracted-yes. She cautiously lowered her hand into her pocket, while still looking around the stall. Yes, she could feel the round edges of the glue. She smiled and headed over to the cash counter, taking the highest level of caution in every step.

She pulled out the swivel chair from underneath the counter and knelt beside it. Eyeballing the super glue held in her palm, she went over her plan once again. All she had to do was apply the glue on the chair in utmost discretion. 

Then, once Sophia was glued to the seat, they could close the stall, and Jia would finally get some alone time with her bestie; alone time that she deserved. Or thought she did.

Her hands trembled as she tried to twist open the cap. As she did so, her sharp ears heard the faint sound of something hitting the ground. Right next to her. She glanced down only to realise that the magnet of her Head Girl badge had snapped off.

She let out a sigh of relief. Leaving the super glue half-opened on the chair, she held the magnet on the inner side of her boatneck top to snap it to the badge, which she held on to the outer side.

Once the badge was in place, she let go and stared at it-like she always did. The badge that gave her self-esteem every single day made her feel different that day. That moment. She felt guilt. And it was the bad kind. The kind you have when you did-or about to do-something that you know is wrong.

She fixed her gaze at her badge. She had to make a choice. And fast. No, she couldn't do it-it wasn't right. Her eyes fell on the super glue. Half opened. 

With great exertion, she pulled herself up and walked away from the chair-her left hand curled around the tube of glue. A feet away from the counter, she stopped. 

She turned around and stared at the chair. If she didn't do it, the chances that Luna will know about her fears of Sophia doing exactly what Avery did would be ten to one.

Logic and conscience debated in her head, pulling her in opposite directions. By complete instinct, her legs walked themselves towards the chair. She went along.

Her left hand tightened and loosened its grip on the glue as her legs took her closer and closer to the chair. She fixed her eyes on the chair, her stare intensifying with each heavy step.

"That chair's interesting, huh?" Startled, the glue fell from her grip. She looked up to find Luna standing behind the chair, her hands resting on the chair's back. Adrenaline rushed and she took a few steps back, only to collide with Sophia. 

"Um........I was....I just...." began Jia.

"It's fine." said Sophia as she pulled out paper bags from underneath the counter.

Luna pushed the chair closer to Jia. "What are you up to?"

Jia took slow steps back.

"What are you up to?" she repeated.

Jia clutched her chest, trying to muffle the sound of her fast-pacing heart, forgetting that she was the only one who could hear it.

Luna kept an eye on Jia as she spun the chair in a casual manner.

"Honestly Jia, I don't understand why this chair is so-" Luna stopped and bent down. 

"Is this yours?" asked Luna, pointing the tip of the super glue at Jia.

"Luna, I swear that I wasn't going to do it, even if I wanted to." answered Jia talking her mouth off.

Luna fixed her eyes on Jia. She knew her best friend. And that Jia never talked fast unless she was hiding something.

Jia continued, "I know that doing it was wrong but a part of me couldn't let go of the fact that this was the last chance I was going to get to-"

Luna interrupted the terror-struck girl.  "Hold on, hold on. Why are you talking so fast? I barely caught anything you were saying."

Jia bit her lip. "What? No!"

"Grab my wallet for me, will you? It's in my bag under the front table."

"Why? Where are you off to now?" asked Jia, bewildered and exasperated by the sudden change of topic.

"We're going out for a while. Just you and me." said Luna putting on her signature black denim jacket.

She turned to Sophia. "Sophia, me and Jia are heading out to the school deck. You'll be able to manage on your own for a while, right?"

"Um...Sure." said Sophia as she put the winter ear muffs that the kindergartener had bought into a paper bag. "Bring me back a rock and roll?"

"No prob." Luna turned to Jia who was now hiding in an empty corner of the tent.

"Jia, what are you doing there, and did you get my wallet?"

"Um.....I was re organising the books."

Sophia leaned over to Luna and whispered, "Why is she suddenly so....odd?"

"Probably claustrophobic or something; she just needs a change of scenery."