From unknown to unknown- Mixte 1963

Chapter 18- Understandings

That morning, for the first time in an eternity, Edith didn't want to wake up. She didn't want to go to school, she didn't want anything. But she didn't want to stay in bed either, so she sat, and looked at her window. 

She wanted to laugh at the comical failure she had become. It had been 3 days since she hadn't said a word to Joseph. Not a lengthy amount of time, but profuse enough for younger like them.  She had taken everything into careful consideration, after having cried herself to sleep the past days. It was truly, the worst she had ever felt. 

She knew she had been the one pushing for communication, but the thing about communication is you can't do it if you don't know how you feel. She only knew one thing, she loved Descamps and Descamps loved her. 

"Edith, sweetie, get going, you are going to be late. " She heard the honey-sweet voice of her mom and it made her wonder if things would have gone differently had she been more doting, more loving, and less defensive. But she couldn't change those facts about her.

She got dressed, brushed her obedient hair, for once, and made her way down the stairs to the library. It was a divine sight, to see a static object unable to hurt you. She was going crazy. 

"Oh, sweetie, honestly what happened? Look at the state you are in. " 

"I know not of what you talk about. My dress is perfectly ironed, my hair is perfectly brushed, My homework has been perfect, and-" 

"You used the same adjective three times in the same sentence, your room is clean and you aren't holding a book in your hand. You are not doing good. But if pretending is what you need at the moment, be on your way. And hurry! " Edith swallowed and her grip on her bag got stronger. Mothers were not fair. 

"Hey, Mom, what do you do when you've hurt somebody who loves you because they hurt you, but they also love you? " She stared at the floor, awaiting her mother's answer. Was there some miracle solution, did apologizing really do the trick? 

"Did any of you mean it? " Edith looked up, not getting it. "If nobody did, the solution might be closer to you than you realize." 

She hummed and walked toward the romance section, picked up a book without any thought behind it, and walked toward the front door. Her mom had gone back to cleaning up the new arrival and sorting out boxes. " And if, there had been evil intentions behind one of their words? " She only murmured the imposition to herself, but to her surprise, her mom shouted: 

"Then you figure out why. Nobody is born malicious, sweetie, you hurt for a goal. " 

Edith closed the door behind her after having thanked her mom for the advice. On her way to school, she opened the book and remembered their first few conversations walking on this road. He had told her not to read while walking, and he had been stubborn about it. So she closed it and walked faster. 

Later that day, at school, Edith was sitting eating lunch with Michèle and Simone. She was mostly in her thoughts but was still paying attention to Simone fussing over Eugene lovingly.  As she was laughing at a joke Michèle made, she saw Descamps and Dupin handing over a paper to some boys in the hall. He gave them some coins and walked away rapidly. That was it. 

"Where are you going Edith? " wondered Simone. 

"I've gotta say something to Descamps. " She furiously paced after him and grabbed his arm. He hadn't seen her and looked shocked. "Edith."

"Yeah, it's my name. Dupin, be on your way. " The latter shared a look with Descamps before condescendingly moving past them. She gave him a stern look, before refocusing on Descamps. 

It was just the two of them. The silence wasn't comforting, not in the least.

"Hey, " he acknowledges. He had eyebags, and his shirt was a bit wrinkled. She wondered if the Dean had reprimanded him. "Hey."