Reflection - Book 1 of the Leila Series

Chapter 5

Me, Myra, Shayne, Lilly, Sarah, Bethany, Pete, Nate and Diana. Nine people in the crew. Seven days of freedom. Nothing bad so far. This isn't in vain after all. When school starts, the plan will take action and it'll all be over in less than two weeks. It's going to work. It has to.

The whole crew has been talking about the plan and other things for about two hours. The library gradually gets less crowded as people start to leave to get dinner. Soon, the crew ends their discussion and everyone goes their separate ways. Myra says goodbye to Leila and leaves too. Leila and Shayne stays in the library for awhile before they both leave the library too. "You should go home. It's getting late, you're parents will be wondering where you are," Leila tells Shayne. "No way am I leaving you alone. You need to settle things with your Aunt Audrey first," Shayne says. Leila sighs and says, "Fine. If it makes you happy, I'll go and talk to her." "Good. Tell me how it goes," Shayne says and walks away from Leila.

I watch Shayne walk away into the distance and go my own way home. I look up at the dark sky and think back to the last night my parents were with me. The sky was just as dark. My parents had a little less energy than they usually do. My dad's dark brown hair looked a little ruffled and my mum's ever curly black hair looked messier than usual. I could tell something was up. My mum walked me to my room and told me to stay at home no matter what. I thought that maybe she was telling me that because I was home late last week. My dad came in after that and gave a kiss good night. They both walked out, holding hands and that was it. The next morning they were no where to be seen and I was completely deserted in that big house. 16 hours later my Aunt Audrey came and pushed my out of the house. She dried my overflowing tears and told me everything was going to be alright. I was overwhelmed with exhaustion that I just went with the flow. I sigh at the night sky and feel a little homesick, not that I actually miss my Aunt Audrey, I just miss having a home and a loving family.

"Leila!!!!!!!!!! RUN!!!!!!!!!!" I hear Reflection calling out to me from behind and hear tires screeching. I turn around just in time to be hauled up and carried on the shoulders of someone wearing a grey hoodie. I scream and struggle but I'm being held too tightly. I shout for Reflection in my head but by the time Reflection came to my side, I was thrown into the car and seat-belted. My kidnapper gets to the front wheel and locks all the doors. Reflection bangs on the car window and tries to stop the car. I look at her frantically as it drives away.

"What's the meaning of this? Let me out of this car now!" I shout at my kidnapper.

He pulls off his hood and looks at the mirror at me. "Is that how you should talk to your favourite cousin, Lei?"

My eyes widen as I look at Tony's face in the mirror. "Tony. What- what are you doing here?" I ask Tony. "I came to pick you up, Lei. Mum called me saying you haven't been home for the past three days so I took the next flight back home," explained Tony. I grit my teeth. Only now does Aunt Audrey concern herself with me. My disappearance gives her a reason to call Tony because she knows he'd come home for me. "How convenient," I say sarcastically. "Did you and mum have a fight?" Tony asks me concerned.

"A small war that has been happening for a few years, why?"

"War? What have you been up to when I'm away for college? I hope you're not throwing marshmallows at mum like you used to..."

"No. This time she's the one throwing something. Me. Out. Of the place you call your house." I hold back the tears threatening to flow out of my eyes as I say that.

"I know that already, Lei. I know already so cry all you want. I'll fix this, okay? Everything's going to be okay. I'm here now. You're not alone." Tony reassures me and I can't help but cry, sitting upright in the back seat. It's been so long since Tony comforted me. His words alone are enough for me. Reflection sits next to me and puts her head on my shoulder. Looks like my other half feels the same way as well. Looks like we're not that different.

Tony drives into the house and I see Aunt Audrey leaning against the door, a dark and threatening aura floating around her. I grip the seat belt and stare back at her. Tony parks the car and helps me out of the car. He holds my hand as we both walk towards Aunt Audrey together. Her expression immediately turns into a worried expression and she pulls me into a hug. "Oh, Leila, where have you been? I was so worried!" I shrug and try to push Aunt Audrey away. She hugs me tighter and brings my ear closer to her face and whispers, "If you tell Tony anything I will not be very kind to you." Aunt Audrey pushes me away and hugs Tony. I stand at the doorway, frozen with fear. I never knew Aunt Audrey favoured her sons so much over me.

Tony leads me into the house and beckons me to sit on the couch. He gives me a small hug and squeezes my shoulders reassuringly. "Mother, we need to talk. Let's go upstairs to your room," Tony says. Aunt Audrey hesitates for a while and looks at me with daggers in her eyes. "Okay, " she says and follows Tony upstairs. Within seconds I'm alone in this house again.

Time for action.

I stand up and run into the kitchen. I open the drawers and shelves and search the whole place for random dollar notes. I find two ten dollar notes and move on to the storage room. This has always been my routine for getting money. It's like Aunt Audrey purposely keeps the money at the same places just for me to find them. I run upstairs, careful not to run past Aunt Audrey's room. I open my room door and head to my wardrobe. All my emergency money was hidden in-between the doors. I open the slit I made and take out the $1600 I had stolen and stashed safely. With all the money I had plus the extra hundred I had just found, I had more than enough to buy eggs and spray paint. I take half of the money and put the rest back into my wardrobe door. I hear Tony and Aunt Audrey shouting down the hallway and slowly tiptoe out of my room and downstairs.

I had actually planned to go back to Aunt Audrey's house to get my money. What I didn't expect was Tony finding me and bringing me back. All was going according to plan. Tomorrow would be the day the seven of us began our first stage of revenge. I had no time to sulk around the house and feel lonely and depressed. I accepted my fate long ago.

The Next Morning

I wake to find Tony sleeping next to my bed, his head resting at the edge. He missed me that much, huh. I pat his head and get out of bed. We had agreed to meet at the library at 10. I looked at the clock. 8:30. I had more than enough time to get ready. I change into my shorts and T-shirt and run out of my room. "Leila!" I hear Tony shout at me. "Going out! See you later!" I call back. I run down, grab the sandwich the maid had left on the counter for me and run out of the house. If I remember correctly, the bus stop is just down the street. I see the bus approaching the stop and run faster, the sandwich half in my mouth. 

I get on the bus and find a seat. "Leila!" I see Shayne waving at me. I sit next to him and eat my sandwich. "Morning rush?" He asks me. "You bet." I say, crumbs falling out of my mouth. Shayne breaks off a piece of my sandwich and eats it as well.

Just like that, we sit silently next to each other on the bus, quietly thinking through the procedure for "Stage 1 of the Revenge Plan".