The Nerd Duchess

Chapter Twenty - Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"You need to seek help from a professional, you know that don't you?" Elizabeth said out of nowhere as she shared Anya's bed with her. It had been a very loud couple of hours, especially with the gang visiting. Hayley, Adam and Elizabeth had finally been able to come visit her after missing in school for more than a couple of weeks. But a couple of hours later, they left leaving Elizabeth and Anya alone. Charles was taking them back to their hotel, promising to Anya that e would be back later.

Anya said nothing with what Elizabeth said. She just continued on solving the 500-piece puzzle that Charles brought for her.

When Anya still said nothing about the situation, Elizabeth reached out to one of the puzzle piece that was scattered on her blanket. Elizabeth didn't even have it in her solve a simple puzzle. She doesn't understand how her best friend could do it. A single piece was only as big as half her thumb with sides that seemed like they are all the same. The patterns on the pieces were also really hard to tell apart, being nearly all gray.

"Didn't this come with a reference picture?" Elizabeth found herself asking, when she spotted the empty black box the piece were packed in.

"Yes, it's in the garbage bin." Anya said still not looking up.

"What? How?"

"I accidentally threw it by mistake together with the plastic earlier." Anya said, looking up for the first time since her visitors left. "When you all left to get food?"

Elizabeth was gob-smacked. "What? And Charles was okay with it." Elizabeth said peering at the folded paper still enclosed in a plastic that was seating inside the garbage bin.

"Yea," Charles said. His head peeking in from the outside the door.

"Charles?" Elizabeth said. "You're okay with it?"

"What she did was merely threw the reference picture away not the puzzle piece, Lizzie." Charles said shrugging his shoulders. "She can do what she wants with it.

"Besides, it's a world heritage site." Anya said.

Elizabeth was still speechless.

"Besides, I had been there before." Anya explained. "I can work at it with my memory."

Elizabeth still sported the look of disbelief on her face.

"Just because I had amnesia and completely forgot that my older brother died, doesn't mean that I..." Anya choked up before she could finish. Her voice cracking up in the end and tears started pouring down from her eyes.

Elizabeth watched as tears continued pouring down her best friend's face, completely surprised. She was taken aback and her mind drew blank.

Anya screamed. With her uncast hand she pushed the table away in frustration, the puzzle pieces fly off the table and bouncing off Elizabeth who stood there at the side of the table silently watching scene unfold.

While she stood there rooted to the spot, Charles had rushed to Anya side hugging her to his front not caring if his dress shirt would get wet or crinkled in the process. He was making sure that she would do anything drastic and that would hurt her, considering that Anya was on her way of taking off the IV drip connected to her arm.

Elizabeth watched as Anya struggled in Charles' hold. It took a while before Anya stopped fighting. She had been brawling out like a small kid. Sobbing loud, she clung to Charles not wanting to let go.

"Andrew! Andrew! Andrew!" she sobbed out in a broken mantra that was so full of desperation and grief in Elizabeth's ear. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry big brother. Please come back! Don't leave me, please come back. Andrew! Andrew! Andrew!"