Mirrored Hearts

19

Temi's POV

  Everything had happened in just one day. How is that? From the cigarette incident to pushing Lela, then to Lela's fight with Edith and now suspension?

  Lela looked so dejected when I saw her on the stairs, she was so lost. I knew this would end badly, if only she knew who Edith was.

  I did try to stop her from fighting, but she was so hot headed. The first time I saw her, she seemed so innocent and fragile like a porcelain doll. I thought she would need a lot of pampering and that she couldn't even hurt a fly, but today she proved me wrong. I expected her to be in Edith's condition, but I and everyone else had underestimated Lela Adams.

  She had been suspended and it made her bitter towards everyone. I can't help but feel like I'm responsible for everything that happened today. Well, I still can't believe that everything had happened today, in one day.

  I tried all I could to right the wrong. I went to speak to aunt Clara, but she remained obstinate about it and I understood why.

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  “Aunt, I just saw Lela now. She looked lost,” I said, barging into Aunty Clara's office. “She came from here, right?” I asked as I sat on one of the chairs in front of her.

  Aunty Clara remained quiet for a while, peering at me from her glasses. Her forehead wrinkled in annoyance at my insolence.

  “I can't remember asking you to come in,” she said, closing a file she was looking at. “I didn't ask you to sit as well.” she gritted her teeth and I totally ignored her which annoyed her more.

  “Just tell me what happened.” I demanded.

  Aunty Clara sighed and leaned on the table as she got to her feet.  “She got suspended.”

  Of course, I knew that already. Lela had told me. I only wanted to hear it from Aunt Clara's mouth. Aunt Clara strolled towards the glass cupboard that held the trophies and awards.

  “Was there absolutely nothing you could do?” I raised an eyebrow and threw my head in her direction. “She's been here for barely two weeks and you got her suspended?”

  “And what was I supposed to do?!” She yelled, turning abruptly to face me. Rage steamed out of her. “You know better Temi.”

  “It was a case of two fighting you know.” I said, getting to my feet. I tucked my hands in my pocket and stepped a little closer to the door.

  “I know, I know.” Aunty Clara sighed and turned back to the cupboard. She stood there, wiping off imaginary dust from the cupboard. “In my head, this decision was the best thing to do.”

  I raised an eyebrow and turned around swiftly. “How so?”

  She pulled the doors to the cupboard open and brought out one of the trophies. The rays of sunlight from the window hit it and it glistened, the light almost blinded me, but I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my face away. She used her sleeves to wipe off a tiny speck of dust from the trophy. From the side of her face, I saw her lips curve upwards.

  'She was, smiling?'

“I worked really hard to get this school to where it is today.” She turned around to look at me and a wide smile was on her face. I wondered where she was headed with this, still I listened patiently. “My sweat went into this school and I can't let everything go to waste, Temi.”