Chapter 9

"WELCOME HOME. You look so tired. You must be starving," I said to Olivia, who appeared in the kitchen next to the door. Her head and shoulders are bowed. She appears to have used up all of her energy today. "Sit down," I told her. She wouldn't budge, so I approached her and drew her to the nearest chair at the kitchen counter. "Eat first, then rest," I said, about to leave because I was going to prepare her food, but she drew me closer and hugged me from behind. I can feel her head resting on my back.

There's that tingly sensation all over again. Ha! I like what Olivia is doing, but I'm also feeling guilty.

"I'm so tired, Zola," she's the only one who addresses me as such.

She said it was a combination of my first and last names. Olivia desired to stand out from the crowd. Zoey Ella = Zola. I like it as well.

"That's why you have to eat quickly first, and then you can rest," I explained, refusing to let go of her embrace.

I thought to myself, Zoey, this doesn't seem right.

"I still need to update my campaign page, and I need to do it today because I'm sure I won't have time tomorrow as the election approaches." She also sounds tired.

"Poor, Vi. I'll do it. Just eat and then sleep," I said, and she let go of my hand.

Why am I disappointed that she slipped out of our embrace?

"Really? Thank you, Zola. You have no idea how much this lightens my load for this election; if I had known it was going to be this stressful, I would not have agreed to run for president." She now grips her hair with both hands. She appears to be frustrated, but I find her expression endearing.

I couldn't stop myself from pinching her cheeks because she was so cute.

"Aw, Zola, here you are again, playing with my cheeks," she sighed, her brow furrowed and her mouth agape.

What she did was ineffective. When she's pouting like that, I think she's a lot cuter. Argh.

"Your cheeks are adorable and fluffy; they look like dumplings; I want to bite them," I said without thinking. It was too late when I realized it, and Olivia was staring at me strangely.

Damn you, mouth. Why is it so cheesy?

"I-i will prepare the food before it gets cold," was my justification.

My heart was pounding, and I just hoped Olivia didn't hear it because it was too loud, and I was afraid it would come out in my mouth at any moment. Damn.

I quickly prepared her food and changed the subject by asking her what updates she required from her page. She immediately gave me the instructions and photos to upload to her campaign page.

Yes, it was almost election day for the high school president, which is why Olivia has been busier these days. Dad and mom are still very busy, but they always check in on us if they have time or have arrived somewhere. They didn't forget to keep us updated on their travel plans and inquire about our whereabouts.

So, even if they're away, they're still up to date on what's going on with Olivia and me. Except for what is happening to Olivia and me at school. That's the ultimate secret, so we'll keep it hidden from them until we can keep it.

And when I asked Olivia about Aubrey Park, she denied knowing her. Olivia was deceiving me. Although she lied, I did not press further because I knew Olivia. If she's ready to spill the beans, she'll tell me when she's ready.

After Olivia had finished her meal, I washed the dishes. She went to her room, and I assumed she was sleeping. But she came into my room while I was updating her campaign page.

She didn't say anything and lay down on my bed, or instead, on my lap while working on what she was asking me to do. I was working on my laptop, but my lap was clear because I had a laptop table. She made use of it as a pillow.

Olivia is both clingy and adorable. She constantly acts like a baby, which I adore. So it was difficult for me at first when we were at school and pretended not to know each other. But as time passed, I realized it was for the best, and I managed to bear with it and master it.

Because my consolation was that, while Olivia was like that to me at school, I knew she was my loving and cute stepsister when we were at home or not at school.

Numerous updates needed to be made to Olivia's campaign page, but I could complete them all. My lap was also becoming numb, and I was afraid of waking up Oli. But I don't have much choice.

"Vi, wake up. My lap is getting numb." I whispered in her ear, and because she's a light sleeper, she quickly woke up and positioned herself well in my bed.

It appears that someone is sleeping in my room once more. I don't mind. Personal space has never existed between us in our entire relationship.

Anyway, after I finished updating her campaign page, I spent the rest of my time playing games on my phone. I didn't have any assignments or quizzes for tomorrow, so I could do whatever I wanted.

I turned off the lights, placed my glasses on the nightstand, and sat down next to Vi. She must have sensed that I was about to fall asleep and came over to hug me. She was now resting on the other arm of mine.

I can't stop the grin from spreading across my face. This sleeping arrangement is very appealing to me. Heart, please remain silent. Please don't overdo it when it comes to pumping.

I kissed the top of her head lightly. Then I fell asleep with a smile on my face, hugging my adorable clingy dumpling.

~*~

"ZOEY, stay right here, okay? Mommy will take a bath," my mother said, weakly smiling at me. Her long dark hair was a tangle, her eyes had visible dark circles, and she appeared pale.

Delilah Samson, now Mrs. Delilah Lewis, was once a happy and cheerful wife and mother. However, I failed to notice that my mother held everything together, and the faithful Mrs. Lewis was full of insecurities and anxiety.

Dad and mom are constantly arguing these days. Mom will always accuse Dad of cheating, which results in Dad leaving late at night and returning early the following day.

I was only ten years old when I discovered that the happy family I had assumed would last forever had only been a mirage. Nothing lasts forever.

I was that age when I witnessed the whirlwind changes in my family.

Dad was away on business once more. Mom and I were left at home. I played with my iPad in their room while Mom sat on the bed. It was the weekend, and my friends invited me to play with them, but I declined because I wanted to spend time with my mother. She's been sick for a few days now, and I wanted to make sure I could care for her.

Though we have an on-call maid looking after us, she leaves after 6 p.m. because she is an on-call maid. We were only a few blocks away from the maid's house.

"Mom, do you want me to help you bathe?" I innocently asked my mother, who was now standing in front of the bathroom door.

"No, sweetie. Mommy got this, okay?" she returned with a smile. That smile, however, was not reaching her eyes. Nonetheless, I nodded. "I love you, Zoey; keep that in mind, okay?"

"I love you, too, mom," I replied casually as I continued to play on my iPad.

I would not have left my mother alone in the bathroom if I had known it was the last time I would see her breathe.

Then, I'm not sure what happened, but the red liquid was spilling on the bathroom floor. My hands are clutching a knife. My mother was still in her nightgown in the bathtub, but she was drenched in the red liquid. Her wet hair was falling on her face as she leaned against the side of the tub. Her other arm was dangling from the tub's side, her wrist dripping with the blood-red liquid. It was blood!

My hands were splattered with blood. The knife I was holding was dripping with blood! It was a product of my mother's blood!

I then screamed. I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Zo... Zola... Zoey, wake up!" someone said, but all I saw was red. Then there was my mother. Then blood began to flow from her wrist. I'm holding a knife. Why am I holding a knife in my hand?

"Zoey! Zoey! Zoey!" I heard the voice again. However, I was still in that bathroom. It's bloody. Then... Ouch.

"That hurts," I said, clutching my cheek.

"I'm sorry; I don't know what else to do to wake you up; are you having nightmares again?" Olivia inquired.

She did slap me. Wow. Her grip was heavy. My jaw may have broken.

"Yes, but that hurts," I admitted.

"I'm sorry, Zola. I'll get a cold compress and some water. Please wait," she said.

She quickly left after turning on the lights and returned with a cold compress in one hand and a pitcher of water in the other.

"Here, drink first," she said, handing me a glass of water, and after I drank it, Olivia took the glass and gently placed the cold compress on the cheek she slapped. Perhaps she was indeed guilty.

It wasn't the first time I'd had a nightmare. I'd had it since Mom died, and I was the first person to see her after she committed suicide.

When we discovered that Mom had schizophrenia, it was too late. She kept it from Dad for some reason that I don't understand. But, if I asked my father, he said she might be afraid that he would take me away from her.

Dad is only aware that my mother suffers from anxiety and depression. He had no idea his mother was dealing with such serious issues. Mom has serious mental problems, so she was acting paranoid to Dad.

At Clover, the news spread like wildfire. And that was the beginning of the bullying at school. They'll call me names, and they'll never forget to call me crazy, mad, or insane. Or other words and names that are similar to crazy.

Camila was the one who started it all. Then she joined forces with Stella and Naomi to form a group. I was fighting the bullies alone because Nova wasn't there to help me. After all, she had gone abroad.

Dad was not always present, so he did not notice that I was being bullied. He only found out after almost killing one of my middle school classmates. That boy was one of the bullies who teased me about my mother's illness. I'm not sure what happened that day, but my patience had run out, and I wouldn't say I liked hearing insults and disrespectful words he was saying to my mother. He even pushed my brow with his pointed finger. Not just once but three times.

That action triggered me. I became enraged and assaulted that boy. I pushed the boy, but he was so clumsy that he lost his balance and hit his head on the concrete floor. He passed out, and luckily, a teacher was there to take him to the hospital.

I was immediately summoned to the principal's office, and I was terrified. I've been that kind of troublesome student since I was a kid. I was always a good student. So being summoned to the principal's office was a terrifying experience for me, especially since I suspected that I had killed someone.

I was trembling but trying hard not to cry. When I arrived at the principal's office, the principal let me sit in the corner, and my father entered immediately after I arrived.

My tears began to flow uncontrollably at that point. Dad hugged me and continued to rub my back as I sobbed and explained what had happened. Dad said he believed me.

Fortunately, I did not get in trouble because the boy was still alive and had fainted. But he had a large lump on his head. His parents and father were speaking with the principal, and the boy's parents were furious, and they asked the principal to expel me from school.

But I'm not sure if I'm just lucky because the principal said there was a trustworthy source who testified that it was their son's fault in the first place. A video was even taken, and the boy's derogatory words and actions were documented. In the end, the boy's parents begged forgiveness from us.

At the very least, that incident puts a stop to the bullies. Only the mean girls remained to bully me, but at least they did not physically harm me. I made a promise to myself that no matter what happened, I would keep my anger under control.

I became concerned that I might catch Mom's illness, so I met with a psychiatrist in secret. I came up with the idea. Dad agreed after I persuaded him. I was a bright girl, so I did my research so that Dad didn't get into an argument about it. Because psychological disorders can be inherited, I'd like to be treated as soon as possible if I tend to be like my mother.

I was unable to meet my hero at the time, remembering that incident. So far, I have no idea who that individual was. If I ever can meet them, I will express my gratitude for saving my life that day.

"Zo? Zola? Are you sleeping with your eyes open?" Olivia asked, and it jolted me out of my reverie.

"I'm fine, Vi. I just remembered something," I said.

"Are you okay, Zola?" she asked, skeptical.

"Don't worry, I'm fine; thank you, and I'm glad you slept here tonight," I said with a smile. Even though I can't see Olivia clearly because I'm not wearing my glasses, I can tell she's worried.

"Come on, let's go back to sleep," I said, opening my arms wide. Olivia jumped right into my embrace. Oh, her warmth soothes me so much.

"Let's just leave the lights on; it might help you not have nightmares," she suggested.

We were lying down once more. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

"That's fine; I'll be fine because you're here," I said before falling back asleep.

I felt her hug tighten, and she said something I couldn't understand because I was so tired. Again.