🎲🎲🎲 More than a game 🎲🎲🎲
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🀄 Book thirty three 🀄
••••••••••••••• Violet’s standpoint •••••••••••••••
I stood at the door with fake innocent look as Iris explained to her friends on how I begged for forgiveness and she agreed. She’s the idiot of then and the fool of now. She easily forgave me even when she knew I could still pu-ll something. Last night, I honestly had fun baking pizzas with her and then watching a movie together. It was the first time in my life I chopped some vegetables and mixed dough. Iris was so gentle and patient with me, laughed when I made mistakes and encouraged me to do more. I quit learning how to cook because of mom. Whenever I tried to join her in the kitchen, she would hit me at any mistake but Iris didn’t even make any abusing remarks, let alone hit me. She was awfully kind and I liked it. Then when we saw the movie together, I bathed in the pride of ma-king my own meal. The pizzas were baptized in salt and a little bit sticky but she didn’t utter a word of complain or even criticized me. Instead of doing that, she praised the pizzas and made funny comments. Just one day with her and I was alre-ady feeling a bubble in my stomach.
Does it mean she is not that bad?… I thought to myself.
What if she is pretending like you are?… My subconscious voiced out. I eyed her with disdain. She was definitely pretending to find my weakness. I won’t fall for her lies like she is falling for mine.
‘Are you sure about this Iris? I don’t trust her.’ Melody whispered, glancing at me. I really admire her. Unlike her cousins, when she first saw me the previous day at the libr@ry, she had smiled and helped me pick up my fallen book. Melody was nice to me and even offered to help me carry my books. I always knew her to be humble and hospitable but I thought she would treat me bad like her cousins. She didn’t trust me but that didn’t st©p her from being nice.
‘I don’t trust her either but I am willing to accept her because she is my sister. Violet is the only true family I have left, the only one I love. I hate my dad, even if I smile at him. He is a selfish and greedy man, a wicked…’
‘Self-centered hypocritic two time bastard,’ I completed for her.
‘I’m not sure I will use those words on father but like you said. See the way he turned his back on her the moment I was crowned heiress? He is nothing but a beggar.’
I nodded in agreement. ‘Mom was a bit-ch and our father is a criminal, don’t we have the most original and perfect parents?’ I asked sarcastically. They chuckled. ‘I honestly want to pay them back but right now, what I really want to do is make peace with my younger sister, the only love related family I have.’
‘True,’ Lee smiled, looking at Hailey with love. ‘Having a sister is the best thing in the world, even if she is the most annoying, pestering and loud person. Especially a twin.’
‘Yeah, even if she is what she just called me, I still love her. Having someone to talk to, smile to and share secrets. Violet, it’s the best feeling in the world. Have you ever felt it?’ I looked down sadly, avoiding the scorn in her eyes.
‘No, I have never had it before, never had true friends. Most just told me what I wanted to hear.’
‘Your friendsh!pnever last because you are arrogant and as selfish as your father…’
‘Hailey,’ Mel g@sped.
‘Let me talk to her. You are a two timing backstabber, a $h!tty as-s-hole. Remember when you first c@m£ here? All you thought about was kicking me out of my own mother’s school, my school! You didn’t even care if I suffered to get where I was, you just wanted to eat the alre-ady cooked meal. Where you there when I suffered to cook the meal? No, you just want to eat it. Life doesn’t work that way Violet…’
‘For you to rise, someone must fall…’
‘But not in the wrong way!’ They all shouted.
‘Violet darling,’ Mel said, standing up to her feet. ‘I know what your father said to you might be that. Yes, someone sometimes fall or their light reduce but it is not always like that. The only thing is that you get to shine more than the other just like the stars in the sky. Look at me, I started singing since I was just a little girl, I worked for the fame I have right now. I didn’t just wake up one morning and get where I was today, I worked for it.’ She stood in front of me, cu-pping my cheeks.
‘Father said…’
‘Short cuts are the best? He repeated that to me yesterday,’ Iris cut in. He su-cks Violet.’
‘Take your own sister for example, how many years it took her to struggle for herself before her suffering paid off and she bec@m£ a successor of something you have been dreaming of. What ha-rd work have you ever done? Me, I model and I don’t use foul means to get to the t©p, you do.’ Lee added.
‘Have you ever asked yourself why no one likes you? Why Lee of all easy going people detest you? Have you ever wondered why your grandpappy chose the psycho junior to the sane s£nior?’ Mel asked softly. ‘Because Iris have experience and the abilities to love more than you do. She have feelings, she isn’t selfish but you are. Why don’t you try genuinely changing and see what good luck comes your way?’
I wanted to believe what they were saying, it was true but I refused to believe. I was going to get better and outshine all of them one at a time. Putting on a plastic smile, I held her hands and dropped them from my cheeks. ‘That’s why I want to be a friend, you can all change me like you changed Iris. I can’t do this alone, you all can help.’
‘In that case!’ Lee squealed. ‘Number five!’ She ran to me, pushed Mel out of the way and hvgged me, enfolding me in a bone crushing hvg. ‘Welcome to our world sister!’
‘Welcome Violet, we forgive you.’
‘I still don’t trust you, but I will try to be nicer to you, fair enough?’ Hailey asked. It was more than I ever asked for. I g@sped when Mel’s hands c@m£ around me too, followed by Iris. It was so suffocating but in a really good way.
When last was I hvgged? I can’t remember.
Neither can I… My subconscious purred. I sighed and closed my eyes, suc¢v-mbing to the compas-sion of the hvg. Maybe this frenemy thing would be great after all.
~
~
~
I laughed as Phoenix trailed behind us, begging Iris to help him teach his friend for the exam that was going to take place in three days. Iris was a good cook and a genius as well, the perfect combo for what he nee-ded. I was laughing because he was on floor, holding Iris’ leg as she struggled to walk, pu-lling him along. Phoenix the mop.
‘Oh surely Phoenix, you don’t badly want to help her that much, or do you?’ Mel asked chucklingly.
‘plea-seee, I promise to work ha-rd on ma-king my own money if you do. plea-se Iris, help me teach her.’
‘She is alre-ady a cook, she can pas-s the cooking test with ease.’ Iris sighed tiredly.
‘She can cook very well but she isn’t acquainted with the table arrangement of high clas-s people, the cafeteria. I just nee-d you to give her a small double check. plea-se, the tutoring is better because you are very patient when teaching someone, what she nee-ds.’
‘So I’m not the only one who knows that,’ I smiled. ‘Just teach the girl Iris, so he won’t find and kill you in your dreams.’ Although I won’t mind you dying.
Iris exhaled and c0cked her h!ps. ‘Fine, you can bring her over to my h…’
‘Yes!’ He sprung to his feet and hvgged her from behind, squealing and jumping. ‘Thank you so much my second love!’
‘Phoenix, you’re suffocating me!’ Iris yelled. He let go of her and surprisingly c@m£ to me and hvgged me too.
‘Thank you,’ he whispered.
‘Ur… You’re welcome? I guess.’ I wasn’t sure what I did but I sure did appreciate his thanks.
‘I’ll go call her,’ he ran off to the opposite side of the hall. ‘Save a sit for me!’
‘Sure thing little brother!’ Hailey shouted. ‘I’ve never seen him so eager to help someone. She better be cute because if she isn’t, I’ll personally fail her.’
‘Hailey,’ Mel chuckled. We walked into the cafeteria, Lee linked her arm with mine and smiled. I smiled back at her and followed her in. Many looked at us as we walked to a table they reserved for themselves, the one the boys alre-ady occu-pied.
‘Hey boys!’ Lee skrie-ked.
‘Trumpet!’ They hailed.
‘And the puppets,’ Hans added. The guys laughed while we frowned.
‘Who are you calling a puppet?’ Iris asked with a disapproving frown and tap of her left foot.
‘You,’ he pointed at her. ‘You,’ to Hailey. ‘You,’ to Mel. ‘You and you? What’s Violet doing here?’
‘She’s sitting with us as a friend,’ Iris said with brow raised, challenging him to question her decision. Hans raised his hands up in surrender. ‘Better. Now you two, scoot over so I can sit with my sister.’
‘But the bit-ch can’t…’ Iris narrowed her eyes at them, growling warningly. She was defending me.
Hailey scoffed. ‘The what did you say Jet?’ She asked with a threatening tone. Jet gulped and stared at his food.
‘Does anyone else have a objection to l@ydown?’ Lee asked with the same warning tone. They kept their mouth shut. ‘Good, Violet, let’s sit.’ Two guys left their space for us. Lee sat beside her b©yfri£ndwhile I sat with her, right beside Jet. Hailey took the other side of Jet while Iris went to sit with Spencer and not Hans.
‘Why won’t you sit with me?’ Hans whined poutingly.
‘Save the space for Phoenix, I think he likes someone.’
‘Who? The pub girl?’
‘You know her alre-ady?’ Lee g@sped.
‘Phoenix tells me everything, remember? Plus, he begged me to teach her but I don’t have time. We have a upcoming game thus Friday and coach is determine to stress our generation into a twist.’
‘Tell me about it,’ Lee’s b©yfri£ndsighed and rest his head on the table. ‘I can’t feel my spine.’
‘Awwwn,’ Lee awned, running her f!ngersinto his hair.
‘And we have to work on our routine,’ Hailey added. ‘You guys are pla-ying against Silver Pumas and if there is one thing those cheerleaders love is challenging us to a showdown at the break between the games. We have to get every moves and words memorized so we don’t fv¢k up. They mopped the floor with us last summer but this summer, we won’t lose.’
‘The only reason they defeated us is because Lee wasn’t pres£nt due to her illness. We all know she is the badmouth of the team and so no one could finish them off. Hailey and Lee together can badmouth someone’s inspiration and self-worth to the ground. No Lee meant no badmouthing Hailey.’ Silvia said with a nonchalant tone.
‘Fortunately, I’m A-okay this time around and I have Violet to join me.’
‘Me?’ My eyes wi-de-ned in shock. ‘What do I know about badmouthing?’
‘It’s not exactly badmouthing, just comeback cheers. The cheers are usually indirect insults or direct. I’m a pro at direct and with Hailey, we rock.’
‘Sure I can help but I don’t know how to do indirect, that’s Iris’ job.’ All eyes turned to Iris. Honestly, I had studied her and found out she is very good at indirect statement and words.
‘Look, we are not going to let them win, don’t look at me like that.’ She sighed. She had been sighing a lot.
‘We all have work but we will win because we are winners, we are the lions!’ Lee cheered. They all did a roar. Riley’s sounded like a baby cat crying for br£@st milk. Only Iris, Melody and I didn’t roar.
‘Wait, Violet, did you hear that baby meow?’ Iris asked amusedly.
‘Like a meow saying “mommy I want to svçkbrea-st, mommy gimme brea-st”?’ I asked chucklingly. Everyone broke into a peal of laughter, pointing at Riley. I laughed too, it sounded so funny.
‘Okay,’ Iris cut everyone off. ‘Hailey we nee-d to hold a meeting for the school’s upcoming dance and costume gala, it’s important.’
‘True, I’ll s£nd a message to the planning committee which means big head over there have to be there.’ Hailey said to Hans. Hans looked at her un-derneath his lashes and smiled. I looked over at Iris, my heart thumping against my che-st furiously.
It however st©pped beating fast when I saw her face, she looked pale. Something was wrong with her. Iris stood up with her phone and grinned. ‘Guys, gotta use the restroom, will be back.’ She walked over to Hans, k!$$£d hisl-ips shortly and walked over to Mel. She k!$$£d Mel’s cheek lightly before rushing off.
Lee leaned into me. ‘Odd, isn’t it?’
‘Very,’ I whispered. Just then, Spencer’s phone rang and he stood up.
‘Excuse me guys, nee-d to take this.’ He took his phone and sauntered out as he answered it. Hans was talking rowdily with the guys about the game. Mel just sat there staring at the doors with the same expression I had on. Mel turned her head and looked at me, a message in her eyes.
Follow her.
I looked at Hailey, she had the same message in her eyes. Lee squee-zed my th!gh, letting me know she feels the same way. ‘Excuse me.’ I stood up, slid my phone over to Lee for reasons I can’t fathom and walked away as well.
Where could she be?
Why do you care?
Yeah, why do I… I hissed and turned back to head back to the cafeteria but I couldn’t, I was worried.
Surrendering to the anxious feeling, I turned around again and ran, running straight to the restroom. I ran inside but she wasn’t there, I ran out and began checking from clas-s to clas-s. I st©pped at a door when I heard her angry voice. ‘I’m warning you for the last time Spencer, stay away from me! How dare you try to f!nger me un-der the table when my b©yfri£ndwas there!’
‘Would you have preferred if no one was? If yes, I know a quiet place we can take this to. Come on Iris, it’ll just be a one time thing, no seconds. I know you want me to, if not, you would have snapped in front if everyone.’ Spencer’s voice said smugly.
‘I want to warn you first before taking actions myself. I don’t nee-d my b©yfri£ndto protect me, I will smash your head if you try what you did back then. Even if I’m to cheat, I will do it with someone worth my time and clas-s, not a fool like you.’ Iris spat disdainfully.
‘Don’t insult me Iris, I only want to fv¢k you, nothing more. It’s not like you haven’t sle-pt with anyone for money before.’ He scoffed. I heard a sl@p sound. My heart skipped. I opened the door a little, Iris was crying.
‘Don’t you dare use my pas-s against me! Yes I sle-pt with your cousin two years ago because I nee-ded money for my mother’s treatment, that doesn’t make me a who-re. You don’t know how ha-rd it is to survive when you have no one!’ She yelled, pushing his che-st. Spencer staggered back and growled.
‘I’ve told you, if you don’t want your little secret to get out, especially to your b©yfri£nd, then I better see you at the h0tel tonight.’
‘Go ahead, tell them I sle-pt with your older cousin at fifteen to raise money for my sick mother, tell them how I am the bre-adwinner of my family then. Go ahead and tell Hans, it won’t change a thing. Hans loves me and is aware of everything, including how I almost killed that pretty cousin of yours.’ She gave him a sick smile.
‘You will be ruined,’ he threatened.
‘Really?’ She laughed. ‘What evidence do you have? Your cousin died last year, no? What would people say when they find out I have been for myself since I was born. Who would it favor, me or you?’ She sm-irked. ‘Don’t you dare threaten me Spencer, I am no longer poor Iris Hathaway, I am Miss Hildegarde Syris McMillan of RM Dynas-ty. How long would it take to do damage control if there is one?’
‘You are not just a bit-ch, you are very stupid.’ Anger coursed throu-gh my veins, he was insulting my sister. He doesn’t know how it feels to suffer and neither do I. I pushed the door open and stomped in with animatic rage, my agenda to kill.
‘Violet what are you doing here?’
‘Ah, the certified twin who-re,’ he taunted. I sm-irked sinisterly.
‘What did you call us?’
‘You heard me…’ Before he finished his s£ntence, I clawed at his face. All I could see was red and the urge to kill like it has always been. I jumped on his b©dy, the f0rç£ causing him to collide his head on a desk and tumble to the floor. I didn’t st©p there, I rained f!nger claw punches on his face, punching and scratching with fury. I brou-ght my teeth down and yank his ear, wanting to bite it off as he screamed in pain.
Iris tried to hold me but I pushed her away. Images of her baby self crying or begging me to pl@ywith her flooded my head. I remembered how mother cut her with a knife when we were younger and hit me just because I fell and bruised my knee and she helped clean it. Mother cut her for tou-ching me and hit me for falling because rulers don’t fall and let servants t©uçh them. She cut Iris as a punishment, to treat herself. I didn’t even care about her then, didn’t ask her how she survived it.
What wrong did she do to me? What wrong did we do to fate?… Iris have never done anything bad to me m but suffered her. She had been beaten, starved and injured mostly because of me but I never felt it until now… Why now? Why was I feeling it all now?!
Iris isn’t the enemy, our parents are! They ruined my life! Look at the mess that I am. I’ll kill him!
‘Violet!’ Iris shouted as two hands pu-ll-ed me away.
‘I’ll kill him!’ I screamed, kicking the air. ‘How dare he t©uçh you! How dare he insult us!’
‘Violet plea-se,’ she cried. I could tell a small crowd had gathered in the clas-sroom and the person pu-lling me was Lee and Phoenix. Mel c@m£ in front of me and snapped her f!ngers, I blinked out of my anger just like that.
‘Calm down,’ she said softly.
What happened?
‘W…wh…what happened?’ I looked around with fear. What did I do this time?
‘$h!t! Spencer fainted and is bleeding badly, how did she beat him into a coma?’ A guy asked incredulously. I had no idea.
I’m going to jail this time.
‘What is going on here?!’ Hans shouted, the crowd made way for him. ‘Iris, are you okay?’
‘Spencer pu-ll-ed me here and was forcing himself on me when Violet c@m£ and he said something offensive, she retorted, he hit her so she did this to him.’ He looked at me in disbelief. I shook off Lee’s hold.
‘Nob©dy gets go hurt my sister except me.’ With that spat out, I stomped out of the clas-s. If they want to arrest me, they know where to find me.
💜 Iris’ standpoint 💜
Violet cares!
I cried as Hans held me ti-ght, comforting me. We were in his car while I cried. Back at the cafeteria, I was so uncomfortable as Spencer was trying to open my th!ghs. It was a good thing I wore a jumpsuit to school, if not, I would have been in serious trouble. You can’t blame me for slee-ping with Spencer’s cousin brother in the past, mom nee-ded emergency money and I didn’t know what other means to get it. I alre-ady mentioned that I sle-pt around a couple of times to get money, I always end up killing them… At least I thought I killed them then but the real thing is that I hurt few. It wasn’t a sane thing to do but yet again, I wasn’t sane.
I didn’t know it was Spencer until he c@m£ to me in school the yesterday and told me, even threatened me. I couldn’t tell Hans, I was scared. He knew I did all of that but with his big game coming up, I didn’t want to cause chaos. Well, look how that turned out. On the bright side, Violet followed and helped me. It shows that our connection is still there. Just like me, she had been trying all her life to prove to our parents that she is good enough, that she is better than me for that is who they compared her with. Our parents were monsters, greedy people that makes me wonder if they truly are our parents. Both of us had a share in their bad parental upbringing, they almost ruined our lives. Violet’s is more ruined than mine and she is yet to find out.
‘It’s okay Iris, st©p crying. Spencer isn’t dead, just unconscious.’
‘What if his parents sues Violet?’ I sobbe-d.
‘His father was once in the police f0rç£ and loves it when his sons are strong. Spencer getting beaten to a pulp by a girl is a big shame to him. Instead of suing Violet, he will s£nd him to a military school. He won’t even sue her because you are involve. Spencer was m©l£sting you.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, all you nee-d to do now is find Violet and comfort her, as-sure her that everything would be alright. She would be at home now, I’ll take you there.’
~
~
~
Violet sat on her be-d with one knee bent up and back on the headboard, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her mind wasn’t here. I shut the door behind me and walked over to her be-d. ‘They ruined our lives Iris,’ she said all of a sudden. ‘Our parents ruined it with their bad parenting.’
‘I know…’
‘No, you don’t. I have thought back to all we have been throu-gh because of them, their comparison and wickedness and found out that it makes no s-en-se. Yes they wanted the power and money but why treat us so bad? Why treat us like trash? Why turn our backs against each others? Why were they so cruel? What was the point of ma-king us grow up so bad? What is the point? I still can’t see it, I can’t see it. Why Iris? Why? Why were we treated like that? What is the point of it?’
‘Neither can I,’ I replied as I sat on the be-d too. ‘I wasn’t sane, so what was the point of treating us that way? Even if they had you, why did they always hit you too? Is it that they are not our biological parents?’ I looked at her, he had the same look.
‘That is the only solution because I can’t think of any other reason why, I can’t think. But why do we look a lot like grandpappy’s wife if we are not his relation? We have to be related to him one way or the other.’
‘Should we do a DNA test?’ I suggested. ‘We can get his hair and saliva to double check, what do you say?’
‘I say we do it. I nee-d to know why, I nee-d to be sure they are our parents before I do what is in my mind.’
‘Hmm, I guess that’s the new plan.’
What if they aren’t? Then who is?
To be continued