Chapter Four- Suspicious

Ethel landed in the courtyard and put her broomstick in one of the bloodsheds before uttering a quick drying spell as she was still wet from the rain. The young girl then started to walk towards her sisters flat as a lot of Weirdsister students stared at her as after all she was half their size so it was unusual for them to see someone her age there.

Ignoring the stares Ethel made her way to her sister's flat and raised her fist to knock on the door when the door opened before she got the chance.

"Hi Ethel" Cadence said cheerily.

"Hi Cadence" Ethel smiled as she replied.

"Your sister is in her room reading a book or something to do with work, I don't know I wasn't paying attention" Cadence admitted. Ethel laughed thinking how different the room-mates were.

"Well I have to go out, see you later" the older girl said as she walked off. Ethel walked into her sisters flat and then walked to the door on the left across from the flat before knocking.

"Esmie it is me, Cadence let me in" Ethel said as she knocked on her sister's bedroom door.

"Come in" Esmeralda said sounding cheery.

Ethel walked into the room and casually sat on her sister's bed.

"What are you doing?" Ethel asked as she realised her sister was sat on the floor with about fifty pieces of paper all around her. Ethel knew her sister was smart but even she could not do fifty pieces of work at once.

"I am sorting it alphabetically, it makes it easier to keep track of everything" Esmie replied keeping her eyes on the papers, having not yet noticed her sister's face.

"Yes Cadence said you were doing something to do with work, she seemed highly uninterested" Ethel replied trying to keep her sister distracted. Maybe if she kept her eyes on the papers she would not notice the mark on her face.

Esmeralda had to laugh at that comment "That girl hates doing work, we are complete opposites" the older sister says before she stood up. "I need a break" the girl said finally looking up. Ethel tried her best to keep her marked cheek away from her line of vision.

"Oh before I forget I wanted to ask you something" Esmeralda said preparing to ask her sister if she knew anything about Sybil's weird behaviour.

"Yes what is it?" Ethel asked nervously.

"Well I was going to ask you why..." the girl stopped for a second and Ethel realised she had turned towards her and mentally cursed herself.

Esmeralda had been smiling but her face changed to a look of confusion and then into one of worry.

"Ethie" the older girl said rushing towards her sister and taking her face into her hands looking at the mark on her face.

"What happened to your face?" Esmeralda asked her in shock at seeing the pink mark on her sister's cheek.

"A stupid accident that is all" Ethel replied making it up on the spot. Esmeralda removed her hands from her sister's face and sat next to her on the bed.

"What sort of accident?" Esmeralda asked wanting to know the details. She was not stupid the mark looked like it had been caused by being hit.

"When I went to get my broomstick from the broomshed...my broomstick fell out and fell on me hitting me on the face" Ethel lied hoping her sister believed her.

"Are you telling me the truth?" Esmeralda asked as she narrowed her eyes not believing her.

"Of course I am" Ethel lied again needing Esmie to believe her.

Esmeralda gave Ethel a look that Ethel hated because it was a look that normally made her confess everything but this time she knew she could not tell the truth.

"Don't look at me like that" Ethel told Esmie looking away so she did not have to look at her sister. "It is the truth I swear" Ethel said hoping she was not being to obvious.

"Oh so it has nothing to do with how Sybil was being so odd last night?" Esmeralda asked not buying her sisters story at all. She could tell when she was lying.

"I have no idea what you mean" Ethel replied looking at her sister confused. Esmie could tell this time she really had no idea what she was on about.

"Last night when Sybil mirrored me she was being really quiet and seemed to have something on her mind, I got her to tell me what the matter was, mum and dad thought you had stolen some money and you had a argument" Esmeralda replied explaining what she meant.

"Yes that is all true so what?" Ethel asked not getting her sister's point.

"Well Sybil told me someone got hurt and that is why she was upset, she never told me who because mum called her, does it have anything to do with your face?" Esmeralda asked Ethel very suspiciously.

"Of course it doesn't, I have no idea what Sybil is talking about I had a argument with mum and dad yes but then I left and went to my room" Ethel told her sister leaving out the part about her father hitting her.

"Are you sure?" Esmeralda asked not thinking her parents would really hurt her sister but if they had she wanted to know.

"Yes!" Ethel replied growing annoyed "It was a stupid accident that is all will you please drop it" Ethel went on annoyed and struggling to keep the secret. She felt like she was about to spill so she had to change the subject.

"I know" Ethel started of by saying wanting to talk about something else. She moved to sit on the floor. "Why don't I help you sort your work, there is twenty six letters in the alphabet, so if we both work on thirteen letters each it will be done a lot quicker" Ethel suggested wanting her sister to forget about her face and what better way for that then to totally distract her?

Esmeralda went and sat on the floor next to her sister helping her to sort out the work but the mark on Ethel's face was always on her mind.

"See that did not take to long" Ethel commented a hour later when the two sisters had finished sorting the work out alphabetically.

"Well it is always easier with two people, thank you for helping Ethie" Esmeralda told her with a smile.

"No problem" Ethel said with a smile at her older sister.

"Are you hungry? Do you want to go to the cafe?" Esmeralda asked her sister.

"Please" Ethel replied as the two sisters walked to the local cafe. Once again Ethel was stared at as people realised she was a schoolchild.

"Yes I know my sister is beautiful but can you not stare as we are eating? It is making us uncomfortable" Esmeralda said as she walked back to the table with some food and noticed a young boy who was at the table in front of them staring intensely at Ethel. Ethel laughed as the boy turned red and turned away clearly embarrassed at having being told off.

"Thanks that guy was giving me the creeps" Ethel admitted as she ate a chip happily.

"No problem, people are crazy you would think they have never seen someone younger than them before" Esmeralda commented amazed her sister was been stared at because she was a different age.

"I know what you mean, anyone would think I had dyed my hair six different colours with the way they are staring" Ethel replied.

Esmeralda laughed as she ate a chip enjoying spending time with her sister.

After they had finished eating Ethel stayed for a few more hours as the two sisters talked and caught up and it was only when Ethel was gone Esmeralda let her thoughts come back to her. She knew her sister was lying and that something had happened to her face which was nothing to do with being hit by a broomstick but were her parents really capable of doing that to Ethel? Esmeralda did not know what to think and let it slide...this time but she would be keeping a eye on her sisters a lot more closer for now on.