Chapter 7: A Breeze
Honest hearts produce honest actions.
No-one can lie forever, no-one can live a lie, and no-one can lie about love.
That is the only thing I remember of that day at school. The one where we were lectured on moral values. About 6 years ago. Wow, talk about not paying attention...
I look at the mirror in mine and my sisters shared room at Dad's house. The reflection is not of me, but of someone lost, angry, sad, betrayed, regretful, and most of all; hurt. See? I can be smart when I want to be. It is just wanting to that is hard. Which is why I "failed" in normal school, and passed with flying colours in villain school. Says a lot.
I don't bother with make-up, unlike my sisters, so I just use the mirror for getting my clothes looking right. Right – as in scruffy. I do it anyway, without this stinking old beanie on my head. It just adds to the image of I hate myself, leave me alone.
I still don't fully understand why. Sure, I get the base of the problem. But I don't even want to be a villain anymore, which isn't a good sign, says Dad. I don't see much of him now. It has been... what... a year since all of them problems with the VC. Agnes still talks to me, just a little bit frosty-icy cold. Dad is every so often. Margo... Margo hasn't spoken to me for a year.
It isn't fair. Life generally isn't.
And it isn't just not fair to me. It is to Margo, too. She had sent me a message saying, "Hi... uh... sis. Do you want to... forget it...". She probably misses me as much as I miss her, and maybe more. Agnes needs her, too. She is like a moral compass for us.
Was. She isn't here now. Her absence is like a black hole. Okay, I'll admit it; I need to cut down on this wisdom and riddle and smartness thing.
I turn the metallic handle and leave my room, half expecting Margo to shout at me for taking to long with a knowing smile on her face. I almost cry when I hear and see nothing.
"Ah, Edith. I need you in the lab," says Dad, walking up behind me. "Agnes is already waiting."
I decide to act icy today. I am not in the mood for anything fun, "What about breakfast?"
"It can wait. Now, go!"
I roll my eyes discreetly and turn on the lab entrance. It hadn't changed since I had been adopted, so life falls into a rhythm. Except there is no Margo.
The tube quickly delivers me to the lab. Once it made me throw up; now, it is actually soothing and allows time to think. When I arrive, Agnes looks impatient.
"Edith, what took you so long! You got me scared for you!"
I look over my shoulder and see Dad arriving, "I'll tell you later."
Agnes has about ten seconds to say what she wants to. She spends five looking into my eyes. "It's Margo, right?"
"I wish I never taught you how to read people," I say jokingly, but she is right. "I'll tell you later, okay? But I can not be blamed for any injury to you or me."
Dad appears, "Problem?"
Agnes beats me to the finish line of opening-mouths, "No, Dad. What is it?"
"Your sister," he says, looking exhausted and overhwelmed with joy of some sorts. "Has sent us something. It has her logo on it, but I need all of us – me, you two, Nefario and the minions – to crack the encryption without corrupting the data. Okay?" I nod. I don't dare look at Agnes. "Good."
So, we begin this decryption thingy. Give me a job I can enjoy, a large motive, and some decent instructions, and I'm your girl. That was my villainous activities selling point. I worked as a part-time mercenary villain. If that is possible. After three hours of coffee, milshake, pizza and sweat later, the encryption is cracked to reveal a video clip, with an unknown length
"Play it," says Dad.
I do so, and a very simple message appears straight away, shocking me: FOR EDITH ONLY. ANYONE ELSE IS TO LEAVE NOW.
I look at Dad, who looks blank. He silently gestures to the adjoining room – I'm being smart again – and everyone leaves, leaving just me and the clip.
It plays.
"Edith..."
I carry on watching, but it is a blank screen.
"Edith, sister, can you hear me?"
I carry on watching.
"Edith! Listen! Say something!"
It takes another moment for the reality to sink in. Oh. "Uh..."
"Even you can do better than that!" Now an image appears. It looks like a webcam. Real time. Margo was streaming all of this. "You look... terrible, to be honest."
"I promised myself I wouldn't wear my good beanie until you forgave me," I say, tears forming. "And that I'd wear a really bad one. Because I took off my beanie when I gave you the clip... I had to."
She cries, "I'm sorry." The screen goes blank, and I can hear static.
Life isn't a breeze, and wounds don't heal quickly. A sudden anger overcomes my carefully constructed barrier between too much emotion and just enough to live. And I break.
"That's it!" I scream, not that anyone can here anyway. The lab is pretty much soundproof, except for some floor-boards in older parts creaking. "No more lies! I am in love with someone!"
No-one can lie forever, no-one can live a lie, and no-one can lie about love.
The end
Wow. Not many people reviewed (Just StoriesAreMagic, who I am deeply thankful to) but I reached over 150 hits during the writing of this. Which is a lot more than I thought I'd get for a first fanfic. Thanks guys!