Hello again! I'm back with more updates! I hope everyone enjoyed reading this story of mine. Anyway, onwards to the 11th chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter 11 – Jill's problems
The following two days, Jill stayed at home. Her friends tried to talk her out of her stress, or you could say depression from all the treatment she received the past few days. But nothing could make her go out.
"Come on, Jill. You can't stay here all your life." Chelsea persuaded.
"No, I prefer to stay here. I can't take their horrible comments anymore." Jill answered.
"You know they're just spinning lies about you. You needn't make yourself depressed over that." Vaughn said.
Jill just let out a sigh, then said, "Thanks for worrying, but really. I'll come to school when I feel like it."
"Jill, at this rate, even your studies will be affected." Mary said.
"Mary, I know you mean well. But think about it in my point of view. Do you think you'd be able to face all those yourself?" Jill stated, starting to get annoyed.
"I-I-", Mary stammered.
"No, no you can't. So just leave me alone. I want to be by myself right now!", and with that, Jill turned her back on them, refusing to listen to their pleas any longer.
"Let's go. I think she needs more time." Chelsea said, and the three of them left.
Jill's mother, who was listening to their conversation now, was also starting to worry about her daughter. She made a decision to talk to her daughter about it in the night.
-That night-
There came a knock in Jill's bedroom door.
"Who is it?" Jill asked.
"Your mother, Jill, we need to talk."
Jill opened her door reluctantly, and then proceeded to sit in her bed.
"Jill, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
"Jill, I know you're hiding the reasons you aren't going to school anymore. You can tell me." Her mother said.
Jill took a glance at her mother, and then let out a sigh, "It's just- I'm being treated badly at school these days."
"How were you being treated?"
"Some of the girls and a few boys started to make fun of me. Calling me names, pulling horrible pranks in front of the while school. And these days, their pranks got worse-"
"So you decided to take refuge in the house?"
Jill reluctantly nodded, "It's safe."
"Jill, you can't stop this problem if you stay here like this."
"Not you too, mum" Jill whined.
"Then tell me why they're treating you like this."
"A-about a boy I like."
"A boy you like, huh. Then tell me, are they doing all these because of him?"
"I guess so; they keep saying his name and telling me to give back his heart, or something. But, I'm sure Lumina was the one who caused this."
"And who is Lumina?"
"She's a snobby rich girl. She gets in the way of everything we do. She made Claire's father forbid Claire from going to school. She even gets in Claire and Cliff's relationship, just because they're trying to rekindle their families' ties. And even now, she threatened me about this, if I didn't give up on 'him'."
"Then tell me something. Do you really love this boy? The one she threatened you for?"
"O-of course I love him! But he doesn't realize it yet, I guess."
"If you love him, then why are you here? Don't tell me you're afraid he'll find out about you crush on him?"
"I guess that's it."
"Jill, you're more mature than that! So what if he finds out about it! If you truly love him, then you won't be afraid of him finding it out, even of you wanted to keep it a secret."
"But their pranks and false accusations are too much to bear."
"So? They're just false accusations! There's no truth in it so even if others do believe it, you can prove them wrong. And don't take their pranks too seriously. Just keep a positive mind, and everything will be alright."
"! You're right! I was just being a wuss. Thanks mum; I'll try that solution tomorrow."
"That's my daughter. I'm proud of you, know that."
"I know" Jill answered, in high spirits.
-Next day-
"Hey, everyone! The witch is back!" a boy shouted through the corridors.
"So, ready to give Skye's heart back?" A girl asked.
"Huh? Oh, you think I'm a witch? Then to prove it, should I turn you into an ugly frog?" Jill remarked.
"You're bluffing."
"Then if you don't believe it, stop calling me that." Jill said, then walked away.
Jill entered the classroom to be greeted by her friends.
"Jill, you came! Were they still treating you bad?" Chelsea asked.
"Not much now." Jill answered.
"Jill, about yesterday.. um.." Mary tried to form a sentence.
"Mary, I'm really sorry about yesterday. I was really stressed about everything. I didn't mean to hurt you like that."
"Oh, it's okay. I was at fault for over worrying as well."
"So, you are coming regularly from now on?" Skye asked.
"Yes, I'm not going to let some problems like this prevent me from seeing someone."
"Huh? Who?" Skye asked.
"It's a secret." Jill answered, using her fingers to signal keeping her mouth shut.
The whole day, Jill was still being treated badly, pranks pulled on her. But Jill laughed through all of them, and by the end of the day, only a few of the former people who started it was left.
"Mum was right; I just have to think positive!"
Then she met Lumina on her way to the school gates,
"So, you managed to show your face again. I was hoping that you'd stay in your hole from now on."
"Well, sorry to burst you bubble of hope, but like I said, I'm not willing to give up on Skye just yet."
"Hmp."
Then Jill left her to join up with the others, it was the last day of their search.
After an hour or so, they reached the last house. Chelsea knocked on the door, and a woman who sat on a wheelchair answered.
"Yes, how can I help you?"
"Ma'am, may I know, if by any chance, are you a Saibara?"
"A Saibara? No, I'm not. But the people next door were Saibaras. But they recently had to move away for some reason."
"I see, thank you for your help." Chelsea said, and then left.
"We were so close! Lumina really hid them well.", Chelsea complaint.
"How are we going to do from now on? We can't just casually go to another country on a whim." Jill asked.
"I have no idea now." Chelsea said.
Then, Jack who was late for the search, caught up to them.
"Hey guys! You found them?"
"We did, but it seems the move away recently." Cliff answered.
"What a bummer. I was just talking to my friend before I came here. I seems he's living with his grandfather now. Since both his parents moved away recently." Jack stated.
"! Is that true? Then, where did he live, before he lived with his grandfather?" Cliff asked.
"Um, there, I think." Jack answered, pointing to the locked house next door.
"He's the one we're looking for! Jack! Take us to him!" Chelsea exclaimed.
"O-okay, follow me!" Jack said, and then they rushed to meet his friend.
On the way, Jill, who was in he back of the group was pulled away in a secluded area. The others didn't notice she was missing at first, as Skye looked back, he noticed Jill was missing. So he told the others to go ahead as he ran back.
"What does he want to do now? We're on a crucial part of our mission!" Chelsea exclaimed.
"Since when did this become a mission?" Jack commented.
"Wait, Jill's missing" Mary pointed out.
"She is? Then we sh-" Chelsea was cut off.
"Skye's looking for her. Let's go." Vaughn said.
"Wait, how did you know that?" Chelsea asked.
"It's way too obvious." Jack answered in his stead.
Then they continued to find Jack's friend.
-Meanwhile, at Jill's part-
"What do you want now?" Jill asked. Then a familiar voice answered,
"I saying this one last time, give up on Skye.", the voice was from Lumina.
"Like I said, I will never give up on him."
"Oh, you will have your reasons to give up on him."
"And that is-?"
"I can fire your mother and she'll be out of job."
"! You can't be serious."
"Oh, I am. Incidentally, my family is the head of the company she's working under. So I can tell them to fire her for one reason or the other."
"Then you would also know that my mother's the only one who works in the family!"
"Then blame your father for kicking the bucket!"
"You- you- just shut up!", Jill tried to punch her, but her hand was caught be someone. That someone was Skye.
"S-Skye?"
"My dear Skye, you came to save me from this monster!" Lumina cheered.
"You-" Jill tried to speak.
"That's enough, wouldn't you say?" Skye said.
"Yes, see? You're just causing my Skye here more problems." Lumina jeered.
"True, you do cause me problems."
Tears started to form in Jill's eyes, whether it was from Lumina's remark about her father or because of what Skye said, she didn't know.
"But… The problems you caused me are- how should I put it? Nice, yet strange. I always seem to think about you almost all the time I'm awake, and I can't get you off my head. Even though I tried to not think about you, I always end up seeing your smiling face. This causes more and more problems for me, because I don't know what I should do." Skye confessed.
"S-Skye, what are you-?" Lumina tried to say.
"If you called her a monster, than you're far worse. You're a monster that doesn't have a heart at all, and making yourself happy at the cause of other's misery." Skye continued, "Oh, and if you did fire her mother, you do know that I can tell the Regisons about your actions. Your family work under tem after all, and they did have a liking to Jill's mum for her hard working attitude. So, I'm sure they'll fire your relative instead."
"You- You- Ahh! I've had enough!" Lumina shouted, then stormed off.
"Skye.." Jill could find no words to thank him.
"Hm? Oh, ah, about your father and all, you can let it out, if you want." Skye said, as he blushed.
Jill's tears fell right after, all her bottled up feelings let loose. Skye comforted her by patting her head as she cried her face buried in his chest.
As Lumina stormed off, her phone rang, it was one of her servants, she picked it up in anger and shouted, "What is it!?"
On the other line, a male voice said, "Miss Lumina, it seems they found the Saibaras."
"What?! How- Where are they now?!"
"At Mineral Street."
Woo! Jill and Skye finally got together! Though, Jill still hasn't told Skye yet. Skye became her knight in the end, will Cliff do the same for Claire? Find out! And Lumina's plan on making Jill give up on Skye backfired on her. Will Lumina be able to stop them? Does she still have tricks up her sleeves? Will Lumina's plan finally fall apart now? Find out in the next chapter!