Chapter Eight
Early the next morning, Hay Lin was on her way to school determined to talk to Irma, about what had happened the night before. As she neared the spot where her and the others joined, so they could walk to school together, a look of sadness appeared on her face since the only one waiting for her, was Cornelia.
Cornelia having apparently heard Hay Lin's approaching footsteps, looked towards the young girl then waved. "Good morning Hay Lin." Changing her frown to a smile, Hay Lin returned the wave then made her way towards her blond friend. Once she was standing near Cornelia, Hay Lin returned the good morning, with one of her own. Cornelia sent her friend a smile, then said. "Sorry for running off on you and Will last night, but I figured the two of you needed to be alone and work out what had happened." Hay Lin told her thanks. "So, are you and Will still friends? Or do I need to yell at her some more?"
Cornelia said the last part with a smile, which caused Hay Lin to laugh. "Will apologized for yelling at me, and we managed to work everything out." said Hay Lin. "And yes Will and I are still friends, so you don't have to yell at her, Cornelia."
"So, I guess all I need to do now is get Irma to apologize." said Cornelia turning to look in the direction, Irma usually came from.
"That is probably going to be much harder, Cornelia." said Hay Lin. When she didn't say anything more, Cornelia turned to face her friend, and saw a look of deep sadness.
Reaching out her arm, Cornelia placed her hand on top of Hay Lin's shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong, Hay Lin?"
Hay Lin, told Cornelia that she had tried calling Irma several times, once Will had left for home. "Everytime I tried calling, Mrs. Lair told me that Irma didn't want to speak to me." Hay Lin started to cry, and was pulled into a hug by Cornelia. As Cornelia tried to sooth her friend, Hay Lin wailed. "Cornelia, what did I do wrong? Why does Irma hate me?"
Hearing a sudden gasp, Cornelia opened her eyes and found Irma standing behind Hay Lin. Cornelia sent Irma a glare, then mouth out the words Fix This. Irma nodded, then called out Hay Lin's name. "Hay Lin?"
Cornelia felt the girl in her arms suddenly stiffen, as she heard Irma's voice. "Hay Lin, here is your chance to talk to Irma." said Cornelia in a soothing tone. When Hay Lin continued to hold on to her, Cornelia continued. "Hay Lin, I am not going to leave unless you tell me to do so, okay? I promise that I won't let Irma hurt you again." Cornelia missed the look Irma had, as she felt Hay Lin nod, then slowly release her grip around her. Cornelia released her own grip, then stepped back a couple of steps as Hay Lin turned to face Irma.
Seeing the tear marks on Hay Lin's face, Irma sighed before speaking. "Hay Lin, I thought long and hard about my actions last night, and I am sorry that you got caught up in my fight with Will."
"There never should have been a fight to begin with, Irma. I thought we was a team." said Hay Lin a bit testily. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Hay Lin looked back at Cornelia.
"You have every right to be angry with her, Hay Lin, but that isn't going to help settle this." said Cornelia. "I am sure that Irma is really upset with herself." Cornelia looked over towards Irma, and saw her nod. Hay Lin took a couple of deep breaths, then told Cornelia thanks. Cornelia nodded, and told her that she was welcome.
Hay Lin then looked back towards Irma. "I am sorry for loosing my temper, Irma." said Hay Lin.
"Hay Lin, please don't apologize. Especially not to me." said Irma. "I deserve your anger and anything that comes with it. I let my anger towards Will, boil over to you and that never should have happened." Irma then let out a deep sigh. "As I said before, I did a lot of thinking last night concerning my actions towards you and Will, Hay Lin. And it helped me to come to a decision." Hay Lin looked at her friend with a deep look of worry, and asked what the decision was? "I don't deserve to be your friend or the water guardian. Soon as I can find Blunk, I am going to have him take me to Kandrakar and see if the oracle can take away my powers, as well as return the Heart to Will."
Hay Lin was really surprised by this, that she didn't know what to say. Feeling a hand on her shoulder again, she looked back at Cornelia, and whispered {What do we do? I never saw this coming.}
{Neither did I.} whispered Cornelia. Having a sudden idea, Cornelia leaned closer and whispered into Hay Lin's ear. As Cornelia finished and leaned back, Hay Lin wide eyed, asked her if she was serious. {Do you have a better idea?}
Hay Lin shook her head no, and looked back towards Irma to find her looking down at the ground. Turning back to Cornelia she whispered. {I hope you're right about this.} With a deep sigh to prepare herself, Hay Lin turned back to face Irma and said in a commanding tone. "Irma, look at me!" Hearing the strictness in Hay Lin's voice, Irma raised her head. "You are a fool, Irma Lair!" Hay Lin continued. "Do you really think I would be angry enough with you, to allow you to just up and make a decision like that? You are sadly mistaken!"
"But Hay Lin..." started Irma only to be interrupted by Hay Lin.
"Did I say you could speak?" shouted Hay Lin. Irma quickly shut her mouth, and shook her head. "Now then, while I do agree with you on meeting with the Oracle, it will not be for the reason that you are wanting to see him for. Is that clear?"Irma simply nodded. Cornelia however, asked why they need to see the oracle. {I will explain later.} Hay Lin whispered to her. Focusing her attention back upon Irma, Hay Lin asked. "Now Irma, are you going to do the right thing and stay my friend as well as the water guardian, or are you going to prove Shagon right, by being the weak girl that he called us last night and throw everything away over a small argument?"
"But..."
"No buts, Irma Lair!" shouted Hay Lin. "Now answer the question!"
Irma looking past Hay Lin, saw that Cornelia was trying very hard not to laugh and caught on to what was going on. "Okay Hay Lin, you can stop giving me the third degree. I think Cornelia is about to burst, from trying to keep herself from laughing."
Hay Lin turned to face Cornelia, and shouted. "Cornelia? You ruined it!"
Taking advantage of Hay Lin being turned away from her, Irma ran up behind her friend and hugged her. "No Hay Lin, Cornelia didn't ruin anything. I needed to hear everything that you had said to me."
"Does that mean, you have changed your mind?" asked Hay Lin as Irma let her go, and she turned around. Irma nodded her head and Hay Lin, hugged her. "I am glad to have you back, Irma."
Irma returned the hug. "You know Hay Lin, I never would have expected to get chewed out by you." said Irma. "Now Cornelia, that is a different story."
Cornelia crossed her arms across her chest. "And I would have done just that and more, Irma, if you had hurt Hay Lin again."
"I know." said Irma. "And I would have let you do it." Hay Lin then let Irma go, and asked if she was going to make up with Will? "I am planning on it, but I will have to wait until she returns to school."
With Hay Lin being extremely happy to be friends with Irma once again, the three girls headed off towards the school.
-(1)
As the three girls reached the gate of the school, the passenger side door of a blue toyota corolla opened, and they heard. "Mom stop fretting over me. I told you, that I can't afford to miss any school."
"Taranee, I am only concerned for your health." said Mrs. Cook.
"I know mom, and I understand that you care for me." said Taranee. "But sometimes it is a bit to much."
"Okay, I won't fret quite so much over you. But I do want you to call me, if the pain becomes to much for you, okay?" There wasn't any reply heard, so the three girls assumed that Taranee had nodded.
As the other three girls watched, they saw Taranee's right leg come out of the car. As Taranee's left leg appeared, the three girls let out a gasp of surprise as they saw the cast that was wrapped around Taranee's ankle. As Taranee climbed out of the car and stood up, Hay Lin, Irma, and Cornelia quickly rushed to her side. "Taranee, what happened to you?" they all asked.
Taranee jumped slightly, but didn't put didn't any weight on to her left leg. She then turned to face her three friends. "Hey guys."
"Taranee, did this happen when Uriah crashed into us?" asked Irma pointing at the cast on Taranee's ankle. Taranee nodded, and Irma growled. "Uriah is in serious trouble!"
As Irma started to stalk off to find the boy in question, Hay Lin grabbed her arm. "Irma, don't go looking for trouble."
"I'm not going looking for trouble, Hay Lin." stated Irma. "I am going looking for a orange headed jerk, since he hurt one of my friends." When Irma tried to pull away from Hay Lin's grip, Hay Lin looked towards the others for help.
Using the car door for support, Taranee made her way to Irma's side. Then reaching out her arm, she took a hold of Irma's arm. "Irma, let it go." she said. "It's not like I haven't ever been hurt before."
"This is different, Taranee." stated Irma.
Taranee sighed, and looked at Hay Lin. "There is no stopping her, Hay Lin, so let Irma go." Hay Lin looked towards her friend with a look of shock. Taranee simply nodded. Hay Lin then did as Taranee had said, and let go of Irma's arm. Free of the restraining grip of her friend, Irma headed inside the gate of the school in search of Uriah. Once Irma was far enough away, Hay Lin looked at Taranee again, and asked her why she told her to let Irma go. "Simple really." said Taranee. "For while Irma is almost in as much trouble as Will, she is somehow able to get away with it a lot easier."
"So Taranee, are you going to fill us in on what did happen to you, or do we need to ask your mom?" asked Cornelia.
Taranee turning back around, leaned forward and reached inside the car. The other two girls heard her apologize to her mother, before standing back up straight with a pair of crutches held in her hands. "If you will grab my back pack, Cornelia, we can let my mom leave." said Taranee placing the crutches under her arms, then using them to move away from her moms car, followed by Hay Lin. Cornelia did as Taranee had asked with a silent complaint, and once she had Taranee's backpack in hand, she moved away from the car enough, so she could close the door.
As Taranee's mom pulled away, Cornelia made her way over to the other two girls. "Okay, now spill it. What happened to you?"
Taranee sighed, and told them that she had felt something pop in her ankle when Uriah had ran into them and she had tried to keep from falling, by pivoting on her left ankle. "Well, I ended up rupturing the tendon that holds my ankle and leg together." said Taranee. "The doctor that I saw at the hospital, called it the Achilles tendon."
"Okay." said Cornelia. "But that doesn't explain the cast."
"Cornelia, you really need to do some research on stuff." said Taranee. "Anyway, as to why I am wearing the cast, is because of the fact that the hospital doctors had to operate on my ankle in order to fix the rupture to the tendon." She then sighed. "Hay Lin, your grandmother was right when she said I wasn't going to be able to help you guys."
"Why is that?" asked Hay Lin.
Taranee told them, that the cast wouldn't come off for twelve weeks. "Twelve weeks?!" shouted Cornelia. "Please tell me that you are joking, Taranee."
"I really wish I was joking, Cornelia." said Taranee. She then added that if it wasn't for missing school, she would still be in the hospital.
"Think I'll go help Irma, in looking for Uriah." said Cornelia handing Taranee's back pack off the Hay Lin and walking off.
"Well that's not going to end well." said Taranee.
"You're probably right about that, Taranee." said Hay Lin. "But I can't say that I blame them, since you are our friend, and you got hurt." Taranee nodded, then asked her if that was the case, why didn't she join them. "I guess the main reason that I am not joining them, is because you need me here more at the moment. I know that you aren't able to carry your backpack, and work those crutches at the same time." Taranee smiled at her friend, and told her thanks. Hay Lin returned the smile, then asked Taranee if she was ready to head towards her first class?
"Do you think you can keep up with me, Hay Lin?" asked Taranee as she took off on her crutches. Hay Lin knew that her friend wouldn't over do it, and allowed Taranee to get a bit a head of her, before taking off after her friend.
-
Arriving at her classroom, Taranee made her way inside and headed towards her desk, with Hay Lin coming in a few moments later. Hay Lin started to ask Taranee how she could go so fast, using the crutches. However, before Hay Lin could do so, Taranee had reached Matt's desk and he asked her what had happened to her.
Hay Lin tried to get Taranee's attention so she could tell her what had happened during the fight with Shagon, and him mentioning Matt's name. However, since she didn't have the power of telepathy, she was forced to watch as Taranee told Matt what had happened with Uriah.
"That sounds pretty painful, Taranee." said Matt giving her a smile. "Want me to go and teach Uriah a lesson for you?"
"I think Irma and Cornelia will be taking very good care of him, Matt." said Taranee returning the smile. "But thanks for the offer."
"Hey what are friends for?" asked Matt. "And I have a feeling that if I was in trouble, and you knew about it, that you as well as the others would come and help me." He looked over at Hay Lin as he finished. "Don't you agree, Hay Lin?"
Hay Lin was silent for a few moments, before saying. "Of course we would help you, Matt. After all, any friend of Will's is a friend of ours." Matt then asked them, if they had heard anything about a change in Will's current situation?
Both girls told him that they hadn't spoken to Will since she had gotten suspended. "That's too bad." said Matt. "I am really missing her."
"Will, will be back to school on Monday, Matt." said Taranee. "You just have to wait for four more days, then you can tell her and show her how much you have missed her." This caused Matt to laugh. He then said, that he would be sure to do just that, when Will returned.
It was here that Misao made her way into the room. "Good morning, class." As everyone returned the good morning, Taranee headed towards her seat with Hay Lin following.
After sitting down in her desk, and placing her crutches down next to it, Taranee looked towards Hay Lin, and told her thanks for the help. Hay Lin started to speak, but the late bell decided to ring at that time. "Miss Lin?" called Misao. When Hay Lin turned to face her, Misao continued. "Since you was helping Miss Cook, I took the liberty of writing you a note for your teacher, so it can explain why you are running a bit late."
Left with no chance to talk to Taranee about Matt, and after handing Taranee her backpack, Hay Lin made her way towards the front of the class. Once there she took the offered note from Misao. "Thank you, Mrs. Mikachi." Misao told her that she was welcome, then told her that she would see her later. Hay Lin turned so she was facing the door to the class. As she headed towards it, she looked back towards Taranee, and tried to send her a message saying 'please contact me'. Arriving at the door, Hay Lin opened it and made her way out of the room, hoping that Taranee had gotten her message.
Reaching her class room some minutes later, Hay Lin having not received anything from Taranee, sadly made her way inside her class. As she entered the room, the teacher turned his attention upon her. "You're late, Miss Lin."
"Sorry Mr. Collins." said Hay Lin making her way up to him. As she held out the note Misao had given to her, she said. "I was helping Taranee to her class. Mrs. Mikachi gave me this note, so I could verify it."
Taking the note from her, Mr. Collins looked it over. "Very well, Miss Lin. Please take your seat, and turn to page forty-five of your history book." After giving him a nod, Hay Lin did as he had asked and headed towards her desk at the back of the room. Once she had reached it and sat down, she took out her history book with a heavy sigh. Placing her book on her desk, she opened it to the designated page as Mr. Collins continued his lesson where he had left off.
End of Chapter Eight
Bold Number:
1. I did look up information for what happens, during an Achilles injury. Now I am not going to say the info is correct, but I think I covered the basics of it anyway.)
Anywho, please R&R and let me know your thoughts concerning this latest chapter.