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Chapter Eighteen
Worries and Arguments
Two more weeks went by and Esmerelda's quality of work did not improve. Ada therefore with a sigh asked Miss Hardbroom to bring her to her office, she needed to tell her the news in person.
"Sit down Esmerelda" Ada told the girl who took a seat on one of the comfy sofas. Ada sat opposite her and came right out with it.
"I am sorry Esmerelda, your work quality is now at a very poor standard, you are not ready for your exams and I have no choice but to hold you back a year, I truly believe repeating the year you missed will help you tremendously" Ada told the young blond knowing she won't be happy about it.
"Whatever" Esmerelda told her with a shrug "I am not fussed" She told Ada who was shocked thinking she would have a bit more of a reaction than that.
"If you are upset you can say" Ada told the girl suspecting she was putting on a brave face.
"Right now my concern is my sisters and my little niece or nephew, I really do not care about work" Esmerelda told the teachers as she folded her arms in an uncaring way.
"Esmerelda!" Ada said shocked at the way she was acting "Stop that this instant, you are acting like a ….teenager!" Ada said not knowing what else to possibly say.
"I am an teenager" Esmerelda replied rolling her eyes.
"Then stop acting so immature, your sister is going to be giving birth in a few months and you need to mature if you want to help her with the baby.." Hecate said. Esmerelda's eyes blazed with anger at that.
"Don't you dare! You can say whatever you want about me but never question my abilities as an aunt or sister!" Esmerelda said so angry she stood up.
"Esmerelda calm down!" Ada said not liking the girl shouting at them. "No one is questioning anything, we are just saying looking after a baby is hard..." Ada said not sure the girl actually knew how hard it is.
"Oh what would you know about being a mother? You think because you have a boarding school you are a professional? You only see one half of being a mother, you have never put a child to bed, or looked after them when they are sick, or comforted them when they are scared of a monster in their bedroom, you have the easy things to do, I know more about mothering then you ever will so don't you dare say that to me ever again, you know nothing!" Esmerelda shouted as Ada and Hecate just watched her concerned.
"Esmerelda be quiet!" Hecate told her fed up of the girl shouting in her ear.
"Oh what the truth hurts? You never cared about my sisters so don't pretend to care now, you have only ever told them they are no good" Esmerelda replied but did lower her voice.
"We have neve..." Ada started but didn't even get to finish before Esmerelda interrupted her.
"You have told both my sisters none of them will ever be as good as me, so yes you have" Esmerelda replied her eyes so dark with her anger.
"Esmerelda" Ada said her plan to calm her down.
"Hold me back, I couldn't care less, now if you excuse me I am going back to my sisters, they are the only things important to me" Esmerelda told the teachers as she walked out the room making sure to slam the door and leave her teachers sitting speechless confused.
Esmerelda did not know why she was acting strangely these days. What had happened to Ethel had destroyed her inside but she honestly thought now she was free of her parents reins she was just acting the way she should have being acting for years, like a normal stroppy teenager, it was just coming out late.
One thing has not changed though and that was the way Esmerelda was with her sisters. Her attitude had changed towards other people not towards her precious sisters. It was currently midnight and Esmerelda sneaked down the corridors trying to stay quiet not wanting to alert HB especially after their argument earlier.
Since they had returned to school Esmerelda had being sneaking of to check on Ethel every night. She had read countless things about pregnancy, so much so she could probably train a midwife, and she had made sure to replay this information to Ethel even if she knew she couldn't help her as much as she wanted to. She could only get so much from books, she had never being pregnant so she could not relate to what Ethel was going through. Even though it was a while yet until the baby would be born Esmerelda worried herself sick about Ethel and her little niece or nephew and had to reassure herself they were okay. She made it to Ethel's door and sneaked in wondering if she was asleep. She wasn't always asleep when she went in there these days.
Today Ethel was awake and smiled at her sister as she came in. Ethel was lying down and stroking her bump and spoke as Esmerelda walked in.
"Look baby it is your auntie right on time" she said happily as Esmerelda walked over and sat on the bed by her sister beaming.
"Hey baby" Esmerelda said touching her sister's stomach. "How is my favourite little baby today?" she said sweetly as she stroked Ethel's stomach.
"What did Cackle and HB want, we didn't really get a chance to catch up afterwards" Ethel asked her sister curious as to what had happened.
"They are holding me back a year" Esmerelda told Ethel with a shrug like it was no big deal.
"Oh no!" Ethel replied upset "This is my stupid fault if I had not made you miss a year you wouldn't be behind" Ethel said with a sigh.
"Don't blame yourself Ethie, I think it would have happened anyway, I can't concentrate at all on work right now, anyway, means I get an extra year with you and Sybil so all is good" Esmerelda told her sister with a smile.
Ethel smiled back at her glad her sister was not really upset about it, she could tell Esmerelda was not upset which was a relief.
"Have you slept yet?" Esmerelda asked her sister moving on from the subject as she wanted to make sure Ethel was okay.
"Not yet, baby keeps kicking me, I can't get comfortable" Ethel told her sister as she looked at her with tired eyes.
"Oi you let your mummy sleep" Esmerelda said to her sister's stomach and Ethel laughed. Esmerelda was already bossing the baby about and it wasn't even born yet.
"They always decide to be wide awake during the night" Ethel laughed and Esmerelda sighed at that.
They could not use potions or spells to help Ethel as they could terminate the pregnancy so it looked like she would be awake until the baby decided to give her a break.
"Esmie….where are we spending Christmas?" Ethel asked her sister biting her lip. Christmas was coming up fast and they still had no home together.
"I don't know Ethie, I don't know what we are going to do" Esmerelda said sadly worried about what was going to happen. What if Ethie was not even with her when she went into labour and she was with some strange woman? What if she had to have the baby in a strange person's house and Esmie never got to see her. It was on Esmerelda's mind constantly. She only hoped someone out there would have the heart to take all three of them in and the new baby.
"I don't want us to be split up again" Ethel told her sister with a tired look in her eyes.
"I will do everything I can to try stop it" Esmerelda told her sister even if she had no idea how she would do that. Maybe she could somehow figure out a way to let her and her sisters stay at school and she can look after them? Even as she said it she knew it was not going to happen.
Nothing else was said because Ethel fell asleep in that moment, her hands on her bump as the baby finally settled down letting her drift off to sleep. Esmerelda kissed her sister's head, her sisters bump and then put the cover over her but didn't leave. She stayed most nights as she was so scared of something happening to Ethel in the night. Instead, she sat by Ethel and just watched her laying her head on the bed as she let sleep overtake her body.
Neither girl knew that Mildred was stood outside their bedroom door. She had got up to use the bathroom and had paused when she heard them talking about where they were going to live. She could hear the worry in both of their voices and knew she had to do everything she could to convince her mother to take the sisters in.
"Mildred Hubble what are you doing out of bed?" Detention" HB suddenly screamed from behind the brunette. Mildred jumped out of her skin and turned around. She knew Esmerelda was still in Ethel's room but she was not low. She was not going to tattle on her when she was checking on her pregnant sister. She thought it was unfair she was the one to receive detention when Esmie was up but then again the girl had a reason to be up.
"Sorry Miss Hardbroom" Mildred said with a smile as she turned to go back in her bedroom hoping Esmerelda was not caught out of bed too. As she got back into bed the thought of Ethel giving birth by herself, or more so with some stranger, would not leave Mildred's mind. She had to help her before it was to late. Months were passing quickly, she had to help Ethel before her baby was born which meant she had to nag her mother more to take the girls in.