Chapter 40: Bury the Hatchet
1823 Words
Even after Ivy pulled up at the miller parking lot the girls were still singing and laughing happily. It had been a day full of ups and downs but like a phase the downs ended, just a little bit. To Rose however that was another show of defiance so she met them halfway fizzing with anger to remind them that they were now entering a new territory and it was under her jurisdiction.
"This is not a brothel, control how you laugh!"
"Good evening too Aunt Rose, how was your day?" She went for a handshake that Rose snubbed. What did she expect? A warm hug? Not when she had picked a side that wasn't Rose's. As her niece she ought to have always supported her aunt always even if she was wrong.
"Oh, that's what you're going to play now?"
"Yes Ivy, I welcomed you to my house with open arms and what's the first thing you did? Aligned with those who despise me!"
"For f***s sake this is not your house!" Ivy screamed so loud, she had lost it and not even Audrey shyly holding her back managed to stop her from spewing everything she had bottled up in her heart, "You are just married here and the Least you can do is be genuinely nice to those who live here? I thought you were just mean to me but it turns out you hate even your own step-daughter whose dad has given you everything, you still hate her"
"Watch your mouth"
"Oh, I know everything about you Aunty, don't think am still a nine-year-old who can't see through your bullshit. Don't dare me" she warned and broke free from Audrey's lazy grasp before marching away.
That look of fear in Rose's eyes made Audrey even more curious. Clearly there was a past that Rose wanted to stay buried at any expense, it was her weakness. How comes no one knew anything about it then? Seemingly not even her mum knew it or else if it was that bad- and she had a gut feeling it was, she would have warned her. And what about her dad? Did David know what it was and he was just keeping quiet about it? Why? There were far too many questions and no answers available unless she dug deep even if it meant to kiss the devil's ass.
An awkward of silence moment between Rose and Audrey ended with the former walking away.
"Wait!"
Surprisingly, she obliged. But not willingly that one Audrey could tell from her body language. She turned around lazily and faced her exhaling sharply.
"What?"
"It's my fault"
"Damn right it is. Before she walked through those gates you were a sweet girl showing me respect, we were a good team. The very moment she walked in you changed and now she thinks it's okay to be rude to me"
Technically there is no way Audrey had influenced Ivy to be rude to his aunt. But since Rose enjoyed being surrounded by "yes people" why not make him happy by taking fault?
"For that reason, I'm sorry and I promise things will go back to where they were. Just one question though"
"It better be worth my time because trust me I've got things to do"
"You're a busy woman that's for sure...what is this everything about you" she put it in imaginary quotes, "that Ivy keeps threatening you with? I've heard it a lot"
"She is just a stupid kid that read something on the internet. Don't trust her or anything you read about me and your dad online. Walk with me"
All of a sudden, her muscles relaxed like she was not angry anymore and she had her left arm around Audrey's shoulders as they walked in the lighting up manor.
"Your dad and I are always under scrutiny, rich people in general and once in a while people who don't want what's best for us or rather our competition find ways to paint us as the bad guys through social media"
"Okay. Although am yet to read anything mean about you or dad online"
"That's because you're always reading your books...brings us milk!" She ordered one of the maids the two ladies took a seat in the dining, "you'll use milk, right?"
"Sure"
She had a choice to turn down that offer but that's a rapport she was trying to build there. After an entire day of learning fake necessities and verbal webs of politeness from arguably the best duo in that area she was a pro already. The upside of being a quick learner. In her smart mind, did she stop for a moment to think that perhaps Rose was also doing the same thing to her? Bring her close find her weakness and annihilate her. Not that I hate Rose but so far, we've had a glimpse of what she is capable of and even been curious of what her seemingly dark past entailed. Audrey with all that naivety was treading in dangerous waters.
"I wanted to ask you for a favor" Rose said after two quick sips of warm fresh milk.
"Okay am listening"
"Your brother" Rose seemed so worried, Audrey was almost buying her pain. But seriously Lucas needed help and Audrey was not the kind to not offer help to anyone she thought deserved it.
"How can I help?"
"I was hoping you three could form a study group. Help Ivy too she might be rude to me but she is not that strong academically, Lucas is getting worse and I think it's because of drugs we're still discussing if he needs a rehab but, in the meantime, help him improve his grades they are not looking good at the moment"
"Easy. If he just would want to see me around"
"I've already talked to him. Any mean word he shoves your way tell me"
"Okay then" she sent the remaining milk down her throat in a single gulp, "Let me go get started, we had games at school today so there was no much time to do homework and study"
"You're free to leave"
"Thank you. See you at dinner, am glad we talked. We don't always have to be enemies you know"
Watching proudly from above was God and maybe her mum if she made it to heaven and from the cracks of the manor was the butler. Hit by surprise was a returning David in a suit with his briefcase
"Am I dreaming, good evening everyone?"
"You're not Dad, mum and I were just talking "
"About what really" he kissed his wife hugging her from behind and shook Audrey's arm.
"Girl stuff. Go ahead, I got this"
"See you all at dinner!" Audrey said going upstairs, she turned around to take one quick look at them and smiled. That one was easy, she didn't trust Rose even one bit. Yet she was still going to find a way to help her dumb ass brother.
"Please tell me that wasn't an act"
"For real we talked, she apologized for being rude..."
"And did you apologize?"
"Hell no. I'm the parent she's the kid that's not how it works"
"Respect is however a two-way traffic and it's earned you can't beat it into her"
"Anyway, we talked and we're cool as we speak. She is going to help Ivy and Lucas study you know she is bright"
"Brighter than all of us. Thank you for getting off your high horse"
"You're welcome, that's what mother's do"
Meanwhile, on her way to her room Audrey decided to stop by Luca's and check if indeed it was true he was going to pretend to be nice to her again- after that mason party- for the sole purpose of improving his grades. First knock went unanswered, as usual the second and third the same and on the fourth the door flung open.
"You gotta be kidding me"
"Hi Lucas. Glad to see you too can I come in?"
"Whatever" he said leaving her by the door, he was in shorts, bare chested with a gaming pad at hand. His room was unkempt as usual and he didn't even try to rectify that, Audrey had to walk carefully not to step on his dirty laundry and books, blue magazines and other weird stuff spread on the floor. He went back to his gaming chair while she tried to squeeze some space to seat on the couch.
"Your room looks nice"
"We literally both live here. Perhaps I've been so mad at you that I didn't realize you can be funny too"
That was a different version of Lucas for sure, the talk he had with his mum had worked miracles.
"Let's start with why you're so mad at me"
"Forget about that, It's not a therapy session. Are you going to help me or not?"
"I will it's upon you to accept the help"
"Am game if you're game. We're just studying that's all no funny business and acting like we've been friends for long and also be sure to control your talkative friend"
He was talking as though not just days back he almost smacked her and that friend he was referring to saved her. Another reason to love Ivy.
"Whatever the king wants the king gets"
"f**k you, are we done here?"
"Not really, now that we're talking. What did Mason offer you to act nice during his party?"
"You really want to know?"
"I mean everyone does, right?"
She was definitely talking to us. You do want to know do you? Come on your opinion counts here.
"Then you and everyone else can kiss my ass because I don't kiss and tell"
That bastard. Sorry guys I guess we will never know what magic spell Mason the magician cast on Lucas to make him like Audrey for a night. But on the bright side you can tell, he was human after all. Maybe in a parallel universe with no drugs and Rose as his mother he would have been a fine caring and smart young man.
"Now we are done. After dinner, the study room. Come with your notebook"
"What are we studying?"
"Social sciences"
Well, if you asked her, that couldn't have gone my better than that. It was a shame he needed a push to be nice to her. Still it didn't matter whether he did like her or not, as long as her life didn't depend on it. The next door she knocked was Ivy's in the guest wing. She opened the door ajar one arm on the door another on the wall, wearing her bra. Audrey cleared her throat avoiding eye contact, she was very uncomfortable.
"For f***s sake you have boobs too. Look at me!"
"I'll come another time, bye, let's meet for studies in the study room after dinner bye" she said walking away hastily.
- Writer
