章節 30: OPEN THE DOOR FOR ME:
[THREE YEARS AGO]
Fourteen-year-old Celeste Ashton, a rising amateur child model known for her gentle, elegant image and a demeanor so soft-spoken she wouldn't hurt a fly if she tried, was currently banging on a closed classroom door with both fists. Her expression was so fierce it looked like she was auditioning for a horror movie, and nailing it.
The other students stayed at least five meters away from the enraged girl, creating a wide patch of empty space around her. They watched from a distance, wide-eyed and pale, as she unleashed a torrent of profanities that could make a trucker blush. It was like watching a bunny rabbit transform into a T-Rex, and the sheer shock had everyone frozen in place. Who knew the girl who usually posed sweetly with kittens could cuss like a pirate on a bad day? No one dared to laugh; they were too busy hoping they wouldn't become her next target.
"Open the goddamn door, Alice mother***king Hughes! I swear to God, if the only way this door opens is when I break the thing down myself into tiny f**king pieces, then I promise you, this won't end well for either of us. The only way the teachers will find us will be with my hand in your hair and yours in mine, all scratched up, black and blue."
"Alice! Reply, damn you! If you do anything stupid, just know that I will murder your edgy, emo ass."
"Don't test my patience anymore!"
After not getting a single reply for such a long time, Celeste finally quieted down. The nearby students watched, wondering if she had finally calmed down. But before they could approach her, they saw Celeste suddenly open the adjacent window.
Everyone in school knew that this window was almost always closed because the nearby tree had branches long and springy enough to forcefully push inside when the window was opened. The branches were so thick and full of greenery that it was nearly impossible to remove them again without damaging the window or the tree.
The school had complained multiple times about it to the owner and the principal, but they never cut the tree down because of its sentimental value. The owner and principal had planted the tree when they were students to symbolize their budding romance. Over the years, the tree had grown so big and sturdy that it now caused a significant hindrance, but neither the owner nor the principal were willing to cut it down. They became very sensitive if the tree got even slightly damaged.
Even knowing this, the students—who had secretly grown fond of the tree but would never admit it—watched in shock and some sadness as Celeste raised her leg high into the air and swung it down with a swift, precise motion. A conspicuous snap echoed through the hall as the thin but long branch broke and hung down pathetically before being mercilessly yanked out by Celeste.
The students watched with a painful grimace, as if she had pulled out a limb of their own. It was like watching someone kick a puppy, and a collective wince swept through the crowd. But what did Celeste care? She took the branch and used it as a makeshift crowbar to break the lock on the door, giving it a resounding kick that sent the door swinging open with a loud thud.
The sight was almost surreal: the sweet, gentle Celeste, now a fierce, door-busting warrior, standing victorious with a tree branch in hand like some kind of avenging nature spirit. The students couldn't decide whether to applaud her resourcefulness or mourn the loss of their beloved tree branch.
When the door opened, Celeste found Alice curled up in one corner of the room, hands over her temples, eyes and nose flushed red, and trembling uncontrollably. There was a cutter lying near her, stained with a tiny bit of blood. Her left arm was slightly bleeding too.
When she saw that, a new wave of anger, frustration, and sheer distress overtook Celeste. She walked towards Alice with a stomping pace, her mood evident in her footsteps. She pulled out Alice's arm and looked at the fresh wound. The more she looked at it, the angrier she became. But when she opened her mouth to reprimand Alice, all that came out was a choked whimper, her throat constricting in pain.
It was not the first time something like this had happened. Alice had always been somewhat unstable growing up, but these days it was particularly bad. Celeste would always find Alice in a very rugged state whenever she didn't see her for a few days. Celeste had to actively try to stop the girl from doing something horrendous.
Her words had the most sway on Alice, even more than Alice's family did. But these days, Celeste felt that her presence might as well be useless too.
With a trembling tone, she told Alice, who was just looking down, trembling and shivering, "This is it, damn you. Not gonna sugar-coat anything here, but Alice… you desperately need therapy whether you like it or not."
Looking up at the crown of Alice's hair, Celeste continued with a harsh tone, "Having a panic attack at school and doing something like this… this has gone way too far. Too far—"
"Ladies!? What are you two doing? What happened?" A teacher caught them soon enough. Drama ensued in the staffroom upon witnessing Alice's state. Her parents were called.
Her brother, who was depressed those days and hardly had the courage or motivation to do anything but study due to Ezra having cut ties with him not too long ago, ran to the school too. The principal, who respected him as one of the school's alumni and the older brother of Alice, contacted him to come and see his sister's condition and take better care of her.
Celeste got into trouble too for her reckless behavior, to the extent that even Aunt Evelyn had to come to the school. The principal's office was filled with chaos: the Hughes couple were crying and loudly questioning their daughter, Celeste was shouting from one corner with tears streaming down her face, informing the Hughes couple of how extremely unstable Alice had been and insisting that she should really take a break from school to focus on her mental health. Aunt Evelyn was trying to stop Celeste from shouting so much, while Louis was trying to understand the situation from the principal, the teachers, and the accompanying students. It was truly utter chaos.
What happened afterward was understandable. Alice was asked by the school to stay home for a while, and her parents urgently sought out the best psychologists they could find for her. Louis, unable to be by her side for long, had to focus on his upcoming college entrance exams.
Meanwhile, Celeste faced relatively mild consequences. The teachers assigned her various odd jobs, like cleaning the classroom and assisting with their tasks. However, on Principal Maythan's recommendation, Aunt Evelyn imposed a ban on Celeste meeting Alice. The principal believed that Celeste's emotional responses could impede Alice's therapeutic progress. Consequently, Celeste was also restricted from calling or texting Alice frequently until she could demonstrate to Aunt Evelyn that she would not act impulsively.
They soon returned to their daily routines, with the notable exception that the Ashton kids were no longer in contact with the Hughes. The only one maintaining communication was Aunt Evelyn, who diligently checked on Alice's condition each day to keep the anxious Celeste and Ezra informed.
In this way, the days passed. Celeste went to school, attended her job, and managed her social media. She laughed and chatted with others, maintaining a facade of normalcy. It was dull, but it brought a sense of calm and stability to her life. A calm and stability that was almost always absent when Alice and her problems were involved.
For a while, everything seemed peaceful. Or so it appeared. What Celeste hadn't anticipated was how poorly she would function without Alice. It was a harsh wake-up call. Though she managed to put on a brave face for her family, her days slipped by in a blurry, disorienting daze.
She could not taste the food she ate. Her reaction time became worryingly slow, and Ezra often had to save her from clumsy catastrophes—stopping her from accidentally chopping off a finger in the kitchen or preventing her hair from burning when she forgot she was straightening it and left the hair straightener on for too long.
At the beginning of the separation, Celeste felt fine. She didn't think much of it, considering it a good thing. Alice would recover, and Celeste wouldn't bother her, allowing her to relax. It seemed perfect, actually.
However, it did not feel as perfect when a whole week passed, then two weeks, then three, and eventually two entire months without seeing Alice. Never in her life had Celeste spent so much time without Alice. They were always inseparable, or Celeste would insist on being close to her.
Celeste had spent so much time by Alice's side that she knew all of Alice's personality quirks and changes. The thought of Alice going through such a transformative period without her was incredibly uncomfortable for Celeste.
During those days, she was incredibly uneasy and irritable. Her worry was palpable, especially with Alice's tendencies; the slightest distraction could lead to another worrisome incident. Without Celeste by her side, she couldn't find a moment's peace.
The house was enveloped in a dark and strained atmosphere. Ezra, grappling with his own issues, had become unusually quiet and distant. Celeste was fighting her own internal battles, leaving Aunt Evelyn feeling utterly helpless.
Ezra managed to rein in his feelings and search for the silver lining, but Celeste was different. She either didn't care at all or, if she did, she cared so deeply that it became disastrous. She would brood and torment herself over the issue until she made herself sick.
Aunt Evelyn bit her bottom lip, hesitating for a long time before finally allowing Celeste to visit Alice for one day only, extracting a promise that she would not cause any trouble.
With Aunt Evelyn's permission, Celeste felt like she was almost flying. The ground beneath her seemed distant, and she was lost in a state of beautiful reverie.
But, of course, life never goes as planned. She hadn't even stepped out the door when terrible news arrived: Ezra had been in an accident.
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WorryIsho
WorryIsho Hello dear readers,
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Thank you so much for your patience and understanding. I'm thrilled to be back!
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