That night, Ashley called Chrysolite over her phone. Chrysolite also owned a phone but was never permitted to take it to school with her. Ashley spoke of a plan that impressed Chrysolite. She wanted to tell Sardius about it but that would wait until the morrow. Early the next day, she ran to the guest room which was opposite hers but she was surprised to find the room empty.
"Mum, where's Sadius?" Chrysolite asked her mother who was already in the kitchen frying some potatoes which she bought the previous day.
"He went home early my love." Her mother answered her. Corral Marble was beside her, throwing one brown potato into her mouth.
"Home? Already? Isn't that too early?"
Chrysolite's hand went to her hair, scratching it. Then she swirled round to glance at the clock.
"He said, he couldn't wait to see you. He has to see his mum. We tried to bribe him of course but he wouldn't bulge." Corral Marble was added.
"He didn't even tell me." Chrysolite bowed her head.
"Sorry love, I thought he did." Her mum apologized.
Wrapping her arms around her, she started up the stairs. Why would Sardius leave without telling her?
"I'll see him in school then." She tried to console herself.
*****
Chrysolite also noticed that Sardius didn't follow the school bus. It pissed her even more that Sardius didn't come to school. Mary had tried to sit beside her in the bus but remembering what she did to Chrysolite, she made for another seat.
Ashley later gave Chrysolite a pretty wristwatch as she had promised. Mary was stunned that she had to ask why Ashley was giving a new wristwatch to the thief who sold her previous wristwatch. Ashley had to say Chrysolite was her new friend, but that only angered Mary.
This attracted the three musketeers so they had a feeling that Mary might be the real culprit. They taunted her and asked how she betrayed her friend over material things. Mary didn't understand where this was headed. Mary again brought it to her attention that she wasn't the thief. It was Chrysolite who had stolen the wristwatch after all. Ashley then called out Ryan to at the front of the class as he had something to say to the classroom.
Ryan came out and told the class how he had a headache, he had refused to go to the school's clinic. He came to the classroom and preferred to lie on the chairs. His small stature made it possible not to be noticed. He had seen how Mary placed the wristwatch in Chrysolite's bag when she heard someone was approaching the classroom. He later had to leave school when the headache was becoming too severe. He didn't know what had happened. When he heard the news about Chrysolite stealing Ashley's wristwatch, he had to call Ashley up using his parent's phone. His mother was a close friend of Ashley's mother.
After such a confession, the whole class was suddenly quiet. Mary tried to defend herself but this time, no one fell for her tricks. The news got to miss Laurel and Chrysolite was rendered an apology for all the troubles. Mary became an outcast because musketeers bullied her, and she received double what Chrysolite must have gone through.
This made Ashley take a liking towards Chrysolite and she asked Chrysolite to be her friend. During the day, Michael walked up to Chrysolite.
"You've broken the curse." He smiled at her.
She returned his smile. "What curse?"
He grinned this time. He had rich black hair which had grown spikey, his skin was naturally clean and white. When he stood, he kept both hands in his stripped grey shorts. His black shoes had no dirt on them. This was one of the reasons why he was well-liked, he was so neat.
Sardius had wanted to be like him. He had tried desperately to have terrific haircuts like his friend. He wanted to be the carbon copy of his friend. But sometimes, Sardius came out awful. His uniform was usually wrinkled. His body was untidy and his shoes were dusty.
"Why is Sardius not in school?" Michael asked her.
"I don't know, he never told me," Chrysolite replied.
"Aren't you like his brother since you guys live close?" He had to ask again.
"No, he's ....only a friend." She thought about her reply before she answered him.
Michael nodded, turned to go but stopped himself. "But Sardius thinks so highly of you." He had to say. It surprised her. "I think he might be sick, well, I don't know," he said.
Sick my foot, Chrysolite thought as she watched Michael walk away.
"Thanks, Ashley." Chrysolite stretched out her hand to return her wristwatch. They had both planned on using a new wristwatch to piss off Mary and then call out Ryan who would tell the whole class about Mary's betrayal.
"No, keep it. I meant to give it to you. I had promised you after all." Ashley said to Chrysolite.
"But I don't need it."
"I have been unfair to you. This is my way of saying I'm very sorry." She reached for Chrysolite's hands and folded the wristwatch into her hands.
Chrysolite smiled. "Thank you for this."
Ashley nodded. "Can we now be friends? I do like you and I admire you a lot."
"Sure, why not?"