Sardius had retrieved the beaded necklace from Ashley and then lied further that Chrysolite had wanted him to keep it with him till they met the following day. Sardius then turned around as soon as Ashley left the swimming hall. He went straight to the locker room and opened the cupboard in which he had hidden the half-human, half-fish. When he looked at her, his heart thumped violently. She was not the Chrysolite whom he once knew, she was the daughter of a powerful sea goddess.
Quickly, he brought out the necklace that was hidden in his breast pocket and placed it around her neck.
Nothing happened.
"Oh Chrysolite, don't do this to me." He murmured as he pulled her head closer to him, desperately in dire need for her to wake up. He shut his eyes briefly and prayed quietly that she wake up. She was breathing perfectly. He couldn't even carry her out in her mermaid state, even if he could, what would people think of him? How would he conceal the fact that he was carrying a mermaid around, the thought itself was stupid.
The necklace around her neck began to glow, slowly at first.
Jasmine's eyes suddenly lit up when she saw Ashley. She had been waiting for Ashley for quite some time. "Ashley," Jasmine called out.
"Oh Jasmine, finally."
"What's wrong?" Jasmine saw the look in Ashley's eyes.
"Chrysolite has gone home. She didn't even inform the rest of her friends except Sardius." Ashley said to Jasmine who had slung on her school bag to her back.
Jasmine laughed, finding it hilarious. "That's odd."
"Yes, it is. Chrysolite would never do that. When we meet tomorrow, we'll get to know." Ashley shrugged.
Jasmine scoffed at that watching as Ashley led the way. Ashley noticed that Jasmine wasn't coming with her, so she turned to look at her. "Are you not coming with me?" Ashley asked.
"Who said that Chrysolite had gone home?" Jasmine had to ask.
"Sardius. He's the one who told me that."
"Sardius?" Jasmine looked surprised. "And you believe that? Where is he?"
"He was in the swimming hall when I left. I believe him cause where will Chrysolite be at this time? The whole school is almost empty. Let's leave already. I have no idea what's still keeping him there though."
"Don't you think something is off about this?" Jasmine threw at her friend.
"What?" Ashley looked around, already getting impatient by Jasmine's strange feelings.
"I don't know. I just feel like something is off." Jasmine chuckled.
Ashley sighed, shutting her eyes briefly before opening them. "Are you coming with me?" Ashley asked.
"No. I think I need to see Sardius."
"What for? I think I have relayed whatever information he said to me. Everyone has gone home including my twin, so you too are leaving me be?" Ashley felt hurt by that.
"I'm sorry Ashley. I just need to talk to Sardius that's all. You can go home without me."
Ashley nodded as she bade her friend farewell. Jasmine went into the swimming hall, she didn't see Sardius by the pool but she saw some lights and shadows from the locker room which wasn't locked. She walked to the door and stood by it, peeping. Sardius was holding a red-haired girl, Jasmine couldn't see the girl's face. Jasmine scoffed, who the heck was Sardius holding? Sardius had never been with a girl before. Jasmine's eyes tried to probe lower but her eyes couldn't grasp anything from the waist down to their feet.
What were they doing? Are they kissing? Hiding in the locker room so no one could see them? What about the janitor? He could interrupt whatever they were doing. But Sardius had never been this way with a girl, Jasmine couldn't think of any. As far as she was concerned, Sardius never had a girlfriend.
Her eyes skimmed down to the girl's neck... the necklace! The girl was wearing Chrysolite's necklace, the exact type. And it was glowing. Jasmine's hand clamped down firmly on her mouth, she was trying not to shout. She was holding herself so as not to burst into the room and ask Sardius what he was doing with a strange girl who was wearing Chrysolite's necklace.
Sardius tilted the girl's head sideways so that some light shone on her face. Her eyes were still shut... wait a minute! The girl looked recognisable! Who was she? Jasmine had seen that face somewhere.
Chrysolite!
Jasmine gasped. That was Chrysolite, there was no false about that. There was no way she wouldn't recognize her friend. What was she doing with Sardius? Didn't Sardius say Chrysolite had gone home? So, they stayed back to do this?
Chrysolite's eyes opened halfway. The way Sardius looked at her confirmed Jasmine's fears. Sardius was in love with Chrysolite. It made her stomach twist with indignation. Something was wrong. Why was Sardius concealing themselves in the locker room? What were they doing? We're they in a secret relationship? Jasmine had not the slightest idea.
"Are you alright Chrysolite?" She heard Sardius ask.
Chrysolite's eyes fluttered again before she finally pushed herself up. Then, she fell back against him as she staggered. "Sardius..." She called out faintly, "What happened?"
Sardius was still stunned as he kept his gaze on her. He found it hard to believe something extraordinary was happening right in front of him. "Nothing. You had a migraine." Sardius lied.
"Migraine? My head hurts and I f... feel dizzy. I don't recall...ll anything yet I feel I was in a....trance." she shuttered, holding the sides of her head.
"You'll be fine." He touched her face then took one of her hands. "Now, let's go home." He smirked ked sweetly at her.
Jasmine called herself to order at once remembering that she wasn't watching a movie. She quickly hid herself before Sardius came out of the locker room with Chrysolite. When they both left, Jasmine stood by the swimming pool trying to put all the puzzles together. Before Chrysolite had opened her eyes, she was wearing something like a camisole, the color of her skin. How then in a flash did she change into her school uniform which wasn't even drenched in water at all?
That was truly odd.
Was Chrysolite some supernatural being? Or a witch possibly? Jasmine laughed at herself as images of such flittered through her mind. Chrysolite was far too kind to be a witch but a witch too can also be lovable and sweet. Jasmine shook her head negatively, fighting back the assumptions she had in mind about Chrysolite. Why couldn't Chrysolite remember anything after what had happened to her? She knew Sardius knew something about Chrysolite, why was he hiding it? She was going to find out what Sardius was hiding about Chrysolite from the rest of his friends and why Chrysolite couldn't recall anything from the incident.
*****
Michael walked into the kitchen, removing a chilled drink from the fridge for himself. Ashley watched him as he went about aggressively mumbling some words to himself.
"What's wrong with you Michael? Where did you go? You didn't even wait for me while in school." Ashley said.
Michael turned around to look at his sis who was by the door then he feigned a smile. "I went to see Chrysolite but she wasn't even at home. Sardius had lied to me."
"Sardius?" Ashley was surprised to hear that.
"He told me that Chrysolite had gone home. I went to check her at her house only to meet her famous dad and ever young Granny."
"Woah, Chrysolite never told us that she has a grandma."
"Is that all you could pick out from what I said?" Michael looked upset.
"I didn't get it. Why are you angry?" Ashley wanted to know.
"The fact that Sardius had lied to me. It's unlike him. I don't know but I think he was hiding something from me."
"Michael, try to calm down. Sardius will never do that. I don't think he was lying, was he?"
"How would I know?"
"But you just said that yourself!" Ashley said, damn tired of Michael's weird attitude.
Michael opened the lid of his bottle of water and then began to gulp the cold water. With each gulp, he would look at his sister who was bemused by his attitude.
"Sardius will never lie to you, Michael. Why would he do that? You both are best friends."
"Come to think of it. Sardius and the goddess always go home together after we have parted ways. Why was he still in school unless he was hiding something."
Ashley didn't understand him. What was making her twin think this way? Chrysolite?
"How are you so sure of that? Sardius told me that Chrysolite had gone home too. He wouldn't dare lie to any of us."
"I believe he was lying. I just can't bring myself to accept that." Michael shot a look at his sister and then slammed the fridge's door startling his sister as he did so.