Chrysolite walked into the classroom. Her hair was in pig-tails, it made her look like a little girl. Jasmine and Ashley stared at her in surprise, Ashley scoffed at Chrysolite's new look.
"What's with the new look girl?" Ashley coyed.
"I feel anew." Chrysolite smiled at them.
"You left early yesterday." Jasmine reminded quickly.
Chrysolite glanced at Jasmine and then at Ashley. "Really?" She asked them both.
"Of course. Is it because of Mary, huh?" Ashley said to her.
"Yeah, I remember talking to Mary and going home with Sardius."
"Sardius?" Both Jasmine and Ashley said in surprise.
"Hm.." Chrysolite nodded her head.
"You went home with Sardius?' Jasmine feigned a shocked expression.
"Yes," Chrysolite answered funnily looking at them. Why were they asking her something they already knew?
"So, Michael was right," Ashley said to herself.
"About what?" Chrysolite looked at Ashley.
"Never mind. I thought you should have called me from home when you got home yesterday. I was worried sick, I wanted to know if you were alright."
Chrysolite didn't know what to say to that. This was so unlike Ashley. "Oh, I'm sorry....I didn't think of calling. I thought you knew." Chrysolite tried to explain.
********
Sardius avoided Michael at every turn and every angle. Michael must have known that he, Sardius, his best friend had lied to him about Chrysolite. But Sardius knew that he couldn't run forever when they all finally met in the school's cafeteria.
Ashley and Jasmine acted cool when Sardius brought his food over to their usual spot. Sardius was skeptical as he watched as Chrysolite ate from her dish smiling sweetly at him. Michael came over sitting down beside Sardius with his plate of salad and rice in his hand. The table was exceptionally quiet and it had an eerie feeling.
"Chrysolite," Michael called.
All eyes went from their plate of food to Michael then back to Chrysolite. Chrysolite looked up at Michael on the other side of the table.
"I came over to your house yesterday. You weren't at home, where were you?" Michael threw a question.
Chrysolite swallowed a morsel of yam and sauce, thinking through the replies that were in her heart. She glanced at Sardius then brought her eyes back to Michael who was glaring back at her.
"I was at home of courses. In my room." Chrysolite looked down at her plate, playing with her food.
"No, you weren't. Your dad said so." Michael countered.
"I told him not to let anyone in. I didn't want a bother." She played on, ignoring Michael's eyes.
"Even Sardius?" Ashley put in, looking at her.
"Anybody." Chrysolite looked back at Ashley. She has to play her part well if not she will fail Sardius. Sardius acted cool like he wasn't the one they were all talking about.
"Then can you explain you're going home with Sardius when Michael was at your house?" Ashley asked, disdain written on her face.
"Oh, did I say something like that?" Chrysolite laughed wryly, dropping her fork while she laughed. "You were wrong. I went home alone.....,"
"She's right Chrysolite." Jasmine interrupted, clearly in support of Ashley.
"What?" Chrysolite looked at Jasmine.
"You guys should stop. I'm right here, leave her out of this. Ask me whatever you want." Sardius could take no more.
Michael scoffed, turned, and grabbed Sardius by his shirt, pulling him in angrily.
"You lied to me Sardius and you're trying to cover it up and play cool with me? What are you hiding from me? Tell me?" Michael flared.
"Let go of my shirt, will you? People are watching?" Sardius pushed back his friend's hands.
"Who cares! Just answer the question!" He shouted.
Other students were watching them intently. Something was brewing.
"I saw them yesterday." Jasmine saved the best for the last.
Michael glanced at Jasmine and then at Chrysolite, shocked to hear such a thing. "Is that true Chrysolite?" Michael asked.
Chrysolite swallowed a gulp of saliva, she couldn't answer that.
"She's lying." Sardius made a straight face that if one had seen him with such a face, one would have believed him.
"Oh really?" Michael stood up in annoyance and then bruised a blow across Sardius's right cheek. Michael returned his eyes to a perplexed Chrysolite who couldn't stand the sight of Michael doing that to Sardius. It was obvious that Michael was jealous, he had suspected that Sardius was having a thing with Chrysolite behind his back.
"It's true Michael. Everything is true." Chrysolite had had enough. She stopped eating and faced Michael. Whatever would be the outcome, let it come. Everyone stared at her around the table in surprise including Sardius who was trying to protect her.
"What are you saying?" Jasmine murmured to Chrysolite. That outburst had stunned Jasmine to her senses, she wasn't expecting Chrysolite to further fuel the whole thing. Ashley's mouth was agape, was Chrysolite trying to defend Sardius? No, it was all wrong!!! Her head screamed.
"Do you mean what you're saying?" Michael's voice had suddenly gone soft. He had gone from anger to shock. Chrysolite shot a look at Sardius who was looking at her in a bewildered state.
"Must I repeat myself, Michael?" She asked returning her eyes to Michael.
Michael felt his heart being stabbed by a thousand knives, he must look stupid acting like a child that had lost his favorite toy.
"I was waiting for Sardius as you put it." She laughed again like it was nothing. "I just went home with Sardius."
"You're lying. It's way more than that. Can you explain why you guys were smooching in the locker room?" Jasmine wanted to know.
Everyone looked at her, Sardius didn't understand how she got to know about this either. It baffled him as well as puzzled him. Michael nearly ran crazy when he heard that, he just sat down quietly, glancing over at his best friend from time to time. His best friend was in love with Chrysolite? It was strange. Who would have known that the cool-headed, quiet, athlete had feelings for Chrysolite? It was strange, really strange.
Sardius shut his eyes briefly as he clenched a fist. He meant to deal with the big-mouthed Jasmine. So, she had seen them yesterday and had acted like she didn't see anything. What else had she seen? He suddenly grew pissed by her attitude. He knew that a day would come when he had to face and deal with his feelings for Chrysolite or throw it all away to protect his relationship with Michael.
"Smouching?" Chrysolite laughed glancing over at Sardius as she recalled the scene in her bedroom.
"Not," Sardius answered as he opened his eyes.
"Woah. You've surprised me Sardius. And here I am thinking I have for me a friend." Michael said in mockery.
Ashley was holding back her anger. How could Chrysolite do this to them? Why make a fool out of them all? She had thought that Chrysolite would probably like Michael but thing wasn't going like she had hoped.
"We weren't doing anything. We were only talking. He told me that you guys were looking around for me but I told him that I wanted to be alone with him." Chrysolite said softly as if she wasn't afraid of what would come out of what she was saying.
"Shut up Chrysolite." Ashley turned to glare at her friend.
Chrysolite fixed Ashley a stare.
"Is it true that you like Sardius?" Ashley wanted to know.
Chrysolite looked away then at Sardius, she understood the look in which he spoke to her, he didn't want her to answer the question. It was a trap.
"Sardius likes someone else. You'll all be happy to get to know her." Chrysolite said to them.
Michael slammed the table with both of his hands and the plates on it danced while some food jumped out from its plate. "Just answer the question Chrysolite." Michael was pissed.
"And if not?" Chrysolite gnarled back at him. She didn't understand why Michael was becoming like this because of her.
Sardius stood up, walked over to Chrysolite, and pulled her up. "Let her be!!" Michael stormed. The hall was silent now, students from each table were watching the dramatic scene.
"You're causing a scene," Sardius said to Michael.
"I said, let her be!!!!!" Michael yelled.