Past Shadows

Mrs Oliver

Chapter 15

“ What went wrong? “

Just now she and Alisa were getting along pretty okay. Suddenly, their friendship broke even before it solidified. Saying it was frustrating was an understatement.

Prisca thought deeply about where she had gone wrong, and the only reason she could find was the moment she flaunted her background not too long ago. That was what most likely caused the strain as Alisa demeanor changed almost as immediately as she had done that.

“ But I didn’t mean it that way. “ She muttered. Her thoughts were ‘ I need to show my relevance. That way, I won’t just be a worthless friend. ‘ Alas, her goodwill seemed to have been taken for its opposite.

‘ Wait! We have yet to exchange contact details. Does that mean we won’t get to meet each other anymore. ‘ Prisca realized. Quickly picking up her pace, she ran to the junction and searched around for any sign of Alisa’s figure, but she found none. All signs and shadow of Alisa were no where to be found. It was obvious she had created a tangible distance from herself and Prisca. Thus there was no way for Prisca to catch up any longer.

“ Damn! “ Prisca slammed her feet against a nearby wall in annoyance. Next, she screamed in agony from the resulting pain.

“ Are we really just passersby. “ She muttered in a low voice. Not long after, she snapped out of her deep contemplation. If she had no control over it, why worry? It was best to let cause take it seat and effect it’s post, with the supreme one pulling the strings. There was no need to worry too much. Besides, she had this feeling they were going to meet real soon. Sooner than she expected.

A few streets away, each perpendicular to the previous. A girl not so tall but neither too short walked in angry steps. Her demeanor at the moment was one immersed in fury.

Alisa, the lass, was so furious that her temples were vibrating intensely. She had to admit she had started liking Prisca and even considering having her as a friend. She, like Prisca had no close friends. All had been scared off by her violent behavior, thus she had always carried out her activities alone. She knew deep within that even though she had claimed to love being alone, she didn’t necessarily want that. This was the clear line demarcating being alone from actual loneliness. She wasn’t alone, she was lonely. Just like Prisca.

Thus she seriously considered this new notion of a friend. But she got a first turn off sooner than she expected. It was that point when Prisca made mention of being financially relevant. Her words made it seem like she was showing off, flaunting. And this was one feature Alisa hated and disdained in rich kids. They always liked to show off. They forget that whatever wealth being spent was a product of their parent and predecessors sweat, not theirs.

But this flaw was one Alisa was willing to overlook as she knew there was a chance she was misinterpreting her words. She didn’t want her prejudice against rich kids due to the few she had encountered chase away a girl who just wanted to make friends. Thus she suppressed whatever thought against Prisca that bubbled within her head.

Alas, what happened next completely made waste her calm and understanding demeanor. Her rising positive emotion was immediately plunged into an abyss.

The activity that led to the series of catastrophic event was a name mentioned by Prisca. A name she, Alisa, had grown to hate so much. One that brought disgust whenever it was pronounced near her. It wasn’t Prisca’s first name, but the surname; Lonez.

That name was one she remembered too well. It was the name of a lass she had known since her high school. One that caused the disagreement between her mother-daughter duo to intensify. The full name was Treasure Lonez.

Yes! That unscrupulous lass who invaded her mother’s shop with some group of thugs she calls bodyguards to humiliate her. Thus, she could also be said to have caused the quarrel between Alisa and her mother earlier today.

Treasure Lonez. She and that lass go way back. Once friends. Best of friends precisely. But now, hate clouds one’s mentality for a reason the other couldn’t understand.

Treasure used to be a very good friend of her’s. Her only real friend. Back then, they were a duo others in school were jealous of. Almost everything, if not everything they did, they did together. Their meals, they ate together. Until a day came when an argument sparked for no reason, or at least none she was aware of. All she knew was Treasure accused her wrongly, then took a decision to stay away from her. Since then, they had yet to utter any word to each other till they both left the high school. It was until Treasure mistakenly came to her mom’s shop some time ago, a week or two ago, that they unintentionally bumped into each other.

Alisa had thought she was going to ignore her like she always did in high school. But things went completely against that conviction. Treasure actually wanted to pick up a fight with her, humiliating her repeatedly.

But she of course was still Alisa herself, she couldn’t let anyone, not even her former bestie step on her pride. Thus she put Treasure in her place real quick.

Later on, Treasure returned with a bodyguard a lot lighter than the bodyguards she brought today. Only a single one then. Feeling she had a backing, she tried to humiliate her again, thinking Alisa would definitely succumb. Alas, Alisa beat up the body guard and put her in her place once again. Then the next time they met was today at shop.

Previously, after bumping into Treasure at the shop that day, she harbored the thought of reconciling with her. Maybe through apologizing even though she knew she did nothing wrong. Alas, Treasure choose a fight, and that led to a suppressed argument between her mother-daughter duo concerning her aggressive behaviors to pop up again. Then Treasure just had to come back again, causing the argument to become more acute. Then she showed up today again, causing a trouble that earned her, Alisa, a slap from her mom. Her hate for Treasure at the moment was not little.

Knowing Prisca was her relative made her unwilling to have anything to with Prisca. Maybe loneliness was the best for a person like her.

Taking a deep breath, Alisa wrapped her head with the head cover of her jacket, and dipped both her hands into the side pockets of the jacket. Next she walked recklessly, showcasing her loneliness and a speck of the carefreeness she had craved for all her life.

At some other location, before a simple looking mansion was a lass. Prisca to be precise. She walked up to the gates and gently unlocked it with her key. Next, she locked it behind and tiptoed to a her way to the side window that was left open. It was purposely left open so she could return to her room when she got back without alerting her mom. Just as she was about to get in, a voice resounded from behind.

“ Prisca. “

As soon as she heard the voice, her heart paused. ‘ What’s she doing awake, and how did she know I wasn’t in. ‘ Prisca thought.

“ I believe you aren’t deaf. “ The voice resounded yet again when it failed to get a feedback.

Taking a deep breath, Prisca regained her composure. “ Ma. “ She muttered as she turned to face her mom.

Behind was a perfect replica of an older Prisca. Her and her mom were like twins, only that they were few characteristics on Prisca’s appearance that wasn’t on her mom’s. Thus, it could only be from her dad who she had never known. Or self generated genes.

“ What says the time? “ Mrs Oliver, Prisca’s mom asked in a calm but cold tone.

“ I don’t know. “ Prisca replied.

“ How could you not know? I remember vividly getting you a phone and even a watch, and those accessories are very useful for this purpose. “ Mrs Oliver spoke again. She was trying so hard to maintain her calm at the moment.

“ I didn’t take them out with me. I didn’t want them to be stolen. “ Prisca explained.

“ What! You stayed out so late without your phone. How could you get help if something had happened to you? What exactly is wrong with you Prisca? “ Mrs Oliver ranted as soon as she heard her words. She couldn’t really comprehend what this daughter of her’s really wanted.

“ Besides when did you start staying so late at night. I remember you weren’t doing so before. “ Mrs Oliver questioned again.

“ Wait! How did you know that? Your room is far off from the back gate. You wouldn’t hear a thing even if it is popped open. Wait a minute… You went to my room. “ Prisca exclaimed.

“ Dont change the topic? “ Mrs Oliver played a feint.

“ No, wait! I locked my doors with keys. How? “ Prisca muttered.

Next, numerous instances like moment when the air conditioner was generating too much cold unaware to the subconscious her. But when she woke up, she either met it off, or it's intensity reduced. There were also times she slept without her blanket wrapping her. She did always wake up with it on her.

This instances were frequent ones since she was little. She had already come to a conclusion that she was the one who did those, only that she was being a little forgetful. Or she probably was sleep walking. But she never had considered the notion that it was her mom. Now, it turned out be so.

The mom who she thought was too busy for her, had actually being there since she was a kid. She had been watching. Tears struggled to drop, but she held them back firmly. She didn't know why, but she couldn't let them drop.

Just then, her mom continued her scolding. “ What exactly is wrong with you. How could you even leave your phone behind, claiming you don't want it to be stolen. Isn't it just an accessory I bought for you? Is it more important than you? “

Prisca paused for a while and then unconsciously replied while in daze. “ I thought it was… to you. “

“ You! “ Mrs Oliver exclaimed.

She angrily stormed into the building. While on the way, she suddenly paused, remembering something. “ Prepare yourself, you will be going camping with someone tomorrow. “

“ I refu… “ Prisca spoke up abruptly. Alas, her moms next words shut her up.

“ If you don't, don't call me mother ever again… I am tired. “

“ Mom. “ She muttered in a low tone as she watched her mom leave. Taking slow strides, she found her way to her room, got in and locked the door as usual behind her. Then she slowly slipped down with her back rested on the door. Her demeanor at the moment was filled with so much melancholy, no less than her moms. This pain, it went both ways.