Chapter 22

School days have been quiet and lonely for Irye. Well, she chooses solitude over company. After what happens for the past week, she stays away from Blake and the others, even her cousins and Grams.

At least Evie and Blake understand why, but the rest don't. Irye does not bother explaining. You can say she's gone back to old self... her old self she almost forgot.

"Wait up" Blake shouts for the fifth time, chasing after Irye who's running to the parking lot.

He manages to catch up, closing the car door Irye opens.

"What do you want Blake?"Irye yells. "Can't you just stay away from me?"she turns opening the door again.

"Tell me why I should"Blake yells back, frustratingly shutting the door.

"Why do you think?"Her breath is shaky. She wells up,"please, go away from me. Am scared to hurt you too"

Her eyes teary, her lips shaking and her breath unstable. She will let out anytime.

"You really think so?" Blake asks walking closer. "Then so be it".

Irye becomes touched, most people will try protecting themselves when the word hurt comes into mind. Blake seems not to mind and will still stay beside her even though he will get hurt.

Her tears fall and she becomes still, not moving with her eyes looking into Blake's.

Blake walks closer the more so they feel each other's breath. He wipes her tears and hugs her.

"I don't care what others call you or what you become. It doesn't faze me with the thought of you hurting me."he whispers in her ears. "You can hurt me all you want. I will take it all."

Irye can't hold it anymore and burst in tears, tightening her arms around Blake.

At home, she locks herself in her room and cries the more. She's receiving what she doesn't deserve and will one way or the other hurt them.

The next day, the McVenus relatives come to the house as they do every weekend.

Grams goes into Irye's room first thing before packing.

"Knock knock..."She says, peeping into the room.

"Granny"Irye exclaims getting down from her bed."I missed you"she hugs her.

"We were here a week ago"Grams scoffs."Are you okay now. You seemed to want to be alone. Can't you tell me what's wrong?"

Irye breaks from the hug and nods."Am fine...see?"she turns herself around, showing Grams that she really is fine.

"Okay as you say"Grams laughs."Hurry and come down before she barges in here. You know who am talking of right?"

Grams jokes before walking out.

Irye sends a big smile Grams's way and begins dressing up.

She comes downstairs to meet the cousins look at her sadly. She becomes confused trying to guess why so.

She chuckles and let out a breath, thinking they are looking at her that way because she isolated herself from them.

"Hey guys, aren't you gonna say hi."She asks childishly."I know I've been a little rude with you guys but forgive me... won't do that again." She smiles walking to them.

Evie stands there looking at Irye pitifully. She reforms herself when Irye hugs her.

"I missed you guys a lot"Irye smiles widely.

"Liar, I know you okay"Evie tries to smile while the others look at Irye worriedly.

"Besides we were here last week. How soon could you miss us?" Evie breaks the hug.

"Whoa, you say the exact things Grams says. I wonder if you are twins."Irye teases.

"Alright, enough with your reunion" Gerrard cuts in. "Irye tell me how you spent your days without me here"He says putting his arms across Irye's shoulder and walk her to the stairs.

Mae and Claude excahnge glances and sigh, looking at Irye and Gerrard.

Evie looks at them in a suspicious way ."Don't even think of breaking it before Grams does" she warns and get out of their sights.

That night, Irye feels an eery feeling in the atmosphere and becomes nervous. On top of that, she notices her cousins and Grams not acting like they do always. Even if she concludes it to be the way she had behaved towards them,its still confusing. Some thing must be wrong aside from her attitude towards them for the past weekend.

She breathes out heavily and try to lighten the atmosphere in the room,worrying them with games.

They all laugh at her trying to be jovial and she thanks goodness she could change their mood.

The next day, Irye goes out to meet Blake. He has planned to go on a date with her. They have fun going in and out of game stores and ice cream shops.

Their last stop is on the field where they watch the starry sky. They lie down on the carpet grass.

"Hey, thanks"Irye mutters but Blake hears and smiles.

"You welcome. Am gonna do this over and over again with you. So anytime you feel stuffy, just tell me."He says turning to Irye.

After some time of enjoying the breeze, they stand up to go.

Irye says goodbye to Blake at her doorstep and enters the house. She meets Grams and her cousins pacing in the living room and her Dad sitting at the dining table with a worried look.

"Am home."She reports, looking back the eyes looking at her.

They stay quiet making Irye uneasy. She walks to them staring at them. Even Gerrard and Evie are quiet and do not have the happy expressions on their faces.

She looks at Mae back to Claude and notices their faces are full sadness and worry.

Irye can sense their pity looks getting to her but she brushes that feeling off and smiles.

"What's wrong guys?" she looks at her cousins. "Did something happen?"She asks Grams but she finds it hard to speak and looks away.

Irye begins feeling in uncomfortable and nervous.

"Dad?" She turns to her Dad who's now walking to her.

But even her Dad keeps quiet. Irye's breath becomes unstable.

"Evie?"she walks to her but turns facing her with her back.

"What is wrong with you all? Why aren't you talking?"she fears something has happened.

Her dad dares not to talk, he's never been there for her so he thinks it's right for those who are by her side always tell her.

Grams on the other hand doesn't want to see Irye hurt so she passes.

The cousins think the elders should tell her and take their hands of it.

Finally Gerrard steps up after a moment of silence and tells Grams and the others that he will speak to Irye.

They look at him with worry and he nods,confirming it will be okay.

He waits till the others are completely gone and sits Irye down.

"Am going to tell you something Irye... " He pauses and takes a breath."Don't panic okay. Promise." he looks at her for confirmation.

Irye is already panicking as various bad thoughts run through her head.

"Okay"she swallows and prepares herself for whatever will come next.

Gerrard nods and breathes in. He pushes himself to the edge of the couch and takes a smile.

"It's about your mother."He says and sees some kind of relief wash over Irye a little.

For some reason, she doesn't really care about her the way she did so news about her, she is always prepared. But this particular one hits her hard.

"She's not one of us now."Gerrard continues.

"I know she's not. She's never been"Irye cuts in. "What are you getting to?"

"I don't mean that Irye....."He stops finding the rest hard to say. "She's.....she's... she's gone Irye. She's dead Irye" Gerrard finally breaks the news to her.

The news the family find it hard to tell her. The reason for their sad faces and unusual characters the day before.

The news of her mom being dead.