Chapter 9 - Yukanie

She woke up shivering, feeling her skin go ice cold. Unsure what was going on she sat up from the sleeping bag set up by Maven for both her and Scarlet. She glances beside her and panicked when she saw Scarlet was no longer there, she glances over to Maven's bed realizing it too was also empty. She breathes a sigh of relief and pulled the cover off. Shivering and rubbing at her arms, she wonders if the heater of the house was broken or something. As she left the room and went downstairs she heard the clanging of dishes, noticing as well that all the windows to the house were wide open.

"What in the world?..." She trailed off as she appeared at the doorway to the kitchen and the dining room. Maven sat in one of the chairs at the dining table with her head resting against her arm, while Scarlet stood behind the counter at the sink with what seems like 3 dozen dishes and bowls laid out while she washed each and one of them.

"Morning..." Maven said tiredly from where she sat.

"Um, morning?" She replied taking a seat across from Maven. "Is she feeling better now?" She questioned. Although Scarlet seems to be at least doing something, it was the look in her eyes that seems rather strange.

"Nope, I woke up early this morning to her washing all the pots, pans, dishes, and all at the sink. She also opened all the windows in the house." Maven muttered. "The whole time she was muttering something about helping her aunt with the spring cleaning. I think she has lost her mind."

She glances back towards Scarlet who seemed rather focused on the dishes in front of her, she knew what Scarlet was doing, they all knew. Scarlet was at the stage where she refuses to believe that her aunt is gone. even though she knew very well that it was all over.

"Scarlet, come on it's early in the morning why don't you go change and when you come back down we'll have breakfast ready for you." She said getting up, she went over to her friend grabbed her by the shoulder, and forced Scarlet to walked away from the sink. The color in Scarlet's eyes dimmed as she was pushed out of the kitchen. It took a few seconds for Scarlet to process anything before disappearing upstairs.

"Hmm I'll go wash up then, I'll be back to help you later." Maven said, yawning as she got up and left. Leaving her alone in the kitchen she sighed and turned off the sink. Glancing at the amount of already clean dishes laid out on the counter only gave her another headache. Cleaning up the dishes and placing them all back into the cabinets where they belong, she thought about what breakfast to make so that it'll warm Scarlet's stomach up a little considering she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. She decided to settle for some fresh sandwiches and washed up all the vegetables she needs.

"Oh my gosh Scarlet!" She heard Maven shouted from upstairs.

Placing the tomato and lettuce on a clean piece of paper towel, she quickly went up the stairs drying her hands. The door to Maven's room was wide open, she saw the shadows of both Maven and Scarlet cast from the sunlight that shines in through Maven's window.

"What's going on?" She questioned as she enters. Her eyes right away dart towards the pile of clothes laying on the floor as well as a bunch in Scarlet's arms. Scarlet paid them no attention as she continued digging out clothes from Maven's drawer and closet.

"She's urgh..." Maven seems to be a bit too frustrated to even finish her sentence. She places a hand over Maven's shoulder and shook her head. Scarlet's condition was not so great right now, adding how frustrated Maven seems right now it would turn into a disaster.

"Ok, I'm not letting this go on..." Maven muttered taking large steps towards Scarlet. Grabbing her by the shoulders and shook her.

"Stop it! Wake up! Do you see what you're doing right now?!" Maven shouted, seeming to draw Scarlet back to herself. She saw the glint in Scarlet's golden eyes once more. "What you're doing right now is not facing the problem head-on you're running away from it! Yes, we know that your aunt means the world to you and we hate to see the way you're acting right now! Stop living in the past and come back to the present and see the people that are actually worried about you!"

What Maven said surprised her just as much as it did for Scarlet. It was some wise words she said and the truth as well. She watched as the glint in Scarlet's eyes turn to sadness as if the truth had finally hit her. She watched as Scarlet drew both hands over her face and dropped down sobbed.

"She's really gone....gone" Scarlet cried.

Both she and Maven shared a look of sadness, they could do nothing for now but be there to support her. So they both wrapped their arms around their broken friend and gave her a comforting hug, telling her that they were there for her no matter what.

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"Should I set some lunch aside for Scarlet as well?" She questioned looking at the sandwich she had made. It was 1 in the afternoon, none of them have had breakfast. Through the tearful moment is nothing but a memory now.

"Mmm, I think she's going to be staying at her aunt's grave for a while." Maven replied from the sink washing the plate of her older sister who had left the house right after lunch.

"We should go with her someday." She added, wiping the table down after their meal.

"Yeah, someday but not now, I think she need a moment to be alone after all the madness." Maven replied.

It was hard to believe that it was winter and the holiday was just around the corner, with the bright sun shining down from outside it almost feel like summer. The warm feeling brought back memories of the old times when they were still young in middle school and the times they spend outside during the hot summer days going to movies or ice skating.

"How long will you guys be staying here?" Maven suddenly asked. "Not saying it in a bad way." Maven quickly added waving her hands. She then sighed.

"What I mean is, yeah you guys can stay as long as you like since my parents are always, plus with you two's presence the house is much more lively than with just me and my sister."

"Haha, yeah I like the feeling of living with you guys but..." She trailed off while staring at her phone.

"Your parents still haven't called you?" Maven asked, seeming to know what she was thinking about.

"Mmm, I think they don't really care since I'm already 18 and all." She replied softly. "Whatever, about yesterday would today be a good day to talk about it with Scarlet gone?"