Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Quinnel.

"What are you doing here?" was the first thing that jumped out of her mouth.

I looked up from the picture I was holding to see Heaven standing there.

I was really worried when I sent the first text and it went through but she didn't reply. She replied the second one and that was it. She didn't reply the next ones I sent.

I had almost gone out to look for her but I didn't know her workplace and her sisters were asleep. I had a talk with them though.

They told me about how they felt for Heaven being that she had to take care of them when she's supposed to be enjoying her own teenage life.

I felt sorry for her as well. But she always say she doesn't need anyone's pity. So I try not to let it show but I'll be there whenever she needs someone to lean on and give her a shoulder to cry and sleep on when she's way too tired. So help me God.

"They're in bed?" I asked instead and she nodded her head moving her hand from her mouth to come near me.

She awkwardly took a seat beside me and looked down at the picture in my hand.

"It's that day." She said and I nodded my head.

"I messed up, didn't I?" I replied with a sigh and she nodded her head.

Wow, no lies huh? Touche.

"It was your fault." She said again and I chuckled.

"No doubt there. Though I was fooled by Vivian. She totally fooled and tricked me." I replied flatly.

FLASHBACK

It was a sunny afternoon and three children were playing on the beach. Their parents were sitting right behind them resting there backs on the beach chair.

The men talked about boring stuffs while the women talked about fashion, magazine and then finally their Children.

"Navaeh! Come here." Her Mum called.

A small girl, Navaeh who was making the window of their castle stood up and ran to her mother.

The boy looked up at his Mum who was pregnant and smiling at him. His Dad was not present as he had died some months back due to cancer.

He smiled back at her and stood up from the castle walking to her.

The third girl who was still at the side looked up to see the two friends had stood up from their castle.

She glared hard at the castle and almost moved her eyes away from her eyes caught a toy she knew too well.

Knowing how much Quinnel liked the toy, she walked towards it hoping to give him and then maybe he would invite her to join them in building the castle.

With a smile gracing her small lips, she turned around to see Quinnel looking at Navaeh as her mother applied more sunscreen on her brown colored body.

Was she the only one he saw?! She was even black! She wasn't as beautiful as she was. Her mother always told her she was more beautiful than Navaeh. So how come Quinnel only sees her?!

Angrily, she marched towards Navaeh small green bag lying beside the castle they were building and shoved the toy into it.

She then smirked and looked up at the two of them who were now smiling and talking to each other.

Quinnel and Navaeh lived in the same neighborhood. Their mothers were friends and so the children became friends as well until they grew even more closer than the mothers.

Vivian and her parents had just moved to their area and they were the Ashford's neighbors.

Ever since Vivian laid her eyes on Quinnel, she had had a huge crush on him. Him waving at her just for politeness made her heart do a summersault but it meant nothing to Quinnel.

No matter how much she tried to at least catch a glimpse of Quinnel, he was always, always with Navaeh. The girl lived some metres away from them! Why was she the one that was more closer to Quinnel?!

When Quinnel's mother decides to go on a beach and invited her friend, Navaeh's mother, they invited Vivian's mother along with them and that was why they were at the beach presently.

Being the two good friends, Quinnel and Navaeh decided to build a castle together. Either of them noticed the lonely girl playing with her ball just by them.

She was always jealous of Navaeh. She was jealous of the bond between them. Why couldn't that bond be between both of them? Why was it only Navaeh and Quinnel always? Why not Vivian and Quinnel?

After Navaeh's mother decided the sunscreen was enough, she let Navaeh go and they went to continue building their castle.

"We don't have a flag to put on top." Navaeh said making Quinnel look up at her.

"Then we'll put my toy on it. The one Dad made for me. It's a warrior. It'll protect the castle." He replied and she frowned.

"But don't you like that toy? I mean, you'll be sticking it in the sand." She said.

"It's not sand but our castle. And more so, I'll just remove it once we've played enough with the castle." Quinnel replied shrugging.

"Hm. I guess if you say so." She replied.

"Where is it?" He asked and she looked at him blinking.

"I don't know. It has been with you, hasn't it?" She replied.

"I left it right here. Where is..." He was cut off by a voice behind them.

"Are you looking for something?" She asked making them look up at Vivian.

Both friends stood up as the sun rays was entering their eyes while they tried to look up at Vivian.

"Oh hey Vivian. Yes, we are. We are looking for a warrior toy. Did you perhaps see it?" Quinnel asked.

"Did it have a green cap? And a brown sword on it's waist?" She described having seen it just some few minutes ago.

"Yes please." Quinnel replied.

"Oh... I saw it somewhere." She said touching her chin and closing her eyes like she was thinking.

"Try to remember please. That toy is very important to me." Quinnel urged and she shushed him opening her eyes suddenly looking back at a worried face of Navaeh.

"She took it. I saw her when she was putting it in one green bag like that." She said pointing her index finger at Navaeh.