His Rotten Apple

4 ~ Give me your Purple Heart

It was a beautiful Thursday morning in an old worn down apartment building, three floors up, the Tsang family was eating cereal together, giving quick reports of what they had done the previous day.

Zailey's family had always been very close, and their love was what aided them through their tough times. Ron and Lilia referred to themselves as partners-in-crime, a quite literal title, considering the things that have transpired through their past. In simple words, the Tsang family hadn't been financially stable since the day they became family.

Macy sat on her legs, folded on her seat as she poured milk on her cereal. Lilia nagged her to sit on her butt, like a big girl, while trying to teach Jason how to hold and scoop cereal.

Lilia turned to Zailey, "Zai, I need you to clear any plans for the weekend... Our baker won't be able make it."

"Ma! I was planning to go to Wasted Paradise this weekend... I can't miss out! I've waited way too long to get admitted."

"Well guess what? You're still helping me at the bakery."

Zailey signed, already aware that she  wouldn't be able to get out of it, "This is why we need to hire more people."

"You know damn well we can't afford that, with your dad's company just getting repossessed-" She stopped and took a deep breath. "Let's just try to work with what we have, alright?"

Zailey sighed as she stood up to put the dishes in the sink. She kissed her mother on the cheek and gave Ron a hug from behind.

She whispered in his left ear, "Good luck with Ma today. She's intense when she's stressed."

Ron chuckled as Zailey approached Macy and squeezed her cheeks. Bending down, she tapped twice on her cheek before Jason leaned in and gave her a wet, slimey kiss. 

***

A minute before the bell rang, she walked in first period with half the class, including Connor, already present. She took usual seat in the back corner of Mr. Presa's class.

"As we conclude the passage of yesterday's reading, we get a heavy glimpse of Hector's demise," Mr. Presa said. "Set up the scene, what is being conveyed to us here?"

"Anger," Connor said while raising his hand. "Revenge. He's mourning for Patroclus' death. His most trusted and beloved friend."

"It's not just mourning, there's a pretty selfish attitude towards it," Zailey interrupted. "I think."

Zailey glanced at the notes that were left on her desk the other day. The whole class turned their heads to the back of the class, surprised that the faceless head that was always buried under a pair of arms finally showed itself.

"Achilles would have been able to tell that Patroclus' body was tampered with after his death," she said.

"Continue, Miss Tsang," Mr. Presa said.

"So... It says here, Or... As we discussed earlier, that defying bodies, like touching their armor and stuff, was just not something that soldiers should've done," Zailey said as she read from the notes, "It completely dishonors the soldier that really had no fault, other than trying to defend their state."

"And... As we read earlier, Patroclus decided to replace Achilles during the war, putting on Achilles' armor. So, in a way, Patroclus' death was a reflection of his own fate."

"And Hector did the same thing. He put on his armor," Connor added.

"So, in all, Achilles witnessed his death twice before actually dying," Zailey said. "I don't blame him for acting like the fucking Hulk on steroids... With a shovel up his ass."