Twice Over

Chapter Seventy Three - Remonstrate

remonstrate
verb
1. make a forcefully reproachful protest

Two days before my birthday, I was down in the kitchen late at night, looking for a snack to eat. I had been finalising plans for the App to go live on the morning of my eighteenth birthday. It was great gift for myself. Smiling at my silliness, I rummaged around the large fridge for the fixings for a sandwich. Peanut butter, strawberry jam and thick slices of fruit bread. I set the sliced bread to toasting, then accidentally dropped my knife on the tiled floor. I quickly picked it up and limped over to the kitchen island where I'd placed everything.

"Shouldn't you be in bed, Missy?" Came a voice.

"Aaaah!" I screamed and turned to find Mrs H watching me with a smile on her face.

"Um, I was hungry?" I explained. I don't usually help myself to food in this place, especially since I still feel like I don't quite belong here.

"P and J sandwich I see." Mrs H came over, collected my toast that just popped up from the toaster, then shooed me to sitting on a stool at the kitchen island while she made my evening snack.

"Will you need a glass of warm milk to go with this sandwich, Lily?" She asked.

"Oh, yes. That would be perfect." I got up to get myself a milk when she waved at me again.

"Sit, sit. I'll get it for you, or else you'll drop something else and wake the whole estate up."

"I would not, Mrs H! I'm the very picture of a perfect lady." I complained.

"Here's your milk. Now tell me. Do you have everything you need for beginning university next week?" I smiled and nodded while taking a drink form the glass she handed me, then a bite of the toast sandwich.

"Yes, all sorted. I have text books for three year one classes to buy from the campus store, once they open again after the mid semester break. Then I think its just turn up to orientation on Monday morning." Just three days until I begin my second round of university career. I found it neat that the second semester began just a few days after I will turn eighteen.

"If you need anything, you let me know. Grant and his Dad and I..."

CRASH!

We both turned to the direction of the front foyer where the sound of breaking glass or ceramics was heard. I followed Mrs H as she went to investigate. What we found both surprised me, yet it didn't at the same time. Eyva, in a tight little bandage dress, was holding onto the side table looking down at the floor where an expensive vase had smashed on the floor, giggling. She wasn't alone. Someone from her little social circle was sitting on the floor near the open front door, giggling her face off as well. They were both drunk.

"What are you doing here, Ms Eyva?" Mr Denault asked as he arrived moments after us. Eyva stood up and looked at the head of security and stopped giggling, or at least tried to stop. In between snorting a laugh out her nostrils, she told him off.

"I am the lady of the house. Who are you... hahaha. Who are you to tell me what to do?" I decided that I needed to gain Eyva's attention and keep the staff safe from her wrath. She had already deemed me public enemy number one, so what was a little more angst towards me?

"Eyva, are you drunk? Aren't you meant to be at your Grandma's house?" I moved in front of Mrs H as I didn't want her getting hurt.

"You! You trailer trash! You ugly slut, if I get my hands on you..." Then it looked like she just realised she could get her hands on me and stepped forward and swung her hand.

SLAP! It wasn't a light handed swing either. In her drunkenness she really let it swing, and in my stupidity, I let her. My head rang and my face stung. I held it quietly and turned back to see an ugly smirk on her face.