Amy Rivers was forced to a halt by the red light at the crossroads. She had gotten out of bed much too quickly this morning, and she was still feeling a bit dizzy at this very moment. Amy fixed her gaze on the flashing red light in the distance as her mind raced from one topic to the next. The dream she experienced the night before had almost dissipated at this point, leaving only fragments behind. It seemed as if she had shrunk in size, and she would persistently follow Jeffery Howard about everywhere, attaching to him under the pretence of seeking safety while, the truth was, she wished to protect him herself.
Her mother would often mock her in a jealous tone, stating that the only word she knew now was Jeffy, forgetting that she had her own parents.
However, Jeffery Howard was not very talkative and neutral towards everyone. It's already good that he didn't scare Amy away but let her bug him, although he didn't like to speak much; it wasn't until they became older and entered primary school that their mixed-race looks became particularly notable.
Amy's fiery red hair was enough to draw attention to her. But when a stoic Indian-American kid also made an appearance, the two of them essentially became the subject of everyone's chitchat, particularly concerning their family's mysterious genetic make-up. Jeffery Howard eventually lost his tolerance for the situation. So, he established three ground rules for them when they relocated to a new area and abandoned the neighbourhood and classmates from elementary school.
-Outside, you shouldn't refer to me as Jeffy.
- Do not accompany me home from school or go with me to school.
- Keep the fact that we are siblings a secret from other people.
At first, Amy Rivers was unable to come to terms with this. In addition to the fact that she couldn't call him Jeffy, the reality that Jeffery Howard was leaving and going on to the next level of education was already a devastating blow for her. However, she had always been guided by Jeffery Howard throughout her childhood. She was taught that following the rules is the most important thing. In any case, it was more appropriate to maintain a distance outside rather than being completely ignored.
Amy Rivers considered Jeffery Howard to be something akin to a goal or a target during the whole of their relationship. When she was four years old, she followed behind her older brother, Jeffery Howard, to watch the ants take their meal back to their nest. Jeffery Howard was seven at the time. When Jeffery Howard was ten, and she was seven, she was so excited to be able to attend primary school with her brother for the first time that she began hopping about; eventually, Jeffery had to piggyback her to school to stop her from tripping. When Amy was twelve years old and her older brother, Jeffery Howard, was fifteen, Amy had insisted on camping at where she believed to be an inconspicuous side of the road to wait for Jeffery, who was taking an exam. On that day, Amy sneakily bought some popsicles at the white-bearded old man's ice cream stand at the entrance. She sat on a bench offered by the elder when he heard she was waiting for her family. The old man was lovely; he even gave her two free ice cream cones as souvenirs, which she finished herself. Jeffery Howard, who had just exited the examination hall, was unaware of this. Thinking she was starving, he ordered a taxi and took her to a restaurant to eat linguine with crayfish and wild mushrooms.
At the eatery, Jeffery Howard had placed an order for a large platter of crayfish for them to share since he knew how much she enjoyed eating them.
On that particular day, the crayfish were rather large. She ended up eating twenty, eighteen of which Jeffery Howard peeled because she was a slow peeler. She recalled her rejoinder, which went something like this: "Even if I don't know how to peel them, I am extremely adept at concealing myself." I suppose none of your other classmates saw me, did they?"
Jeffery Howard, however, disagreed and said: "But I discovered you with one look, so that indicates that you are not very skilled at concealment."
Amy River had always insisted that she was good at concealing herself and her relationship with Jeffery. However, later on, she would realize that Jeffery Howard was right that day.
*****
"The light is green, so let's go," a man by her side spoke quite loudly to rouse Amy from her dazed state. Amy's train of thought was instantly broken. She took a quick peek at the clock before picking up her pace; with her tall, slender figure, she pedalled as quickly as she could. It was the first of September, and the breeze was relatively warm despite the approaching fall season. Amy Rivers's somewhat curly red hair gleamed golden-red in the sun, giving the impression that it was fluffy and soft. This was created by the wind, which caused her summer uniform to billow out.
She arrived at school with little time to spare, and as she parked her bicycle, she caught a glimpse of the enormous army waiting at the entrance. Instantly, she had the uneasy feeling that she had forgotten something important.
"Mimi!" A smack was delivered unexpectedly to her shoulder. Surprised, Amy Rivers turned around quickly. Her close friend and classmate, Patricia Thomas, was responsible for it.
Because her last name was Rivers, she was often mocked about it by her classmates. Eventually, most of her friends went with Mimi to avoid making a show of themselves.
Patricia Thomas's demeanour reflected her satisfaction at having successfully frightened her companion. Twirling her hair over her fingers, Patricia asked in a lighthearted tone, "Why are you also getting to school at the last minute?"
"Slept in." Amy dragged her handful of a bestie past the school gates while she said, "There are so many people at the gates."
It's the usual~. Patricia drawled. "When you don't have morning studies, it is easier to be late. Good girls like you know nothing."
A student on duty and wearing an armband could be seen in the distance. He seemed to be taking notes of latecomers. Still, he had already spotted Amy Rivers without Amy or the crowd noticing. It was so subtle that probably only a psychologist adept at expression reading would have seen the meaning behind that gaze.
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