Age: 18
Ollie age: 17

PART 2 of 3, SEPTEMBER (2 months after the African Mission trip)

"What do you think, Mur?" Gemma asks beaming from where she stands in our shared room at the Thomas house. She rocks back and forth holding the material of a beautiful black cocktail dress. It fits snug on her lanky body and the stilettos she's wearing look more than only 19 years old.

I fix my glasses and tilt my head smiling keeping my thoughts to myself just to tease her, "What? What is it?" She asks turning to face me with a stern set to her pretty face.

"Nothing." I giggle and sit up from my stomach on my bed, "You look perfect."

"Oh, well, just tell me that next time." She lets out a quiet breath of relief while I giggle to myself again.

"Oh, my days!" Maggie exclaims loudly as she enters our room, her face already full of makeup. "You gorge, Gem!"

"Thanks! I'm excited to see you in your dress, it was beautiful on the rack."

"I know, I haven't tried it on yet since it came back from the tailor. You know me, I like to live on the edge." Maggie says as the two best friends begin to laugh and gush over their appearances giddy for the fundraiser tonight at Albert's Hall.

My fidgeting fingers begin to play with the plastic beads around my wrist and my chest both warms and crumbles as it does every time I've looked at the bracelet since the day Jokia tied it around my wrist.

Since that day, something inside me changed. I know in my profession I'm going to see death all the time, but I can't help but fixate on Jokia and her mother. Craig requested I see a therapist about the death and that seeking counsel is part of the profession as a Doctor and Humanitarian but talking about it isn't what I want to do. I haven't revealed, even to my family, how I came about this bracelet or who it came from. And frankly, I don't want to tell them. I feel almost protective over it somehow.

"So, Mur." Gemma asks undressing from her lounge clothes and steps inside the dress then pulls it up to her shoulders while Maggie zips up the back, "Are you sneaking out with us?" The mischief plays on both their faces and it's nearly contagious...Nearly.

"I don't think so." I chuckle and begin to fiddle with the bracelet. 

"Told ya'," Gemma rolls her eyes and returns her attention to the mirror.

"C'mon, your 18, who gives a shite." Maggie prods while I become even more sure that I will not be setting myself up to get in trouble with dad. Sure, I'm 18 but I can still be grounded.

"No way. Dad is way too excited for this fundraiser and beside's I'll be meeting with Doctor Mackenzie tonight, I can't sneak out." The trust is dad has a 'meeting' set up with his friend Doctor Gregory Mackenzie and he has an opening for an internship at one of the most up-and-coming hospitals in the world based in Sydney, Australia. From what dad has gathered is they are looking to hire on a trauma Doctor in 8 years time, which is exactly what I'm studying for. The job sounds like a dream and the location sounds like heaven. I will not be screwing it up by sneaking out with Gem, Mag, and Ollie. No doubt this is his idea, afterall.

"Well, then, it's best you get ready." Maggie rolls her eyes and begins to fuss over her makeup and perfectly curled blonde hair.

I've also been putting off getting ready because the bracelet I'm wearing is not invited to the black tie event we're all attending. So, my plan is to wait till the last minute and do a mad-dash to get ready to keep dad from noticing the bracelet is on my wrist. 

I'm positive mom and dad, as well as Jane and George are all getting ready in their rooms at the moment, so I stretch from the bed and hurry downstairs to steal a bite to eat before I'm surrounded by amazing food and I'm not aloud any of it. 

I pad downstairs and find Ollie raiding the fridge, most likely having the same idea I have. "Leave something for me." I whine announcing myself as I enter the kitchen with a large smile. He's a mess. His hair is wet from a quick shower and is sticking out in every direction while he's shirtless and his dress pants are hanging half off his butt with his black boxer brief's hanging out for everyone to see.

"Better grab what you want. It's free-for-all, Murry." He glances at me over his shoulder with his mouth stuffed full of food.

Reaching him I grab an apple from his arm and bite into it watching him with pure amusement. He's still on about being out every night with his rowdy friends, but at this point he leaves out the front door instead of his bedroom window. 

"That's your choice?" His dark brow lifts up judging me harshly by choosing an apple. "For fucks sake, I guess I'll let you have this. You're choice is so sad." He hands over a wrapped slice of pie on a small plate like he's handing over gold.

"It's fine, thanks. I'm happy with the apple."

"Course' you are." He swallows his food using his arm to wipe his mouth then lays out his bounty on the center island behind us. "You aren't dressed yet? Rebel."

I laugh and feel my chest flutter slightly but keep busy by taking another bite of the apple. "I'm hoping if I wait till the last second dad won't notice this." I lift my arm and wiggle it. Ollie nods once then yanks the pants up to his hips and begins to button them. I watch him, and quickly shake my head unsure why I was watching him. But then confusion consumes me regarding my reasoning to question my watching him.

Weird.

"I want to know who your secret admirer is and who gave you that. I reckon I have a few questions for him." 

Suddenly, the want to eat something is gone, so I return the half eaten apple to his pile of stuff on the counter and suddenly feel like I want to burst into tears and tell him everything on how Africa really went. I know he'd know what to say and I know he'd hug me and make me feel better. I want to tell him about Jokia and her pretty smile and how we spent time making the bracelet.

"Actually-." I say spinning the bracelet around my wrist.

"Muriel, why aren't you dressed yet?" Dad's voice interrupts from the archway of the kitchen. Both Ollie and let out a long sigh at Dad's horrible moment to interrupt. "Oliver, you know there will be food there, right?"

"Can't be too careful. I'm a growing lad." Ollie says rolling his eyes and grabs the apple I was eating and takes a large bite from it.

"At least you're nearly dressed, Muriel? Is something wrong? We're leaving in less than an hour." Dad asks checking the gold watch on his wrist.

"Uh, no. Just grabbing a bite to eat before we leave." I say finding myself playing with the beads again on my wrist then quickly bend my arm behind my back in an attempt to hide it.

"Fine, fine. Let's pick up the pace please. I don't want to be late." Dad says beginning to cuff his wrists with black cufflinks.

"Okay-." thank God, he didn't notice.

"Oh, Muriel, remove that hideous thing please. You're 18 years old not 5." 

I nearly snarl at his comment. But, I bite my tongue and notice Ollie standing next to me with his brows lifted and eyeing the bracelet still held behind my back. My original plan to keep the bracelet is gone and I don't want to take it off. Jokia was the last one to tie it on and the knots she made are just as important as the bracelet itself. I won't take it off.

"I think I'm going to keep it on." I say clearing my voice and holding my wrist to my chest.

Dad's movements with his cufflinks stop and he looks as if he's completely confused as to what I've just said. "I think you're not. The dress code is black tie, not a little girls pageant party."

"What bracelet are you even getting on about? I didn't notice anything-" Ollie begins to try to help my cause but Dad interjects.

"Oliver, if you could excuse us. Actually, Muriel, let's discuss this outside in private." Dad says passing through the kitchen and going out the back door onto the stoop to wait for me. Ollie and I look nervously to each other and I want him to help me out of this.

But what is he supposed to do? He doesn't realize what this means to me, and neither does dad. I suck onto my lower lip and brush passed Ollie then feel his arm catch my elbow. "Don't take that off." He tells me.

"I'm not." I agree holding his pretty green eyes then turn and join dad on the stoop to make my case.

When the door shuts and I know we have privacy I don't waste my time, "I can't take this off. It's important to me. No one will even notice it tonight."

"Uh huh. You're telling me a colorful piece of plastic is more important than your future? Our future? The one we've been working tirelessly for?" 

"It has nothing to do with- No, yes, I mean-."

"Which is it, Muriel? Enlighten me. Because I don't want to waste my time or Doctor Mackenzie's tonight. I've assured him you're more than qualified and his best candidate for the open internship, but this behavior tells me otherwise, and to be frank it concerns me."

"Concerns you?" I laugh, which I know is the worst thing I can do, but I can't help it, "I am the best candidate. This bracelet has nothing to do with that. I told you, It's important to me and I'm not taking it off." I fidget with it quickly.

"Yes, concerns. You've been back from your mission trip for two weeks now, and everyone has noticed you're lack of respect for me and your mother. Have you even finished your summer assignments yet? You sure haven't emailed any completed work to me."

I've been a bit busy and haven't finished my summer work to begin school at the end of the month. I still have time, but I know I will be cutting it close. "I'm working on it. And, I don't need to forward you my assignments. I'm not in high school anymore." I say narrowing my eyes at him sitting in a chair, suddenly irate. "Besides, you don't have the knowledge to even understand my assignments anymore."

"Excuse me?" His brows shoot to his hair line and stands slowly from his chair.

It's true what I've said, but I'm not apologizing for it. I'm sick and tired of being babied by him. Ontop of that, I will not be telling him anything about Jokia. He doesn't deserve to know of her existence or memory/

"You told your mother and I that the mission trip wouldn't effect your school work. But clearly, it's effected way more than that. Take the damn bracelet off, now."

"No." I say standing my ground and clutch it to my chest as dad bores down with a glare that has my heart pounding hard in my chest.

"Now." He ununciates and stands there bowing his head over mine. I shake my head no and keep my eyes locked on his.

His hand flashes out and rips the bracelet clean off my wrist, sending the beads Jokia had spent an incredible amount of time on to select the most perfect colors, in all different directions.

"Ahh! Dad!" I yell watching them scatter all over the stoop, some of them shooting off into the grass. "No!" My hand clamps around my wrist feeling the naked skin there, then I burst into tears and shove him hard. "I hate you!" 

Throwing the glass door open I run through the kitchen ignoring Ollie on the way through and fly upstairs.

In the large show room at the fund raiser I remain with Maggie, Ollie, and Gemma. They've been left at the 'kids' table and the three of them are taking shots from a flask smuggled inside the function. I however, keep my unblinking glare on Dad. I've never been so angry and sad all at once. After I got dressed, I went back downstairs and started digging through the garbage bin when Dad had told me he had thrown away the beads and rubber peice, but after getting in another yelling match with dad, I couldn't find anything. Knowing him, he probably threw all the tiny pieces throughout the back yard.

Even mom got involved in the argument, which never happens. It pleases me to say that mom is just as angry with dad as I am.

"Mur, here. Take a shot." Gemma tries to hand me the flask, and I can already tell she's drunk but I shake my head.

"Forget Henry, Murry. Fuck him and come with us! That'll stick it to him." Ollie gives me a nudge with his shoulder and also smirks with the most handsome and charming smile I've ever seen. He's tried to talk to me about what had happened with the bracelet but if I start talking about it I'm going to burst into crying again.

I weight it out in my head. Sneaking out with them does sound amazing. Not because the party they are undoubtedly going to sounds even remotely fun, but because it'll make my dad angry.

The only reason I haven't agreed is because Doctor Mackenzie agreed to meet with me. That is the only reason. And now the thought of being all the way in Australia instead of New York sounds fucking perfect. The farther I am from Dad, the better.

"I can't, guys." I say actually a little upset I wouldn't be joining them. Yet again.

"We're leaving in ten minutes. Morgan is on his way." Gemma says glancing at her phone, then shoves it back into her black sparkly purse. 

"Fuck, Doctor Fuck-face. Please come with us." Ollie asks sweetly, turning me from Gemma and Maggie and peers down into my eyes, silently begging me. "You lot are leaving in a few days. Let's go out with a bang. C'mon, Murry, for once do something you're not supposed to." The spearmint gum he's chewing fills my nose, but so does the alcohol he's been consuming. 

Because of the mission trip, I've only been here for a few weeks, so the time with Ollie this year has dropped drastically and I can't deny that I've missed him terribly. If it wasn't for the potential amazing career opportunity I'd go with them in a heartbeat. There wouldn't be any question about what I'd do.

"I want to," I tell him unable to stop myself from watching his lips, "But I can't, Doctor Mackenzie's hospital is such an amazing-"

"Lame, fucking lame." Ollie groans and rolls his eyes turning away from me. 

Maggie and Gemma straighten up and shove the flash into the open purse, and I see Dad approaching giving me a light smile. "Muriel, let's go have a chat with Gregory." Dad holds his hand out, but I shove passed him and walk next to him continuing with my obvious disrespect. 

I fix the front of my lilac dress and then give a glance behind me connecting my gaze with Ollie, then quickly look away when my stomach dips and flips all at once. 

"Doctor Mackenzie, this is my daughter, Muriel." Dad says to a man about his height but maybe thirty five years old. He's dressed in a black tux and his auborn hair is combed to the side and he gives me a polite smile and holds his hand out, "Nice to meet you, Muriel."

"You as well." I smile and shake his large hand, the flash of a gold wedding ring on his left hand holding a rocks glass catches my attention and immediately helps me relax. For some reason, I equate a married man to a good man, and potentially living in Australia with my family and friends so far away I want to be sure I'll be in good company. To which, I know, Dad has not thought of.

"Mr. Reazpoe, has informed me you're looking to be a trauma surgeon? That's quiet impressive."

"Yes, I hope anyways. I'm still in school and working on getting accepted into an internship program."

"Oh, Muriel. She's being modest, Gregory. She's top in her year and even just completed a Mission trip in Africa where her superiors were quite impressed." 

"Really? Once upon a time I worked in Africa. Where were you?" Gregory asks me, smiling and leaning slightly towards me.

"Oh, Tansania. It was...Amazing." I try to return the genuine smile but my broken heart still hurts a little too much. 

"Again, she's being modest." Dad adds and sips from his rocks glass. Doctor Mackenzie chuckles and clinks his glass against dad's then looks to my fiddling hands.

"What would you like to drink, Muriel?"

"Oh, I'm only eighteen." I say giving a look to Dad who would disaprove of my drinking on so many levels right now.

"This is the UK, drinking age is 18, c'mon what would you like?" Doctor Mackenzie chuckles. "As long Henry here approves." 

"Of course!" Dad beams, "I'll go get you something Sweet Heart." He hustles off towards the large bar area leaving me standing awkwardly with Doctor Mackenzie. I wish I had Ollie with me, he's good at filling awkward silences. Giving another glance over my shoulder my eyes find his again, and like before my stomach flutters as well as somewhere else.

What in the world was that?

I must be really nervous. 

"So, tell me Muriel, why trauma?" He pulls my attention back from Ollie and I watch sip slowly from his drink.

"Umm, well, trauma is something I feel like I can really make difference. I've always been interested in-"

"You are aware that the internship won't be available for another four years correct?" He says quickly, then puts a hand on my empty wrist to apologize for the interruption. "My apologies, I just want to be sure you're aware. Henry was very forward and I want to be sure you are aware of all the terms."

I chuckle and nod, "Yes, my dad can be very forward."

"Nothing wrong with that." Mackenzie shrugs then gives me another smile, "Sorry I interrupted you. As you were say- hold on, in four years where will you be? You've graduated early haven't you?"

"Yes, I graduated last year and I-"

"Impressive, where are you studying now?"

"NYU."

"Twenty two, in Australia..." He says pondering something then gives me a mega-wat smile shaking the thoughts from his head. "Sorry, recolecting. This is exactly how I started out as well." 

"Oh really? Are you also in trauma?"

"No, God no, Love trauma but no. You know, Muriel, I'm incredibly close with the chief physician there. I could talk to him and get you in on the internship team now. If you wanted of course. You could transfer to Australia to finish your studies and really get a head start on the residency program."

"Oh, woah, um, wow. Thank you." I stammer completely thrown off by the amazing offer, it's hard for me to even think straight. "Surely, I'm not qualified yet. I've got a lot of work to do in four years to be in honest." I admit, slightly releaved dad didn't hear this offer otherwise he would have pounced all over it. 

"Sure you are. Henry emailed me all your credentials. Yes, you're not quite ready for the residency but with help from me I could...assist. Not many people have the connections, but as someone who didn't have the opportunity you should really consider it."

"Umm," I say nervously fixing the fly away hairs behind my ears from the quick updo I've pulled my hair into. 

"Consider this, I have a penthouse right near the University. No rent, therefore, you won't have to work. Just finish up your schooling and I can take care of the rest."

"No rent? Penthouse? Forgive me, I don't mean to be ungrateful but why are you offering this?" 

"Because I can see the potential, Muriel." He says, taking a sip from his drink, his blue eye suddenly making me feel uneasy. "It's your decision of course. But what I'm offering others would die for."

I cross my arms and nod, "I'm sure." I begin to look for Ollie again, but find the table once filled by him and our sister's is empty.

"Ms. Reazpoe, your father is hardworking man. Many say cut-throat, he assured me your dedication was the same." Doctor Mackenzie says, suddenly closer to me than I like.

I nearly shrivel into a ball when his hand rests on my back, "I'm offering you an amazing opportunity. You'd be foolish to not take it."

The opportunity he's offering suddenly very clear.

"Excuse me, Doctor Mackenzie." I say stepping away from him quickly, "I guess I'm just a foolish little girl. You can tell my father I'm not interested in anything you have to offer." I turn on my heel and sprint out of there, not as quick as I was intending because of these stupid heels, but fast enough to blow right passed dad holding two drinks in his hands.

"Muriel! Where are you going?" 

I ignore him and round the corner and fly right into my mom and Jane giggling together. "Oh, mom!" Crap.

"Muriel? Everything okay, sweetie?" Mom asks with a look of confusion.

"Uh, yeah." I say already out of breath.

"Muriel!" Dad's angry voice echoes behind me and my eyes go wide. Mom grabs my arm and throws me behind her and Jane.

"Go, baby!" She whisper-yells over her shoulder.

"They haven't left yet. The car is out front, better hurry." Jane adds. I nod, a smile stretching across my face as I rip the heels off my feet and pick up the front of the high-low dress and run as fast as I can from the venue.

My frantic running catches the attention of everyone I pass but I don't care. I race through the entrance of the large venue and see the rusty old car with teenagers piled inside, "Wait!" I yell jumping the first step and sprinting down the rest. "Wait for me!" 

"No shit! Hurry up, Murry!" Ollie beams and appears in the backseat with the door held wide open. 

I dive in across his lap and everyone in the packed car cheers and howls.

______________________________________

 Woah, long chapter. Hope that's okay!

It's about time Muriel sticks up for herself, I'd say!

Henry is still an asshole, and Mackenzie is a major creep. Thank goodness Murry didn't take the deal.

There is one last part to this flashback. So keep an eye out!

Thanks for reading,

CC