Just when you think you had enough, life shows you what 'enough' really means. Just when you think you will never be the same again, wait a few months and you are back to doing the same mistakes again.

Just when I thought I would never be able to sleep that night, I dozed off into a deep sleep.

Only to wake up again at some point during the night.

Where I was. Who was with me. What about my fever.

All this wasn't the first thing to occur to me.

As I opened my eyes, the first thing that happened was the last night scene of Jules and Emmaline playing itself before my eyes that were mindlessly staring at the ceiling.

I thought of it again and again. Not in a critical way - the way that would let me think of it intensely and derive some information out of it in order to solve this gruesome mystery - but in a passive way that was all about replaying it over and over in my head.

How horrible she looked then. How badly he was handling her.

All this and more.

When I was done with this, I moved to look at who was sleeping next to me and it was Cordelia. Blair was gone. And my fever was gone too.

Poor Cordelia. I didn't even read her a bedtime story. I know Blair might have. Because she does it when I miss it.

And I never miss it. Except when God makes me miss it, like yesterday night.

Blair might have left the bed when my fever subsided. She does that sometimes; and other times she just remains in bed with us.

What a wimp I am in the name of big brother.

And I hate it.

*yawn*

I think I wouldn't be able to sleep now. But I should try. Before the alarm for school goes off.

Not being able to get any sleep before school alarm is so frustrating.

......

What exactly happened between them? I am sure, whatever it is, Jules is the culprit because he was clearly threatening her. Will she be O.K.?

She was crying as hell though. Poor girl.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Ugh, I have heard this so many times before that now I think the mankind should start treating it like an EPIC mystery that will never get solved and whoever manages to solve it should be hailed as the biggest champion there ever is.

Morning.

"Is he still asleep?", my mother's voice resonated in my ear, causing me to wake up.

Hmm, I did fall asleep anyway.

"Big brother is not going to school today?", Cordelia's voice gave me the rest of the courage to get up on my bed, finally coming out of sleepiness.

I rubbed my eyes and looked around. Mother and Blair were standing by the bed whereas Cordelia was sitting up on the bed like me.

"Big brother is up! Yay!", Cordelia chanted, throwing her small arms around my torso.

"Cordelia, careful. You'll hurt Hugo.", mom said, looking disappointedly at her. "How many times have I told her to give Hugo his personal space."

"Well, that surely can't work when Hugo taught her otherwise.", Blair said jokingly moving closer to my side. "They both literally breathe the same air. Whenever I am washing or ironing Hugo's clothes, I can always smell Cordelia from them."

Mother shook her head in dislike. Blair was now by my side and had one of her hands on my forehead.

"Good morning, brother. How do you feel now?", she asked me as if she is older than me.

At least she is not a coward like you.

That's true. Blair is one of the strongest girls I have ever seen (I don't get to see too many girls, though). May you always be like that sister.

"Mmm, yes, I feel a lot better. Just a little hungry.", I replied.

"Dear, I have made breakfast. You can eat all you want.", mom said. "Is there anything special you want me to make for you?"

"He likes boiled corns with butter and squeezed lemon. I'll go make it for him.", Blair announced and was about to walk away when I held her wrist.

"Blair, you don't need to. I'll have the regular breakfast.", I said.

Blair shook her head saying 'no' and took the hand which was holding her wrist, as if checking it for any signs of fever.

"Your fever really is gone.", she said before walking out of the room.

Blair is super over-protective about me. She is -

"Is he all right now?", my father's voice came into the room as mom moved closer to me, holding my hand.

"Yes, Henry. He is fine.", she replied.

Dad stepped inside the room and walked up to me while fixing his tie. He smiled at me and asked, "How's my boy?"

I smiled back. "Fine, dad."

He nodded his head. "You got your mother and sister really worried, you know?"

I hang my head. "Yes, dad. I'm sorry."

Dad laughed. "Don't worry. Rest for today, O.K.? You can go to school from tomorrow."

What? Go to school from tomorrow?

I can't afford that, can I?

Well, there is this test and .....I must go to see Emmaline.

Yes, Emmaline. She must come today, right?

I should be there to do whatever good people do.

No, I can't skip school today.

What if Jules again did something to her?

Not like you have the potential to do something to stop that, do you?

'The' voice inside me moked.

You just stood there and watched last night. What makes you think you will do anything different today?

Shut up! Just shut up! I'll do something today. I will!

Lightning never strikes the same place twice.

I lifted my head to say 'no' to dad but only to find out that there was no one in the room. Not even Cordelia.

I must really have been in deep thought.

Again.

"Alright, brother. Your breakfast is ready.", Blair said walking into the room. "Want help to take you downstairs?"

I scowled at her. "I didn't break my leg, you know. It was just fever."

I got out of bed and used the bathroom.

When I got to the dinner table, I was thankful dad hasn't left for office yet. Blair again angered me by pulling my chair out so I could sit.

And she is two years younger than me.

I sat down after giving her a dirty look. Yes, she made my breakfast but I am still a jerk to her. Such a normal brother-sister relationship.

After observing the calm vibe around the table - and smiling at Cordelia - I cleared my throat and spoke.

"Umm, mom, dad, I ...I really need to go to school today.", I said slowly. "I have this test."

"But dear, you must rest a little more.", mom spoke first. "I'll be more satisfied this way."

I was about to reply to her but dad spoke.

"Which test?", dad asked, chewing his food.

Shit! I almost forgot that Mr King, my Maths teacher, is a good friend of father's. Twice before when I couldn't make it to school, dad called him and asked to postpone my test. Mr King was a very cooperative man (at least to my father).

"Mr king's Maths test.", I said in a low voice.

"Not to worry. I'll call him and inform about your condition.", dad said.

That's NO condition, people! It was only for yesterday night, now I am fine! Get that?

"Yes, that's better.", mom said returning her attention to her breakfast as if what I was saying was complete non-sense.

I took a deep breath.

"Actually, mom...dad...I have to see my....friend.", I gulped, waiting for the fireworks of questions to be shot at me.

"Friend? B - Ow!", mom suddenly held her right leg from under the table.

"Oops! Sorry! Did I hit you? I was just stretching.", Blair said to mom and gave a warning look to dad - or perhaps I merely fancied it - and sweetly looked at me.

"Brother, then you must go!", she replied cheerfully.

~.~

So I did go. Actually, I am currently standing inside the school building, preparing myself for what could come.

What will I tell her if I see her?

Will she be O.K.?

Could it be that I had just dreamed that horrible incident? None of it really happened?

Good try, Hugo.

Sigh....

Alright, I'll cross the bridge when I get to it.

Here goes nothing.

I've been keeping an eye on Emmaline for a few weeks on - Ahem, uh - I'm not a stalker. It's just that, uh, I think I kinda maybe sort of like her....Whatever! Whatever!

Therefore, (because of keeping an eye on her not because of kinda maybe sort of liking her) I know that the first thing she does is go to the library for some studying.

That girl is always studying. God!

So I go straight to the library, not even bothering to have a trip to my locker, and stand outside it's double doors nervously.

O.K., what's the plan, Hugo?

....

There is no plan! Just go and see her!

...

Good plan!

So I go inside and search for her in her usual spot but...She isn't there?

Oh,.....O.K....maybe she will be....by her locker!

So I go downstairs to her locker but NOPE! NOT THERE!

Disappointed, I walk slowly towards the classroom. That's the last place I hope to find her.

While going to the classroom, I see Jules standing by his opened locker. It looked as if he was just shuffling his things around. He looked a little off today. Just by the look of him, I got goosebumps. What is his secret?

Should I ask him? Maybe I should.

But then....what if he insults me like Victor? No, no, no! That dreaded humiliation.

Talking about the idiot, did he come to school today?

What if..?

-----------------------

Emmaline: I had enough of this life! I want to die!

Victor: Me too! Let's die together, Emmaline!

Emmaline & Victor: Goodbye, cruel world!

*jumping off the cliff*

-----------------------

NO! No, no, no, no, no!

I run to the classroom but stop abruptly by the door when I see an Elise-looking creature sitting there already.

There was no one but her..or it.

I looked at the schoolbag and yup! That's Elise. What the hell happened to her?

Anyways. Not my concern.

I had decided a few weeks earlier that 'where there is Elise, Hugo never is', so obeying that rule of mine, I turn around and decide to go to the library instead.

-----------------------

Three Weeks Before

A casually walking Hugo is suddenly grabbed by Elise by the collar.

"No noise, boy.", she threatens through her cold eyes as she ushers him to the side. "Play along."

Innocent Hugo is pushed into the janitor's closet in a baffled state.

"What the...", he mutters.

"Shh!", Elise harshly silences him while closing the door.

Then she proceeds to roam her hands upward, from his stomach to his chest, and bites her bottom lip -

"Did you see her? Oh my God, what a shock!"

See whom?

I looked around to see the girl who had said it only to find....

VICTOR?

THANK GOD, YOU HAVEN'T DIED!

WHERE IS EMMALI- WAIT, who is she?

After 5 minutes, in the library.

So I was uselessly worried for Victor this whole time? Here he is with a girl and there is nothing that can be said about Emmaline.

I guess Victor was just an excuse of God to make me go out of my house and witness the ordeal of Emmaline so I could.....SO I COULD WHAT, GOD?!

HELP HER?

No, I am such a wimp.

Such a useless creature.

....

I wish I wasn't like this.

....

Now, what? Just sit here in the library, hoping for Emmaline to show up?

Typical me.

~.~

In the classroom, after the bell.

It's first period and she isn't here yet. And I have no idea what to do. So I just sat on my seat and made futile attempts to revise some material before Mr. King could take a test. All my mind could think of was Emmaline and Emmaline.

Is this some kind of 'cursed child' film where if I admit my feelings for a girl, she won't show up at school the next day?

Disgusting.

Victor's female girl, whom he brought today, showed up at class many minutes later and it was announced by Mr. King that she was our new class fellow. Cool, as long as she is not here to turn my life upside down. If she is not here to bully me, try to sexually assault me like Elise once tried, bother me with homework, and especially if she is not here to make me the saviour of her miserable life.

Then cool, she can stay.

I will never have anything to do - Wait, why is Mr King pointing at Emmaline's usual seat?

Does this girl- Hey, hey, hey! Why are you walking towards her seat? You don't get to sit there! It's Emmaline's seat!

I watched in horror as that purple-haired girl took Emmaline's seat - tormenting me with every step she took and with every small movement she made to adjust her gluteal region on that seat!

Beheaded.

That's how I felt. I couldn't breathe, at all. I knew it's inappropriate to keep staring at her in hope that when she looks at me, she will be dead scared of my dangerous glaring eyes on her asking to LEAVE THAT SEAT but I also knew that right now I must look like a dying pathetic person from one of my video games and not a scary soul-eater.

I need to fix myself.

I turned around to look at my teacher.

Breathe. Breathe.

Shit! I can't!

What's happening? I barely managed to say my presence during attendance.

I think I am having a panic attack! Shit!

I touched my neck to see if it was still there.

What the hell is happening to my brain?

What...why....

I went to her class today, mama.

No, no!

Y-You did? What did you see?

Not this.....

I don't know...

Please....

Someone else was sitting on her chair, mama.

SHIT!

"Sir, I think my stomach might throw up.", I said suddenly, catching everyone's attention.

~.~

Unfair.

Life is unfair.

Why does this happen to me?

Huh, relax, Hugo. Relax.

I rinsed my face again and again, supporting myself on the sink of the Boy's Restroom.

This day sucks.

I suck. Life sucks.

...Should I go back to class?

I didn't even complete my test.

Hell with that!

Who wants to complete it anyway?

But I did prepare for it. And if I don't do good in it, it will be my first bad test which I am sure Mr. King will inform my dad about. Even though I have the excuse of 'not feeling well' during the test and whatever went on last night. But I don't want to use it as an excuse. Because then my family will view me as weak and I don't want to be viewed that way.

The thought of weakness transferred by brain to Cordelia.

I wonder how she is doing. Maybe I should talk to her. It might make me feel better.

At the Secretary Office.

"Ah, yes, hello? Can I please talk to Cordelia Allen of 1st grade? It's her brother Hugo Allen.", I say into the phone, somewhat nervously even though I have called into Cordelia's school multiple times.

"Yes, sir. Please hold on for a few minutes.", the lady said. I waited patiently, looking around the office. The secretary gave me a smile which I tried my best to return.

"Your small sister, huh? Is she not feeling well today?", the male secretary asked referring to the excuse I had made the first time when I started calling into Cordelia's school.

I gave him a weak smile and said, "Yea...you could say that."

He nodded. "You are a very caring brother, I must say."

Before I could reply to that, Cordelia's sweet voice was heard on the phone.

"Hello, brother Hugo!", she was over the moon.

I turned my back to the guy and moved away a little so he can't hear us.

"Hello, my little princess! How are you doing?", I asked and I instantly felt new energy flow inside me.

"I am fine, brother! I am so happy you called! I was missing you so much!", she said in a sad voice.

"I was missing you too.", I said.

"Then why did you not love me in the morning? You didn't kiss me when you woke up, then you didn't feed me breakfast, and then you didn't dress me up.....and....and you didn't even kiss me BYE!", she complained in her little childish voice. "You know, mom had to do all that!"

I sighed. "Yes, dear, I know that. And I am sorry."

"Is this why you called, brother?", she asked innocently.

"Yes.", I said. "And I promise to be a better brother everyday, for you. Okay?"

"Does it mean you will never catch fever again?", she said. "Not catch fever again for weird reasons that mommy and sister never know?"

...Oh, so my behaviour is affecting her.

How sad.

I never wanted it to be like this. Never.

"Yes. Brother will be strong next time, Cordelia.", I said.

"Promise?", she asked.

"Promise."

And it was this promise that made me go to the classroom (dreadingly) and complete my test.

~.~

Cordelia's promise gave me the courage to survive the complete day at school. And now I was standing at the gates of the school, waiting for Blair to come so that we can walk home.

That's when I caught the site of Victor and purple-girl, walking hand in hand, smiling at each other like total love birds.

"What do you want to do when we get home, Estelle?", Victor asked her sweetly (it was too much sweet; it was becoming poison for me. I cared for this guy and he....well, don't know who to blame).

"I don't know, Victor. You decide.", Estelle said as they walked past me. They were only a few steps away from me when a book in Estelle's hand fell.

"Oh, my book!", she exclaimed dramatically. Pathetic.

"I'll pick it up!", he said, bending down. "How about..."

I couldn't really interpret what he said because a car horn went off.

"No, I have a nice idea.", Estelle said, placing a hand on his shoulder as Victor thought it was good to hold the book in his armpit and tie the laces of his sneakers. Yea, might just do it when he is at it. And then Estelle removed her eyes from him and was looking directly at me, as if talking to me. "How about me get to know each other more?", she said those words terribly slowly as if wanting me to stick those words in my mind.

What the fish?

The intensity in her eyes made me so uncomfortable that I looked away.

Wait. Get to know each other more?

Didn't Victor say that Estelle is his girlfriend of a few months or so? Didn't they know each other well by now?

And why the hell was she saying those words? Especially while looking at me?

Cheez, it was her first day as my classmate and I am already scared of her as fu*k.

No, Hugo. You have to be strong! For Cordelia.

Hugo fears no one.

"Hello, bro! Ready to go?", Blair chimed as she stood next to me. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at her.

"Didn't see you there.", I said and started walking and she walked along.

"You never see me anywhere, anyway."

"What did you say something?", I asked looking at her.

"Huh? Nothing! I said what a lovely weather, right?", she said. "Considering it was cold last night."

I looked towards the sky. "Hmm, yes."

"That's the color.", she said pointing at the sky.

"Hmm?"

She looked at me. "That the color of the shirt I am going to make you wear tomorrow!", she said enthusiastically. "Plain blue T-shirt with checkered open shirt on top and a pair of black jeans and......BOAT SHOES or classic sneakers!"

She looked quite content and satisfied with herself as I rolled my eyes. "Blair, for God's sake! When are you going to stop this? Do you really have to be 'committed' to my dressing?", I asked, annoyed.

"Yes! And deal with it!", she said proudly.

"I sometimes have other boys asking me about my dressing and I have to blush like crazy and tell them it's my sister who makes me look like Tom Cruise everyday!"

"Don't you like it?", she asked, teasingly.

I rolled my eyes again. "Well, my teachers like it.", I said, honestly. "And I have to say that it does come with certain merits."

"And what's the best of them all?", she asked, cheerfully. She was giving me the I-know-you-don't-know-the-answer look. I just rolled my eyes and pulled her into a side hug.

"Having my sister choose my dressing everyday.", I said and kissed the side of her face.

She giggled and wrapped her arms around my torso.

"Yes! And your sister will continue to do this!", she announced.

I looked at her happily. "Remember how it all started?", I asked, giving her a nostalgic look.

"Clearly."

--------------------------

"Blair, please stop crying.", 8-year-old Hugo tried to console his crying sister who was holding her broken doll in her left hand and busied her right one for squeezing the tears out of her eye. Blair always cried through one eye. Her other eye, for some unknown reason, only cried in drastic situations.

"My doll! My beautiful doll!", little Blair mourned. It was her favourite most doll whom she loved dressing up. And now it broke. Her life just ended.

Hugo, who stood there anxiously with no parents at home, came up with an idea for his sister. He ran to the hall and made sure that their babysitter was still asleep then he ran back to Blair.

"D-Don't cry, sis! I will help you.", he tried rubbing her arms.

"How will you help me? I can't dress her anymore!", her little tongue had trouble saying the 'r'.

Hugo ran to his room and opened the cupboard with his tiny hands, taking out all the neatly folded clothes of himself messily out of the cupboard. He walked back to his sister like a zombie because all his clothes were blocking his vision and slowing his speed. Once next to Blair, he threw all the clothes on the floor. Blair gasped.

"Brother! What did you do? Now babysitter will kill us!", Blair exclaimed, worried.

"Shh, she is asleep. We will finish before she wakes up.", Hugo said.

"But what are we going to do with all your clothes?", Blair asked waving her small hands dramatically. Hugo straightened his back as if he was going to say something that will make him proud. "You can dress me up!", he explained, chest sticking out.

Blair frowned. "You?"

"Yes, me! Like your doll!", he said and when he saw that Blair looked hesitant, he moved closer to her and took one of his shirts in his hand. "You can dress me up with my clothes! I'll stand still."

Blair seemed to be thinking for a few seconds but quickly nodded her head excitedly. "O.K.!"

And then, Hugo stood still for hours with his Mickey Mouse underwear while Blair dressed him up and then stripped him, dressed him up and stripped him.

Of course their parents were furious and so was the babysitter and Hugo even got tired but Blair, oh well, she found out her life passion.

---------------------------

"It was torture.", I commented. Blair laughed and tapped my shoulder, jumping on my back.

"Piggy back ride!"

"Blair, no! Not the age for this, O.K.?", I warned seriously but I was late, she had already managed to get on my back leaving me no option but to support her with my arms.

"Annoying creature.", I muttered under my breath but loud enough for her to hear.

I hope no one from school sees me like this.

"You are the BEST brother!", Blair said, tilting my head in her hands so she can plant a kiss on my cheek.

That's the statement I literally live for!

Thanks Blair.