For the rest of the week, Catherine's transformation was beyond words. She was incredibly kind to me, and we started spending almost all our time together at school. But it wasn't just limited to school, she was equally warm and friendly at home. The house, which once felt formal, was now starting to feel like a real home. Catherine joined in to help with household chores, and the staff began to feel like family, our uncles and aunts.
Meanwhile, Catherine and I had developed a sisterly bond. The change in her was improving my life. At school, the bullying and pranks stopped, thanks to the incident on Monday where Catherine stood up to her former best friend Emma in my defense. That event seemed to redefine their friendship, and the others who followed Emma's lead also kept their distance from Catherine. After everyone heard how Mark protected us, it was clear that no one wanted to mess with us.
They could only talk about us behind our backs. Despite Catherine's recent kindness, I still kept my distance from Mark, respecting her request to maintain the peace. Catherine and I had become inseparable, and Matthew joined us sometimes, given our friendship. Interestingly, I observed that Matthew would leave us whenever he sights Mark sitting somewhere else. I was sure it was possibly due to Catherine's presence.
My anger towards Mark lingered, stemming from his role in Veronica's brutal punishment to me. I'd given him the silent treatment, and he'd reciprocated. In class, I'd sense his gaze on me, and one day, I turned around to catch him staring. Our eyes locked, and he wore a stern, grumpy expression, as if he was upset with me.
After a brief tense moment, he looked away, and I faced front. I wondered why he seemed angry; shouldn't I be the one upset? Today, he repeated the same behavior, staring at me for reasons unknown, with a stern expression.
When the lunch bell rang, I was relieved, and I quickly escaped the classroom to avoid Mark's intense gaze. When I got to the canteen, I spotted Matthew and it felt like a breath of fresh air. I couldn't help but smile when he waved me over. Sitting down beside him, I was eager to shift my focus away from Mark and enjoy some friendly conversation.
"Lucy?" Matthew said, breaking the silence.
I hummed in response.
"You seem to have a certain glow lately," he observed, smiling. I felt my cheeks flush.
"A glow? What do you mean?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious.
"Well, you've been really happy since Catherine changed," Matthew said. "You have every right to be thrilled about it, after all she had done to you in the past. It's amazing how her transformation has impacted your life."
I tried to hide my disappointment that he hadn't grasped the true reason for my glow – being alone with him.
"Yeah, I'm really happy about it," I said, playing it cool. "It's made my life so much better. I hope it lasts."
I smiled, adding, "We're like sisters now."
Matthew teased, "What exactly did you do to her? Did you cast a spell or brew a love potion?" His grin was infectious.
"Or did she perhaps go to church, maybe Jesus had touched her heart"
I chuckled and replied, "Catherine? A spell? That's absurd!"
But I pondered the real reason behind her transformation. "Maybe Jesus really did touch her heart," I said, smiling.
As I gazed at Matthew's smile, a silent thought slipped out: "If I could cast spells, you'd be the only one I'd enchant."
Matthew asked, "Do you think something specific triggered her change? Would you mind sharing?"
I hesitated, knowing I couldn't reveal the truth. "I was just there for her when she really needed someone. After that, she's been really nice to me."
Matthew nodded understandingly, "I see. But why are you still keeping your distance from Mark? Now that Catherine's being nice to you, shouldn't things be okay?"
I explained, "I just think it's safer this way. Who knows if Catherine's niceness would last if I got close to Mark? I don't want to risk it. Plus, he's the reason I got punished the night I was planning to visit you."
Matthew's eyes widened in surprise, and he asked, "You're not saying Catherine was the one who... did that to your legs, are you?"
"No!" I quickly replied, not wanting to reveal the truth about Catherine's involvement.
"I mean, didn't I tell you already? It was an accident. I was knocked down by a speeding car," I lied, trying to deflect the conversation.
"Oh, then you shou-" Matthew started, but before he could finish his statement, Mark interrupted,
"She's always zoning out, Matt. It's pointless advising her."
I shot him a glare. "I was finally enjoying the peace without your interference. It seems those peaceful days are over," I said, annoyed.
Mark smirked and pulled Matthew's arm. "You're done with lunch, let's go."
I countered by pulling Matthew back to sit. "He's not done eating," I said firmly.
Matthew broke free from our grip, saying, "Enough already." Matthew said, "I'm not a toy you both can drag around like little kids."
I felt embarrassed, wondering what Matthew thought of our behavior. "It's all Mark's fault," I said, trying to deflect.
"We were having a great conversation until he showed up."
Mark shot back, "When did you own Matt? Can't I sit and talk to my friend anymore?"
Matthew interrupted, "Can you both just stop and be nice?"
I refused, "No way! Mark can never be nice."
Mark retorted, "I'm not the one who was rude to people who checked on you when you were absent from school for days. I'm not the one who couldn't say thank you after being saved from Emma. How come I'm the rude one? You're just not grateful, are you?"
"Grateful to who? You? You're the reason I got punished in the first place," I yelled. "If I hadn't been punished, I wouldn't have been absent from school or had to deal with not being able to walk for days. It's all your fault!"
Mark and I instantly turned away from each other, backing up and sandwiching Matthew between us. Despite my outburst, I carefully avoided mentioning Catherine's involvement in my injury, keeping that secret safe.
Matthew intervened, "Can you both stop acting like kids? This is just a misunderstanding that needs clearing up." He commanded, "Turn around, both of you!"
We reluctantly turned to face each other, but avoided eye contact.
Matthew continued, "Lucy, explain to Mark why you're keeping your distance."
I replied stiffly, "I owe him no explanation."
Matthew prepared to step in, but I quickly whispered to him, "Don't say anything. Catherine would be upset with me if it gets out."
Matthew reassured me, "Don't worry, I'll ask Mark not to mention it."
Then, he turned to Mark and explained, "Lucy's been keeping her distance from you because Catherine told her to. When Catherine saw her talking to you that day I wasn't in school, she got Lucy in trouble at home. That's why Lucy's been angry with you since then."
Mark looked at me and said, "Who cares if you're angry at me? But why are you blaming me? I'm not responsible for Catherine's cruelty towards you. You just needed someone to take the blame, so you chose me."
I said, "It's your fault. If you hadn't made Catherine so obsessed with you, she probably wouldn't have made that restriction."
Mark smirked and replied, "I see what's going on here. You've got a crush on me, don't you? That's why Catherine told you to stay away, and you've been hurt since then. You're just making excuses to cover up your true feelings."
I scoffed, "Who's interested in you?"
Mark shot back, "You, of course."
Before I could respond, I caught Matthew staring at me with an expression that seemed to suggest he believed Mark's words.
I quickly asked him, "You don't believe him, right?"
Matthew chimed in, "You both bicker a lot, and it's like in the movies when two people like each other but can't admit it."
I was taken aback, "I don't believe you right now, Matthew. If you're so perceptive, why didn't you suspect that he's the one who likes me, considering he's always starting it?"
Matthew turned to Mark and asked, "She's got a point. Are you sure you don't have feelings for her?"
Mark scoffed, "Like her? Are you kidding me? What's there to like about her?"
I shot back, "Right, what's there to like about you?"
Mark puffed out his chest, "Look around Minion, I'm the most handsome guy in high school, and tons of girls are interested in me."
I rolled my eyes and retorted, "Maybe their eyes need to be checked by a doctor."
Mark snapped, "It's yours that needs to be checked." An awkward silence fell over us.
Just then, Catherine appeared, oblivious to the tension. "Hey, guys!" she said, sitting between Mark and Matthew.
I forced a smile, but I was fuming inside.
"I didn't know you guys were having lunch together; I would've joined earlier," Catherine said, trying to break the silence.
Mark stood up, his expression cold. "Well, you're not too late. Some people just know how to ruin a person's appetite. I'm done eating."
He walked away, leaving Catherine looking confused. I followed suit, rising to leave.
"Well, I lost my appetite before you did," I said, my eyes locked on Mark's figure walking away.
As I walked away, Matthew and Catherine exchanged a confused glance.
"What's wrong with them?" Catherine asked, looking at Matthew for answers. Matthew just shrugged and hummed, clearly unsure how to explain the situation.