Diar Pines POV (Flashback) 8 years ago continued.

  The Next Day came around.

  DING! DING! The morning bell rang.

  “Wake up young master, it’s time to wake up” said maid number one loosely dangling the bell with as few fingers as possible but with enough grip for it to not fall.

  I twisted and rolled myself around my bed “hmm five more minutes” i said in between a big yawn and protracting my body forward then back down.

  Maid number two walked around my bed with a mission, her first stop was to rip my window curtains in half.

  “Noooo!, my eyes!!! please turn it off” I said letting out a loud sound of frustration. “Ugh, Its too bright in here now”

  I sprung up from my bed, sitting up right with my back touching the back board. I calmly watched as the maids worked, they must have been extremely young when they first started but now they know exactly what to do.

  Here she comes the youngest, maid number three, with my school uniform laid in her arms. She reaches the bed and expertly places it in the corner of the bed.

  “Are you ready young master? The bath is already drawn” she said standing straight up with her arms behind her stone blue uniform dress.

  My eyes scanned the room, left then right , “I want to bathe and dress myself today” i said to the room then the room froze.

  Maid number one and maid number two both quickly turned their bodies away from whatever they were previously doing to just look at me with disbelief.

  Their bodies froze in place only allowing their eyes to move to give each other worrying looks and stares.

  Maid number three was the most still and stiff. Like a statue, barely moving her body, she slowly attempted to look at maid number one signaling for help with her widen eyes.

  Leading by example, maid number one takes the first step forward to break the unrelenting silence. “Uhm young master may I question why you want to bathe alone? You’ve never requested something of that nature.” She said sternly taking three steps closer to the bed with the other two maids turning to me for an answer.

  I should have expected this reaction from them after all, their job is to make sure i do absolutely nothing on my own. So how do i make them feel more at ease about leaving me alone for a long enough time so that i can prepare for what I'm about to do today.

  What lie is both believable and non threatening to their jobs as my maids?

  “I'm not a baby anymore, I'm a grown man, I'm turning eleven soon i don't need three girls giving me baths everyday anymore, i can do it myself.” I said with pretense frustration and confidence, silently holding my breath waiting for their response, was my lie convincing enough?

  All three of them simultaneously turned to look at each other with their brows raised, eyes squinted, and lips perked. Within seconds all three started walking towards the door, with maid number one leading to the exit and the last to leave was maid number three.

  Before she gently shut the door behind her, she took a last peek in the room and said “if you need help with anything use the bell to signal us to come in, and when you’re finished the lady of the house prepared breakfast downstairs.”

  She shut the door and then after came the loud whispers and chuckles behind the door until it slowly faded away the further away they got.

  Whew, they’re finally gone. Now i can plan and prepare. I quickly rolled off my bed, took off my pajamas, walked in my bathroom and went in the luke-warm bath. The bath created the perfect environment for my brain to peaceful think and scheme.

  How am I going to be able to follow Ellie around all day? We both are always being watched either by the maids at home, our drivers, and even all the teachers at the academy.

  If i do anything suspicious or extraordinary today the first thing everyone will do is call my parents. And its not like i can just disappear or wear a disguise, if I'm not seen for even thirty minutes this whole city will know about it and chaos will rise.

  Wait! What am i even doing this much work for? I have absolutely no proven reason to think that someone is trying to hurt Ellie. I'm overacting and going this far for some simple cold symptoms and some pills? Really? That's all it took to trigger this in me.

  I shook my head, No, i can’t just let this feeling that something is wrong go, its my job as Ellie's older brother to make sure that everything is ok with her, i need to confirm it myself.

  If thirty minutes is all i have i might as well use those minutes to the best of my ability. I can pretend to be as normal as possible and not make anyone suspicious of me, then at the last minute take action.

  To watch Ellie i need to be as close to her as possible. I can sneak into her car again like I did yesterday, this time to watch her instead of annoy her.

  We’re already set to eat together for breakfast, wait i need to get down to get breakfast before her.

  Panicked, I quickly rushed out of the oversized porcelain bath tub, splashing the water every which way. Slipping than getting back up and then out.

  As i stood on the bathroom floor soaking the room with water I realized that I've never done this before. What do I do next, where is everything. I know that they usually cover me with clothes, some fluffy fabric but what is it called.

  I walk out my bathroom, enter my room and saw the clothes that maid number three left on the edge of my bed. My uniform, this will have to do.

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  I quickly and confidently follow the instructions of clothes, my limbs go in the provided holes, that's simple enough. And out the door i went.

  My plan was now in full effect, step one was to act normal and not be suspicious. Step two was to stay close to Ellie and watch who interacts with her. And finally step three was to figure out who or if anyone wanted to hurt Ellie and why. That should be easy enough.

  Moms food is never great and today was no exception. She makes us all eat what Ellie eats to make her not feel left out and sad about her illness. When Ellie started getting sick the family doctor recommended a strict diet to help her get better. But her health came at the cost of my taste buds.

  Everyone in the family knows that i hate moms cooking so this is the perfect time to start step one of my plan.

  “Ugh, mom why is this yogurt so bland and tasteless, yogurt is meant to be sweet, not this.” I then pushed the bowl of yogurt towards the center of the dinner table and used the nearest napkin to wipe the yogurt residue on my face off. No reaction. This is expected. Everyone including dad just sat there quietly and continued to scoop and eat their yogurt.

  After i reached out both of my hands to grab the bowl of the disgustingly looking green and cold soup. I took a sip of the broth and immediately spitted it out on the floor when it accidentally splashed and ricocheted everywhere across and around the table. The person who was sitting on my right, Ellie, got the worse of it.

  “Eww! diarrr!, you got it all in my hair” she yelled while she frantically used her napkin to tap off the green soap broth off her perfectly styled hair that was now ruined.

  mom immediately jumped up off her seat and ran to Elie. “DIAR PINES!!” She yelled, “why did you do that to your sister? i just finished doing her hair, now i have to redo everything.” Moms face was angry but Ellie’s was furious.

  She looked at me with pure anger and annoyance, to her this was the worse thing i could have done to her.

  I tried to reach my hand out to help fix the issue but mom, who was hovering over Ellie and i, flicked my hand away from Ellie. I looked down at my rejected hand for a second then looked back at Ellie and said “I'm sorry Ellie, it was an accident”

  “Don't lie, you wanted it to hit me on purpose” she angrily states then quietly under breath she says “why do you hate me so much.”

  Silence then broke. If we weren't so physically close to each other i could have easily missed the last part that she said. There i saw the tears building up in her eyes, her nose started sniffling and I knowing what came next said “I'm so sorry Ellie, I really didn’t mean to do this to you, please don’t cry, let me help” I partially begged.

  “That’s enough” said my father who was still sitting down across from me at the dinner table. “Diar go to your car and tell your driver to take you to the academy, you've already done enough here” his tone was nonchalant even though his face showed disappointment.

  “Yes father” I responded with my head held down as i stood up off the chair.

  As I walked out of the dining room heading towards the waiting room, echoes filled my head with words of shame. I took it too far, I wasn't trying to make her cry. It was an accident, I'm so sorry Ellie, please don’t cry. I can fix this, i need to fix this. She thinks i hate her. Ill fix this and be a better brother I promise.

  The waiting room door opened out and i stopped in my tracks cause i couldn’t walk in the waiting room then a voice from the inside spook, “Good morning young master” my driver said with his left hand on the door knob.

  With his right hand he pulled out my school bag and slowly handed it to me then he said “Here is your bag sir, is there anything else you need help with?”

  I bleakly turned my head to look back at the mess i had created. “No, you don’t have to do anything they’ve already ignored me, as usual, so nothing you do now will help me.”

  “yes young master, understood. Lets out to the car now” he said.

  “Ok, lets go then.” I said.

  A few moments passed and i was sitting in the car waiting. I told my driver to wait so that I could see Ellie come out of the house but how long has it been? Does she usually take this long to leave the house or is it just today? School has already started, we both were already late. Nothing went according to my plan this morning, should i just stop playing games and leave first, like I usually do.

  Then i heard a voice speak, “Young master, we should leave now, you’re already late for your first class.” He said while looking at me through the rearview mirror.

  “I know that already, Cole, just give me one more minute, im sure she’ll come out soon.” I replied with my head and hands clinging on to the car glass window.

  “Young master, do you mind if i speak freely?” He said.

  “Go ahead than.” I replied.

  “Why are you waiting for the young lady Ellie, you've never done that.” He said calmly and politely with not an ounce of a judgmental tone.

  “Can you not say that, you’re making it sound like I'm been a bad brother”, i said.

  “I apologize young master, those were not my intentions.” He quickly replied.

  I looked back at the drivers seat and gave him a nod to acknowledge his apology but it didn’t change that he was right. This silly mission is taking too long i cant just wait here forever, whatever is happening with Ellie I'll just deal with it at school.

  “Lets go Cole, you were right this is taking way too long” i said while buckling my seatbelt.

  “Yes, youn…”

  Suddenly a loud and piercing scream rose. “NOOO!!!”the scream said. After the scream came the sounds of fallen objects hitting the ground at maximum force. The objects sounded like glass shattering, the ricochet of the shattering glass’s were so loud that Driver Cole immediately pressed hard in the brakes right as we were leaving.

  “What was that?!” I said loudly panicked and confused, looking to Driver Cole for answers. “I don’t know Young Master, i think something broke in the kitchen, it’s probably nothing, no need to panic.” He said trying to calm me down. Driver Cole has always been good at making sense of any situation and lessening any issues but this just doesn’t feel easy to ignore.

  “Didn't you hear the scream before the crash” i asked.

  “Yes i did, but it was probably nothing maybe a stuff member dropped some plates, you don't need to worry young master everything is alright. We should head out for school now.” He said while turning the gears if the car to drive.

  “No stop the car I'm going back in, I need to figure out what that scream was about. Ellie is still inside.” I said while opening the door of the car, taking with me my school bag.

  “Don't wait up for me, just drive to school without me, ill go with Ellie’s car, and you don't have to tell my parents, ill tell them myself.” I said already out of the car.

  “But Young Master you know that i can’t just leave without you in the car.” He said while flustered.

  “Don't worry, no one will blame you for this ill tell my parents the truth and you can report to the school that my family let me come in late.” I said.

  “But Young Ma..”

  I suddenly shut the car door, “don't worry Driver Cole ill be fine I'm at home, go now.” I shouted with my hands up in the air waiving goodbye and running back up the stairs of the house pathway.

  In front of the house doors i paused looked back to see my car gone and fixed myself before slowly and quietly opening the doors.

  I'm back in and no one knows, well except my driver but no one inside the house knows about it. Maybe this time i can follow through with step two of my plan to watch Ellie and hopefully not mess it up.

  I luckily didn't see any staff downstairs so I was able to move more freely but still quietly.

  I took a few seconds to scan the open spaces that had no doors, left to right, like the eating area, the decorative kitchen, the the living room, the guest waiting space, and the open library.

  No one was there which I didn’t expect because I had just heard a loud scream coming from inside the house, surely someone else also heard the scream but no one is home.

  I finally reached the rounded stair case that hovered over the open library and stepped up looking for Ellie. I just need to check if she is alright then ill ask her if i can ride in her car then we can head to school together.

  Every step i took felt heavier than the last, my heart was racing out of excitement, faster and faster. I've never done this before, i didn't know that the house is so quiet and empty when I'd leave for school.

  I took one more step getting closer and closer to Ellie's room and that's when another loud scream coming from the inside.

  "No! Mom please stop!!!! you're hurting me" Ellie screamed out in pain.