“Burn those who burned me!” Chapter 41

*Clara’s POV:*

I woke at 7am, excited at the thought of leaving this house for good. I texted my friend Christine and told her I would see her before break was over and that I was leaving my father’s house. She responded with a single word.

*“Finally!”*

I smiled as I gathered the rest of my bags, I didn’t want to take much of the crap in this room, just my books and some more clothing. I was smart enough to remove my mother’s mementos when I first moved to Lexington. Neither my father nor Sophie bothered me for the rest of the evening. I appreciated their ability to be smart enough not to. Around 9am, I began bringing my bags up when Jason met me at the head of the stairs. His expression was filled with hatred, Sophie must’ve called him crying.

*“You’re in my way.”*

Silence.

*“Move Jason, I need to bring my bags to the door.”*

Jason let out an exasperated sigh.

*“Clara, who the hell do you think you are to lay your hands on Sophie.”*

He spoke in a low and menacing tone. I looked at him and scoffed, I was in no need for the Sophie show. Matching his stare of hatred, I answered.

*“I bet she’ll keep my mother’s name out of her mouth.”*

Jason’s eyes bulged, and suddenly he gripped my shirt.

*“You think just because of some arranged marriage I won’t make your life a living hell! Apologize to Sophie now!”*

I was over this conversation, pushing past Jason, I began sitting my bags at the door. Gloria and Casey would be here in 30 minutes. Jason stalked behind me yelling.

*“Look at me Clara! I won’t waste not one moment making you suffer if you ever touch Sophie again!”*

Suddenly, Sophie came running. Time to fake cry.

*“Please don’t yell at Clara for me Jason. She’s the one you’re marrying, she’s the one you care about.”*

Jason immediately hugged Sophie, I knew what she was doing, she just wanted me to hear Jason denounce me for her.

*“Care, please. You’re the only one I care about Sophie; I’m only marrying her because of my father. I’ll do anything to protect you.”*

Not wanting to stick around for the newest episode of Romeo and Juliet on drugs, I grabbed my bags and walked out the door. Both Jason and Sophie turned around stunned that I didn’t react. Jason came running outside still yelling.

*“Don’t tell me you’re jealous of Sophie! Ha! I guess I can understand. She has everything you have! You think just because you’ve been labeled some genius, Sophie has everything else!”*

His outburst was so hilarious I couldn’t help but laugh hysterically. Did he realize he was actually insulting his precious Sophie. Frustrated by my laughter, Jason began asking what I was laughing at.

*“What the hell is so funny!”*

*“Well, you are. So, she’s got everything except a brain eh. Okay scarecrow.”*

Realizing what he was saying, Jason began to fume. Sophie’s eyes looked like she was wishing death on me. No matter how many insults or comparisons they wanted to make, one thing she could never steal was my intelligence.

*“Shut up! That’s not what I said.”*

Still chuckling, I began looking at my phone to check the time.

*“Oh, okay.”*

*“Leave Sophie alone! Otherwise, I'll make you beg for death! I won’t care if you’re my wife, it’ll be in name only! My heart belongs to Sophie!”*

Sophie walked up to Jason still fake crying.

*“You mustn’t say that Jason, Clara is just stressed. Maybe she’s under pressure at Lexington.”*

As if a lightbulb went off, Jason grew a smug expression.

*“Is that what it is. Finding out you’re not the smartest person in the room! I bet you’re barely surviving in a school like Lexington-”*

*“Seven.”*

I cut Jason off mid monologue, both he and Sophie were puzzled.

*“Seven what.”*

Jason demanded as I continued playing a game on my phone.

*“That’s how many awards I’ve won so far in the past five months for multiple thesis papers I’ve wrote.”*

Jason’s face began to drain of color. He’d accepted a long time ago I was smarter than him, but now it seemed as if I was light years ahead.

Stuttering over his words, he shook his head in disbelief.

*“T-That’s a lie. That’s imposs-”*

*“Look it up if you don’t want to believe me.”*

As if right on cue, Gloria and Casey pulled up in Casey’s range rover.

As soon as Gloria hopped out of the truck she ran over and hugged me tightly.

*“Clare-bear I missed you!”*

So dramatic. Through laughs I hugged her back.

*“It’s only been two days.”*

Casey walked around and began putting my bags in his trunk.

*“I don’t know, I’m with Gloria Clara. It’s felt kind of off not being with y’all these past few days.”*

Gloria instantly popped up and pointed to Casey.

*“See! It’s not just me.”*

While I laughed with mt friends, Jason and Sophie fumed at the blatant way Casey and Gloria refused to acknowledge their presence. Jason was the first to speak.

*“Clara, who are these people?”*

Both Gloria and I turned to face Jason.

*“Why?”*

Jason’s eyes began to bulge out of his sockets. Before he could say anything, Sophie interjected. Turning on her best I’m made of sugar and spice act; she walked over to Gloria and Casey.

*“You must be Clara’s friends! I’m so glad she’s able to make friends at Lexington. It’s always been so hard for her because everyone always loved me more.”*

Sophie grabbed Gloria’s hands, putting on her most innocent look.

*“Even though she hates me, please take care of my sister.”*

Poor Sophie, I supposed this act would have worked on anyone else. The sweet and dutiful sister and the evil mean sister. Except Gloria and Casey were already aware of the type of person she was. Gloria immediately snatched her hands out of Sophie’s. Scoffing, she couldn’t help but laugh.

*“What a foolish family.”*

Gloria’s voice was filled with disdain. Sophie’s cheeks redden; that wasn’t the response she’d expected. Her mask almost slipped; she quickly regained her composure.

*“Excuse me?”*

Her voice was sweet with a hint of disbelief, but Gloria wasn’t backing down.

*“I said, what a foolish family. Clara went to Bartum, yeah? While you went Northern Prep. How would you know if she made friends or not? Not to mention that silly little act of yours.”*

*“What act!”*

Sophie’s composure was now shredding away, but Gloria didn’t care.

*“That whole ‘please love me for pretending to love my sister as I make sure I try my best to embarrass and insult her’, act.”*

I had to laugh out loud; Gloria nailed it all the way the down to the mocking voice tone. Finally, Jason jumped in.

*“Hey, you don’t what the hell you’re talking about! Sophie is-”*

Before he could finish, Casey was in Jason’s face. I was only 5’2, so any time Jason stood over me, it always felt like he was giant. It wasn’t until I saw Casey’s 6’3 frame standing over Jason that I realized 5’10 wasn’t that tall at all.

*“We know more than you think Sterling, but if you yell at my girlfriend or my little sister again we’re going to have a problem. Gloria, Clara, everything is in the truck. Let’s head home.”*

Without another word, Gloria and I got into the truck without looking back once as Jason and Sophie stood in silence. Funny how he had all that mouth for me not too long ago.