Ben Pipes

"Mom, why are we here?" I raised a question. I don't like here. I didn't go to school, not that I complain about it but something seems off. All were arguing when we left. Elders are so confusing, why do all they ever do is yell?

"You don't like it here, sweetie?" Mom asked, she brought me to a luxury hotel yesterday evening. All we do is watch tv all day. I like watching tv but I don't know why I am unable to enjoy watching it now.

"I wanna see Lana and Dad. I miss them," I declared. She nodded in agreement. Maybe she misses them too. "I am worried about Jaro. Dad hurt him bad," I added, remembering that horror and how Lana yelled and cried.

"You don't have to worry about him. He's a nobody," She said.

"He is my friend." I defended.

"He is a bogeyman in disguise."

"What? No." I refused to believe. "I know him. He is not a bogeyman." I said frightened at mentioning the word Bogeyman. I had many scary nightmares on him. He is the second thing I am most scared of, first are sharks.

"That's what you thought about your friend Peter, that he is a good friend. But what did he do? I am pretty sure that he stole your favourite pen when you invited home, didn't he? And refused to return it and even denied ever stealing it. When you complained to your teacher about it, he began bullying you" She said. I nodded in confirmation.

"Everyone is not exactly what they seem, Ben." Mom said.

"What about you?" I asked, confused.

"What?"

"The two ladies who came home said you did bad things. Dad and Lana were upset. Aunt Layla got mad and-, and..." I stopped scared. "You pushed and hurt my chin. Will you hurt me again?" I asked so frightened.

"Of course not my sweet boy," She hugged me. "I am sorry for hurting your chin. I didn't mean to," She apologized, brushing my hair. "Don't believe those ladies and Layla just hates me because I am much cooler than her," She smiled letting me free.

"Will you forgive me, baby?" She tangled her pinky finger into my pinky finger. I hesitated. "We can watch Scooby-Doo all day," She assured.

I smiled and nodded. We watched Scooby-Doo all day and night. We ordered pizza and all my favourite foods. I enjoyed today with mom but I don't know still why I feel so scared. So terrified. I don't exactly know what I am scared of.

"You are not a bad person, are you mom?" I asked. I don't even know why I asked it but I wanted to ask.

"No. All I ever did was for me and my loved ones well being. And I don't see how that makes me a bad person. No, I am not a bad person. I am your mother and I will never ever hurt you again, I promise. I will protect you from all and everything," She swore. "I love you," She kissed my cheek.

"I love you too." I replied.

Maybe she was just in a bad mood and didn't intend to hurt me. I believe my mom.

............

Michelle Pipes

I and Ben got bored from eating the food in this hotel from yesterday so we decided and opted to go and try in another restaurant near by. For the first time in my life, I am confused. Unsure what to do and maybe, maybe even scared.

I need to speak to my dad about Mary being his daughter. I need him to deny it but then again I am scared to face him, what if he accepts? I can't tolerate that. I can never tolerate that.

I want my family back, whatever it takes. But how do I get it back. My relationship with Lana is estranged and with Holder its alienated and even Ben is scared of me. His own mother. How will I ever be able to change this all? How do I make it all go back to normal?

The real question is will I even be able to make it all normal after everything that has happened?

"Don't waste your food," I ordered Ben. "I will wash my hands and be back. Don't go anywhere," I said strictly and went to the powder room.

Tomorrow I will be meeting Lana, what would she and Holder be decided till then? Will those wretched Wecklic sisters still be keen on filing against me? My mind was filled these various thoughts and fears as I washed my hands. I wish I could wash off my past as easily as I washed my hands.

"Aren't you that brat Lana's mother?" A red head asked me, intrigued, washing next to me in a wash basin.

"How dare you call my daughter a brat? Who the hell are you?" I spat.

"Why don't you ask your brat daughter?" She emphasized. "Or her dope boyfriend?" Her eyes reflected rage.

She knows Jaro too?

"How-, how do you know all these?" I asked in utter confusion.

"Because of that dullard, Jaro dumped me," She yelled. "Finally, finally when I have a normal person your daughter just had to step in and snatch him away from me," Her tone saddened.

Oh boy, she's his ex-girlfriend. She is pretty, not completely bad looking. Why can't that hooligan have her and leave my daughter?

Maybe..., maybe I can use this situation to my use.

"Please, I loathe Jaro more than anyone in this world," I mouthed. Jaro is actually the third person I hate the most in my hate list. Wecklic sisters top the list.

"Have him, take him, do whatever you want to do with him. I don't care. I want that hooligan no where near my daughter. For god sake, he is as old as her father. Who even in their right state of mind would date a 18 years old when he, himself is 39 years old." I expressed my genuine disgust.

"He was good with me. I never felt that way with anyone. God, even my son Sammy loved him," She thought more to herself than said. "That devil seduced him," she grunted.

If I am not in this unfortunate situation, I would have snapped at her for blaming my daughter. But beggars can't be choosers.

"See," I looked at her.

"It's Angelina," She replied.

"Angelina, you want Jaro, I want my daughter away from Jaro so why not we both work to this common goal and achieve what we want?" I proposed.

"What do you suggest?" She asked. Good, she is willing to listen. That's a start.

"I and Jaro studied in the same high school, he was my junior. There was this girl, Mary Wecklic, his bestfriend. When you get Lana out of your way, Mary will always be there in the line. She was obsessed with Jaro since as long as I can remember. So, if you want him, you need to get past both of them," I explained.

She looked at me with I-am-listening-continue-look.

"Jaro and Lana got intimate on her birthday," Even saying those words boiled my blood.

"What the fuck?" The fury in her eyes is so visible.

"Yeah, it is so fucking disturbing. So we will use this to our own use." I said with a deep voice.

"How?" She seemed confused.

"As he had his way with Lana, we will make her believe that he cheated on her with Mary. Lana can't tolerate the betrayal. She will be bound to leave him. Mary will distance herself from Jaro due to all the accusations then he is all yours," I smiled, already imagining the victory.

"How do you plan to do all this?" A real question from her.

"Tomorrow evening you will call Jaro and say that you will be having a little chat with his bestfriend Mary. He will, of course try to stop you because he wouldn't want her to know that he was screwing around girls and having girlfriends when his best friend was stuck in the deathbed for 22 years." I worded. "She was in coma, she woke up a few days ago," I explained, briefly.

"Her sister Layla will receive an important surgery call from the hospital. Mary pretending to be a goodie, will force her to go." I contemplated. "Layla is divorced so there will be no husband and I will insist Glendora, Mary's niece to meet me tomorrow along with my daughter Lana. That leaves Anthea. It will be your duty to manage Anthea while I stage up Mary and Jaro are together, I will bring Lana and Glendora just when Mary and Jaro are closer," I revealed my plan.

"Still, it doesn't make sense, how will you portray that they are together?" She expressed her doubts.

"Are you sure you wanna know?" I warned her. She nodded as if she is determined and privileged to know.

"I will make sure that Mary had taken Ricin in her food. Ricin makes it difficult to breathe, fluid buildups in the chest and the chest hardens. So Jaro will be forced to CPR to make sure she will still live and breathe. He will be forced to give mouth to mouth breathing and Lana will see it, I will make sure she misunderstands everything." I disclosed my master plan.

"Ricin? Isn't that-, that-, that is lethal," Angelina appeared scared.

"Come on, don't back down now. This is our only shot. We can kill two birds with one stone. Nothing will happened to her, well nothing serious. Mary will survive. Come on, I am a doctor. I can save her if it gets worse," I tried to convince her.

She still seemed to rethink everything.

"Do you love him?" I questioned. She nodded. "If you do, then lets do this," I prompted.

"How will I be able to hold off Anthea when-, when you portray that Jaro and Mary are-, are, well you know?" She shot another question.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot to explain that part to you. You will barge in with force and you will create a scene yelling Jaro is here, just roam inside the house. Mary will urge Anthea to look what you are doing. Go inside the basement. I will fix you up with someone to lock the basement. You will convince Anthea it was Jaro who locked up. You will say that he is lusted towards Mary as she is back now," I explained the last part of the plan.

"It will be easy to make Anthea believe, she loathe Jaro anyways. So when I intend to make Lana believe, Anthea will also help to make the plan work," I assured.

She looked right in my eye. As if she is sensing something. "You know an awful amount of information about him for a neighbour. You dated him, didn't you?" She figured out.

"It was a long time ago, it was in the past. He is yours and I will help you get him," I promised.

"You better," She said.

Q/A

Q. Do you like hotels?

A-

Q. What do you think of Michelle's plan?

A-

Author's Note :

Happy reading and happy holidays <3