Inspirational quote: If life was easy, then where on Earth would all the adventures be?

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Except Esperanza wasn't completely dead. Doctor Kozak had just laser beamed her, because she had done that with Cynthia Rose, but he didn't actually kill her.

"Well... Looks like someone is going to be unconscious for a while..." He told an unconscious Esperanza, looking down at her and half smirking.

"Never really liked her anyway."

And literally leaving Esperanza there, Dr Kozak had unlocked the door, kicking her out of the way, then exited the janitor's closet to meet Cynthia Rose.

Doctor Kozak couldn't find Cynthia Rose at first, which he felt rather melancholic about, but then saw her sitting down on the sofa, crying her eyes out over what Esperanza had rudely said to her about her.

Dr Kozak was actually tempted to leave her there, but then remembering that the trophy was in this room and that they didn't have that long left to get it (17 minutes), he slowly walked towards her, jumping over the sofa and sitting down right next to her.

Dr Kozak: *says this as soon as he is sitting right next to Cynthia Rose, but not too close to her in case Cynthia Rose found that weird* Hey, Cynthia.

Cynthia Rose: *doesn't reply straight away as she is mainly staring at Dr Kozak through tears, Dr Kozak doing the same thing but without tears* Hey, sir....

Dr Kozak: *puts an arm around Cynthia Rose before saying anything else. Cynthia Rose smiles* You okay?

Cynthia Rose didn't reply.

Was that a trick question?

Esperanza had attempted to kill her twice, and did not feel sorry about it whatsoever, everyone hated her and Cynthia Rose kind of felt like she wanted to die....

Cynthia Rose: *replies like thirty seconds later* No. Not really actually.

To be honest, she kind of wanted to scream at him. Did she look okay? No she didn't.

Dr Kozak watched her cry a bit, not saying anything else. He didn't have any tissues on him at the moment, so therefore he couldn't really offer her one.

Dr Kozak: Want to lean on my shoulder?

Cynthia Rose nodded, so then Dr Kozak removed the arm from her shoulder and let her lean on him, still crying.

Dr Kozak: *refuses to make eye contact with her all of a sudden because he is tired * Look, I'm really sorry about the way Esperanza has been treating you lately.

Cynthia Rose: *is crying then stops when Dr Kozak has unexpectedly dried her tears for her* It's cool. I deserved it.

Dr Kozak: No you didn't, Cynthia. You're a sweet kid. You really don't deserve to be treated like this.

Cynthia Rose just shrugged, still resting and half crying on Dr Kozak's shoulder.

Cynthia Rose: Why are you so nice to me?

Dr Kozak: Because you're nice to me. And truth be told, Esperanza only hates you so much because she's jealous.

Cynthia Rose: *looks up at him, can't stop staring at Dr Kozak* Wait. What? Jealous of what?

Dr Kozak: Jealous of you, *points to her and accidentally pokes her when he says you* Cynthia.

Cynthia Rose: What? Why?

Dr Kozak: Don't know. She didn't say. I didn't really have time to ask her either.

Cynthia: Speaking of Esperanza... Where the heck is she?

Dr Kozak: Oh I went to go and talk to her privately about something.

Cynthia Rose: But you didn't answer my question though. Where is she?

Dr Kozak didn't reply, just deliberately shrugged and looked away. Then before he realised it, he turned red completely, Cynthia Rose noticing this.

Cynthia Rose: Sir... Are you okay? You've gone quiet and you're blushing.

Dr Kozak: *trying to conceal the fact that he just kind of killed Esperanza* Yeah, yeah. I'm fine.

Cynthia Rose: What happened to Esperanza, for the third time?

Dr Kozak: Uhm... *whistles casually and look away*

Cynthia Rose: Doctor Kozak... *there's moreover a slightly annoyed tone in her voice*

Dr Kozak: *refuses to look at her even though Cynthia Rose is doing the opposite with him* Cynthia Rose...

Cynthia Rose: For the last time! What happened to Esperanza?

Dr Kozak: *really annoyed, throws his hands up in the air in downright frustration* Fine! You really wanna know what happened to Esperanza? I killed her! There! I said it!

Cynthia Rose gasped and stared at Dr Kozak horrifically, sort of exasperated when she had heard that.

She didn't like Esperanza, and vice versa but Dr K still had no right to kill her.

Cynthia Rose: *stands up really slowly, comes closer to Dr Kozak who is just sitting there, staring at her blankly* You. Killed. Esperanza?

Dr Kozak: *slightly smiling* Kinda.

Cynthia Rose: *half strangles him* What do you mean, kinda?

Dr Kozak: She's just unconscious. See for yourself. Follow me.

Then saying that, Dr Kozak jumped out of his seat, commanding Cynthia Rose to follow him to the janitor's closet.

Cynthia Rose: You laser beamed Esperanza?

Dr Kozak: *nods vigorously* Yes.

Cynthia Rose: *really agitated by now* Why?

Dr Kozak: Because Esperanza laser beamed you. Twice.

Cynthia Rose: Fair enough. But that doesn't necessarily mean that you should have laser beam her. And two wrongs really don't make a right, sir!

Dr Kozak didn't reply. There wasn't one. But she had a point. She was right.

Cynthia Rose: *is looking down at a probably lifeless Esperanza, Dr Kozak is doing the same thing* Is Esperanza dead?

Dr Kozak: No Esperanza's not dead; she's just unconscious. I told you this already. She's going to stay like that for about five minutes before she fully recovers again.

Then saying that, they both headed back to the sofa, still leaving an unconscious Esperanza there.

Cynthia Rose: *says this once they've both sat down again* Hang on.. Why five minutes? When she laser beamed me I had to stay unconscious for like thirty minutes.

Dr Kozak: Ten minutes actually... *shows her the laser beam that he used to laser beam Esperanza* And this is a different laser beam. Depending on the laser beam you stay unconscious for a different amount of time.

Cynthia Rose: Oh I see now. Makes sense.

Dr Kozak: Exactly.

Cynthia Rose: Okay... And Dr Kozak...

Dr Kozak: *is feeling lazy.. Shortens Cynthia Rose's name* Yes, CR?

Cynthia Rose: I need, no have, to tell you something.

Dr Kozak: *is sort of smiling* I inspire you...Yes I know...

Cynthia Rose: Well.. That... And something else.

Dr Kozak was fully surprised now.

Dr Kozak: Something else? What about?

Cynthia Rose: It depends... Can you keep a secret?

Dr Kozak: *eyes her weirdly* Yes... Yes I can. But what is it about first?

Cynthia Rose: It's about Lauriel.

Dr Kozak frowned.

Dr Kozak: Not trying to be rude or anything, CR, but I think that I've heard enough secrets about Lauriel to be honest.

Cynthia Rose: *stares at him intently* You sound annoyed.

Dr Kozak: I am annoyed.

Cynthia Rose: Why?

Dr Kozak: I don't like Lauriel. I hate her.

Cynthia Rose: You hate Lauriel?

Dr Kozak: Well... I hated her. Before she died. Before I malevolently killed her.

Cynthia Rose: But you had a right to kill her. She killed your son. And so did your sister Valentina, at the same time.

Dr Kozak: *is drinking orange flavoured Capri Sun from his pocket again* Yeah I know.. I've killed my sister as well... Anyway what is the secret about Lauriel?

Cynthia Rose: I'll start with the basics.

Dr Kozak: Uhm.. Okay?

Cynthia Rose: Dr Kozak.

Dr Kozak: Cynthia Rose?

Cynthia Rose: You know we're related, right?

And hearing that, Dr Kozak did a very massive spit take on his orange flavoured Capri sun.

Dr Kozak: *actually really happy* We're... We're related?!

Cynthia Rose:*nods vigorously* Yes. I'm your niece in law.

Dr Kozak: How are you my niece in law?

Cynthia Rose: Well, you see how you married Lauriel's mother?

Dr Kozak nodded really steadily, not believing what he had just heard.

Dr Kozak: Yeah.. What about that?

Cynthia Rose: You never married Lauriel's mother. You married my mother's sister. That therefore makes my mother your sister in law.

Dr Kozak: Wait. I'm confused. Lauriel's mother was your mother's sister? Were they twins or something?

Cynthia Rose: No. They weren't twins. In fact they weren't even related at all. They just somehow looked alike. And surprisingly had the same name, Felicity.

Dr Kozak: *confused* How is that even humanly possible?

Cynthia Rose: *nonchalantly shrugs her shoulders in response to what Kozak has asked her* I was thinking the same thing. Although it beats me. This planet is deranged and crazy.

Dr Kozak: *clicks his fingers continuously as he realises something* Wait. No. Diana's sister wasn't called Felicity. Her name was Isabelle. She changed it remember? Lauriel's mother's name was Felicity though.

Cynthia Rose: *seems kinda flustered and embarrassed* Oh. Either way, me and you are related. And Lauriel's mother and my mother's sister looked the same.

Silence filled the room as Dr Kozak was thinking of what to say that wasn't necessarily stupid.

Dr Kozak: So... I was never related to Lauriel?

Cynthia Rose: Nope.

Dr Kozak: *yells triumphantly, fist bumps the air* Yes! I hated Lauriel! She was my least favourite person in the entire world.

Cynthia Rose: That's kinda harsh.

Dr Kozak: Well, do you want me to lie? And the truth hurts.

Cynthia Rose: No. Lying is never the answer.

Dr Kozak: Wait. So how do I know Lauriel if we were never related?

Cynthia Rose: You were her next door neighbour...

Dr Kozak: Oh yeah.. Yes I was. And I hated her. You seem to know quite a lot more about my life than I do. How?

Cynthia Rose: A magician never reveals her secret.

Dr Kozak didn't say anything. He couldn't. There wasn't a reply, once again.

Cynthia Rose: I need to leave sir. *hugs him* Good luck in the mission.

Dr Kozak: *smiles faintly at her* Thanks, Cynthia.

Then watching her leave Dr Kozak smiled as he thought to himself:

Dr Kozak: She's such a sweet kid. I don't get why Esperanza hates her.

I don't get why anyone hates her.

Then Cynthia Rose was off once and for all.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Moral of chapter: Even the best characters in books have their own flaws and secrets.