Edna nodded in agreement.
As they emerged from the rock garden, Edna had already devised a n, whispering a few words to Darleen.
Upon hearing this, Darleen went pale, "Mom, are you serious?"
"Absolutely," Edna replied. "Darleen, you know what to do when we see J, right?"
Darleen nodded.
"That''s my girl.” Edna''s lips curled into a satisfied smile.
Edna was locking for J, and as it happened, J was looking for Edna too.
The reason was simple.
Edna had made it a daily ritual to bring her a nutritious broth, something J had be dependent on. Skipping it for even a day left J
lethargic and coughing up blood.
And with Edna being so devoted and caring, J always enjoyed their little chats.
"Edna!" J rounded the corner and spotted Edna and Darleen walking towards her.
"J!" Darleen rushed over, pretending to be fond of J and hugged her, even though she was internally repulsed by the act
If it wasn''t for her ambition to be the granddaughter of the prestigious Lindsay family, she wouldn''t demean herself like this.
J was overjoyed, "Darleen, you''re here toc! My dear granddaughter, I''ve missed you so much!"
"Grandma, I''ve missed you too! But with my SATsing up. I''ve been holed up at home studying!" Darleen clung to J''s arm.
Jughed, "Right, right, the SATs are important. With your smarts, I''m sure you''ll get into a great university!"
"J," Edna approached with a smile, "Darleen, let''s not bother J now, go on.”
"It''s fine, it''s fine, I treat Darleen as my own granddaughter,” J waved it off.
Then, Jangt-continued, "Edna, it''s sa
kind of you to remember this old-.~
lady and bring me broth every day!
Without you, I''d probably be Six feet
under by now!"
i
Edna quickly hushed her, "J, don''t talk like that! You''re going to live to be a hundred!"
Darleen chimed in, "My mom''s right, J, you''re definitely going to live a long and healthy life."
J was utterly charmed by the mother and daughter.
They moved to the living roomPublished by N?v''elD/rama.Org.
Edna served the nutritious broth from a thermos, then casually mentioned, "J, isn''t today Sunday? I haven''t seen Gerry around.”
J replied, "That boy''s been acting all mysterioustely! Barely see him around.”
Hearing this, Darleen joined in, "J, one of my ssmates is good friends with Gerry, and I heard... I heard..."
"Heard what?" J looked up at Darleen, visibly anxious.
"I, I, I''m scared to say..." Darleen bit her lip.
"Did something happen to Gerry?" J pressed.
"I''m scared to say..." Darleen was on the verge of tears.
Edna frowned, "What can''t you tell J? Out with it! Do you want to worry her to death?”
J took Darleen''s hand kindly, "Dear, don''t be afraid. Tell grandma what''s really going on.”
Darleen hesitantly said, "My
ssmate told me, Gerry''s been ~
acting really weirdtely, his 5
backpack''s always got bags of white
powder and some long paper
strips..."
-
J''s face fell.
Delia contjfued, "Hearing that BN
reminds I me, I passed by the young
master''s room earlier and saw.
several bags of that powder 0 on his
desk too!" . 10
ig
"That scoundrel! His days of ying the fool are over!" J mmed the table, her face contorted in anger.