Chapter 2: Chapter 1: Hope Agency is Now Open!

It was not the season to be jolly. At least not to Scarlett Hopkins. The Christmas tree decorations were slipshod. The colourfully cluttered walls were an eyesore. Especially when compared to its clinical and clean arrangement days before. It was all too much for the dark-haired girl, who slinked further into the shadows. But soon she would be free from all of this. 

Avoiding the nearby patrons, she guided herself with her luggage in tow, and made her way to the exit. With the swoosh of the doors, she was met with the biting wind of winter. Despite the sun having already finished setting, the hustle and bustle refused to cease as people prepared for the festive season. Scarlett mentally groaned. Why were there more people outside the building than inside?

She brought her red scarf closer to her face, trying her best to avoid eye contact with anyone. The last thing she wanted was for people to see her leave St Coleman’s Hospital. But of course, that didn’t happen.

“Scarlett!” a voice called out behind her. 

She turned around to see a tall man jog after her. His jet-black hair was styled with a fringe, while a small horn protruded through. His clothes were fairly simple; a shirt and some slacks. But Scarlett couldn’t make out the details, as he wore a white lab coat which covered most of his body. The man flashed a smile as he halted in front of her. “I can’t believe you’re leaving without saying goodbye!” he said.

“I thought you’d be sick of my face by now,” she replied.

The man chuckled at Scarlett’s retort. “Well, it would be nice to never see you again,” he feigned contemplation. 

“Hm? I guess I should find somewhere else to donate blood to in the future, then.”

“Scarlett!” His eyes began to sparkle. “You were thinking of donating here after being discharged?” He clapped his hands. “Well, of course you’re welcome here anytime! Your blood’s a universal donor! We could save so many lives! Actually, why don’t we go back inside right now?”

The girl narrowed her eyes. “Well, if you don’t think I’m ready to be discharged Asa, you can just say—” 

The man placed his hand on Scarlett’s shoulder. “I’m only messing with you, kid. Of course, I’m happy you’re leaving. You worked so hard on recovering. And I couldn’t be any more prouder, not only as your doctor, but also as your friend. And if you don’t want to donate your blood anymore, that’s fine. It’s not your responsibility. You should live your life however you want now. But try to live a life where you’re not sent here again. I have enough patients as it is!” He shared a hearty laugh, causing a soft smile to creep up on Scarlett. 

Yeah, I should live however I want.

“Oi oi, what’s going on here, then?”

In the distance, a trio of girls made their way to them. The one with short platinum blonde hair, shared a soft smile. She was much taller than the rest, towering over them by a few heads. She wore a simple white winter parka, with matching earmuffs. Next to her, a girl with blue hair peeking through her white, woolly hat, gave a simple wave. She was wrapped tightly in a sky-coloured woollen overcoat. 

But the one that drew the most attention was the one who spoke. Her tawny-pinkish mane was tamed into pigtails, allowing a clear view of her cat ears. Her leopard-printed coat was usually an eyesore to Scarlett, but at this moment she couldn’t help but feel comfort at the sight of it.

After all, these girls were her family. 

The girl with the leopard-printed coat, cocked a smile as she sauntered over to Scarlett’s side. She wrapped an arm around her younger sibling. “I know she’s annoying, but are you really that happy to see her go, Doc?” she grinned.

“Leya, I think you’re the annoying one here,” the blue-hair girl tutted, but she couldn’t hide her smirk.

“Huh? What did you say, Zero?” she growled.

“Now, now girls,” Dr Asa Snapdragon said. “This is not the time and place. You shouldn’t put unnecessary stress on Scarlett.” He turned to the dark-haired girl, “Although, we’re sending you back, I wanna do a check-up later this week to make sure you’re settling in ok. I’ll get Darleen to send the information. Make sure you turn up.”

“Oh, we’ll make sure she’s there, Dr. Snapdragon,” said Zero.

“Yeah, we’ll drag her here if we have to!” Leya tightened her grip on Scarlett. 

“Uh...why are you acting like I wouldn’t turn up?” Scarlett tensed under Leya’s weight. She shared a glance at the taller girl, hoping for some enlightenment about what the other two were scheming. But the girl continued to share her soft smile, conveying a simple message. 

“Don’t worry, they’re just messing with you.”

But Scarlett’s eyes fell to see her cold, red hands clenched into a tight fist. The keys to the car peeked through her fingers. She gulped at the sight as she could almost hear another message being relayed through analysing the older girl’s body language.

“But if we don’t hurry up, I’m leaving you guys to freeze.”

“Guys…I think Juno’s cold,” Scarlett said.

The other two whipped around to see the taller girl, before also reading her body language. They quickly exchanged goodbyes, as they rushed away.

The journey home was relatively short, but unfamiliar to Scarlett. She hadn’t been to the new house yet. But growing up in the city of London, she quickly recognised the Christmas-lit streets that led to her new home. Her sisters guided her past the festive decorations to the terracotta bricks that would be her place of rest; a terrace house that matched every other building nearby. But unlike the others, this one was devoid of light.

Leya stayed behind with Scarlett, as they unloaded the luggage, while the other two rushed off inside. Scarlett’s thoughts darkened, as lights slowly blinked inside the house. I guess they didn’t want the house to feel empty when I arrived. 

Although she knew she should have felt happy with their efforts, a weight in her chest returned. The last thing she wanted was for them to burden themselves with her problems. She began to gently rub her chest, hoping it would provide some form of comfort. But the idea of her sisters being all alone consumed her. Because it was all her fault—  

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“—Oi, what’re you thinking so hard about?” Leya said, almost through the front door. “Come inside, it’s freezing.”

Scarlett shuffled to her sister’s side. Leya guided her to the living room, planting all of Scarlett's belongings there. The room held the essentials; a grey sofa, a matching coffee table and a tv. But only because it couldn’t hold anything else, as a large, but bare, Christmas tree took over an entire corner and a half of the room. 

“We thought it would be fun to decorate it together,” Zero said, appearing behind Scarlett. She guided her further into the room, where the mustard-yellow and wooden accents became clearer.

“Please tell me you got the baubles to match the room,” Leya said. “I spent ages decorating this place and I don’t want that tree to ruin my work!” She plonked herself onto the sofa. 

Zero laughed. “Yeah, I got the grey ones that you pointed out before.”

The two continued their back and forth, but Scarlett wasn’t paying attention. Her eyes trained on the barren tree. Although it wasn’t as much of an eyesore as the sapling at the hospital, there was something uncanny about the naked conifer. 

“Why didn’t you just decorate it without me?” Scarlett’s voice was soft. 

“Huh?” Leya cocked a brow. “Because it’s Christmas, dummy. And we celebrate together.”

“But you had no idea I’d come back in time.”

An uncomfortable silence settled between the sisters. Until Leya threw one of the cushions at Scarlett. “Oi, that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t celebrate together. We would visit you at the hospital, just like last year, and stick some tinsel on that damn tree at the last minute.” 

Scarlett barely reacted to the blow. She continued to stare at the tree. “Hm, no wonder you waited for me this time. It would probably look terrible if you decorated it on your own,” Scarlett deadpanned.

“You little—”

—the sound of a chime rang in the air, beckoning the girls to the kitchen. A sign that Juno was calling them.

“Ha, saved by the bell,” Leya scoffed, dragging herself off the sofa and leaving the room. 

“Oh, it’s finally ready. Come on, June’s been prepping this bad boy since this morning.” Zero directed Scarlett to the hallway and both of them made their way to the kitchen.

Just before Scarlett’s foot stepped through the doorway, party poppers exploded around her. A chorus of “Welcome home!” flooded the room. Scarlett scanned the area; banners and balloons of all sorts of colours were placed all around. 

She turned to her sisters’ side, only to be met with a beautiful, but simply, decorated chocolate cake. Her favourite. Juno placed the treat on the kitchen counter, before grabbing the youngest sister into a firm hug. 

“We didn’t have a chance to say it before, but we’ve missed you so much,” she signed after she let go. “Welcome home, Scarlett.”

Scarlett’s heart welled, sharing a soft smile. She also missed her family. Even though the visits at the hospital were often, it was always cut too short for Scarlett’s liking. But now, she could be by their side and make it up to them.

“Ah, June, you’re gonna make her cry if you keep that up!” Leya chuckled.

“You’re right! Now’s not the time to be sappy, we’ve got a party to celebrate! The girls are finally back together now!” Zero cheered, turning on a stereo.

The girls continued their celebration, but Scarlett couldn’t let go of the heavy feeling in her chest. It was her fault that everything had to change in the first place. She must have caused them so much trouble while she was away.

She glanced at the room. The countertops were wooden, while the cupboards held a grey finish, matching the interior of the house. Everyone continued dancing and chatting but she couldn’t bring herself to join them. She stared at the slice of chocolate cake in her hands, unable to take a bite out of her favourite dessert. 

They had finally rebuilt a home and she wasn’t there to help them. Even though she was to blame for their reasons to start over, they refused to resent her. It didn’t make any sense. They should have been angry and upset. But here they were, laughing and smiling at each other.

The room became stuffier, as the music droned on and on. The heaviness in her heart was suffocating. Scarlett shot up from her seat and made her way to the backdoor of the house.

“Lettie, what’s wrong?” Zero asked.

“I just need some fresh air.” Scarlett couldn’t bring herself to face them, walking immediately through the door after she spoke.

“Wait—”

But the door slammed and she was gone.

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