“MAGGIE has to undergo some psychological tests, Madison,” Jacob told Madison after Maggie went inside her room to have rest. “I have a bad feeling about it—”

“Well, I don’t,” Madison countered. “My daughter is fine, Jacob.”

Jacob let out a sigh and looked at Maggie’s room. “She felt exhausted after what happened. It was as if it consumed all her energy even if the incident happened in a matter of minutes.”

“So, what are you trying to say?” Madison asked Jacob in a raised voice. “That my daughter has a mental problem? Is that it?”

“Madison, lower your down your voice,” Jacob told her calmly. “I’m a doctor, and I know what’s happening with my child,” he said, stressing the last terms. “And, based on my observations to her while we’re at the police station, I’m afraid that…” he paused, then glanced at Maggie’s room again. “I’m afraid that he might be suffering from a personality disorder.”

Madison’s brows furrowed. “P-Personality disorder?” She then remembered how Maggie swept her hand away when she touched her shoulder to ask if she’s okay. “That’s impossible…”

“The precinct incident is one proof that there’s something wrong with Maggie,” Jacob said. “It came from the police officer that Maggie admitted to them she stabbed the man’s eye. And, the man that molested her added that Maggie acted differently before we arrived.”

She looked away from Jacob. This couldn’t be happening to Maggie. Madison might not take it if even her only child suffers from a mental problem. “Nothing’s wrong to Maggie,” she said in a stern voice. “Maybe she’s just shocked at what happened. And, did you see the video? That’s traumatic!”

If not for the video, Maggie would end up in jail for assault and frustrated homicide that the man filed against her. But because he was also proven guilty, he withdrew his complaints and offered an agreement to them that he won’t file a complaint if they pulled their charges too. Still, Madison was determined to teach the man a lesson.

“I saw it too, Madison,” Jacob told her. “And, I saw the transition of Maggie’s emotions. Her tone of voice in the video is different from her soft voice when she denied stabbing the man.” Jacob tried to hold her hand, but she swept his hand away. “Listen, Madison. Maggie has to be checked before she gets worse—”

Madison slapped him. “Don’t you ever say that again, Jacob,” she said in between her teeth. “This is all your fault.”

“That’s why I wanted to help,” Jacob answered with furrowed brows. “And, I am not here because of you, Madison. I only cared about Maggie.”

“Nothing’s wrong with Maggie,” she said. “Leave us alone, Dr. Jacob.”

When Jacob left, Madison broke down in tears. She looked at Maggie’s room and thought about what Jacob said. She remembered the day of William’s wake, and they saw Maggie killing the kitten. She was a three-year-old toddler that time. And, from that shocking incident, Madison suspected that Maggie might have a trauma, so she let Jacob treated her with therapy. After a few months, Maggie was back into her cheerful self, and her memory of her father killing himself in front of her vanished permanently.

To help Maggie heal, they sold their old house and used the money to buy a new home near Maggie’s school. Everything seemed to be fine and normal with Maggie for the past twenty years… Except with the several moments that Madison noticed something odd with Maggie. And it happened again now.

~0~

“WHERE are you yesterday?” Rose asked Maggie when she saw her walking alone on the school ground. “I stalked your social media accounts to see if you’re up to something important for skipping classes, but I only saw a snapshot of pancake.”

Maggie knotted her forehead. “I don’t eat pancakes,” she said and avoided her eyes. “Maybe it was my mom’s,” she added, pretending that she was looking for somebody in the field.

“If you’re looking for Dustin, he hasn’t come yet,” Rose said. “And, it’s the first time that he didn’t come on time.”

“Maybe he hard a time riding a bus,” she said and smiled. “It’s difficult to get a bus in rush hour.”

“How did you know? You have a family car that brings you and picks you up at school?” Rose asked with an arched brow.

She giggled and took out her phone from her bag. “I took a bus yesterday and saw him.” She went to the gallery to show her classmate the stolen shots of Dustin. “Look. He’s so handsome, right?”

“Wait for a second, if you took a bus yesterday going to school, then why are you absent?”

Maggie pressed her lips together. “Something came up, and I have to go home early,” she said and turned around but bumped with a student. “I’m sorry,” she said, without looking up.

“Maggie, that’s Dustin,” Rose whispered to her.

Maggie looked up and saw Dustin’s scowled expression. But even with furrowed brows, he still looked handsome. “I-I’m sorry, Dustin—”

“Watch your step,” Dustin said in a low voice and walked past them.

Maggie and Rose watched walked away from them. “How does he smells?”

She looked at Rose and grinned from ear to ear. “He smelled like a baby,” she said and giggled. “When will he notice me?”

Rose shook her head. “You’ve got no chance, Maggie. He only speaks to his classmates, especially the girl he’s always with.”

“Who? The girl with a very short name?” she asked with a laugh. “Well, time will come that Dustin will ask me about something, and it will be the start of our closeness.”

All throughout their class, Maggie’s thoughts lingered on Dustin and how good he smelled. As soon as their professor in Algebra stepped out from their room, Rose approached her. Maggie was busy staring at the notes on her notebook that she couldn’t remember writing it there.

“Maggie, where do you want to eat lunch?” she asked.

“Anywhere,” she replied half-listening. 

“What are you looking at?” Rose asked, then looked at her notebook, but Maggie closed it.

“Let’s go out,” she said and raised from her seat. “I’m craving pasta—” She paused when she saw Dustin standing in front of their room. But because she knew that he might be just waiting for a professor or one of his classmates, Maggie walked past him. 

“Maggie,” Dustin called her name that made her and Rose halted.

Maggie turned slowly and looked at him, questioningly. “Did you just call me?”

Dustin nodded. “May I speak with you for a moment?”

***