A Graduation Gift

They were going dangerously closer and closer to the railing on the third floor as they grappled.

Cassandra hurriedly put down the bags in her hands and rushed to stop them. Cloris kept pulling on Michelle's clothes as Michelle grabbed her hand. Neither of them was willing to yield.

In one strong motion, Cloris pulled hard and pushed Michelle away. The woman staggered on her high heels as her back hit the railing.

After pushing the older woman away, Cloris smoothed her rumpled clothes and ran a hand through her hair before looking down at Michelle with mocking eyes.

"You should know better than fighting with younger people, you old hag," she sneered.

Cassandra's eyes fell on Michelle as well, and at once she noticed that something was wrong. Michelle did not move and there was a pained look in her face. She could not even stand up straight as her ankle burned.

Cassandra's first instinct was to move forward and help Michelle, but Michelle shook her arms off, refusing her help.

However, she shoved too hard. All of a sudden, she lost her balance and fell off the railing backwards, her scream echoing across the mall.

Cassandra extended her hand and tried to catch Michelle, but her fingers found themselves clutching only the silk scarf that Michelle wore around her neck. There was a heavy thud as Michelle's body fell on the ground.

The people on the first floor rushed to where she fell. A dreadful atmosphere was rising as Michelle's body stayed unmoving.

It was only a matter of moments before the security guards pushed through the crowd, and then looked up. Their eyes met Cassandra's in shock.

She stood by the railing, a scarf hanging in her outstretched hand.

Blood drained from her face as she looked down at Michelle's body.

Her mind blanked out. Things happened too quickly for her to be able to comprehend what had just happened.

She straightened up and turned to look back at Cloris. Cloris's face mirrored her own, her eyes blown wide in fear and disbelief.

The police went to the third floor to interrogate the two

"Who shoved her down?"

asked. Cloris stiffened and shrank back in horror.

face, Cassandra made a terrible decision.

She lost

if Cloris was taken away for questioning. She would not be able to withstand the pressure for long and would admit her guilt

even more after she heard Cassandra's answer. She

stared at the two

you are coming back with us,"

policeman's orders, Cassandra and Cloris were jammed into the police car and brought to

had ever had in her life. She

Cloris, she made no mention of the fight. Instead of her

was a dangerous emotion, and it

sentences and just kept saying that the accident had nothing to do with her. The police decided that there was nothing more to get out from her except

seemed to be an eternity, they had finally agreed to let Cloris go as Cassandra was

left, and found her

crept through her chest as

whether Cassandra was really responsible

be ruled as a serious crime, but Cassandra bore the weight of her mistake. How could such a

tell mother when you get back,"

she nodded. She left

At least for now, her sister was safe. She had

she asked the policeman

her crumpled, unmoving body was difficult to shake off, and she could feel anxiety brimming

still in the emergency room. The doctors are trying to rescue her. You ladies were fighting, weren't you? What were