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 ambulance came. The police went

"Who shoved her down?"

stiffened and shrank

younger sister's fear-stricken face, Cassandra made a

an argument. She lost her balance and fell over the railing herself," she

be able to withstand the pressure

She

policeman stared at the two

are coming back with us,"

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

difficult day Cassandra had ever had in her life. She was

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

dangerous emotion, and it resulted in the accident.

crying for a moment since she arrived at the police station. She could barely form coherent sentences and just kept saying that the accident had nothing to do with her. The police decided

they had finally agreed to let Cloris go as Cassandra was

see Cassandra before she left, and found her sister wearing a terrible and

but strange feelings crept through her chest as

whether Cassandra was really responsible for getting

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

mother when

whispered to Cloris. Cloris looked at Cassandra and bit her lip as she nodded. She left the

least for now, her sister was safe. She had to figure out what to do

is the lady now?" she asked the

to Michelle. The image of her crumpled, unmoving body was difficult to shake off, and she could

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