Should Old Grievances Be Forgot (A Silverlock Sisters Short Story)

(This story takes place after The Silverlock Sisters: Alien Hostage)

It was nearly the end of another year for Ruby Silverlock.

And what a year it had been! The silver-haired teenager pondered over everything that she'd been through as she walked through the quiet forest her family lived close to. The air was chilly and the ground was covered in frost. Ruby was well prepared for the weather, wrapped up warm and snug in her thick black winter coat, red gloves and black walking boots. While she missed going around Crescent Hill Forest back at her old home, she'd come to love this forest just as much, and so did her faithful companion Wilson. The little terrier scampered after her, blissfully unaware of what his owner was thinking about. Ruby still had a hard time believing that she'd really done everything she had done in this one year. She'd been through so much from rescuing a wayward Luminoid, fighting an evil organization that killed magic and otherworldly creatures regardless of their intentions, going on a holiday cruise around Norway, fighting against an insane cult that wanted to revive an evil dragon and this Christmas just gone, she and her sisters had helped an alien cop arrest a dangerous convict! And now here she was, on New Year's Eve, about to say goodbye to the current year and hello to the new! The young girl mulled it over. Had this year been full of terrors and close calls? Yes. But would she have swapped all that for the life she'd had before? Not a chance. Ruby enjoyed her life much more than she had done before. In this life, she had no school to waste her time with, no bullies to torment her over her silver hair, she no longer felt like a stranger in this world now she'd seen undeniable proof that magic and the supernatural were real and she'd gotten to see some amazing things that weren't always life-threatening. The day she'd met her friend Luna, she still considered the absolute highlight of the year. Ruby sighed wistfully as she thought about her Luminoid pal. Did Luminoids celebrate the New Year too? How long was a year in Luna's world? If only she could visit again and find out. Ruby turned to Wilson. The little dog was just sniffing at a pile of leaves. Ruby knelt down and stroked him softly.

"Hard to believe, isn't it buddy?" Ruby said softly, "This year's almost over already! And with how crazy this year was, just imagine what we'll get up to next year!"

Wilson just nuzzled her palm and wagged his tail. Ruby smiled.

"Heh, I bet you can't wait to see what's in store either." she chuckled.

She continued walking and let Wilson wander off ahead. Ruby intended to walk for a few more minutes, then turn around and go back home. Her family was planning a New Year's Eve party and they were currently setting things up. Her sisters were decorating while her parents were preparing the food. Ruby had helped, but somebody needed to take the dog a walk and Ruby volunteered to do so. She did like to help around the house, but sometimes she liked to get out for a while and just enjoy a quiet moment to herself. Ruby smiled with glee as she thought about tonight's party.

"To think everyone will be coming over." she said excitedly, "Uncle Gareth, Uncle Chris, Aunt Margot, Gloria, Grandma Iris, Granddad Kasim and Granddad Ronald. It'll be so great to see everybody!"

She knew she, Emerald and Sapphire had a lot of stories to tell once the family was here for the party. This party was going to be a big one with lots of celebrating, plenty to eat and way too much to drink. Ruby already imagined her dad and both her granddads would be completely wasted before the night was over. They loved a good drink before midnight. It made her giggle just thinking about it.

"Poor mum and Grandma Iris might have to drag their husbands to bed again like last year." Ruby laughed "Unless they keep the alcohol supply out of their reach that is."

She chuckled again. Then Ruby saw Wilson had begun to run off. Her eyes widened and she broke into a run after her canine companion. That was strange. Why was Wilson running off so suddenly?

"Oy, come back! Don't run off Wilson!" Ruby called after him, "Wilson!"

Thankfully, the curious dog didn't run very far. He'd seen another person up ahead and wanted to say hello. Ruby just smirked. That was typical of her little pet. He just couldn't resist saying hi to a total stranger. The stranger yelped as Wilson jumped up at them, but then they smiled and reached down to stroke Wilson. The dog licked the stranger's hand.

"Aw hello! Where did you come from little guy?"

Ruby's heart turned to ice. The stranger's voice was all too familiar to her. It was another teenage girl just like her, but this girl was the last person Ruby had wanted to see. She came up to the girl, hoping that she'd been mistaken. The girl was wearing a maroon coloured coat with a large hood, black leggings and dark blue wellington boots. The girl looked up, presumably because she could hear someone coming.

"Oh hi there, is this your dog?" the girl asked.

Ruby's stomach churned as she saw the girl's face. She had not been mistaken. This girl was exactly who she'd thought she was. It had been a year or two since she'd last seen her, but Ruby remembered the girl as if they'd met yesterday. She was tall and skinny, just a few inches higher than Ruby, had curly brown hair that was hidden by her hood, crooked teeth and dark brown eyes. The girl clearly recognized her too. Her face became a mask of surprise.

"Ruby Silverlock?!" the girl exclaimed.

"Heather Burrows." Ruby growled, her voice dripping with venom.

Wilson whimpered. He had a feeling something was wrong. He could sense Ruby's anger, and it made him anxious.

"Oh my god, it's really you! I haven't seen you in ages!" Heather shrieked, "How's life nowadays? One of my mates at Creek Hill School said you stopped coming in during the summer and you haven't been back since! Where you been all this time? Are you skipping school and causing trouble or something?"

"Goodbye." Ruby said bluntly, quickly turning on her heels and walking away.

There was no way on this Earth she was going to waste her precious time recapping what had happened to her to this horrible girl! Ruby tapped her thigh and Wilson obediently followed her. Wilson briefly looked back to Heather, seeming to wonder if he should stay, then carried on after Ruby. Heather felt hurt, but she also couldn't blame Ruby for such a curt reaction. She'd even expected it. The brunette girl ran after Ruby and grabbed her by the arm.

"Wait, wait, wait! Don't just go swanning off like that! I've actually been hoping to see you again. Please stay and hear me out, for I've got something to tell you." Heather said desperately.

"I've got better things to do than waste my precious time with a horrible piece of crap like you." Ruby snarled, "GOOD. BYE."

She carried on walking without breaking pace despite Heather grabbing her arm. She yanked her arm out of Heather's hand and quickened her pace. The silver-haired girl wanted nothing more than to get as far away from Heather as possible. Wilson scampered after her, sensing his owner was unhappy and she might need him. Heather refused to give in. She ran after Ruby again and stopped in front of her. Ruby glared at her icily.

"Do you want me to break your face or something?" she hissed, "Leave me alone and go bother someone else!"

"I get it, I really do." Heather said sympathetically, "I'm the last person you ever want to see after the way I've treated you in the past."

"Congratulations, you've figured me out. Now sod off!" Ruby shouted.

"No!" Heather shouted back, "Not until you at least give me a chance to explain myself and show you I'm not the girl I used to be anymore!"

"Don't make me laugh. You haven't changed a bit." Ruby said dismissively, "Now final warning! Get lost or you'll be going home with a broken nose!"

Heather gulped. She remembered all too well how violent Ruby could be when she was in a bad mood. The last time they'd ever seen each other had ended with her needing to see the school nurse for a serious nosebleed and some missing teeth. She could already feel Ruby's fist slamming into her face again. The teenager held up her hands, hoping to show she meant no harm.

"OK, OK, I'll make you a deal." Heather said quickly, "If you hear me out and listen to what I have to say, then I'll leave you alone and you don't have to worry about me ever again. I don't mind if you want to forgive me or not, but please just let me say what I want to say. Once I'm done, you can go and I'll leave you be. Deal?"

Ruby wanted nothing to do with Heather. She was tempted to just slam her fist into her nose and walk home. But she supposed that wouldn't do any good. Heather would probably just come back and keep bothering her until she gave in. She also thought back to earlier. Heather had been nice to Wilson. Heather had NEVER been nice to anyone during their school days, not even animals. She still remembered one horrible time in the school playground when she'd thrown a rock at a bird and laughed when she'd scared it away. Yet this Heather hadn't been mean to her dog and her first reaction upon seeing Ruby hadn't been to insult her. Maybe she had changed after all and she was being too quick to assume? Ruby shrugged.

"Fine. Deal. Once you've said your piece, I'm never to see or hear from you again." Ruby said coldly, "Understand?"

"Completely." Heather said agreeably, "Do you want to stand, or should we find a bench to sit at together?"

Ruby saw a bench nearby and beckoned to it. The two girls went over to the bench. Wilson obediently followed and he sat down by Ruby's feet. He nuzzled her shins and Ruby patted him softly. Heather smiled with awe.

"Your dog is so cute." she complimented, "How long have you had him?"

"What do you want to say then?" Ruby said, ignoring the question, "I just want to get this over with, so get to the bloody point."

"Sheesh, and you gave me an earful for being a jerk back then..." Heather muttered indignantly.

She spread her hands across her thighs and shifted her feet uncomfortably. She lowered her hood and all at once, her curly hair tumbled out over her shoulders. She cleared her throat anxiously and looked to Ruby.

"Ruby, this is very long overdue, and I've been wanting to say this to you for months now." she began, "But you disappeared from school, so I never got a chance until now. Ruby...I'm very sorry for the way I treated you back then." she said solemnly.

Ruby thought her ears had fallen off. Was she going crazy, or did Heather ACTUALLY just apologize to her?! This had to be an illusion or some crazy dream! No way had she heard Heather say those words! Ruby leaned closer to Heather and raised an eyebrow.

"Say that again?" Ruby demanded.

"I'm very sorry for what a jerk I was to you." Heather said again, stressing each word so that Ruby wouldn't mishear.

Ruby folded her arms and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"You're having a laugh if you think I'm gonna believe that rubbish." she sneered, "Heather Burrows NEVER apologizes for bullying others. You're clearly having me on or something. I bet this is another prank, yet another attempt to humiliate me like all the other times."

"I'm not lying! This isn't a prank!" Heather protested, "I really mean it!"

"Do you heck?" Ruby scoffed, "And even if you did, why should I accept your apology? You really think the words "I'm sorry" will wash away all the horrible things you did to me in the past?!"

She got so worked up and fuelled by anger that she had to stand up in order to let it all out of her system. Heather shrank back in her seat in fright.

"Don't think I've forgotten all about that!" Ruby ranted, "Getting the entire class to call me "Silvilocks", daring a group of boys to pull my hair off, tripping me over when going down the stairs, making me spill my lunch all over myself, throwing water balloons at me in the playground, and that's not even getting into how horrible you were to my sisters!" she growled, ticking off every point she made on her fingers, "Picking on me was one thing, but picking on them was unforgivable! You shamed Sapphire for being a bookworm and you made Emerald cry, and there's no greater crime in the world than making my little sister cry! So who the hell do you think you are daring to come to me with some lame ass apology and expecting it to be water under the bridge?!"

The 15-year-old panted heavily. All that shouting had drained quite a bit out of her. Wilson whined in concern for his owner. Heather was too stunned to reply. She wasn't just frightened by how angry Ruby was and how loudly she'd been shouting, but she was also reminded of how despicable she'd been before. Yes, she had done all of that to Ruby, and she'd also been awful towards Emerald and Sapphire too. It was all on her, and she only had herself to blame for her terrible behaviour. She looked down at her feet in shame.

"I knew that would be your reaction. And I deserve it." Heather acknowledged, "The way I treated you, it was abysmal! This may shock you, but I'm actually disgusted with myself for being such a bully back then."

Ruby recoiled in disbelief. Now she was definitely convinced this wasn't really Heather Burrows. Heather Burrows NEVER showed any remorse for her actions! What the hell was going on? The silver-haired girl narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"You...you are?!" Ruby blurted.

"Call me a liar all you want, but it's the truth." Heather admitted, "I really am disgusted with myself. I was a complete monster and I have no one to blame but myself for my actions. It was wrong of me and I wish I could undo all of those horrible things I did, not just to you, but to everybody at school!"

Ruby sat back down beside Heather and looked closely at her. She was stunned at what she saw, but Heather...looked genuine with what she was saying. She genuinely looked ashamed of herself. There was no sign of deception in her face or the way she'd spoken. She no longer had that arrogant, condescending smirk on her face or that cruel look in her eyes. This was not the girl who used to bully her anymore. This was a girl with a tonne of regret weighing on her shoulders. Ruby began to feel bad for being so harsh. If she could appreciate Alice wanting to apologize for trying to kill Emerald, then surely she could give Heather a chance too?

"What happened to you?" Ruby asked curiously, "Why are you so...un-Heather for lack of a better term?"

Heather's toes turned inwards until they touched each other. She looked away sadly.

"An epiphany, that's what happened." Heather said glumly, "Remember how you punched me in the face for making Emerald cry?"

Ruby snorted. As if she could forget!

"Well since then, the people who I thought were my friends turned on me." Heather explained, "You thought I made your life hell at school? Those people did the same for me! They saw me as "weak" and "pathetic" because of how you dealt with me. I was nothing more than a loser to them now. They stopped being my friends and, I guess you could say, gave me a taste of my own medicine. I was the top dog at school. Now I've been thrown to the wolves."

She wrapped her arms around herself in dismay as the awful memories came back to her. Ruby mulled over what Heather had said. Now she came to think of it, she did remember seeing Heather at times during school assembly and she looked a little worse for wear. She hadn't cared at the time, even once thinking Heather was getting what she deserved, but now she realized how bad it had been and it disgusted her for ever thinking that. Ruby wouldn't have thought it possible at the time, but Heather had become a victim just like her.

"It was horrible! I went home with cuts and bruises every day, the teachers didn't do jack at the bullying and if I tried to stand up for myself, they just doubled down on the bullying!" Heather went on, "I actually wanted to kill myself because of it!" she wailed, her eyes welling up with tears.

Heather began to shake. Recapping that particular part was making her uneasy and Ruby could see it. The 15-year-old reeled back in shock. It was impossible to believe. It had really gotten that bad for Heather?

"You WHAT?! That's awful!" Ruby shrieked in horror, "Seriously, even I wouldn't have wanted you to do that!"

"That's because you're not a piece of crap like those people are." Heather mumbled. She went on, "I seriously got close to killing myself. But then my little brother saw what I was doing and he begged me not to do it. The look on his face will stick with me forever...I was disgusted at myself! I thought "What the hell am I doing?!" and I just broke down in his arms. I was seriously going to just leave him like that because of some rotten bullies?! After my brother saved me, I talked to mum and dad about my problems and they gave the school a firm talking to about the bullying that was going on. And thankfully, that changed everything. "

Ruby nodded as she suddenly saw where this was going.

"That suddenly explains why bullying incidents went down some time before I left..." she murmured.

"Yep. You may have remembered that my parents are pretty influential people in this town." Heather replied, "The head teacher knew better than to get on their bad side. Thanks to them, the bullying more or less stopped and life improved for me after. But the whole experience shook me to my core. It made me realize how rotten I'd been and how my victims must've felt. So now I've sworn to change my ways and be a better person from here on out." she declared, holding her fist to her heart as if making a solemn vow.

Heather looked to Ruby again with tear-soaked eyes. Ruby felt as if a fist had slammed into her heart. It genuinely felt gutting to see the usually cruel and sadistic Heather looking so remorseful and guilty.

"As I said Ruby, it's no lie and I really am not trying to trick you." Heather insisted, "I really am sorry for what I've done to you, for what I've done to your sisters, for what I've done in general! I understand if you don't want to accept my apology, but please understand that I really have changed and I really do want to make things better for myself and for those I've hurt in the past. I guess you could call that my New Year's resolution." she added with a slight smile.

Ruby couldn't help smiling herself. It only seemed appropriate considering what today was.

"So...do you forgive me?" Heather asked anxiously.

Ruby had to think it over very carefully. She turned away from Heather as she thought. Wilson looked to his owner as if curious what Ruby was going to say. A part of Ruby still hated Heather for her cruelty and for being such a beast to her before. But that was then. This was now, and Heather had clearly changed for the better. Ruby had seen it herself. She was remorseful, she felt guilty and she'd been able to see it from her victim's perspectives now she'd been bullied herself. Ruby thought it would be wretched of her to not at least appreciate what Heather was doing. She wanted to change for the better, so why not give her a chance? It took a few minutes, but Ruby finally gave her answer.

"I don't think I can forgive you, at least not right away." Ruby said as honestly as she could, "It's going to take a while for me to ever forgive you for what you did before, especially making Emerald cry."

Heather looked down at her feet, looking completely crestfallen. But Ruby wasn't finished yet. She patted Heather on the arm and the brunette girl looked back at her, wondering what she wanted.

"But I can at least say thank you for making the effort anyway." Ruby said kindly, "I'm glad you want to be a better person now, and that to me is enough for me to bury the hatchet at last."

Heather beamed with delight. Her heart swelled with joy. That was a much better reply than what she'd expected.

"You...you really mean it?" Heather asked with awe.

"Sure! You realize being a bully was bad and you want to make up for it." Ruby said proudly, "How can I hate you for that? Most bullies never stop being arseholes and keep being arseholes for the rest of their lives. The fact you want to change is worth giving credit for. If it means anything Heather...I hope you continue to become a better person."

The former bully was so grateful to Ruby for her kind words that she hugged her in appreciation. She began to cry as her emotions began to overwhelm her, but Ruby could tell these were tears of joy. It felt weird being hugged by the girl who had once bullied her, but Ruby appreciated it anyway. She returned the hug.

"Thank you Ruby! Thank you!" Heather shrieked with delight, "I never thought you'd give me the time of day, but you did! I'm so happy we can make things up at last!"

"You're very welcome." Ruby said graciously, "I'm still reeling over how much you've changed honestly, but I like the new you. You're way better now than you were before."

"I sure am! And I like the new me too." Heather beamed, "I really do like being nice to people. It's way better than being a jerk like I used to be."

"And I hope you stay true to your word." Ruby said firmly, "Keep being better and keep being a good person Heather. I assure you, life will look up a lot more for you if you do."

"I will. And thank you once again for hearing me out." Heather said appreciatively, "You can go now if you like."

Ruby chuckled. That had been the deal after all.

"Actually, I think we can talk a bit longer." Ruby offered, "After all, I do owe you an explanation for what I've been up to lately and why I've not been back at school. But you must keep it to yourself, OK?"

"Your secret's safe with me." Heather said kindly.

Ruby explained everything to her former bully. She started from the day she'd seen Draven's Cyber Dragon and ended with her alien encounter at Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. It was amazing to Ruby how Heather had given her such a hard time at school, now she and her were chatting like they were old friends. By the time she'd finished, Heather's face had become a mask of astonishment. Her mouth was a perfect O shape and her eyes were wide with disbelief.

"No...bleeding...way!" she screeched, throwing her hands up and down with each word, "You did all that since the summer?! No wonder you haven't been at school!"

"You believe me then?" Ruby asked incredulously.

"While it sounds unbelievable, yes I do." Heather said brightly, "You're not the lying type after all. Besides, only a complete idiot would think you're making up a story as incredible as that!"

"And they would be idiotic to think so, because it's all true." Ruby insisted, "I'm now a supernatural explorer and I have to save innocent creatures from hunters and save the world from evil threats. Needless to say, it's been quite a year!" she joked, trying to make light of it all.

"No kidding!" Heather laughed, "I'm glad that wasn't me, I don't think my heart would've taken all that!"

"Remember, you mustn't tell anybody about all this." Ruby said firmly, "You promise you won't tell anyone?"

"The old me would've laughed in your face and spilled the beans." Heather scoffed, "But the new me can be trusted to keep a secret. I won't tell anyone, not even my little brother."

She held out her hand.

"Well...goodbye Ruby. I best get going, and I'm sure you have to get going too. New Year's Eve and all that jazz." the ex-bully said meekly.

"Of course." Ruby agreed, "My family's having a party for the occasion. Goodbye Heather, and thank you for taking the time to apologize to me."

The girls shook hands as a token of their newfound friendship. Gone were the days of them being enemies. From this day forward, the two could start again, as friends.

"And thank YOU for hearing me out." Heather said with delight, "You've really made my New Year's Eve! Hopefully next time, I can have a chance to make it up to your sisters too."

"I'd like that. See you around Heather." Ruby said, waving jovially.

"And you. Happy New Year!" Heather said in farewell.

"Happy New Year." Ruby replied.

The two teens waved goodbye and then turned to go their own ways. Ruby and Wilson walked back home together while Heather headed in another direction towards her own home. Ruby looked over her shoulder and saw Heather disappear into the forest. She smiled to herself as she took in what had just occurred. Now she could add this to the list of incredible things that had happened this year. She sighed in contentment, glad to have buried an old grudge for good.

"Looks like this year's really ending on a high note..." Ruby said to herself.

THE END

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Book 1: Ruby Silverlock: Supernatural Explorer | Universal Book Links Help You Find Books at Your Favorite Store!

Book 2: Emerald Silverlock: A Cruise To Adventure | Universal Book Links Help You Find Books at Your Favorite Store!

Book 3: Sapphire Silverlock: The Curse of the Dragon Tattoo | Universal Book Links Help You Find Books at Your Favorite Store!

Book 4: The Silverlock Sisters: Alien Hostage | Universal Book Links Help You Find Books at Your Favorite Store!