"Facing The consequences"

Aarav's mom turned to Sarah, her expression stern. "Sarah, I'm very disappointed in you," she said, her voice firm. "You're a good girl, but skipping school is not acceptable behaviour."

Sarah looked down, shamefaced. "I'm sorry, Aunty," she muttered.

But Aarav's mom was not finished. "Sorry? Sorry isn't enough, Sarah. You're 12 years old, and you need to start taking responsibility for your actions. Skipping school can have serious consequences, and I won't have you influencing Aarav to do the same."

Sarah looked up, tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean to influence Aarav, Aunty. It was just a stupid mistake."

Aarav's mom sighed, her expression softening slightly. "I know you didn't mean to, Sarah. But you need to think about the consequences of your actions. Now, I want you to go home and tell your parents what happened. And tomorrow, you'll both be serving detention for skipping school."

Sarah nodded, tears streaming down her face. "Yes, Aunty."

Aarav looked on, feeling guilty and worried. He knew he was in trouble, and he didn't want Sarah to get in trouble too.

Aarav's mom raised an eyebrow. "A fever? And a class that ended in the afternoon? That's quite a coincidence, isn't it?"

Aarav nodded, trying to sound as convincing as possible. "Yes, Mom. It was just a coincidence. We didn't plan to meet up or anything."

His mom looked sceptical. "I see. And what about Sarah's fever? Is she feeling better now?"

Sarah, who had been quietly sniffling in the background, spoke up. "Y-yes, Aunty. I'm feeling a little better now."

Aarav's mom looked at Sarah, then back at Aarav. "I hope you're both telling me the truth. I don't want to find out that you've been lying to me."

Aarav shook his head vigorously. "We're not lying, Mom. I promise."

His mom sighed, looking unconvinced. "Alright, Aarav. But I'm still not happy about this. You need to be more responsible and think about the consequences of your actions."

Aarav's mom's expression softened as she looked at Sarah. "Sarah, beta, I'm sorry if I scolded you too harshly. I know you're a good girl, and I appreciate your friendship with Aarav."

Sarah smiled weakly, looking relieved. "It's okay, Aunty. I know I made a mistake."

Aarav's mom smiled back at her. "We all make mistakes, beta. The important thing is that we learn from them. Now, why don't you go home and rest? You can come over again soon and we'll have a nice time together."

Sarah nodded, looking happy. "Thanks, Aunty. I'll see you soon."

As Sarah left, Aarav's mom turned to him and smiled. "You know, Aarav, I'm proud of you for taking responsibility for your actions. Let's just make sure it doesn't happen again, okay?"

To be continued...

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