Sweet Devil [BL]

Chapter 31. Pranks

There was a shopping mall near the drugstore, and the two children headed toward it. Though Misha still felt a little reluctant about the laxative matter, which had become a small thorn in his heart, he still entered the mall with sparkling eyes and excitedly strolled about, looking everywhere in search of some treasures.

"Hehe, let's see what we can find!"

After rummaging through a few stores, Misha found many things on his list, and every time he ticked off an item, his smile grew wider. He could finally understand why Vanessa had always loved to go on a shopping spree; it was so satisfying! Enough that he couldn't help but giggle whenever he peeked at what lay inside his bags.

Dereck, who had been following Misha around, unconsciously put some distance between them and pretended not to know him. His friend was acting foolishly, and standing near him was somewhat embarrassing. Still, Dereck walked behind his friend without complaining, a faint smile on his lips—he looked just like a doting father indulging his troublesome kid.

Well, as long as he was happy....

When Misha was about to enter another shop, he abruptly stopped dead in his tracks, and Dereck crashed into his back. The sudden physical contact made Misha's body tense and shiver, but he didn't say anything, having more pressing matters on his mind.

Misha was staring at the giant clock on the wall, but no matter how much he stared, the time didn't go backward.

Reality finally struck, and his face turned deadly pale. Slowly, Misha glanced askance at his friend, whose face wasn't any better than his. The next instant, they tacitly veered and ran back all the way to Dereck's house.

Like thieves, they snuck in under Lucette's nose. They only dared to breathe a sigh of relief after entering Dereck's bedroom and closing the door—thank goodness, they had returned just in time. There were around five minutes left before Alexey's arrival. Although they were exhausted and drenched in sweat, they quickly hid Misha's purchases in the closet. Then, they collapsed on the bed.

Their gasping breaths filled the air, but nervous laughter soon interrupted them. The anxiety settled down, and their nerves, which had been stretched taut, finally loosened up. Oh God, it had been way too close!

Trying to catch his breath, Dereck glanced at his friend. Their eyes met, and he noticed the unease lurking in their depths. Again, he reassured Misha, "Don't worry, I'll bring your things the next time I visit."

However, that still wasn't enough to calm his friend's anxiety, and thus Dereck had to promise to come the very next day. Only then did Misha feel at ease.

The moment his mind relaxed, Misha let his thoughts wander and he ended up daydreaming, fantasizing about how he'd torment Gabriel. He could already visualize his crestfallen face and how Masha would react once her boyfriend dropped the act, tossing aside the gentleman's mask. He couldn't wait!

***

The following days were very miserable for Gabriel. Every time he dropped over, he would be subject to pranks. Some were very childish; some were unbelievably nasty. That said, they all tested his patience, slowly but surely pushing him to his limits.

For starters, Misha would hide things in his shoes. Often, it was bubble gum that he had previously chewed until it had lost its flavor. That li'l devil would then secretly stick it onto the inner soles of his running shoes, and always just a bit before the teenager left the house.

In the beginning, Gabriel, this poor clueless lamb, put on his shoes without verifying if there was something hidden inside, and the still warm and slightly wet bubble gum stuck to his sock or the sole of his feet. Sometimes, the chewing gum had the time to harden, and it felt like he was walking on a small, sharp stone. After some genius stroke, Misha even started to add gravel to the sticky material. So now, it wasn't only an impression; Gabriel literally was walking on stones.