The Restoration Project

3.11 - Lovely

Everyone needs a villain.

The words weighed heavy on Lovely's mind the entire trip from the gas station to Wheels and Tiara's cabin. According to Marybelle, it was the reason the Heaven's Devils were portrayed as looters and pillagers by Frankie and New Philadelphia. An explanation for why this was false, however, had to wait until they arrived at the cabin.

Part of her wished she never got in the car; now she was trapped in the back of the coupe, wedged behind Tiara. At least she was sitting beside Marybelle. She had so many questions but didn't know which one to ask first.

"And here we are," Wheels said.

The car rocked back and forth as he drove over an uneven pathway leading to the cabin, which consisted of two ruts amidst the bramble. It was not the best equipped vehicle for the situation.

"Looks like a dump," Marybelle pointed out. "And I think you lost your bumper back there."

"Bumper schumper, not like I need that anyway," Wheels said, getting out of the car and lifting the seat release, allowing it to move forward and let Marybelle and Lovely crawl out of the back. He kicked the wheels of the car as if to prove it was still in perfect driving condition.

The cabin was shrouded in the shade of the trees and setting sun. A single porch-light illuminated a circle around the front door. The hum of a generator promising electricity. Tiara exited the car and walked toward the front door, her eyes locked on her game.

"Where're all the motorcycles?" Lovely asked, half-joking.

Wheels exchanged a glance with Marybelle and then nodded toward the front door. "Let's go inside, shall we?"

"We'll explain once Tiara is occupied," Marybelle whispered as Lovely walked along beside her.

Tiara looked quite preoccupied with her game already. Lovely shrugged, they must have a reason for wanting to explain things inside. Not that she could go anywhere else at this point. She entered the cabin behind Marybelle.

It was quaint inside, with an open concept kitchen and living room on the left and a hallway with doors leading to a bathroom and two bedrooms on the right.

Tiara scurried over to the living room and jumped on a love-seat, busily playing her game.

"Don't worry about that," Wheels chimed in, following Lovely's gaze to the handheld in Tiara's hands. "We have Jammers set up with redundancy power, they won't come near here."

"Why do you let her play it?" Lovely asked, slinging her backpack off and setting it beside the door. She still carried Holy Holly, even though she felt the eyes of the others on her because of it.

"Because she deserves to be a child still, even in this crazy world," Wheels responded. He was certainly breaking the mold of what a Heaven's Devil member was supposed to act like.

"So we know you have questions, " Marybelle said. "About Wheels' and my affiliations."

"You're part of them too?" The thought hadn't occurred to Lovely.

Marybelle nodded. "In a way. It's not as cut and dry as you think, or as Olaf and Frankie, I'm sure, lead you to believe."

"Then enlighten me, please" Lovely challenged.

"This one is all on you," Wheels chimed in as he busied himself in the kitchen. "And how about you play that in your room, Tiara?"

Tiara grumbled but, without lifting her eyes from the screen, slid off the couch and plodded to one of the bedrooms, closing the door behind her. Marybelle issued Lovely over to the living room. They sat on a large couch across from the love seat.