𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞; eugene roe ✔

PART TEN

"One of them must be drowning, I'm sure." He narrated. "Otherwise, some kind of spiritual celebration."

"It's called swimming, Johnny!" Luz shouted over before being dragged beneath the surface of the water by Malarkey.

"Right." I laughed.

Emilia adjusted her arm into mine, almost like a reminder.

"This here is Emilia." I introduced, saying into her ear: "Say hello."

Through red cheeks, she smiled, "Hello."

"Nice to meet you, Emilia." Martin held out his hand.

"She doesn't know much English." I mentioned. "But she wanted to meet you. You and them."

"I see. Well-"

"Oh hey, Valentina!" Liebgott yelled from the water, trying to scramble out of it but being pulled back in by Webster.

The three on the surface turned their heads, all with smiles plastered on their lips.

"They're cute, aren't they." I teased Emilia.

She blushed, "Valentina, be quiet."

"That is Perconte." I directed my eyes towards the man.

"I don't know what she said but Perconte was definitely a part of it." Heffron simpered to the man next to him.

"Shut up, Babe."

"I am guessing he has made quite the reputation in your circle." Martin commented, still smiling.

"I feel my opinion of him is much lower than yours."

"You must have misunderstood me. I think low of most people until they prove themselves. You excepted, obviously."

"My God." Joe emerged from the lake, drenched, and slicked back his hair, breaths rushing in and out of him. "I can't breathe."

John replied, "You're fine, Lieb, stop complaining."

"Were you in there? You did not see- the amount of- excuse me, I can't breathe." He leant his palms on his thighs, bending over and then straightening himself. "Webster is one little shit."

"Hey, hey, what do you think you're doing?" Luz called, swimming towards the shore.

"No, no." Joe ran away. "Get away from me."

Skinny threw a towel at him as Joe skipped past, climbing up the bank to meet us. He ruffled it through his hair.  His white vest was soaked, almost see-through.

"Jesus, what happened to your hand?"

"Cut it on glass." I revealed.

"Looks a lot more painful than just glass-"

"As if you would know," Martin attached.

"Who's this?"

"Emilia." I told him.

"You know German?" She questioned, confused.

"Indeed I do, doll. Is this your sister?" Liebgott looked back to me.

"Close enough to be."

"I'm Joseph, Emilia. Joseph Liebgott. That's either Joe or Lieb or whatever else. Shithead to some."

She giggled. 

"I can already sense you are going to be a bad influence on her."

"Not at all." He smirked, facing her. "How old are you?"