BOOK 3: The Mafia Game (Hiatus)

TMG 45: Stay With Me

TMG 45 ♠

Vincent Mc Garden

"Someone's toying with your innocent girl."

I brought the book down on my lap, closing it with thumb in between pages for a makeshift bookmark not to lose the page I'm currently on and slowly look up where the familiar baritone voice came from. There he is, looking upside down on me with an annoying lopsided smile plastered on his lips, mint breath faintly fanning atop my head from bending. The short distance is not what I'm used to, but finding it weirdly comfortable.

"Stop looking at someone's stuff, nosy devil," I chides, frowning.

His lopsided smile turns into a satisfied smirk before stooding upright, widening the distance between our faces. "I'm just still amused you're actually a bookworm. You don't seem the type though."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" I raised him a brow, shooting it up and almost reaching my hairline. This guy really knows what button to push just to annoy me for his obvious entertainment.

He shrugs, smirk still on before sitting on the vacant seat on my right.

I hissed, bringing the book up to continue on reading.

The silence was there, as per usual. He's not cut for talking and so was I. He's just there, sitting, forehead pressed on his forearm resting on the armchair. I wouldn't be surprised if in the next few minutes, I'd hear soft snores from him.

The whole classroom is still empty, noting that this day would be the last day of school before the students finally get to relax or wildly spend the Christmas vacation. The event was sticking right up under the nose, days counting less than two weeks before exchanging gifts and dancing under the mistletoe. However, I'm not as excited as them. I stopped celebrating since mom's death. And there's no one to celebrate the occasion, too. It's not like I can drag my dad out of his office to eat Noche Buena with me. He can't even eat breakfast, lunch or dinner with her daughter, what more other occasions? I always received gifts from him though, just like when my birthday hits him a couple weeks later than the exact date. I grew accustomed to that, no hard feelings. And it's not like I have a solid relation with my dad. We clashed more often than not.

I was too occupied on my own thoughts rather than what I'm reading that I jolted from my seat when the door practically flew open and winced at the sound when it slamed on the wall so loud it stirred the man beside me from his sleep.

It's the rest of Superiors.

"Good morning, Vincent!" Devy shouted, running from the door to my seat with his shoulder bag flying on her side. "Why are you both so early, huh?" she asked, brows wiggling with a matching smirk I don't like to think that there's a meaning behind it, well obviously there is. But I still don't like the idea.

It's barely seven in the morning and it's really unusual of me to be here in this early hour. Most importantly, not to be the first person sitting inside the room with only Azmael, a guy they know I couldn't stand anywhere near me – it's weird. Unlike Devy spewing unbelievable amount of energy from stupid-o'clock in the morning, bouncing on her heels – that's the usual.

"May you find your chill and shut up," I deadpans, eyes withdrawing from her to the book.

Jeez. I definitely lose all the interest on reading now.

"You're still mean," she pouted before tugging her lips into a splitting face smile. Oh, too bright.

"Is everything fine now?" Alex asked, standing on Devy's left with her hands clasped behind her, "you haven't talk anything about the reason why you were missing; where were you the whole week. Okay, I mean, how to even put that?" she rumbles, a mixture of concern, nervousness and hesitation sitting on her face. She sounded like she's talking to herself more than anyone else in the room. Before she fixed her eyes on me again, eyes soften. "I mean, pareho kayong bigla na lamang nawala ni Azmael. At narinig ko rin na tulad niyo, hindi rin umaattend ng klase niya si King. I don't know if you both purposely shut about it because you don't want anyone to know, but I just want to make sure everything's fine now."