𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬

13 | Introductions: Second Attempt

"It took quite a lot of convincing for Nova Scotia to enter my lair." The Light Representative reached over to place his arm around my shoulder.

I quickly swerved away.

"I'm always surprised Lyric can tend to a garden and keep it alive." Ender bluntly stated this while visually following the friend's arm retreat, with Benedict making a noise of agreement.

"Can you heat up my oatmeal?" Lyric took no offense towards the previous insult, simply looking at his bowl with a sulking face.

"No." Ender's frown deepened as the requester leaned closer to him.

"Please, Ender—I'll sing for you?"

"If you do, I'll leave."

The two continued their banter as I turned towards Leon once more, watching as he and Fable were basically in their own world. My urge was to kick him under the table repeatedly until I managed to break bone, yet I didn't desire causing another scene for once.

I blurted the first thing to grab his attention. "Leon, I lost Tabitha."

I won't be telling him that our beloved motorcycle was now in the fateful hands of Faisal.

The bike was a conjoint effort that Leon and I worked hard to restore, buying the beauty second-hand from a junkyard. We'd use it to escape orphanage drama, the only fleeting freedom we really had. Which is probably why Leon's face resembled a parent's who was just told that the daycare lost their only child.

Hook, line, and sinker—I finally caught the slippery bastard's attention.

"What do you mean you lost Tabitha, how does one manage that?" He gave a disbelieved look, ignoring the table occupants who were slowly zoning in on our argument. "Did she decide to grow legs and walk away?"

"I was running from the cops."

"Fuck off, without me?!" Leon practically screeched.

Lyric sputtered out his meal, while Zelda gave an impressed noise.

"I'm innocent, I was simply caught up in something messy!"

"Oh my God, Nova..." Leon groaned into his hands, earning a worried look from Fable. "What disaster have you gotten into now?"

I gritted my teeth. "Well, if you'd answered your phone in the first place, I would still be with her!"

"My poor baby, I leave for less than a month and she suddenly vanishes." He continued to despair. "I loved riding her."

"Who's Tabitha?" This sharp inquiry was said by Ender.

I wondered why he was so adamant to know, until I turned to Fable, who had a pained expression on her face.

"We're discussing about a motorcycle!" Leon frantically reassured his girlfriend as she grew more suspicious.

"Tabitha was a girl that Leon fell in love with—" I said at the same time.

"Novalie Chrysanthemum Bishop, shut your mouth this instance."

"Gross, don't you dare reveal my middle name, Leonardo Mühll Lester!"

He swallowed his next words as I exposed him.

Lyric processed it all and began to laugh so hard that he choked on his food. Benedict gave a small smile as he watched silently, with Ender trying to avoid having cranberry juice spilt on him by a hysterical Zelda slapping the table.

Leon and I looked at each other for a quick moment, annoyed expressions slowly morphing into mischievous grins as we took notice of the chaos around us.