Royal Sinners (Sinners 1)

Chapter 12: La Recluta

"Shut up, Pink. You don't have a sister!"

"Well good news stupid, I'm talking about you."

"Pink, Greco, shut it. Q say something to them!"

"He's mute, how can he talk, Bino?"

"You too, Einstein, shut up!"

"So noisy, man."

"Shut up crackhead!"

"You shut up."

There were times when they're too mysterious that it's hard to tell what's on their mind, but they have this side too, so rare and precious. Like now.

"Sorry," said Inno. "We came here and drove anyone out. Lilo threatened us to know what's wrong with you, she's worried. And you didn't go there last Saturday." He leaned forward and whispered, "And even Zak... he might not say it, but I'm sure he wants to know. Are you okay?"

"Oh look..." Bino exclaimed, "Inno is spreading his good boy charms on Mutie!"

"You, sneaky virgin!" Kut threw the whiteboard eraser but Inno caught it. "No, I'm not!"

And I laughed. I laughed so hard that they stopped doing their thing. How did I end up like this? How did I end up so happy to be with the people I wanted to avoid?

"Damn," Pink and Greco muttered, both pulled out bills of paper from their pockets and handed to Inno. The rest did the same.

"The first to make you laugh wins," Pete explained. "Inno did it."

"Let's play a game, they said. It will be fun, they said. Well, I lost a thousand." Kut handed a stack of bills all cut in the middle and went out. "I'll win next time."

"Q, you too?" I asked. He made and sneaky smile and shrugged, simply handling his card to Inno.

But I was not mad. A game to make me smile just made me... smile.

"Well, my money's worth it. I felt like I've won." Pete winked at me.

As for Inno, he fixed the money and cards in his wallet and apologized. "Hanna... please don't be mad. Do you want to buy something?"

"Game's over Virgin. Don't act cute now. Why don't we head to the cafeteria and spend all of it?"

He wasn't able to decline as he was dragged away and just helplessly waved me goodbye.

"You should laugh like that more often, Mutie." Bino, the last one, left.

With that, they were all gone except Zak. I guess they were watching over me more than my safety.

Finally, the room has gone peaceful. I turned to Zak's seat at the back, his head still leaning on the wall and his eyes still closed.

"Are you awake?" I asked.

Did you play the game, too?

"I know you are, you can't sleep during the day, right?"

I met your enemy's messenger.

"Zak..." But he didn't answer. Please tell me not to betray you.

***

Days dragged and still nothing. There was no answer from Uncle and Qapone's messenger didn't return. It was a waiting game that one way or another, I am to lose. The only good result was I had become closer to the Fortunello. They seemed to care more and I resisted less.

It hasn't been so long since I was granted freedom on certain parts of the house, including their playground. It had a complete set with swings, a slide, monkey bars and even a tree house among others. But since nobody's using it, it's quieter than a graveyard. Soon enough, I usurped the space to read books.