THIEVES

Cigarettes

An abundant amount of cigarette smoke emerged from Theo's lips when he pulled out his ciggy, it distorted and deformed in its capricious path. Half of his face was concealed by the smoke, rendering his appearance to look exceptionally malovelent.

In the twinkling of an eye, he smashed the litted cigarette into Ricardo's arm, twisting, bulldozing his unscarred skin, troubling every inch of his cell to quake.

Ricardo howled in defeat, his knees bent, almost falling to the ground from the extreme heat Theo was inflicting on his arm. His desperation for an escape from the pain made him jerk Theo's hand away in reflex.

"Shit! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that, okay?!" The lack of solemnity that laced patently in his tone peeved Theo. Ricardo checked his arm to note a glowed red in the shape of a circle permanently imprinted there.

"Holy fuck, Theo! You just gave me an ugly ass tattoo! And it's still fucking cooking!" He yelped, grabbing the fresh wound as he stooped forward to contain himself, praying for the pain to abscond.

Theo was perturbed Ricardo hadn't perceived his blunder, in fact the puny wound was merely a fair retribution to the trauma they had instill to an innocent girl.

"Language, Ricardo, and actually apologize like you mean it right this instant." The way he said it resembled a lecturing of a mother to her young child. Not a hint of deafening tone, just a serious reproach.

Ricardo's heavy pants faded. Catching a long deep breath, he asked for pardon, "Sorry Theo. I was wrong. Shouldn't have been so brainless to cause something big out of a nobody. Should have stayed at home watch porn or something, or maybe even—"

"Be quiet." Theo terminated Ricardo's profound speech. As a single worded man, he only chose to direct his misshapen cigarette to the stunned Athena.

Athena could hardly feel if her feet was still on Earth. She felt like a deer in the headlights. The only exception was the distraction was none other than the love of her life.

All four men had their eyes on her, not in a ravenous, thirsty way, thanks to Theo.

"And dare call her a nobody again," Theo warned.

Confusion clouded Ricardo's grubby mind as he shook his head defiantly, "Apologize to her? But what for?"

Before he could say further, his brother abetted, "Exactly! If anything, she has to pay for her rudeness!"

Derek covered his face with a palm when Felix decided to concoct more trash out of his mouth. "Theo, you have to believe us. She followed Ricardo into his car yesterday and now approach us in our school again. Don't you see how desperate she is? At least let us reward her for her enthusiasm. Come on, you can join too." He grinned as if he was a clairvoyant who could read Theo's dark desires.

Theo inhaled the short, mutated cigarette once more all the while seizing Felix in a deathly gaze. The burnt ends of it had came in contact with his fingers but neither did he or the others moved.

If one had to know, Theo's tolerance to pain was irrationally high when he is infuriated. He beckoned Felix with a finger to walk up to him.

Felix swallowed a bile, he had witnessed an enormous amount of times when Theo showed his true colors to those who got on his nerves. A part of him was chastising himself for letting his dear friend down. However, the narcissistic side of him despised Theo for always having a stranger's back rather than his faithful friends.

Felix muttered, "Theo please, don't make me do th---"

That day, those who gained the opportunity to watch this very scene unfold learnt that Theo enjoyed cutting someone off when they are speaking.