Wicked (WICKED #1) | ✓

50

She entered the last room on her left, which was used mostly as some kind of storage closet. Stepping across the boxes she found her way to a stack of boxes in the back, blowing the dust of them as she took a few. Just when she was about to reach out to take the top ones off a shelf Levi did so at the same time behind her, causing their hands to touch. With a look back at him she smiled, eyes twinkling.

"Helping me now, are you?" she teased.

"I am a gentleman after all," he replied, eyes focused on hers.

"You have yet to write me a poem," she remarked.

He dipped his head forward, lips brushing her neck and cologne dancing around her. "Do you want me to?"

She giggled, leaning back against him.

"No need," she said," we both know my love language is made of street fights and adrenaline."

"Suddenly I'm glad to have a gang," he drawled.

"You weren't at first?" she said," it is on my bucket list, you know."

"I don't like complicated things," he said with a shake of his head.

"You don't find me complicated?" she chuckled.

"I find you amazing," he replied simply.

He pecked her on the lips then and grabbed the boxes off the top shelf, taking the others from her hand as well. She was about to protest, but he was already walking out of the room, causing her to roll her eyes.

"After all of this is over I expect to meet the gang," she said.

"You will," he assured her, before adding," I have to warn you though, they're all a bit... loud."

"I didn't expect your youth gang to be quiet," she laughed.

They walked in her living room and found Alex and Will sitting on her couch, both chatting away with the TV on. Ella took a few board games from the stack and placed them on the table in front of them, seating herself on the other couch, which was placed vertically to the right of them. Levi let himself fall down beside her, glancing absent-mindedly at the TV for a moment.

"Anything interesting?" Ella asked.

"We saw the same dog food commercial twice," Alex said, looking dead inside.

"The dog was really sweet," Will argued.

Ella chuckled, taking the Twister mat out of the board game and pushing the table aside. The boys immediately jumped up to help, carrying the table to the left so she could lay down the mat. When she was done she placed herself on the couch, waving with a hand at them.

"Go ahead," she said," I'll spin for the first round."

"I have to warn you," Alex said as he stretched out," I'm less flexible than I look."

"We know," Levi deadpanned," I saw you try to do a split once."

"I heard the scream," Will reminisced.

"I'm pretty sure I pulled a muscle then," Alex nodded.

"I already assumed all three of you were only made of muscle," Ella said," so it's fine. I'm ready to be amused."

Levi scowled at her, Will opposite him doing a small, happy jump. She started spinning and they all got in their positions, Levi not seeming like he was putting in much effort and Will and Alex tangling their legs within the first two minutes. It was funny to see them so concentrated, their complaints filling the air.

"I'm looking forward to going to St Joseph," Ella said as she gestured at Alex to move his foot to red," I've heard so many rumors."

"They're all true," Alex said, whole body tensing as he moved.

"You caused half of them," Levi said.

"You're the subject in all of them," Alex countered.

Will was sitting in a bridge-like position, Alex spread out like a starfish underneath him. Levi was just minding his own business on his side of the mat, somehow not tangled with them at all. Ella glanced at the pictures on the wall, a few of them of Sebastian in his St Joseph sweater. Her parents were in the picture beside that one, both younger and in the same uniform, a prison-like building behind them. She hadn't meant to continue the tradition, but alas, here they were.

With a chuckle she stared at the boys then. She had no idea how this year would be, but if she knew one thing for sure it was that she was surely going to have fun with these troublemakers.

The thought made her smile.