I get up, rubbing my eyes. my bedroom dark and quiet, small bits of sunlight seeping through the blinds. I get off my bed walking into my connected bathroom.
I use the toilet, letting out a yawn, before going to the sink to wash my hands and brush my teeth. Once I'm done I leave the bathroom, grabbing my phone then heading downstairs. I check the time to see it's 12 noon. I never usually sleep this late, but no one wakes me up so I'm grateful.
I get downstairs, and it's quiet. either everyone's in their rooms, or outside. I go to the kitchen grabbing a bowl for cereal. I place it on the island before going to the pantry. I stand in front of the different brands of cereal before I go with honey cheerios. I usually eat sugary cereals when I'm high, or need a midnight snack.
I walk out of the pantry getting the milk from the fridge. I place the milk down, opening the cereal and pouring it into the bowl. after getting myself situated, I sit on the island stool and start eating.
"there should be more in here." I hear malik say. I see him walk into the kitchen, but I double-take when I see Nyla and one of our guard's sons', Jax, behind him. Jax is always here, he's one of my brother's only friends. but Nyla being here caught me off guard. not to mention she's in a bikini.
"took you long enough to wake up," Malik says going into the fridge.
"Puoi devolvere mio farmaci?" i ask (can you hand over my medication? -Italian)
"in a second," he mumbles taking out fruits and cheese. I look over at Nyla, she's looking around the kitchen. I follow her, brown, eyes until they meet my grey ones.
she holds eye contact, not look away out of nervousness like others do.
after a bit, I finally look away.
"what is it? pool day?" I ask eyeing the fruits Malik is cutting, as I get up and pass them to get to the sink.
"ya. you should join us." Malik answers.
"maybe." I shrug, washing up my bowl and spoon. once I'm done I put the cereal and milk away.
I go to one of the cupboards and grab my medications since Malik never got them for me. I take my anti-psychotics and depressants, washing them down with water I grabbed.
"hai preso il tuo farmaco?" I ask Malik (did you take your medication? -Italian)
"ya," he mumbles. I sit back down on the stool, stealing an apple slice.
"you fatass, you just ate." he hits my hand. for a 14-year-old, my brother is bossy and moody.
"I'm a big man. I have a stomach for days." I sarcastically smile before getting up and leaving, not before doing a once-over of Nyla.
she's truly beautiful. hourglass figure, wet curly hair, purple bikini. purple is her colour and just might become my new favourite.
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"you know when we said to join us outside we didn't mean just to play video games." malik says to me.
"well, it's all that you're getting from me," I tell him. I go back to playing Mario kart on my switch, thinking he went back to swimming. that's until I can hear the water and a shadow show up in front of me. or three.
"may I help you? I'm almost done this race." I mumble.
"you like swimming. why aren't you now?" he asks
I want to go into the pool, but if I'm in the pool I probably won't stop starring at Nyla.
"I'll go in the hot tub." I sigh, looking up.
"deal." Malik nods. some people would think Malik is being annoying, but he isn't. our whole life, it's been him and i. Mateo and Malik, Malik and Mateo. anywhere I am, Malik's right beside me. that's how it is.
"where are your brothers?" I ask Jax as we walk to the hot tub. Jax is 16, his twin brothers are my age. 17.
"Probably blackout drunk in someone's house," he mumbles. Keaton and Kenzo. Gamers in the day and Party animals in the night. Crazy motherfuckers.
"of course they are," I mumble.
"your brothers sound fun," Nyla says, as we step into the hot tub.
"they're annoying." Jax sighs, thinking about his older brothers.
"they're just wild," I comment. I sit beside malik, Nyla sits across from me and Jax sits across from malik. the hot tub isn't big. it can sit about 8 people max.
"so malik, how's freshman year?" Nyla asks.
" I'm doing grade twelve work. might as well graduate when you guys do." malik mumbles.
"if it was offered would you?" Nyla asks
"no." malik shakes his head.
"he wants to experience high school. see what the hype is about," I explain.
Nyla nods her head.
"look." Jax points behind me, malik and I turn and see my dad and Nyla's dad walking over to us.
"We have some guests."
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"Who are these guys exactly?" Nyla asks as we walk down the dark hallway.
"Russians. my family has been at war with the Russians since my dad was a kid. Apparently, they blew up 10 grand worth of the new shipment," I mumble.
"what was the shipment?"
"My Christmas presents," I grumble. we get to the room, where two hostages are being held. two very important ones.
"Alek and Axel Borya." I glare at the blond twins.
"who's the friend?" Alek asks with a smirk.
"no one you need to know of," Nyla answers before I could.
"don't be so cold towards my brother, sugar." Axel chimed in. Nyla ignores them, staying quiet.
"you done?" I ask the twins.
"she should be with us. we can share." Alek smirks.
"in your dreams." Nyla scoffs
the twins mumble something to each other in Russian and I let them be. they'll die anyway.
"my bad, my brother swings the other way. forgot." Alek announces.
"I'll take ginger." Axel nods towards Jax.
before Jax can protest, a knife is thrown from behind me, hitting Axel right in the shoulder. Axel screams in pain, his brother trying to get his hands out of the rope. I turn around and see Malik standing with a poker face, but his face is red. and not sunburnt red.
Jax goes to stand beside Malik, whispering something in his ear.
"is there... something going on between them?" Nyla asks quietly, pointing at Jax and Malik.
"there's lots of tension between them. I think they kissed at malik's birthday party and since then, their relationship has been off." I tell.
"Malik's gay?"
"They both are," I tell.
"would've never guessed." she shrugs.
"me neither- would you shut the fuck up!" I groan looking at the twins. "it shouldn't hurt that much, you fucking pussy." I go up and pull the knife out of Axel's shoulder, throwing it back at malik, where he successfully catches it.
that's something we practiced since malik was 10. we perfected it when he turned 13.
"ok, ok, ok, enough crying. where's your dad hiding?" I ask fixing my suit, standing in front of the twins.
"up your ass." Alek snorts.
"did you just snort? you fucking pig." Jax chuckles. his snort did sound more like a pig snort than a laughing snort.
"fuck you," Alek yells.
another knife is thrown, hitting Alek in the abdomen.
"do you have any more knives I need to know about?" I ask my brother, he shakes his head.
"you guys aren't getting an answer," Axel mumbles in pain.
"right, well I don't care. we'll find him and we'll send him both your heads." I smile sarcastically.
"that's not gonna do anything." Alek chuckles.
"ok." Is all I say before turning around.
"I'll let you choose," I say to Nyla.
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"well, I can check no mercy off my list," I say with wide eyes, observing the scene in front of me. blood is everywhere, in the room. Aleks body parts scattered around the room.
Nyla showed no sign of guilt while doing this. she started by snapping his neck, which I thought was the only thing she was gonna do. until she picked up the axe and swung it, so it chopped off his head. she continued detaching, each part, just to antagonize Axel.
"you're psychotic," Axel yells, in tears.
"Thanks," Nyla says dryly.
"now-"
"lemme kill him," Malik demands. I turn around and look at my little brother.
"go ahead." I enjoy seeing what malik comes up with. he's highly creative, sometimes gruesome.
Malik walks up to Axel, studying him.
"if you weren't an enemy. I'd take you out." Axel admits.
"you're not my type." Malik mumbles.
"I could be, in one night," Axel smirks.
"How old do you think I am?" Malik asks.
"seventeen."
malik has the height and features of a 17-year-old. he's able to trick enemies and get away with lots of things. but he's also mistaken in the wrong ways and it scares me.
"Want me to tell you how old I am?" Malik asks and Axel nods. Malik reaches into his suit jacket and pulls out a new knife.
"thought you said you only had two," I say
"well, I'm a great liar," malik mumbles. he tilts Axel's head back, writing "14" on his neck.
"you're 14?" Axel screams.
"shocking." malik gasps.
"Now, there are some things I did have planned, but I'm annoyed of you. so, plan 'c'" malik says.
"what's plan c?" Nyla asks me.
"no clue." I furrow my eyes.
Jax comes out behind me with some equipment and malik's laptop. that's where he went.
"what are you doing?" I question.
"removing his heart and replacing it with a bomb." Malik turns around with a smile.
this is one of the only times we'll see malik smile. he doesn't smile unless he's having serious fun. and this to him is Disneyworld.
"you know what you're doing, right?" Malik asks Jax.
"yes. I was the one who taught you half of this." Jax reminds. Jax is just a bit more advanced in weapons than malik. that's why Jax is the only other person Malik works with.
"any last words?" Malik asks Axel. "actually, I don't care. now keep still, goldilocks"
Malik lifts Axel's shirt, locating the heart. once he's got his mark, he doesn't hesitate to cut inside. Axel screams in pain, his face red and tears flowing out his eyes.
"shut up," Malik grumbles. Malik hates loud noises, especially if it's grown people crying. I don't know how this guy wants kids in the future.
Malik cuts a deep square in the left side of Axel's chest. at this point, I can't tell if Axel is passed out, or dead. I don't really care. malik removes the chunk of flesh revealing the inside of Axel. he reaches inside and grabs his heart.
"fuck ya." he smiles widely looking at the human heart in his hand.
"you think, papa, will like this?" Malik asks looking at me.
"he'll love it. when's the last time you gave him a heart?" I ask
"I was eleven." Malik mumbles.
the door opens and reveals our dad's.
"Now what's that in your hand?" dad asks, his Italian accent coming out with every word.
"Axel Boryas heart." Malik shows.
"perfect. and who did this?" dad asks pointing towards Alek's scattered body parts.
"Nyla," I say
"that's nasty..." my dad says "love it." he claps with a smile
"This is a new way," King says, looking at his daughter.
"I wanted to try something new." she shrugs.
"We have thirty seconds to leave, or we're joining them," Jax says quickly holding Malik's laptop.
we quickly leave the room, closing the door behind. we wait a few more seconds before an explosion happens.
"I grabbed the head," Malik says holding up, Alek's head.
"that's creepy."
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