Using your powers, you shot a dummy by the hallway with an energy blast to bring it down while cleaning a few things up in the main hall. Molly was busy touring Topher around the house, Karolina had left the Hostel to look for a job, Nico was in her room, Gert was keeping an eye on Old Lace, and Alex and Chase were together talking in a room. Since you were alone, you chose to clean up a few more things while practicing your powers to attack.
You suddenly felt a presence behind you and you used your powers to lift a knife and chuck it behind. You turned around and stopped the knife to see Topher smiling at you. You huffed and dropped the knife right next to his shoe. "You sneak up behind me again, you're face will be the next knife holder."
Topher chuckled and walked over to you, kicking the knife away. "I see you're fixing the place again, hermosa. Don't overwork yourself."
You stopped what you were doing and turned around to face him. "Can you please stop calling me that?"
"Well, I didn't get a chance to get your name."
"But I'm guessing knowing my name wouldn't matter because you would still continue to call me hermosa."
"True. Because you truly are beautiful." Topher winked. You gave him a kind smile before turning around and placing the dummy back in its original place. "Thank you, but I'm not interested."
"Ah, because you got yourself a boyfriend? Or a girlfriend?"
You shook your head as you chuckled. "I don't have a boyfriend nor a girlfriend, mister. And I don't plan on having one right now."
"So the leader isn't your boyfriend?" Topher asked. "You two seemed a little bit too close."
"That is none of your business." You scoffed. "And we're just friends." You cast a peek at Topher, who was fiddling with some items. "Where's Molly?"
"Ah, she went upstairs to talk to her sister," Topher replied as he picked up a small ornament. "So, I figured I could spend a little time with you. You know, since we're both street kids and I'm pretty sure we could relate to each other."
You took a pause before turning around and looking at Topher with your arms crossed. "What could possibly do we have in common?" You questioned. "The only thing we have in common is that we used to live in the streets."
"We also have powers," Topher added. "We also know that our powers are too dangerous to handle and could either protect or hurt everyone." He approached you slowly while you took a step back. "We used to be alone until we found people we could trust, right?"
"We don't trust you." You corrected.
"I know. But your best friend does. Admit it, we both do have similarities together."
When you felt yourself collide with a wall behind you, you flinched. Topher grinned as he came to a complete halt in front of you, towering above you. "What do you say we get out of here and help you experience the life of being a street kid again?"
As you stared at him, you shook your head. "Being a street kid wasn't fun for me."
"Ah, because you lived in a country that's filled with soldiers, guns, tanks, and missiles. Está bien, hermosa. You're in LA now. You must be missing the adrenaline whenever you have to escape the cops and steal or find food because of hunger."
You slightly scoffed and moved away from Topher. "Even if I miss the feeling, I won't do it with you." You approached a table to re-arrange a few chairs until Topher handed you a stack of DVDs containing sitcoms. You stared down at the DVDs before turning to face him, who was smiling. "I heard you love sitcoms. I do too. I figured you would love these, so I brought these for you."
"Hey." You and Topher to see Alex by the stairs with his jaw clenched in annoyance and jealousy. "Group meeting. Now."
Topher sent you one last wink before walking towards a chair near the stairways while the rest of the group sat down on the steps. You grabbed the DVDs and joined your friends on the stairs while Alex was at the foot of the stairwell announcing his plan. "Okay, guys listen up. All I need is an 18-core, 36-thread processor chip."
Gert raised her eyebrows at Alex's statement. "Oh, good." She sarcastically replied. "We have so many of those lying around here in our ruined mansion."
Alex sighed. "I know exactly where to find one."
"Where?" Nico asked. "And how much is it?"
"It's free," Alex answered. "But you are not gonna like what we have to do to get it." You and your friends stared at Alex, waiting for him to say his next sentence. "We're goin' back to Atlas Academy."
Molly scoffed softly. "What?"
"Oh, my God." Gert groaned.
You scrunched your nose and shifted your gaze to Topher, who was preoccupied with his own business. "And what do we do with him?" You asked with a finger pointed at Topher.
Alex turned his head to look at Topher. "Topher? He's the one that's gonna get us inside." He grinned slightly as he returned your stare, while Topher looked surprised at Alex.
°•○●○•°
"Where are we going?" Chase questioned aloud as he, you, and the others followed Topher outside. Old Lace was left at the mansion to keep guard and Nico left the Staff of One there. "Are we jogging to Brentwood?" Gert questioned.
Three cars were parked outside, which caused you and the others to come to a standstill. Molly gasped in delight. "Awesome!"
"Wait, three cars?" You asked. "We don't have the money for this."
"You don't need any." Topher smiled. "I got a gang of free vouchers from a Hollywood Hills party I crashed." He stated, causing Chase to give Alex an uneasy look. Topher shifted his gaze to Alex. "Alex, you and Gert get in the first car." He then turned to Chase. "Chase, you go with Molly."
Topher looked at you and Nico. "And the two of you, you're with me."
Nico sneered and pressed her tongue against her cheek, while you crossed your arms and turned your back on Topher. Alex shook his head with pinched brows. "Wait, why do they have to be with you?"
Topher looked back at Alex. "What? Nico's girlfriend isn't here anyway." He turned his gaze back at you. "And I'm sure you wouldn't mind, right, hermosa?"
Alex locked his gaze on you, and all you did was give him a reassuring nod. "Y-Yeah, I don't mind." You muttered. Alex agreed grudgingly and sat in the first car with Gert, while you and Nico sat in the third car with Topher. Alex opened the door and glanced at the car you were in before huffing and getting inside.
Nico was in the middle of you and Topher as you sat near the window seat. Nico's animosity towards Topher was palpable, so you didn't mind being squeezed by her. There was an uncomfortable and unpleasant stillness in the room, so Topher spoke up to break the ice. "I know you both don't like me, but I'm cool with it."
Nico shook her head. "It's not that we don't like you." She replied. "We don't trust you." Nico corrected.
"I see that," Topher answered. "You're cold to me." He glanced at you and smiled. "Hermosa interacts with me but she's distant."
"She's shy around strangers or new people and cold towards untrustworthy people." Nico defended. "And don't flatter yourself. I'm not warm to anyone."
"Except for your girlfriend and your sister?" Topher chuckled. "I like your honesty."
"I don't do it for you."
You were relieved that Nico had rescued you from having to talk to Topher, but you felt bad that she had to do so during the car ride.
"Maybe that's what I like about you."
Nico scoffed. "I don't really care about what you like."
"Then what do you care about?" Topher smiled. "Wicca?"
Nico snapped her head towards Topher, and you furrowed your brows in astonishment. 'How does he know so much about us? Maybe Molly told him. A little too much.'
"Do what ye will, and ye harm none." Topher quoted.
Nico narrowed her eyes. "What do you know about Wicca?"
Topher grinned. "I know what a spell is. When you take symbols and action, turn them into some... power. Something like that."
Nico broke into a smile which surprised you even more. "Seriously, nobody gets that." She chuckled lightly.
"I do."
Nico scratched slightly the side of her head as she smiled at Topher. "I think, um..." She stammered. "...maybe... I misjudged you." As she moved her posture to face Topher, Nico lowered her hand and grasped your hand in comfort. "Tell me something, though. What's in that vial you carry around."
You understood what Nico was doing, so you kept your mouth shut and let Nico continue to do what she was doing.
Topher let out a chuckle. "Come on, now." He replied. "I've seen what you guys can do." Topher looked at you and Nico. "Um... are all of you holding?"
You looked at him and frowned in puzzlement. "Holding?" You asked. "Holding what? You mean like with drugs?"
Topher laughed incredulously. "Oh, I get it. Playing dumb." He looked away as he smiled. "Okay, I got you both. You both want to keep all your shit to yourselves. It's cool."
Nico moved her face closer. "You want me to share with you, don't ya?" She asked Topher. "Because us kids need to stick together."
Topher nodded. "That's right. So, we're friends now?"
Nico glanced at you, giving you a knowing look, before looking back at Topher, and nodding. Topher turned his gaze to you, and you just nodded along. "You're not that bad." You shrugged.
-•-°-•-°-☆
Sorry for not updating for a long time! Got really busy and I was lacking the motivation to publish a chapter lmao