.
“Just a few more blocks, Angie.
— Have you seen yourself? You are worse than me.
Probably yes. She was breathing so hard I thought I was going to have a heart attack and she was sweating profusely. We began to walk in a hurry, until we recovered our air.
A figure emerged from the corner of the block we were on. We both stopped. Possibly, they surrounded us. Now we are dead. She sees us and starts walking towards us. We backed off, but there wasn't much of an escape. Going back the way we came would be suicide. I looked everywhere looking for a place to go, hide or run.
— Wait! The package?— that's what the guy we called called us and that's why I stopped my walk.
"The messenger?" I said.
- Yes. follow me
We listened to him, where would we go if not?
He turned into an alley when we heard the sound of cars approaching. The boy didn't show much, he had a hat covering his head and a black scarf up to his nose which only allowed us to see green eyes. He was dressed in black and notice that he had a gun on his belt. He stopped by a dumpster and opened it.
- Inside.
- Sorry?
I wouldn't go into a dumpster and knowing my sister either.
Do you want to live or not?
buffet. He joined his hands to help us climb, the container was not very high but, as I already said, my sister and I have zero sport and agility.
I jumped first. There was a horrible smell, I fell sitting on soft bags. I'm going to throw up, I swear. When Angie was inside, she made a disgusted face that was even funny. I pinched my nose to keep out that horrible smell.
The boy was left between the two of us and when he closed the lid of the container we were completely in the dark.
"What now?" I wanted to know.
“We'll wait until they're gone and then I'll take them to a safe place for the night.
The smell of dead animal was making me dizzy.
We stayed in silence for a few minutes listening to cars go by at speed. Until he decided to speak.
— And... May I know your names?
Would he tell us? Finally.
— I'm Angela, they call me Angie.
- Nice Angie.
— The other is my sister Aria.
— Like in " Pretty Little Liars"?
We both stayed silent. He is incredible, a boy who knows about that youth series.
— Oh my God, do you know about that series? — my sister and I love it, we always watch it and we repeat the episodes so many times that we even know the dialogues.
- It's one of my favorites.
— Wow.
- Than?
— I never believed that a boy would watch youthful series — it's not that I was prejudiced, just that everyone I had met seemed like a nonsense series.
— Well, I don't look at that many, I don't have that much time. But of the few I saw that was one of the best.
"What's your name?" Angie wanted to know.
"Thomas Napoli, I'll take you safely to Beckam."
- What's that?
Really, I was equally or more interested in knowing that than my sister. He is silent for a few seconds.
— It's a who, I'll tell you later, now we have to go — open the container letting in fresh air and light.
He comes out first. We both jumped out and he helped us down.
We walked quietly a few blocks, turned a corner, and were on the avenue. There were a little more people than in the previous streets. A taxi went by and Thomas hailed it. We got in the back and he in the co-pilot. He told her the address and off we went. I shared glances with my sister, we both frowned.
We traveled 40 minutes, we had left the city. Thomas was very nice to the driver, Angie was almost asleep and I was getting fed up. I already wanted to get to wherever we were going.
Until it happened. The taxi stopped, Thomas paid him, and we got out. The neighborhood was dark, horrible. There were few people on the street but they didn't seem friendly. We walked one block and then crossed a small field. There was a small farm by a stream.
Thomas knocked on the door three times.
"Where are we?" I asked.
- In a friend's house.
The door opens and lets us see a lady with glasses resting on the tip of her nose. She frowns at us, until she relaxes it as she recognizes Thomas.
— Thomas? What are you doing here? She — she hugs him.
— Hello Martha, I wanted to ask you for accommodation for tonight, my friends and I need it.
The lady brings her glasses to the bridge of her nose to look at my sister and me from head to toe. Smile. She is an older lady, with white hair and short.
"Of course, of course, come in." He steps aside and allows us to pass. They smell horrible.
"I'm sorry," Angie and I apologized.
"Don't worry." She closes the door behind us. I'll make you hot chocolate while you take a shower.
We followed her into the kitchen and she let us sit down.
— Tell me, what are they called?
— Aria.
- And I Angela.
Oh, what pretty names.
- Thank you.
The house was very cozy and had an eighties style. Mrs. Martha led Thomas into the bathroom, but he came back.
"We met at the club, in case you ask," he leaves.
The lady returned with a smile and served us a cup of hot chocolate and a plate full of cookies. She reminded me of my grandmother, she used to make us animal shaped cookies.
I was hungry and because of the nerves I had during the day I hadn't realized it.
— Poor girls, they look like a skeleton.
I smiled kindly, but that's a lie. I'm not that thin, when I'm standing yes, but sitting I have my rolls. Angie is thinner, she is small from every point of view, but at fifteen she dresses much better than me, she even looks like an adult when she wants to. So her physique is not a problem for her, she is already slim by nature.
"They're delicious," Angie says, chewing on a cookie.
- Oh thanks. Tell me, how do you know Thomy?
"Eh...from the club" I said what he told us.
— Oh yes, he always goes there. Do you guys do boxing too or are you just going to watch?
- We just look.
— Are they related?—he narrows his eyes to analyze us— They are very similar.
"Yes, in fact, we are sisters," Angie answers smiling.
- Oh, rightly so.
I took a sip of the delicious hot chocolate and let them talk.
Thomas came back with us. He had wet hair, he changed clothes, he had a tight black shirt that showed his muscles and pants of the same color. Now that I realize he is a very cute boy. He has hazel eyes, a square jaw with clean shaven skin, bushy eyebrows, and a sharp nose.
Angie showered before me. The lady put us to wash our clothes and lent each of us a cloth nightgown. She led us to a room that she said was Thomas' room, but he would sleep on the sofa bed in the living room.
We were already in bed but none of us could sleep a wink.
"I know you told me all day, but we'll be fine, right?" Angie asks me from the other side of the bed, she was a married couple.
I turn on my body to look at her.
— Yes, I promised — I really didn't know if we'd be fine tomorrow, but I don't want her to worry.
— I feel like everything is going to change now... It scares me.
I caressed her cheek and she closed her eyes.
"We can't call mom, right?"
— I don't think so, we could put her in danger... Although I don't know what.
"Okay," he sighs.
We try to sleep. I could not. A lump had formed in my throat. I had held in my urge to cry all day and did it successfully, but now… now I couldn't.
I got out of bed when I heard Angie was fast asleep. I went to the kitchen and leaned on the table. I let out all the air I didn't know I had been holding. I started crying silently. I always contained myself, I looked like a rock in front of the others, as if I didn't feel anything, but at night in my room while Angie was asleep, I cried from everything that overwhelmed me and that I had not been able to get rid of.
Everything is so strange. From one second to the next everything went crazy. Everything changed and she didn't understand anything. My head ached from trying so hard to understand.
I approached the front door. I needed air. I tried to open it, it was locked and it didn't seem to be in sight.
"Where do you think you're going?" I wipe my tears and turn around.
Sorry, I just wanted to get some air. I'll open a window.” I went to the kitchen and Thomas followed me.
- You are well?
"Yeah, I just got a little upset." I opened the window over the sink.
I didn't resist anymore. I'm ridiculous, I was crying in front of an unknown boy. He was behind me as I tried to stop crying. I rubbed my nose and wiped my eyes repeatedly. I didn't want to look weak or vulnerable, but the tears wouldn't stop. I was finally able to control myself and clean my face totally.
"I'm sorry," I said, "it's just...everything went to shit in the blink of an eye."
I felt his hand on my shoulder. I turned and looked at him.
- Don't think I'm a crybaby.
— I don't think so... But you have to be calm, I don't know what you and your sister are up to, but I don't think it's as bad as it seems. You just have to know how to bear it.
"I don't know what we're into either," I laughed in pain. And I don't know how to stand it either.
— Well, in my opinion, you have been doing very well.
I smiled. Honestly, I needed someone to tell me I was doing it right.
She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms, her veins standing out from them. Jesus Christ.
I looked away before he noticed.
— Tell me what happened — I raised an eyebrow — I was just saying, it's not that I care about the truth, they only pay me to take you to Beckam.
"Do they pay you?" I didn't know that.
— Yes, did you think they told me "go, find those girls and bring them here"? Friend, you have to earn a living with whatever.
— I mean, I'm your work.
"Yes, don't be offended.
Honestly, I didn't feel offended.
I told him how little I had understood about what had happened at my grandparents' house. He didn't say anything, he just listened to me and inside I thanked him. He didn't know him but I liked the kindness he carried, not everyone has the generosity to listen to a distraught and confused girl. Thomas inspired me confidence in him, I just hoped I wasn't wrong.
— [...] Until you answered. By the way, why didn't you go where you should have?
"If I did, you were the ones who weren't there."
— Of course not, we were waiting for you for almost three hours at the service station, but they attacked us and we had to escape.
— Service station? — He frowns — When I spoke to the person who hired me, he said they would be at the subway station.
I laughed. It was only a confusion of words that made us wait five hours to meet.
— Go to sleep, a long day awaits us — he leaves the kitchen, shaking his head.
Waking up to several knocks on the door, we both grumbled. I came back to reality after having a nice dream where nothing was wrong in our lives. But it was just that, a dream.I opened the door and was met by Thomas, a big smirk forming on his face as he saw me."How pretty you look just woke up," he says sarcastically. He runs a finger across his lip trying to hide the smile from him.— Die — I take off the clothes he was holding and close the door in his face."Come down for breakfast, we have to go now," he says from the other side.I looked at the time on my phone, 7:30. He is crazy. Who the hell gets up so early on vacation?I shook my sister to wake her up. Angie is the heaviest sleeper I've ever met in my entire life. We put on the clean, dry clothes we had the day before. Me, jean shorts and a t-shirt of a tongue icon, it's from a rock band: The Rolling Stones. And Angie in her floral skirt and pink short-sleeved shirt.We had waffles for breakfast that Martha made."Okay, we
"As soon as we have the chance, we'll go online," I told him secretly, and he nodded.We went to the workshop and I noticed that new clients arrived. There were about seven or eight. Arnold and Thomas were in front of them, but they didn't seem friendly. I ignored them and carefully placed the canister on Arnold's table."Cleopatra?"Oh no. No no no.I had my back turned and Angie was in front of me, biting her lip trying to hide her smile and she didn't hide her surprise."Tell me it's not who I think," I lamented. I thought we were rid of him. Angie nodded and I cursed.I turned around and saw him, he was there with that smile of his. I frowned looking at the boy who had scratched my arm and after several washes you could still see his number written on my skin.- Frankenstein?ARIA"It's good to see you again, girls.There's that word again."What the hell are you doing here?" I didn't even have tact. He put a hand on her chest pretending to be offended.“Do you know each other?” T
Angie had fallen asleep. She had no battery on my phone and after another hour she was extremely bored. Until I realized that the murmurs stopped listening.— Angie, it's time — I woke her up and we left the room with our jackets on.When we got to the living room, we saw that the whole group was sleeping on chairs and spread out on the couches, including Thomas.I took the key carefully and gently opened the door, it was very difficult since it was a door that made an outrageous squeak. We got out successfully and crossed. When we got to the aluminum shutter we realized we had no idea where it opens.— A switch — Angie points at it and goes over to open it. She made a bit of noise so she stopped him instantly, leaving just a gap big enough for us to squeeze under.We start running street after street, and we remember our physical situation. Angie sat down on the sidewalk to get some air and I leaned on my knees.We begin to walk aimlessly, until we find a square and collapse on a ben
"Where are we?" I wanted to know. The intrigue was killing me."In a shelter, you and your sister couldn't be out there any longer," Thomas tells me.- A refuge?— Well... The youth gang headquarters — he tells me and I understood instantly."Do they live here?" I stopped and they attended.What was missing. I didn't know why but I didn't like anyone and my natural instinct told me that I should be wary of everyone.We come to some stairs. This will be more difficult than it seems. I went down a step and almost a tear came out of my eyes because of the pain that occurred in my thigh when I flexed it."No, definitely not," I stopped.- It hurts much?- Too.- I'll load you.We got up on the step and Caleb helped him lift me into his arms and when he touched my legs to hold me better…"Don't touch my legs!" I yelled. I had enough with my wounds being tight, which already causes a lot of pain, I couldn't stand his hands on my thighs.He removed his hands and I held myself by his neck.He
—Shh, Shh, be a good girl or I'll leave you there and I won't let your boyfriend take you out.Did you say sweetheart?-We are not..."I'll jump, I'll pass it to you and you'll take it out," he says to Thomas, completely ignoring me and treating me like a package that had to be passed from arm to arm.—It's almost three meters, you won't be able to climb it.“Don't doubt my magical powers, postman."It's a messenger!" she pushes him."Sorry, it seems that the little girl got angry," he laughs mockingly."Hey, assholes, I'm still here, get me out and then continue playing your Barbie fights!" They both looked at me amused.Ryder put down his phone and jumped down to where I was, careful not to crush me as he jumped. He must be used to it, it was three meters that he jumped as if it were a puddle in the rain.-You are well?-Not.He gave me his hand to stand up and my legs hurt like hell. I squeezed his hand hard but he didn't seem to feel it.“Shit, shit.He caught my elbows before I s
I hit the bag and then another, and another, each time the strength and anger that I was feeling at this moment increased more and more.Ryder Hayes is the most hateful person I have ever met in my life. Everyone here treats him and obeys him like a God, while I implore the Devil himself to take him away as soon as possible.People are now looking at me vigilantly, now the whole fucking circus I'm living in is looking out for me. This is a nightmare. Ryder is my personal nightmare. We hadn't known each other for more than a week and I already hated him like nobody else on the damn planet.It had only been six hours since he spoke in front of everyone in the dining room, and since then I haven't stopped cursing him for a second.I went down to the gym hours ago and I didn't stop hitting the bag, I was consumed with anger that I had never felt for anyone. My knuckles ache, and from standing still and constantly moving, my legs are shaking, but I won't stop.Courtney stands on the other
After breakfast, and if I could do it, we went to train with Nathan and Eddy. They made me do sit-ups and push-ups. I almost died trying.They did it with me and they were like new, they had made a hundred each, and more. But I barely reached twenty push-ups when I fell exhausted. They had fun with me and my suffering."You're a weakling, brunette," Eddy tells me.I would insult you, but you're right. Give me a little rest, Nate.” I lay down on the floor theatrically."You took eight breaks in one hour, Aria," she crosses her arms with a smile on her face.— Put yourself in my place, yes? It's difficult.— I did the same exercises as you.I gave him my middle finger and he smiled.Eddy held my knees to keep me going with the abs."I can't anymore," I said with the last breath I had left.- Rest - release my knees. I had done 30 sit-ups.We sat on the bean bags and Nathan brought out refreshments. — Tell me about you, since when are you here?"For as long as I can remember," Eddy says
When we left the room ready, Ryder was on the other side with his back to us. A long black tail sticks out from under his arm. I shared a look with Angie and she shrugged.- And good? Where do you have to go?” He looked over his shoulder at us and smiled. That terrifying smile that he had was not normal, he never genuinely smiled, in fact he smiled very rarely and it was always towards me, the most mocking, haughty or sarcastic smile I had ever seen.He turned on his feet slowly and I could see what he was carrying in his arms. He was a cat, a black cat. He had eyes so deeply yellow that I thought he could demonize me at any moment. I don't think a simple little animal is a dealer of bad luck when he crosses someone's path. However, this little feline seemed from another world."Good morning, ladies," he caresses the animal's mane, "did you miss me?" he spoke to me, I guess because he saw my sister yesterday."Of course, my days were falling apart without you," I said in the most sarc