"Follow me." Viktor stamped a bill on the bar counter and walked through a cascade of thick wooden-beaded curtains that led to a dimly lit corridor with his friend on his tail. It had doors on either side. He knocked and opened a door that had a man sitting behind a counter. That, with 3 chairs and a TV made up the tiny stale-smelly room. Viktor spoke with him and deposited some bills on the dirty counter. The man hollered something in Russian but Viktor waved it away as he pulled open the floor.It shocked Sean, but what almost knocked the breath out of his chest was what was below. He would never have thought in a thousand years.They were hit first by contesting blows of luminosity and noise from a crowd of not more than a hundred men surrounding a caged boxing-sized ring. Some faces, he'd seen before; they were permanent residents of his different 'homes'. A heated fight was the source of the hollers and tumult. They were so loud that he wondered why he didn't hear them from abov
It was an uneventful Saturday afternoon that Gianna decided to sneak out of home in her parent's absence. Her mum had left for the city and her dad had gone downtown to present some designs to a client. She was left with the elder sister's responsibility to look after Petra, her annoying little sister. From previous encounters, both parents won't be home until forty minutes to dinner time. Latest, thirty minutes. So she had two sweet hours, as seldom, to wander around the estate. Rather unfortunate than fortunate that Venisa didn't report to work as she will have to deal with Petra. "Where are you going?" Petra appeared behind a frozen Gianna when she was two feet away from the door. In her hand was her favorite brown teddy bear their father had offered to her on her seventh birthday. When Gianna had pended the book she was pretentiously reading, to give her father the impression of a studious teen before he left, Petra was locked up in her room. Probably indulged in her convention
"Has he told you yet?" Julia asked, roaming around her room in search of her earphones. "Urgh! I flung that thing somewhere here. How I wish it had a mouth." "Nope." Gianna frowned at the zits on her face as portrayed by her reflection more than she did about Seth's slow pace. Julia paused from ransacking a pile of clothes on her bed that has been there from the previous day in her search for clothes to put on for school. "Are you serious?" She asked, overwhelmed. Gianna, who thought the mirror didn't reflect her actual expression, turned to her friend with a straight face. "Okay, but it's been what? Six months? And he still hasn't said it? Goodness, how do you even cope with that? If you weren't giving him the green light I would've put all blame on you. What is wrong wi—" Julia's eyes widened in realization. "What?" The brunette in sleek ponytail settled on a small clothes-free area that was left of her bed. "The new girl offering Maths. She enrolled two months ago," she sounded
"Seat belts, ladies," Their father—Mason—reminded them.Gianna loved it when he drove them to school a lot more than when Louisa did. Reason being that, with him, they could crack jokes, sing, and even play games on their way to school. But with their red-haired sweet mother, it wasn't the case. All she wanted to hear were their heartbeats and breathing.Mason adjusted the rearview mirror to have a better view of his princesses from time to time as he drove.The aura in the car was beginning to grow to become like that in their mother's presence and oddly enough, Gianna found it convenient as she tapped away on her phone. Even Petra the Magpie hadn't questions to ask today as she was as well busy with her little iPad."Knock! knock!""Who's there?" They absentmindedly replied, still gadget dedicated."So,""So, who?""So, don't leave me alone," He singsonged a popular king of pop's song while nodding his head to an imaginary beat resulting in a car suffocated with laughter."Oh my God
"Are you nervous?" Her mum quizzed as she smoothened Gianna's hair in front of her vanity mirror into a successful high messy bun after a failed attempt."A little.""It's normal, with time you'll feel at ease." there was silence during the process of mascara and gloss application which spared Gianna some wondering time. "There you go." Her mother smiled at her unbelievable creation. "You look gorgeous, honey. Come on, serve me a hot twirl."Gianna did as was told with a pleasant smile, her lovely illusion-neckline cocktail robe twirling in the process. It was her favorite shade; Turquoise as her mother knew it. When she sat down once again with her smile drooped on the sides, she looked at her mother and asked,"What if he Isn't my first?""I don't remember you to have two daddies. Or is there a part of your existence I'm missing?" She rhetorically quizzed earning a chuckle from her daughter. "What I'm trying to say is, he's the first
"Dad!""What? I mind. I won't pretend to not. So who is it?"Gianna huffed. "No one."Mason pressured her with his narrow eyes. "I'm not lying." She looked at him in the eyes to prove it."Is someone planning to?"As instantly as possible, Gianna diverted her stare to her half-eaten meal. "No.""Gianna?" Mason singsonged but his daughter only incessantly stuffed her mouth with more salmon and tomatoes. "You'll end up choking, darling. Who is it?" Gianna carefully chewed per minute. "Oh wait, let me take a guess. It's Seth, isn't it?"She said nothing."I knew it!" He settled a fisted hand on his lips. "You're inviting him home for dinner any of these days.""Da—" with wide eyes, Gianna swallowed first, drank some water, and went on, "dad! He's not even made a move yet and possibly might not.""He better not." Gianna frowned. Mason knew he was going too far with the protective card. Not the way he and Louisa had planned. At that rate, he'll only end up scaring her from opening up to ei
Barely out of the library's proximity Gianna, in all urgency, bumped head first into someone's chest. Looking up, she came in contact with a pair of cold sea blue stares unfortunately groomed with flawlessly organized lashes and trimmed brows. Gianna, coming back to her senses, took two steps back and was ready to walk past when Sean obscured her path with the chiseled body a jock of his age can have."Donut van," he chuckled, "Avoiding me. Again. Despite the impossibility."Gianna frowned defyingly."What is that? You got something to say?" He defied back. At this time, a tiny crowd had begun forming. "Huh?""Leave me alone. Keep your taunts for later, I'm running late." She stepped in the opposite direction but was still blocked by his body wall."Like I care. And who are you to tell me what to do? I am going to taunt you whenever, wherever, and however I like," He emphasized the last sentence with finger stabs on her chest. "Is that clear?"Gianna didn't reply. "Am I talking to sh
"You found her!" Petra cried rushing toward the cradled puppy. "I looked everywhere for her. Where did you see her?""In the bushes outside the fence. How did she reach there?" Gianna delicately settled Noah on the floor who rapidly ran to Petra's legs where it rubbed its body against her ankle. The latter stooped to caress the hairy west highland terrier behind the ears causing it to shut its eyes in satisfaction."We were playing in the backyard when I suddenly lost sight of her.""Be careful with her next time." Gianna pulled out her sneakers. "Where's Venisa?""Watching her usual soap opera."On the way to her room, she sighted a mop of purple hair protruding from the sofa situated opposite the wall-buried TV. She blew her nose, giving the notion that she was crying despite claiming to have watched the series twice before."I'm home," Gianna alerted."Oh, welcome. Your parents called a while ago saying they won't be home till nine today," her voice was thick."Did they say why?" V