Aren't you a little bit scared?

Cookie's standpoint (Viona)

   I watched the kid, slurping my drink to savor the taste. My body was pressed against the kitchen island while she watched a cartoon in the living room. She's a smart one, too smart and clever to be an ordinary child. She had a dangerous aura, more than what I had growing up. I've moved a lot with bad guys, enough to pick them out when I see one. I easily deduced that she was kidnapped and was trying to hide from the person or people after her. I was endangering my life and that of Ursula's, but I couldn't disobey my instinct.

   'Pretty, isn't she?' Ursula asked as she lean on the island beside me.

   'Beautiful,' I smiled.

   She took my juice and drank it. 'You do realize that she's lying to us, right?' Yeah, Ursula isn't stupid either, just not that clever.

   I chuckled and looked at her nonchalantly. 'Why do think she's lying?'

   'It's unbelievable,'

   'Why?'

   'One, her accent is like…well, isn't Chinese. She switches accents like she can speak more than two languages fluently. How is it possible for a kid who grew up in an orphanage where she was maltreated to know that much? Why didn't her uncle adopt her in the first place? How come she looks like someone who hasn't worked a day in her life? Don't you think it's fishy?'

   'Have you ever lived in the streets, struggle to survive to get your daily bread?' I asked, looking at her face calmly. I wasn't certain why I was covering for the kid, but it is what it is.

   'Well, no but—

   'I have, I know what it's like out there. To survive, you learn things bigger than you, learn work greater than your size. That's the rule of surviving, babe, be prepared. I grew up there, how many accents can I copy? How many languages can I speak?' She looked at Barbie and smiled sadly. 'Barbie is a ghetto girl, looks can be deceiving. Take me for example, when we met until now, don't I look expensive to you?'

   'Yeah, I guess so.' As much as I didn't enjoy lying to her, my instinct was strongly against telling her the truth. And if there's one thing I don't ever disobey, it's my instinct.

   'You should know so, dummy,'

   'What do we do about her? We are students, remember?' She changed the topic.

   'We can leave her at home,' I suggested.

   'A kid? On her own?' Ursula asked like I'd grown three heads.

   'Does she look like someone who can't handle herself?'

   'True,' she murmured. 'Still dangerous, though.'

   'She can handle it. I don't have lectures tomorrow, I will stay with her.' And find out how to help.

   'You promise to get a job,' she reminded me.

   'Unfortunately,' Barbie looked over at us and offered a heart melting smile. I smiled back, so did Ursula.

   'Can I ask a question?' She asked as she lowered the volume with the remote.

   'Shoot,'

   'Why is your hair rainbow?' I burst into laughter. I was expecting that.

   'Rainbow is crazy, I'm a wacko, so we are meant for each other.' I replied grinningly. She looked at Ursula in confusion.

   'Don't look at me, I met her this way, two nuts left.' Ursula said with a shrug.

   'Alright, where are we? What country?'

   'Don't you know where you are? How do you intend to—'

   'Italy,' I cut Ursula off. God, this girl ask too many questions. I still love her, though.

   'Where is Milan? What town is this and how far is Milan from this place?'

   'Not that far,' I replied again. She looked back at the television, muttering to herself. She was cute and squish-worthy.

   'Swears, she's fucking weird.' Ursula muttered. We all are.

Yolanda's standpoint

   'Hey,' Viona called softly, taking her seat beside me. 'You feeling okay?'

   'My daddy lives in Milan,'

   'Who are you?' She whispered, glancing back at her friend. 'Daughter of a rich man his rival kidnapped?' I nodded. 'They are still searching for you?'

   'There is a mole, daddy's left-hand man, Thorn. He gives information out for money, he sold me out after he found out about me, somehow. Not just him, five of them, and one is a good friend to Uncle Carlos. The men will keep their eyes open now because they know I'll try to contact dad. They will kill me before he gets to me.' I sighed, sinking into my chair. I was mentally and physically drained. The stress was too much for me. It was the first life-threatening situation I faced without dad. He usually stayed by my side every time he took me out to dangerous places.

   'Come here,' she cooed and carried me into her laps. 'Don't cry, I'll help you.'

   'How? How can you help?'

   'Easy. Is your father a lady's man?'

Ted's standpoint

   I exhaled through my mouth as I meditated to calm my nerves. So far, nothing was fine but that shouldn't affect me. I knew Yolanda would be fine, she had to be for my sake. I taught her a lot of survival statics so she ought to be fine. Even if she was just a kid, I knew she would… I hoped she would.

   'Ted,'

   'I've told you never to call me that, it's Ame.' I said calmly with eyes still close.

   'You can't make me,' he murmured. Ignoring him, I asked, 'any luck?'

   'Your witch has done it,' I opened my eyes and looked at him questionably. 'River and I saw a burnt car due to a bullet targeted at the engine. Six men dead, with one's finger bitten badly. I wouldn't have cared but who else do you know shoot straight to the engine of a car, besides you? With just a bullet?'

   'And…?''

   'One was bitten. River had it checked out, it was bitten off by the fangs you had fixed as her canines. The DNA also matches hers, she has escaped and is probably here in Italy.'

   I exhaled with relief. 'And you said teaching her cruel things is wrong,' I smirked.

   'Yeah, yeah, you were right. She left a message scraped to the truck she must have driven. She said she's okay and will come out soon. There are seven moles and Thorn is number one.'

   'My smart little girl,' I smiled. 'The evidence?'

   'Destroyed and Thorn in custody.'

   'Good, you know what to do with him.'

   'Yes, boss,' he nodded and walked out. I sighed with relief, she's never gonna leave my sight again once I get her back.

Cookie's standpoint

   I brushed my silver and blue wig as I hummed to myself. I was all dressed up like a cheap slut for the special occasion. I wore a silver mini dress that clung to my body and had no hands or straps. The dress was so short, I concluded not to bend. The tubes at the sides of the dress were another thing. I finished it with white knee-high boots and jewel. My makeup was intense and I had my skin sprayed black. For a black girl, I'm gorgeous.

   'I still don't understand why you are dressed like this,' Ursula complained again. 'You said you are going clubbing, but why dress like this? Why change your hair and skin? And this dress, what the heck is this? You look like a whore.'

   'That's the whole idea, look like one.' I smiled.

   'Your body is too exposed, what are you wearing? Why?'

   'Because I'm going to seduce someone and try to get information from him,'

    'Why?' She asked, folding her arms with a scowl. I rolled my eyes around before looking at her eyes through the mirror as she did the same. I wore pink eye lens.

   'I got paid to.'

   'Viona!' She exclaimed. 'We are not that desperate!'

   'I am,' I said as I adjusted the dress. I hate this. 'Fine, I will wear a jacket, better?'

   'No, you are doing this for money. What if you get raped or actually get laid?'

   'Rape, never. Laid, there's no harm in that.'

   'Viona,' she cried. I know she's only worried, but she could be a mom most time.

   'I need the money to pay your project fee and college fee,' I said with a smile. So, you see, she had this project she needed to pay for and of course, her college fee I already paid for, but I wasn't going to tell her that and ruin my excuse.

   'I can hustle for it in a better way—'

   'How would you get that huge amount of euros in less than three days?'

   'Simple, I… I… I…' She huffed and bite down on her lip, bitterly. 'And what about Barbie? You're not going to leave me with that tranty kid, are you?' She told me Yolanda terrifies her for some reason and when Ursula fears something, it makes her uncomfortable.

   I chuckled and grinned at her. 'She's a great kid,'

   'Just a kid? Really, Viona?' She asked with a hilarious expression on her face. I laughed, shaking my head and returning my attention to me. 'Whatever, just take the kid along with you.'

   'You really need to start being nice to kids, you're gonna be a mom one day.'

   'Never, I will die childless.' She hissed.

   'Careful what you wish for, sis, be careful.'

   'Wow, you look different, Vee,' Barbie, whose real name I got to know was Yolanda, said. Just trying to remind us that she was sitting right there the whole time. 'Where to?'

   'Clubbing,'

   'Clubbing? Why cl…oh,' she glanced at Ursula and pressed her lips into a cryptic smile. 'Do you have to dress like this?'

   'According to what a certain someone told me, my target likes black girls so I must look black.' We both looked at Ursula, she's black, but she can never pull off what I want to do. According to Yolanda, Carlos, her father's right-hand man, was a broad-chested man, with heavy muscles, too many muscles that his veins pops out all the time. He was tall and look like a giant with his extraordinary hugeness. He was blonde, dirty blonde hair with a little black streaks and chestnut brown eyes. He was a sucker for black girls with massive boobs. Ursula fits the description very well but she was too dumb to handle dangerous work.

   'Don't look at me, I won't dare try such a thing.'

   'You know, you fit his taste,' Yolanda said smirkingly as she eyed Ursula. I swear, I need to meet this father of hers and punch him in the face. Yolanda knew too much for her age. In fact, if it wasn't for the fact that she had a small body, I would have concluded she was fourteen or older. That's how mature she acted. And a few times, she speaks even older than Ursula. That's saying something.

   'And except for the hugeness, he suits hers. How old is he again?'

   '30,'

   'Sweet, the distant isn't that bad.'

   'I feel a meet cute coming on,' Yolanda teased. Ursula rolled her eyes and stomped out of my room. 'Are you gonna tell her?'

   'After you leave, she gets scared way too easily, so telling her I'm about to endanger my life will set her in panic mode. What she doesn't know won't kill her.' She sighed sadly, playing with a pendant necklace around her neck.

   'Aren't you a little bit scared to help a stranger?' her eyes shimmered with tears as he spoke, but I knew she wasn't going to cry. She's not one to.

   'It's exciting knowing I might get kidnapped or escape a shootout. The danger, the fear, the adrenaline! Come on, that's absolutely awesome!' I lied.

  'Thank you, for helping me find my dad despite everything that is at risk. Not many will do that for someone they don't know, but you are.'

   I squat down to her height and smiled at her, her hair was covering her face, and it made her even prettier and cuter. 'I will do anything to help a child in need, if I can.'

   'My dad will reward you,' she said blushingly. No way, little sis.

   'I don't intend to see him and please, no cupid, keep my identity a secret. Do you promise to keep it a secret?'

   'I promise I won't tell him.'

   'Good,' I stood up. 'I better get going, I have early morning classes tomorrow. You sure Carlos is not a traitor?'

She shook her head negatively. 'I triple checked so I am definitely sure,'

   'Alright, I better go, wish me luck.' and then there's how she was able to “triple” check but I wasn't going to ask. I decided to know less and save myself more. The less I know, the safer I'll be.

Or so I thought.