Yin Yang

Mom?

"Cody? Why is he here." My sister questioned in a quiet tone. "I wish I knew." I said in a whisper. My father was sitting in a chair with his hands clasped in his lap, with Althaia sitting in the chair beside him with her legs crossed. Cody has a petrified look on his face. It almost made me feel sorry for him.
Without thinking it through I grab Lexa's hand and saunter my way into my father's office. "What are you doing!" My sister whispered yelled as she tried to pull her arm away from my grip, but to no avail. My father looked over at us as I sat down in a chair right across from Cody. "What do you want." I spit as I flop down in the chair. "You have to help me." He rushes out, swallowing the air greedily. "Help you? You've never helped me." I say with an eye roll as I lift my hand and look at my fingernails. "I swe-" He starts to say, but is interrupted by my father slaming his hand on the table in front of Cody. "Don't talk until you are spoken to." My father said in his calm but serious voice. "Really-"
"What did I say." My father says, looking into Cody's eyes.
"Yeah Cody." I say but quickly regret it when my father looks over at me and says, "I don't need your commentary Axel."
He sits back in his chair and says, "Why are you here."
"I came to give Lexa and Axel a message." Cody says, still trying to catch his breath as he leans forward. "What is it?" Lexa says with a stone face. I could tell she didn't like it here. Why would she. Cody has been the pain in our behind ever since we started public school. So why was he here, in my father's office, with a "message?"
"I was jumped. While walking home from school. I was going to meetup with some friends at Big Mama's BBQ, when some giant man grabbed me by the throat and slammed me up against the bike rack right outside of Big Mama's." He says, pulling his shirt collar down to show us the bruise that was starting to form around his neck. Cody continued saying,"He said, 'I'll keep you alive, but only for the chief. She wants you alive to deliver a message to her children. Tell Lexa and Axel that their mother is coming for them.'"
My hands dropped from my lap as I looked over at my father. "This isn't some kind of sick joke. Some stupid prank you and your little friends are pulling on Axel and I, is it?" Lexa says, slowly moving closer and closer to Cody. I pull her back before she can get too close to cause any damage.
"We're gonna head out." I say as I pull Lexa behind me, exiting the room. Before I put my foot over the threshold of the office, though, I turn my head and say, "But for real Cody, this better be for real." I turn back around and flick my eyes over to where my brothers are standing.
"What's going on in there." Nalo says, coming up to me with a hand full of potato chips, shoving them into his mouth. "Lexa and I are gonna head to our rooms." I say with a blank face as I intertwine Lexa's and I's fingers and start walking up the stairs. Nalo hums and walks back over to Creed who is looking at us with a worried expression.
Once we get up stairs I unlace Lexa's fingers from mine and face plant onto my bed as I let out a long and dramatic groan. I look over at Lexa who is sitting on the edge of her bed with her head in her hands. "You okay?" I sigh lifting up my head to lay it on my folded arms. She nods and lays back on her bed staring at the ceiling. I do the same, waiting patiently for her to say something. "Who do you think 'chief' is?" She questions, still looking up at the ceiling. "Well, from the sound of it, our mother." I laugh wanting to switch the subject. I never really knew my mother. I all know that she is a self centered, greedy, toad.
Lexa's eyes started drifting shut and I said, "Do you want me to come over?" She nodded and I slid off my bed onto hers. We turned to face each other as I looked at her. "It'll be okay Lex." I said as I ran my hand over her hair.
Not long after we both fell asleep. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence. I rarely ever slept in my own bed for the soul fact that Lexa hates being alone. When our so-called "mother" sold us to that wretched old man, he kept us separated in different cells. We were in there for so long that I forgot what she looked like. I know she looks like me, but, frankly I forgot what I looked like.
I woke up at around 5:30 in the morning. It's when I usually wake up to go and train with Creed and Nalo. I slipped my leggings and a tank-top on along with my tennis shoes. I put my hair up in a ponytail and grabbed my gloves off of my nightstand.
When I turned to look back at Lexa I saw a little note on the pillow that my head was laying on before I got up. I gingerly pick up the note and open it. Inside the envelope was a pair of keys taped to a piece of paper that read "West Henderson Street. 12:00 pm. Keys are in the envelope. Bring your sister with you. No one else. Don't be late." I stand in the middle of the room, rereading the letter over and over again. Who could've put that there. I look at the watch on my wrist as I think of possible suspects. It could've been Nalo or Aon? I think, but they didn't know anything about the mom sitch. I guess dad could've told them. No, he wouldn't do that. Not without us there. What the hell? I think with frustration. I look down at my watch again and see that I am late for my training. I'll talk to Lexa about it later. As I set the letter down on my bed, grab my duffle bag, and rush down the stairs. I'm gonna have to run laps now.