Sweet Felony

Talk It Out

Hanuman isn't that bad, Aru thought, but he has a knack for making bad situations into worse ones.

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Aru looked to her side at Aiden, who had brought her there. He was looking determinedly at everything else except Aru.

She couldn't fault him, honestly. It was really awkward, and right now, she wished she'd just get run over by a bus.

After all, she couldn't just go, "Look, I know I used to work under your rival gang and threatened your mom, but let's gloss over that and not be awkward, shall we?"

Aru looked away at the scenery. It was really pretty, she thought. It was the type of garden that Disney princesses had at their castles, full of lush gardens and gently trickling waterfalls. The aroma of the flowers, of every shape and size, was overwhelming.

She looked up to see Mini and Brynne walk in. As Mini smiled at her, her smile seemed to brighten the garden at once. She is amazing, thought Aru. Mini was a great conversation partner, and it was how Aru had spent the last few days without dying of boredom at the Alu headquarters. 

Brynne glowered at Aru, making it clear that she definitely detested her.

Brynne, on the other hand, was not a good conversation partner.

Aru glared back.

"Now, now, students, let's save the glaring contests for later, shall we?" Hanuman said, landing on the ground.

Aru raised an eyebrow. "You're late, sir."

Hanuman waved her away. "Please, call me Hanuman, and in response," he stood up straighter, looking strangely pleased with himself, "a vanara is never late, nor are they early, they arrive-"

"Precisely when they mean to," Aru finished, folding her arms.

Hanuman looked at Aru in surprise.

"Isn't that a quote?" Aru asked. "Did you steal that from The Princess Diaries? Because it certainly sounds like it."

Aiden snickered, trying to be quiet, only to have Brynne scowl at him into silence.

Hanuman shifted awkwardly, "No, of course not!" he said in what Aru recognized to be his 'trying-to-save-myself-from-embarrassment' voice. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"aNyways-" he said, changing the subject. "Today, we will have an assessment!"

Everyone groaned, including 4 other kids, one that Aru recognized as the kid who had knocked himself out at the fight, and the other as the shapeshifter her sister had groused to her about. Aru didn't recognize the other two, although they seemed to be quite young and looked like identical twins.

"You all will be split into groups of two," Hanuman continued. "Your goal is to find the artifact I have hidden for each group. It is of importance that you get along."

Aru looked back at the group, only to be met with stares. The only exception being Mini, who gave her a smile.

"I will call out the groups now."

Aru gulped. I hope I get Mini, she thought. After all, it seemed that Mini was the only one who didn't want to throw her out to the wolves.

How ironic, Aru thought.

"The first group is Mini and Aiden," Hanuman called out.

Mini and Aiden exchanged smiles and elbow bumps.