Dysnomia Academy [ONC 2021]

Chapter Fourteen

The room fell silent as the girls thought about their decision. Joining a club was a large commitment since members had to be loyal to the leader, meaning they would have to follow my every command. The only way a member could leave the club was to be dismissed by the leader. The villain world put a great importance on loyalty. To break it was to mark yourself as a traitor, someone so unreliable that no one would want to make an alliance with you.

Harlow copied my position and narrowed her eyes.

"What's in it for us?"

"With the serial killer around, it's better to have others to rely on. We can stick together until the murderer is caught. If you want to leave, you can after the issue is resolved."

Luna spoke in a soft voice.

"I don't mind joining."

I wished there was a camera in my pocket at that moment to capture Fritz's face. His flushed cheeks and wide smile easily exposed his feelings for the girl. I nudged Fritz in the side, warning him to contain himself.

We waited for Harlow's response. I could see her contemplating whether or not she wanted to stick by Luna's side or deny my invitation. Why is it taking her such a long time? Is there something she's hiding? Zach raised his arms to stretch while seated on the couch. I wanted to yawn, but I didn't want to seem disrespectful as her potential leader.

Harlow suddenly pointed at Zach, startling him out of his stretches. 

"I'll join if he agrees to not call me 'girly' again."

Her request had me confused for a second until I remembered the first time our class entered the dormitory. Zach said something about her being in the wrong school after her bubbly introduction and called her "girly".

Zach rubbed the back of his head, looking down at his lap.

"Yeah...sorry 'bout that. I was just tryna look cool. I won't call ya that anymore."

Harlow crossed her arms.

"Apology accepted. I'll join...so what do we do now?"

I stood up from my spot on the couch.

"We can make something in the kitchen. I doubt breakfast in the hall will taste any good with all the tension in there."

Fritz rolled up his sleeves.

"Let's go then!"

The five of us walked over to the kitchen. Fritz opened up the fridge, pantry, and cabinets to grab everything he needed. Luna tapped his shoulder.

"Is it okay if I help?"

"Of-of course! I'm making breakfast burritos with some fruit on the side."

"I'll cook the eggs."

"Alright. I'll get started on the chorizo."

I sat at the bar with the other two. They were talking about the different kinds of blades, and Zach made a few knives for Harlow. I'm glad everyone is getting along.

The smell of the cooking made my mouth water. It was hard to keep calm around Fritz's cooking. His cooking tasted better than any of the gourmet meals I had in the hall.

The eggs crackled. The chorizo sizzled. Soon, both were fully cooked and dumped into a pot. Luna pulled out some bell peppers, an onion, and a cantaloupe before walking over to Harlow.

"Sorry for interrupting you...but can you help me cut the fruits and vegetables?"

"Sure! Excuse me, Zach."

Harlow went to the sink to wash one of the knives that Zach gave her. As soon as she stood in front of the chopping board, Harlow's knife blurred. The food fell apart into similarly-sized pieces. I expected nothing less from her speed, but it still surprised me at how precise her cuts were.

Luna gathered the vegetables into a bowl and washed the onion juice off the chopping board. Harlow grabbed another knife, one that was much longer than the last, and handed it to Luna for her to wash. Once the chopping station was ready, Harlow placed the cantaloupe in the center of the board. She raised her knife into the air, and the melon split in half. I didn't even see her knife touch the fruit... She scooped out the seeds with a spoon. Harlow cut the halves into perfectly proportional slices.

Meanwhile, Luna dumped the vegetables into the hot skillet Fritz used to cook the chorizo. She used the leftover grease to flavor the bell peppers and onion. Luna added the cooked vegetables to the egg and chorizo, mixing everything together.

Fritz set a round comal onto the stove and lit the fire underneath. 

"Breakfast is almost ready. Can you grab some plates for us, Zach?"

"Yep."

He washed his hands before searching the cabinets for some plates. Fritz tossed a tortilla onto the comal and flipped it once the side was cooked, placing them on the plates that Zach was holding when they were done. Luna added the filling, and Harlow served out a couple slices of cantaloupe on each plate. 

I was the first one to be given a complete plate of breakfast, but I waited for everyone to sit.

"Thank you for the food."

I raised the burrito to my mouth and ate some of it. The fluffy eggs mixed well with the bits of chorizo and vegetables. I wanted to slowly enjoy my food, but I ended up scarfing down both of the burritos on my plate. The cantaloupe stared at me with its glimmering eyes, screaming "eat me". I picked up a slice and took a bite. The sweet juice dribbled down my chin, forcing me to lean over my plate to protect my clothes. Once I finished my plate, a satisfied sigh escaped from my mouth. 

I wish we could all stay like this forever. Laughing. Happy. Free.