Riley's Box

Part 28

That was no easy feat, though. 

After all, Jason was my best friend. To not think about him wasn't exactly the easiest task in the world. 

"Guys, I think I want to go home," I said then. 

The Sins turned to me with thoughtful expressions, except for Invidia, who had started to file her nails. Where on Earth had she even got a nail file from? Unimportant. 

Avidicci spoke first. 

"We need to find those souls, now!" he said. 

"You're being greedy...and impatient. There's plenty of souls and plenty of time to find them," Prida told him. 

Avidicci met her gaze and exhaled with some indignation. 

"I suppose you do have a point, there," he said. "And it is getting darker and colder out here. I would like to return to the box." 

"I can't believe you just said that," Invidia said. 

"Me neither," Otius spoke up. "But I'm going to have to agree with him. I'm tired." 

"You're always tired!" the other Sins chorused.  

Otius sighed, as he ran a hand through his blonde hair. 

"Okay, okay. You don't have to point it out," he said. 

His expression appeared a little saddened by what they had said and I couldn't help but feel a little bad for him. 

Was I really feeling sympathy for a Sin? 

Yes, apparently I was. 

Avidicci soon spoke again. 

"If the girl wants to go home, then we are going to go home. We will start our task again tomorrow," he said decisively. 

The others nodded in agreement and we soon started to run back to my house. 

The Sins managed to climb up the side of the house and back in through my bedroom window again. They had some crazy physical abilities, I could give them that much. 

Avidicci then turned to me with a thoughtful gaze. 

"Want me to help you back up?" he asked me. 

I nodded and he managed to levitate me in through the window. 

"How-" I started to ask, but then thought better of it. 

The fact that the Sins even existed proved to me that many things that I had previously thought impossible were, in fact, possible. 

"I'm going to go and say goodnight to my parents, before they worry I'm dead. You guys can return to the box." 

"Why should we?" Invidia asked. 

"Invidia!" Avidicci said in irritation. 

She sighed. 

"Fine," she said, before she returned to the box with the others.

The last one to return was Avidicci, who turned back to me before he did so. 

"Are you going to be alright, Riley?" he asked me. 

It surprised me that he had even taken an interest, but I did appreciate it. 

"I'll be fine, Avidicci," I said with a friendly smile. "Trust me." 

"I do," he said, before eyeing the door of my bedroom with some uncertainty. "I should get going. Goodnight," he said and then made his way into the box again. 

I closed the door to the closet and then went to open my bedroom door to find that my parents were waiting for me, out in the hall. 

"You have some explaining to do," my mother said. 

"I do?" I asked. Crap. I was doomed. They had somehow found out about the Sins and everything was about to change for the worse and-

"Your mathematics teacher called. He said you got a C- in the last assignment," mom said. "How did this happen, Riley? I thought you were doing so well in math!" she said, as she came to sit down on my bed beside me. 

"I tried, mom. I'll study more next time, I promise," I said. 

It was true. 

As soon as I wasn't occupied with helping a bunch of Sins return the shadow spirits to literal Hell, then I would be able to study to my heart's content! 

At my comment, my mother's face seemed to relax a little. 

"Alright, then, Riley. I'm pleased to hear it. Just make sure it happens," she said. 

It would.

I knew that the only other option was the shadow spirits taking over and destroying the whole planet. So, what choice did I have? 

"It will," I said with a confident smile. Well, as confident as I could muster in these circumstances.

"Are you sure that you're not just staying home because you want to avoid math?" my mother asked me, sooner than she even took a step away from my bed.

"Mom- you're being cynical. Just because I stay home for a day does not mean that I'm doing it for my own selfish reasons," I said.

"It's inevitable that you're either going to pass this class or not, but I just want to make sure you try," she said. 

Oh, I was trying, alright. I was trying to work out how the Hell I was going to get my life back to normal!

In spite of my racing thoughts, I managed to work a friendly smile onto my face again. 

"I think it's important that we can talk about these things," she said. 

"Me too, mom. And I will make you proud, I promise," I said. 

I wasn't sure if it was worth promising anything, in all honesty, but I wanted to do what I could to give my mother some peace of mind.

"I care about you, honey," she said. 

"I care about you too, mom. I want to do well in school to make both you and dad happy, as much as I want to do this for myself," I said. 

At that statement, my mother managed a smile. 

"I've been so selfish through most of my life, hija. You changed that. You made me see that my life was about doing more than what made me happy in the moment- that the people that I am close to are more important than anything else," she said. "I don't think I've ever forgiven myself for some of the choices I have made, let alone the choices of others. I just...I want to make sure that you don't have any regrets." 

"Mom...where is this coming from?" I asked her.