The Red Doves

Chapter XXII

- I'm leaving now! screamed Hana from the front door.

- See you later, Hana! Suziky screamed back at her.

- Bye sissy! shouted Jasminia.

When Suziky heard the door closing, she continued her discussion with Jasminia.

- What do you mean awful and dark deep inside?

- I don't know, Teiko told me that, not me, just said Jasminia while looking at the window.

Suziky didn't try to push further : she knew she was awful. She was working for a psycho gang of murderers and she was lying all day long to cover her secret. She gave up on counting the number of times she passed near the police station, thinking she should stop there and denounce her crimes. She killed someone, which wasn't supposed to happened, and Alan and she kept it for themselves.
But she felt like she had to go to the police. She wanted to; she didn't mind going to jail after what happened : she deserved to be there.

- Suziky? said Jasminia, a question mark on her face.

- Excuse-me, you were saying? said Suziky, looking back at Jasminia.

- I called your names 4 times. What are you thinking about? the kid asked.

- Oh, nothing really special. Just thinking of what your friend said.

- Did he say the truth? asked Jasminia, tilting her head a little.

- About the fact I'm dark?

- Yes.

Suziky took the time to think of the right way to explain herself to Jasminia. She didn't want to lie to her, she didn't need that.

- Let's say I did bad things, she only said.

- What kind of bad things? asked Jasminia, sitting back on her bed.

- That, it is another story. Maybe you can ask Teiko if he knows. I trust him.

Suziky walked out of the room and took the way to the kitchen. Some seconds after, she could hear the footsteps of Jasminia, following her.

- Wait! Where are you going?

- I'm just going to make us a little snack, answered Suziky, smiling.

- Can we have crackers? said the kid with a tiny voice like it was a secret.

- Of course!

Suziky opened the little door of the cupboard above her and took out some cheese crackers. Then, she took two bowls and poured some of these in them.

- Here, said Suziky, handing the blue bowl full of crackers to Jasminia.

- Thank you.

While Jasminia walked to sit on a chair, Suziky started eating the crackers one by one, in silence. She kept thinking of what Teiko, whoever he was, said about her. It kept playing in loop in her head and more she was thinking of it, more she was thinking of picking the phone to composed the 911.
At her seventh cracker, the bell of her cellphone rang. Suziky took her phone out and looked at the new notification on the screen.

Alan Silvasta : Suzy, where are you?
Alan Silvasta : Sora just called me and he wants us to go now.

The mission. Suziky texted a quick message to Alan, telling him she can't right now but he sent a third message before she could send hers.

Alan Silvasta : Please, don't break my trust and come to the car now.

« Damn it », thought Suziky, closing her phone and putting it back in her pocket. She looked at Jasminia. This one was still looking at the window, waving at the car leaving the parking of the house. Suziky couldn't leave because she had to look on Jasminia ; she couldn't call another person since she didn't know any other friends and Hana would ask herself questions ; she couldn't call Alan's mom since she would also ask Suziky questions since she was supposed to be learning about poetry right now.
She thought of letting her alone at home because Teiko would look over her but since she had no idea of who he was – she didn't even know if he was real – she couldn't do this. One last choice came to her.

- Jasminia, we have to go, started Suziky, catching the kid's attention.

- Where? Jasminia asked, looking at the young woman.

- I can't really tell you.

- How can I trust you then? asked the child, backing away slightly.

- It's hard to explain but... I need to help a friend with a problem.

- If it's to help someone, ok, I can come. But what is the problem of your friend?

- He need to go pick his little brother up but he can't because he is very busy, invented Suziky.

- Why aren't the parents going? only asked Jasminia, not asking herself if it was real or not.

- Because they are on a trip, so my friend is looking over his brother, just like I'm doing with you right now, explained Suziky, hoping she wouldn't ask other questions to lie again.

- Seems fair... thought the little girl out loud.

- So we need to go now. We are going to meet Alan.

- Alan?

- You know, my best friend. The one I'm living with, said Suziky.

- Your boyfriend? asked Jasminia.

- We can say that, lied Suziky another time.

Jasminia looked beside her. Suziky didn't understand why she did but the kid, after some time, nodded and looked back at Suziky.

- Teiko trusts you.