Lost & Found

THREE

My father's compound had to be bigger than Queen Elizabeth's royal palace. And I was absolutely certain that if that old bat and her entourage rolled up to the Muttozani estate her dentures would be toppling to the floor.

I'd asked him how many acres it was on once, after we'd learned just how much land a whole acre was in school that day.

He'd looked at me like I was an idiot for a long time, said a gazillion, and went straight back to work.

Cheesy pasta bastard, I remember thinking. Just tell me how many acres it is. But, looking back at it now I understood that he had no clue. I don't think anyone did.

"Alexander," My teacher Ms. Ruby called, shaking me away from my thoughts. I rested my jaw on my upturned palm, dragging my attention to her. She was giving me one of those looks that teachers always dished out when they thought you were a colossal failure. Slight pity, a whole lot of annoyance, and her green eyes scrunched with a glare.

"Would you please reiterate what I just said?"

"You were talking about the queen of england, Ms. Ruby. I heard you."

"I'm glad. Keep your eyes on me while we're going through the lesson please, this'll be on your next exam."

It was funny to me that she thought an exam ranked anywhere on my list of priorities.

Beside me, My friend Cole stifled another laugh and I sighed. School was the worst.

###

I was sitting on the roof of house number three, flicking through an avenger's comic book and sipping grape juice through my juice box. In the distance, I saw nothing but manicured lawn and vast forestry. The sun peaked behind the clouds as it made its decent. The air smelled tangy, like the salty scent of sea and roses. I grinned to myself.
I had my Juice box, comics, and no homework looming over me.

This was the life.

Now, was I allowed to leisurely lounge on the roof?

Nah.

Would my father skin me alive and then threaten to rip out my eyelids when he found me here?

Absolutely.

But, he also almost died and didn't utter a peep to me about it so, the man deserved to suffer a little bit. If anything, he should thank me for keeping him on his toes. He was twenty five, age was catching up to him quickly. My antics kept him vigilant, otherwise, Alzheimer's would probably be creeping up his mind as we speak. 

"Alexander! Get off the goddamn roof!" I looked down, narrowing my eyes at the speck on the ground. Ah, I sipped my juice box. It was Robert. AKA the world's biggest bowling ball shaped bore.

"You're a legend kid!"

Oh, I hummed happily. Ben, the golden drug dealing boy, was here too. Now, that guy had a set of balls thicker than titanium and a mouth that rolled like the tides. He was definitely my biggest fan in the estate, besides Sammy, of course. But, more on him later.

"You're going to have to come get me, Robby! I don't think you can fit through the window though, butter ball!"

I could hear Ben's cackles and Robert's growling all the way from up here. 

"Alexander, stop cursing." Oh geez, I blanched. No other than Vincenzo Muttozani stood behind me on the roof. He pushed his hands behind the lapels of his suit jacket, resting them on his hips. In the sunlight, the harsh metal rings adorning each of his fingers glistened. His silver eye narrowed considerably when we met gazes.