I can't Hurt You - Marcus Lopez Arguello

50

After an hour of being stuck in the goddam puzzle room I was frustrated.

Marcus and Billy were both sitting on their asses talking about Chester. We agreed we'd tell Billy about it since we needed all the help he would get. Besides, everyone that went to Vegas with us had their asses on the line, so maybe they deserved to know. And while I appreciated him catching up with Billy on all the details, I would've appreciated it way more if he helped me solve this stupid fucking riddle.

Scorpio Slasher wasn't much help, either. He stood in the corner with his arms crossed looking intimidating. Though the scary dude act only took him so far with what he was wearing. A leash and a collar make you look like you're submissive in bed, you know.

That left me to get us all out of here. How fucking fun.

I stood across from all the annoying guys in the room and stared at the sheet of paper with the riddle written on it, trying to figure it out. I hadn't taken my eyes off it in at least ten minutes and I tried my best to keep it that way in order to get us all out of here.

"Shit, what does this Fuckhead guy want? Why didn't you tell us?" Billy asked Marcus.

"You know, there's a lot Marcus doesn't say." Slasher interfered in the conversation.

"You don't know dick." Marcus insulted the Slasher.

"Oh, I know dick." Slasher disagreed.

"Yeah, I bet." I said after thirty minutes of not speaking.

The room went quiet, making me look up at the guys, only to be met with all of them staring at me. Slasher looked annoyed of my statement while Marcus and Billy looked at me like that was the most amusing thing they'd ever heard me say.

"What? Everyone was thinking it." I said in defense before looking back down at the riddle.

"You and I are a lot more alike than that Dr. Seuss character beside you." Slasher addressed Marcus again.

"It's a mohawk." Billy justified like he was insulted.

"I have nothing in common with a piece-of-shit bully who kills teenagers making out in cars." Marcus defended himself.

"Better to burn them in a boys' home?" Slasher questioned, obviously trying to get a rise out of Marcus.

I saw Marcus and Billy both look up at him like they were annoyed in my peripheral. I completely understood it, of course. Slasher was just about the shittiest person in King's. That's saying something since Brandy exists. Maybe they were tied for first place, though.

Slasher then sat next to them, knowing that this was the way to get to Marcus.

"Ooh, the road not traveled?" He insulted.

"Punks have nothing in common with Dr. Seuss. It's, like, totally different." Billy said, still not dropping the insult Slasher sent his way earlier.

"Dr. Seuss cheated on his dying wife. If anything he's worse." I stated blankly not looking up from the paper in my hand.

"Shit, really?" Billy asked.

"He was screwing another woman while his wife was dying of cancer. In a box with a pox." Slasher clarified my statement.

"Oh, and he was an alcoholic." I added.

"That's not punk, that's just high-level dickish." Billy justified what he could with the information we gave him.

"Dickish is subjective. It depends on who's doing what to whom." Slasher stated.

I read the riddle over one more time.

Behind one door, scorching fire, the other, three lions starved for months, the last holds deadly assassins. Which is the path to safety?

Then I got it. I finally fucking got it. I went up to the dragon statue in the middle of the room quickly and clicked its eye, indicating that I wanted the second door to open.

"No! Wait!" Billy tried to stop me, getting up from the floor.

By then it was too late. The button was already clicked.

"No! Lions!" Billy exclaimed.

The door creaked open slowly. After a couple second he and everyone else realized that no lions were coming out of the door.

"Lions starved for months are also known as dead lions." I bragged before stepping through the door.

The boys followed me as I made my way out of the puzzle room and to the exit. Once I stepped through the exit door it was clear we were outside. We'd made it out of King's without anyone seeing the Slasher with us.

Once we were all outside and the door closed behind us I grabbed the Slasher's leash as he took a deep breath. I'm guessing he didn't get out much... or like... ever.

"I did miss the smell of dollar meats." Slasher said in a satisfied way.

Just then I tightened my grip on the leash, making him stumble back a bit. We had to let him know that he was still following our orders. His smile and satisfaction that was written all over his face soon disappeared after that.

"Did you think we were just gonna let you run around?" Marcus asked teasingly.

"Well, of course not. Safety first." Slasher said acting unbothered.

I tossed the leash to Billy since I didn't want to drag a psychopath around all day. Then we all started walking towards the burrito place Slasher wanted to go to oh-so-desperately. It was just our luck that it was right across the street from King's. Marcus and I walked behind Billy and the Slasher, trying to have a conversation without either of them eavesdropping.

"You think this was a good idea?" Marcus asked.

"I think there was no better option." I said the most assuring thing I could without lying.

"Maybe we'll be okay." He suggested.

"Of course we'll be okay." I comforted him as I got a hold on his hand, interlacing our fingers.

"Chester is horrible, Em. He's worse than Scorpio Slasher. Are you sure you'll be okay with going after him?" Marcus asked.

"Chester killed my brother. He hurt you. When I met you that might not have meant much to me but it means everything now. You mean everything to me and he hurt you. He's not getting away with that shit." I explained.

He sent me a small smile as we made it to the burrito place and walked in after Billy and the Slasher.

"I love you." He whispered in my ear.

"I love you too." I smiled.