The Divine Twelve (Urban-Fantasy)

Chapter five: The Purest Heart

Penelope and Sahir sat in the car watching as their mother and John spoke by the trunk.

"Thank you for letting us stay with you. Please take care of Penelope." Aubrey smiled, hugging Laura and John.

"Not an issue. If anything weird happens, just let us know, okay?" Laura repeated.

"You sure you guys don't want to come to help us move in?" Aubrey asked, motioning to the car.

"No, that part of town is a... gated community." John looked at Laura. "They aren't too keen on random people coming over there."

"Oh. Okay then." Aubrey raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. "Well, don't forget to let Penelope visit every once in a while.

"Mom!" Penelope yelled, rolling down her window. "Come on! Sahir has plans with his friends, and you're taking forever."

"Girl, don't rush me!" Her mother yelled back. "I'll leave when I'm ready to leave."

"Then you're gonna have to find someone else to help you move in because Sahir's leaving."

"And no, he ain't," Aubrey argued.

"That's not fair. Sahir shouldn't miss hanging out with his new friends just because you don't know how to shut up!" She opened the door and stepped out.

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" Aubrey faced her daughter. "If you don't get ya ass back in that damn car."

"I'm taking Sahir," Penelope opened the car door and looked at Sahir.

"No, you're not. Bring ya ass." Aubrey stomped over to the driver's seat.

Penelope rolled her eyes and slammed the door, yanking her seatbelt across her chest. "Whose car is this anyway?"

"It's a goodbye present from your new friends," Aubrey said as they pulled off. "Just an extra precaution from the sins."

"I guess." The girl shrugged. They remained silent the entire ride.

Aubrey finally pulled up to a small community, and children were outside playing in the streets as their parents smiled and talked to each other. Penelope shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting between different people.

"They seem real close," Penelope muttered.

"It's okay, Nel," Sahir reassured his sister. "You're just jumpy from the attack."

"I don't know." She shook her head. "They're all looking at us."

"It's because we're new." Aubrey sighed. "Stop being so paranoid."

She pulled up to a house and parched her car in its driveway. Pulling out a key and opening the garage door. "Here we are." She smiled.

Sahir and Aubrey carried most of the stuff inside, letting Penelope unpack small items.

"So this place came furnished?" Penelope asked, looking at the kitchen and living room.

"Well, they're my friends' stuff." Aubrey shrugged.

"Friend?" Penelope glared at her mother. "Right."

"Excuse me, who is the mother here?" Aubrey asked. "I don't gotta explain nothing."

"I don't know cuz the one here is too busy with everything but her kids." Penelope spat.

"I don't have time for your ass right now. Get the hell out my damn house." She slammed a box down.

"Yeah. Typical." Penelope muttered. "You can keep your house. You've already kicked me out anyway."

"As a matter of fact, take your brother to the mall," Aubrey demanded. "I'll finish unpacking myself."