W.A.R.M.T.H: The Prologue

The Criminal

                                                                                         AJ

Looks like she's staying asleep, that's good. I close the door to Millie's room quietly. I really need to call the pediatrician. I walk down the hall to Jason's room. He should be asleep by now, but when I put my ear up to his door, I hear the sounds of Call of Duty. I open the door suddenly, and Jason jumps nearly three feet into the air. He yanks off his headset and scrambles for his bed.

"uhh, Sorry. I was just going to bed I promise." He looks terrified.

I'm trying to hold in a laugh, what does he think I'm going to do to him? I lean up against his doorway and smile with amusement

"Yeah, right." I roll my eyes "just about to go to bed."

I grab his headset off the ground and in a high pitched voice say

"Sorry kids, Jay Jay is up past his bedtime. He'll be able to play tomorrow."

Intense laughter comes through the headset. I look at Jason who has turned bright red and buried his face in his hands. I snicker and turn off the TV. I also unplug his headset and hold it up in the air

"this," I wave the headset around. "You will get it back tomorrow, now sleep."

A groan from the little ten year old "Did you really have to do that?" he whines "all the guys are gonna make fun of me tomorrow."

My smile grows wider "all the guys huh?" I shake my head "Go to sleep runt, I love you."

"Love you too."

      He groans as he pulls the covers above his head. With another shake of my head, I close the door. I walk down the hall and into the living room where my mother is passed out on the couch. I look at the clock. 10pm. Ren will be outside any second. I grab my phone, a flashlight, a rope, my house key, and my duffel bag of spray paint and I walk out the door into the night. I didn't grab a jacket and the cold air bites into my skin. I almost love the feeling. It feels...free. Like I have nothing to worry about. Like everything will be just fine. It's a cruel fantasy that I let myself give into, just for a night. Soon enough, I see the gleam of Ren's glasses with the reflection of the moonlight and, not for the first time, I'm captivated by his eyes. The streetlight behind him lights up his silhouette, I want to paint him. When he gets close enough for me to see his face, I can tell he's had a rough night.

"What's on your mind genius?"

   He cuts a glare at me and mumbles something about steak and potatoes. And another thing about "bland household, bland questions." Understanding Ren's mumbles after 10 years of friendship, I say

"Your mom's been getting on your nerves again I see. Pressing about you finding new friends?"

"Yes." He groans. His eyes drift over to what I'm holding, and he raises an eyebrow

"Going to break the law tonight I see. Just make sure you do not get caught. Remember what I told you."

I roll my eyes "yeah yeah, I know. Run faster."

"Good, now, where are we meeting the girls?"

"Where's the closest building that I can claim as a canvas?"

Ren thinks for a moment "The school?"

I smile at him "Perfect. They're meeting us there."

     Ren thinks for one more moment "If my memory does not deceive me, I have Raven in my chemistry class, Amora in my PE class. You have Raven in your biology class. And Amora, in all of your classes. Do you not?"