The Patriots

CHAPTER 9 (REBELLING)

Cecilia took to her heels when she realised how late it was. It was very dark, but a few street lights and the light from fluorescent lamps that seeped from the houses around her gave her enough light to find her way back home. In her head, she prayed silently that her mum would be asleep. She reached her window and the lights were still off. That gave her a little hope. She took a deep breath and sighed relieved.

She ascended the ladder slowly and carefully. Upon reaching the window, she crept in like an expert and smiled to herself. The moment she landed in the room, the lights turned on. The smile on her face disappeared as all the blood drained from her face. Her little victory scream and giggle got stuck up in her throat.

There was her mother, sitting on her bed with a disappointed and angry look. The look on her mother's face made her eye drop in shame.

"Hi...mum," she said with a strained voice, looking everywhere but at her mother.

"How long have you been hiding this from me?" Her mother asked.

"Two days," she said with a shy shrug.

"You know it's not safe out there. People get killed each and every day. How could you disobey me by sneaking out like that?!"  Her mother yelled.

Cecilia had always been the good girl. She was stubborn sometimes, yes, but she loved her mother and wouldn't do anything to hurt her. That moment though, Cecilia couldn't hold her tongue.

"I know mum. I know it's not safe, but I went out see and I'm completely fine. Ver, not even a scratch." She said as she twirled around for her mother to have a good look at her.

"Sí, nothing happened today, that doesn't mean something would never happen. I'm trying to keep you safe, Cecilia."

"Mum! I'm tired of being locked up in my room, in this house, why don't you get that? I am not afraid of the danger out there. I want to live mum. Please." Cecilia blurted out with a pleading but firm voice.

"¡No!" was her mother's reply. "I won't allow you to go out there. I can't lose my only child."

Cecilia couldn't believe her ears. She had not even told her mum about the secret mission, which she did not intend on telling her, but what if she did? Cecilia thought. "This would have been her exact reply. No," she scoffed.

Cecilia looked straight into her mother's eyes and said, "I know you care about me and you love me so much mum. I love you too, but you're not going to stop me from living my life. Don't try to stop me mum or else if I leave this time, I'm never coming back." It was said and done. Cecilia's mother wiped the little drop of tear that fell from her eyes and nodded.

"Fine. Do what pleases you. I'll get used to living all on my own someday," She said and walked out slamming the door.

Cecilia's heart sunk when her mother left the room. She was never the type to rebel against her mother and she hated herself for causing her mother pain. "I guess everything happens for a reason. She hates me now. It wouldn't make saying goodbye hurt that much," she sighed as she slowly laid on her bed.

"Dios mio, I hate that girl," Kelvin said while alone in his little room. He had to hide from her during the time at the tent and also on his way back home. He did not want to risk crossing paths with her. "She thinks she's so smart and cool and...whatever," he kicked a piece of paper lying on the floor and sat on his creaking bed.

He sighed and wondered, "why am I even thinking of her in the first place? Why should I be hating her? I don't care about her and I don't even know her. Darn it," he sighed in frustration as he ran his fingers through his dark curly hair.

He cleared his mind as his thoughts shifted to his father. He was going to leave without telling his dad anything. That was his plan. His dad did not care if he lived or died, so he also did not also care to leave him all alone in that ghetto without informing him.

Charles was at the rebel camp now. As much as he wanted to leave and join the freedom fighters, he couldn't. He gave them a wrong name and an address leading to a different house-- which was made up only of ash now, thanks to his father.

This was his next step to freedom, but he had to play it another way. If he left with them, the rebels would do anything in their power to find him. It would not help the mission. He had to figure out another way to help without actually being in the picture.

Thinking all alone at his favourite place in the camp, he was startled when he heard someone speaking to him.

"When will you ever stop sulking and finally accept who you are, huh? You are a rebel, like each and every one of us here, you can't change that amigo." He turned to see the boy approaching him from the shadows.

"I'm Steven, but you can call me Steve." Charles managed to smile at Steve, who was about his age, despite he invading his private space. "I know you hate all this killing and stuff. I hate it too, but too much thinking, ain't gonna help you," Steve continued.

Charles sat for a moment and realised what Steve said was true. He was a rebel, and he could not change that. But he could be his own rebel, just like he joined these rebels for himself,  his mother and Cilia. He did not have to be a killer, he could be a spy. "More like a secret agent," he corrected himself as he smiled.

Steve had no idea why he was smiling, but he also smiled anyway.

A/N: Anyone who wants to be a rebel? 😅
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