Cruel World (The Tribe Book 1)

27. Jealousy, Jealousy

Trigger Warning: Mentions and hinting at ED's. If that is a confronting or sensitive topic, please scroll past those parts.

Sasha managed to find a flute in the old music shop and can play it surprisingly well, considering the thing needs a bit of tuning from how long it's been sitting there. Almost as if he's the pied piper, the young kids come wandering out in curiosity, and I have to hold back a snicker.

Trudy and Salene seem to have their curiosity peaked as well, as Trudy comes and sits next to me and watches, and I can see Amber watching him from her doorway with fascination in her eyes, and I see the crush forming. Slowly everyone else wanders up to the café as well.

"What's going on?" Lex asks seeing everyone up here as a group of them climb the stairs.

"Shh," Jack and Nolan tell him, making me chuckle as quietly as I can.

Sasha eventually stops playing and everyone claps for him, and indicates to the breakfast that he made us all.

"Please everyone enjoy! Also Leia I can see you're holding back laughter," he smiles.

At that I lose it and burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry! I can't help it! It really was like a pied piper as everyone came out of their rooms and up the stairs!" I cackle, everyone joining in, seeing the humor in it.

"It's not anything gourmet unfortunately, cereal will have to do this morning," he tells us as we all calm down.

"I have a whole garden up on the roof filled with stuff you can use, as well as other stuff in the kitchen and what I have stored away, let me know next time you're looking for something. I was gonna take the kids up later and I can show you later as well," I smile at him. "And thank you for breakfast, it's very thoughtful."

Everyone follows my lead and thanks him as well, and we all eat quietly and have little conversations with our tables. Martin, Trudy, Flynn, Reg and I are all sat together and Brady is in Martin's lap, babbling away.

"What's your plans now Sasha?" Bray asks, very unwelcoming and cold.

"Gather some stuff and then head up the coast, I lost everything so I'll see what I can find," he says kindly, ignoring Bray's hostility.

From where I'm sat, Bray is directly behind me so quietly stand up and whack him upside the head, garnering an 'OW' from him.

"I know damn well your Mama taught you better manners than that, sunshine," I scold him, and he looks down at his lap bashfully as the others have a chuckle. "Sasha you're welcome to stay as long as you like, or join the tribe."

"Thank you, those were my plans but things can always change," he smiles at me, glancing briefly at Amber before anyone else notices.

"There's plenty of room here, even with the 20 something people we have," Trudy chuckles.

"You mean all the giant children Alleia managed to accumulate," Caleb laughs and we all join in.

"I do need to bring up that someone's been taking food from the cupboard outside of meal times, whoever it is needs to stop, it's not fair to everyone else and quite frankly, unacceptable behaviour. If you wanna come talk to me about it in private, that's fine but either own up to it and talk to me about it or stop entirely," I speak over everyone.

I have an inkling of who it might be but don't wanna shame anyone.

Everyone nods seriously and turns back to their food and conversations, eventually going into the kitchen and stacking their bowls for whoever is on dishes today.