Breaking the rules

Chapter 20

Morana tried to get out of the meeting. She knew William would be there, and Quinn would be there too. As time moved forward, Morana was less reckless. She wouldn’t attempt to do anything dangerous when she worked out. She wasn’t trying to walk in the air while doing a pull-up. She’s in her office or the kitchen. Her outfits were still the same: a nice shirt and comfortable pants.

She doesn’t wear many skirts anymore, not like she wore them every day; she wore them, maybe, once a week. She also doesn’t wear flats as often, she’s wearing more Vans. The designs were cool, mostly Marvel, but they were comfortable for her.

Morana also paced more. Every time she was in a room with William, she’d move a lot more than just stand there and insult him.

Now, for the meeting, Morana sat next to Quinn and was not paying attention. If she heard something she didn’t agree with, she’d mutter something in another language. Some I understood, others I didn’t even want to wrap my head around. She is more than just capable of saying something horrendous.

Quinn was under the desk playing footsies with William; they were happy. Morana’s rain cloud didn’t bother them. I wrote on a sticky note something for Morana; Talk to me.

She opened it and shook her head. Her hand was writing quickly, and she passed it back to me.

I opened it up and saw, What is there to talk about?

I glared at the sticky note. She knows she’s acting differently. I could hear her talk to herself when she was in the kitchen, late at night. Morana, you know, what have you been thinking of getting you very depressed?

I slid it back to her, and when she opened it, she smiled. I saw her pen in her hand, but she didn’t write anything. Morana tapped Quinn and showed what she and I wrote. She wasn’t happy, but I was when I saw the pen moving on the sticky note.

We’ll talk after.

She is very predictable, then she’s not. Either way, we wouldn’t talk for a while. I just rolled my eyes at her until Alexander spoke up.

“Do you two have something to share with the whole class?” he asked sarcastically. He wasn’t our fucking boss. I was his boss and Morana was my boss; at work, at least.

“Just move on. You’ve been on the same slide for ten minutes,” Morana complained. She crossed her legs and moved under the table.

“Barnes,” he thought I had his back. He fucked up too many times.

“I’m not helping you. You decided to look at pictures of me and my fiancee in our private time,” I groaned.

“What?” Morana and Quinn asked.

“Shit,” Alexander laughed, “You’ve been hiding this from your fiancee?”

“Well, at least I don’t cheat on my spouse,” I muttered.

“Five-minute inter-mission,” Morana demanded. She stood up from the chair that was under the desk and walked out of the room.

“Good fucking Job, Alexander,” Quinn, and William said in unison.

“Let’s just take a walk,” I sighed. “Where would Morana go?”

“Her office bathroom, she has a thing for punching paper towel rolls,” Quinn laughed. “She’s been doing it since high school.”

“And you didn’t think to stop her?” I asked, almost sprinting out of the room. I was at least to Morana’s office door quicker. It was wide open. She never had her door open.

“Morana?” I called out walking into the office. It was a mess. She had papers on the floor. I kneeled closer to the paper and read, “Transcript of Chapter 12”. Since when did she start writing again?

Thud

I walked into the office and the mirror was broken. The glass surrounding her feet on the floor. Morana’s shoulders were up and down. I can hear her breathing. “Morana?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked. She slowly turned around her eyes were red, and the bags were forming. “H-How did he get in my house?”

“They took the pictures outside. Morana, I didn’t want you to find out; it was a vulnerable time and I couldn’t see you like this,” I explained.

“You didn’t want to see me like this, or you couldn’t bare to see me, your fucking fiancee, an emotional mess because I can’t publicly kill someone without getting caught?”

“Morana, we run the city, you wouldn’t be caught,” I said. I sat down and she sat next to me. I saw how bruised and bloody her knuckles were. “Let me patch you up, please?”

“Yeah, I can’t do much with both of them fucked up,” she giggled.

“Can I ask you a questioned?” Morana nodded. “How long have you been breaking things when you’re angry?”

“Ever since I could get my hands on a weapon. It started with Ikea furniture and then turned into mirrors,” she said.

“May I ask another question?”

She nodded again.

“Why mirrors or Ikea furniture?”

“I couldn’t hurt anyone else but me. It was the safest option. I would feel something else than anger.” she explained.

“I’m going to sign us up for kickboxing,” I suggested.

“I’ve already done it,” she smiled. “Now are we gonna sit here in my bathroom and talk or are you going to clean me up during the meeting?” she asked.

“Let’s clean you up, Dragoste,” I smiled.

I grabbed her forearm and brought her back to the meeting. Quinn and Will were sitting next to each other giggling until they saw us. Will looked Morana up and down, and he stared at her knuckles. “Mor-”

“Be glad this wasn’t caused by your fucking face, Will,” she still wanted him to fill the rath of anger she had buried deep inside of her.

“Morana, you’re writing tonight,” I whispered in her ear. “Maybe, I’ll give you an orgasm tonight.”

“That sounds lovely,” she smirked.