Rhenna

EIGHTY-THREE

I was suprised when I found out who bail man was. Yeah. Gab introduced us when he first showed up, but the name had slipped my mind. Adam Ackerman. A father to two sons. Jack. And Ivan; the quiet kid who was always hanging around Nick's friend-Sam. I guess it's true what they say about the world being small.

Turns out Gab has been friends with Ivan for a few years. Which makes sense. She seems to know Mr. Ackerman well.

"What do you like for food?"

I was torn from my spiral of thoughts when Mr. Ackerman peeked his head around the corner-seperating their living room from their hallway, and kitchen. "Or does it not matter?"

I was out of my comfort zone bieng in a new house, with new people-with Ivan staring at me. His eyes were a similiar grey to my own, but dark and calculating. It felt like everything I did, he was watching. And it was making me uncomfortable.

I found myself stumbling for words when I answered Mr. Ackerman. "Waffles".

He quirked a brow. "Waffles?"

"Yeah".

He turned his gaze on Ivan, who was patching up my nose, and said. "Waffles sound good?"

"Yeah". The elder boy grunted.

"Waffles are a breakfast food". Gab interjected. She was stretched out on one of the couches, flipping through channels on the tv. It was obvious she was comfortable here.

"Waffles are fine". Ivan monotoned.

I've met Ivan twice. I think. Once at the club, when Nick introduced Sam (a school crush of his), and at the christmas tree lot. From what I've learned, the guy doesn't express his emotions alot. Unless he's angry.

He's already snapped at me, more times than I care to admit, about sitting still. Getting your sore nose tortured makes it kinda hard to follow that demand.

"So what happened?" Ivan asked, sounding uninterested.

"He got into a fight with a security gaurd". Gab replied for me.

Ivan inhaled through his teeth. "Fun".

"Not fun". I grumbled.

"You reap what you sow". Gab commented.

A few minutes later Ivan declared that he was done and I was allowed to sit on one of couches. Since I was no longer hazardous.

"Where's your friend? Sam?" I asked.

"He went to his parents for the holidays."

I bet Nick ain't to happy he left.

"And you live here..?"

"No. Just visiting".

So, even though he was short and looked young, Ivan had to be at least twenty. Since Nick was nineteen, and Ivan and Sam were in highschool with him.

Ivan gathered up the first aid kit and left the room for a moment. When he returned Mr. Ackerman was trailing behind him with three plates of waffles. "You guys can eat in here as long as you don't get syrup on the cushions".

I took my plate with a mumbled "thanks" than stared at the food. It looked delicious. Honestly. But my stomach was refusing to eat it. After visiting Jae in the hospital, getting my ass kicked, sitting in a prison cell, than getting invited to a strangers place-my appetite was lacking big time right now.

"My kid's pretty good with fixing wounds. Eh?" I hadn't realised Mr. Ackerman was still in the room until he spoke.

"Ugh. Yeah". I rushed out.