"May I kiss your forehead, Crimson?" She doesn't recoil or say a word, so I press my lips gently against her forehead. It's a tender and fleeting moment, but it fills me with a warmth that I can't explain.
"Just because a relationship has an expirat...
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CRIMSON DONOVAN
We fidget in our seats, feeling the weight of the girl's penetrating stare fixed upon us, as if she could see right through us.
"Say what now?" Rowan asks with her arms crossed and her eyes suspiciously narrowed.
"Y-yeah, we c-couldn't believe it either," Ayla stammers.
"So, you are telling me...that they sneak out to collect...animal poop?" Rowan processes slowly.
"Uh-huh," I nod quickly. "They are poop collectors. You know, there has been a gradual increase in stray cats and dogs and...other animals. They collect their dirt and clean the roads free of any other dirt, especially on the roads and the park."
"Really? In the middle of the night?" Rowan asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Because the roads are less busy! Fewer vehicles!" Ayla cuts in.
"I heard that it's some kind of community service. There are many, many stray dogs and they poop everywhere!" I clarify nodding my head seriously.
"Yeah. How kind of the boys to help clean the streets," Ayla sneers with a sarcastic smile as she side-glances at the boys who are seated at the cafeteria table next to us. Rowan had steered us girls to another table instead of our usual one to question us about our 'late-night adventures'.
The boys were trying to appear nonchalant, leaning their bodies towards our direction but failing miserably to show that were not trying to eavesdrop on our conversation.
I hope they fall off.
"So that was it? They were just cleaning the streets at night?" Rowan asks dubiously.
Drexel does an 'I'll-chop-your-head-off' motion, dragging his thumb across his neck, silently warning me about our deal. I hold the urge to show him my middle finger and silently boil in my seat.
Ayla nods enthusiastically in response to Rowan's question. "Yeah, I heard that it gives good pay."
Rowan's eyes fill with understanding when Ayla says that and she sighs. "Oh, I see... I am worried about my brother, he shouldn't work hard like that. It must've been exhausting to work at night." Rowan's words reflect the genuine worry she has for her brother's well-being. Her concern is evident in the tone of her voice and the way she speaks about him.
Stupid Drexel for making his sister worry.
As the questioning finally comes to a close, I take a sip of water to soothe my parched throat and dry lips. Rowan backed down when Ayla mentioned that the pay was high. Do they have financial issues? Why does Drexel Street race? My train of thought is cut off when Zeke, trying to maintain his balance, stumbles and lets out a startled shriek as he tumbles to the ground.
