How Things Are

thirty two

I woke up to the sound of branches shuffling. Pretending to be asleep is my go-to when hearing this noise. The birds weren't even chirping yet so it was either someone in our group looking for a place to relieve themselves this late or a stranger. If it's a stranger that's not a horrible thing. Any traveler with common sense would try to walk around unseen if they saw the Mafia emblem on a few tents with three cars. This person was noisy though, and kept getting louder. Closer. Joey's snores practically scared every chipmunk, grasshopper, or breakfast I planned on having away. As usual, I have to rely on myself.

The closer they got the heavier his breathing. He was horrible at sneaking. One step. Two, and three. I grab his ankle and he falls on his face. I'm on his back holding his face in the wet grass.
Pulling out my knife to his throat, the interrogation begins.

"So, are you a thief, or were you planning on killing me like a coward in my sleep?" I whisper in his ear
He tries to answer but his face is being mushed in the now muddy grass.
"Oh sorry." I clear my throat "What were you saying?"
He spits out grass "Do you see me with a weapon?"
"So you were going to steal mine." I raise my eyebrow
"Maybe." He shrugs
I sigh "I can respect thieves well enough, just don't be an idiot and confess."
He was young. Tattoos but no armada. An idiot trying to prove himself on the road by stealing from the Mafia.
"You trying to earn your mark boy?" I whisper. No need to get anyone involved.
He looks around "I'm no boy. Get off."
"Yet you try and steal from a girl instead of that big guy over there," I state "I bet you saw the tents and came here, thought you saw easy bate, thinking you'd bring back yourself a piece of Mafia treasure only to taste dirt."
"Shut up!" He whisper yells
I smirk. "Little boy, you're lucky you only woke me up."
He just noticed his situation "Are you gonna tell."
I tilt my head "You think I'm dumb enough to wake up Lucas this early in the morning?"
"Lucas?!" He squeaks
"Who else would be in that giant tent?" I look at him like he's stupid "You see him?" I nod my head toward Joey
"Ye- yes"
"He's still snoring. So you're lucky. He kisses the boss's butt and you'd be dead. However, I have a mutual respect for thieves."
He looks relieved "Oh. So you'll let me go?"
My smile scares him. "I want your name, Little boy."
"Why?"
"I know those tattoos. You'll owe me one one day." My face goes blank "It's death by Lucas now, or possibly owing a favor to the Mafia in your future. What will it be?"
He holds his breath "Jimmy. That's my name."
"Well then Jimmy" I carve a T on his shoulder
"What are you doing?" His teeth chomp down so he doesn't scream
"I said I know those tattoos." I smile "Your gang carves a letter of the person you owe and burn it off when you paid them back."
He looks like he wants to scream "How do you-?"
"I did some traveling. Don't break your oath Jimmy. When I come for you, you better answer."
I get off of him and he looks horrific. Like he made a deal with the worst enemy. As soon as he snaps out of it he runs away, not caring about being quiet anymore.

"Well done." Joey sits up
"I was wondering when you were gonna stop playing dead." I smile
"Well good morning to you too." He cracks his back "and I do not kiss Lucas butt."
"Hmm. Potatoes potatoes."
"You think he'll keep to his word?" Joey asked
"It's part of their gangs credo."
"How do you know all this?" We start cleaning up the mess we made camping
"My brother Simon taught me as much as he could about different gangs."
"And Simon is?" Oh that's right. He doesn't know.
"My brother."
We both start walking back "Hmm. Dead?"
"Yeah"
"No one's up yet." He states
I sit on the side of the road watching the sun rise "so is this the kind of thing I tell Lucas about?"
Joey sits next to me "What the Jimmy kid? Probably later. It's too early."
I sigh "I know that. When?"
"It's not like he's a problem. When he's not in a bad mood." He's no help
"He's always in a bad mood. Or at least not wanting to be bothered." He pinches his lips together

I realized the awkwardness went away. It's like we're not strangers anymore and back to who we use to be. Well he still ratted me out but we're talking like we use to. I was starting to feel bad for making him gloomy.
"How come I never see you with a weapon?" His eyes raise in surprise
"I'm not a weapons guy."
"Isn't it like a rule you have to know how to use a weapon?" I ask
He sees the confusion and laughs "Just because I don't carry any doesn't mean I don't know how."
"Don't you want to be able to protect yourself?"
He laughs again "So nieve Tibs. You think I can't win a fight without a weapon?"
"There are a lot of powerful people skilled and armed. You should defend yourself with one atleast."
"If you only rely on that katana of yours, or the knifes you keep under your pillow, who are you without them?" He says simply
He's right. "Will you teach me how to fight against weapons without having mine?"
He stares at me for a moment "When Teedo is done with you."
"No one will surpass Teedo." I mumble
"He is the best but he expects you to be as well." He says as the sun starts to reach our eyes.

We can't look anymore so we stand and stretch again. We kick the dirt road, walking back and forth trying to blow time until everyone wakes up. Still ignoring Drake's corps like it's the plage. That Jimmy kid didn't even take his sword as a prize. Avoiding getting close. Smart kid. The enemy of my enemy is my friend is what they say. Jimmy's crew isn't fond of Derek. Let's see what information Lucas can do with that.