For Shits and Giggles [2024]

Chapter 26

"What are you doing here?" growled Santiago as he landed on Gracie's front yard. The morning sun was painfully bright, and the air was thick and heavy. He shielded his brow as he gazed up at Gracie's bedroom window on the second story.

Feliqs was perched on the roof of her porch, looking in through the open curtains. "She's not in there," he said. "I told her to be home."

"Tell me why I shouldn't knock you off your ass right now," Santiago marched closer, standing directly in front of the porch. He floated up, hovering at face level with Feliqs.

Feliqs turned to him, scraping his nails down the shingles below him. "Do you know where she is?"

"Why would I tell you that?"

"I don't have time for this shit," Feliqs hissed through gritted teeth. He wanted to lunge, to attack Santiago and rip right through his sweaty throat. But Feliqs remembered the last beating he'd gotten from Santiago, the one inside Gracie's bedroom, when he had killed her. Feliqs cringed.

"We have to break the curse, and I need her to do it," he said instead.

Santiago paused for a moment, then muttered to himself, "...is that what she was talking about last night?"

Feliqs crawled toward him. "You spoke to her last night? You know where she went?"

Santiago looked at him. He hesitated, but there was a sincerity in Feliqs' voice.

"I don't," he said finally. "She wanted to speak to me this morning, asked me to come over."

"So she's missing then," Feliqs frowned. "Ran away?"

"Why would she run away?" Santiago frowned. "That's not like her."

Feliqs paused. "...What she has to do. It's a lot to ask."

"What is it she has to do? Why her?"

Feliqs considered telling him everything, savoring the thought of Santiago's expression when he learned that his precious Gracie had been defiled by him. But something was bothering Feliqs, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time. Was it his own conscience? Or was it Felix trying to break through?

"You should hear it from her. All of it."

Santiago narrowed his eyes, annoyed. "Gracie wouldn't just run away. She wants to break this curse more than anyone. What about Paola?"

Santiago was getting nervous now, floating closer to Gracie's window so he could take his own look around. "Or Fior? Maybe they went for breakfast?"

"No," said Feliqs. "Not after yesterday..."

"Okay, what the hell," Santiago snarled, landing in front of Feliqs on one knee. "What happened yesterday? How is Gracie going to break the curse?"

Feliqs was interrupted mid-breath by a faint snickering. He and Santiago turned their heads in unison, the snickering getting louder. The sinister laughing was soon joined by the rustling of rose bushes, and then a heavy thud. They crawled towards the edge of the roof cautiously, peeking around the corner to see Liam and Scotty falling through Gracie's back window into her backyard.

Santiago flew down just as Scotty landed on Gracie's rose bush, several thorns sticking into his skin. He winced.

"You two fuckers better start talking," Santiago spat, his eyes turning a bright red, ready to shoot at any moment. "Where is Gracie?"

The boys were startled, and they glanced between each other before laughing again.

"We don't know," one twin said, holding back a grin.