Arduous

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

[Catherine, 21:36 rooftop of a building in Edmonton]

"What is Lucina doing here? I thought she wasn't involved this." I exclaimed. I whipped my head in Annes direction. "Why did you lie to me?"

Anne shook her head. "I love you, but you sure can be an idiot at times."

I glared at her and was about to retort something back, but I was interrupted by Adam. "The Russians should be here soon. What do we do?"

"Do what we usually do. Jump off the building." I stood up and yelled, "LUUUUUUCCCCCIIIIINNNNNNAAAAA!" as I jumped off the roof of the building.

Lucina screamed, and fell onto her back as she struggled to get away from me. I somersaulted my way over to her, and kneel beside the cowering form of Lucina.

"DON'T HURT ME! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME, RUSSIANS!" Lucina yelled, cowering in a tight ball.

I slowly take her hands away from her face, while muttering, loud enough for her to hear, "It's Catherine, not the Russians."

After a few seconds, she calmed down. I got her to sit up, and take a few deep breathes. Lucina still was not over the shock of my scream, since she didn't hear the thump from behind me. I turned to see Anne as she straightened into her furious stance.

"I. Hate. You!" Anne seethed at me. "You couldn't have waited?"

I just smiled and shook my head like a child.

I watched Adam, still on the roof, looking nervous and scared, as he jumped. His feet slammed into the ground just behind Anne. I blew out a breath of air, relieved he didn't hit her. If he had, he would have been dead. As soon as that thought crossed my mind, Adam tipped on his toes, unable to control anything, and fell into Anne, taking her to the ground. Luckily when her cheek scraped the ground, the mask that she always wore was useful. Adam tried to push himself off of Anne, but only ended up squishing her even more. I stifled my laughter, but once he made it off of her, I couldn't keep it in anymore.

Adam was bright scarlet, and apology after apology flowed from his mouth. I continued to laugh and Lucina looked on, slightly horrified. I knew what was coming, and a solid thump confirmed my suspicions. Adam gagged, and Anne retracted her fist from Adams stomach.

Anne looked away from Adam quickly, since blood started to trickle from his nose. "This kid is an absolute wimp. He gets a nose bleed from a punch in the stomach. THE STOMACH! Why did we have to bring him along?"

I snort a little. "He makes it lively! Plus, that punch would have been for me, so I'm not complaining."

Anne snarled at me. "But the next punch will be!"

Lucina finally realized what was happening around her, and spoke, stopping Anne in her attempted murder of me. "What is wrong with that kid?"

"Mentally unstable." I answered.

"Is that why he has a nose bleed?" Lucina scrunched up her eyebrows that made her look like a five-year-old.

"He? I thought you were meaning Anne." I chuckled.

Something awful would have happened to me, if we had not heard struggling from somewhere down the alleyway. Alarm flares in Annes eyes as she froze. Only for that second, though, because soon, she was by Lucina and I.

"Up, up!" Anne whispered in alarm. I knew from the sound, that it was the Russians. I yanked Lucina to her feet with the help of Anne. I left Lucina with Anne, to go save Adam where he clutched his stomach.