The Bitter Truth

Chapter 24 ~ lessons

Bonus ❤️❤️

As Saija and Ronny left the kitchen, the dormitory came alive with activity. The men began their morning routines and prepared for the day.

Arliss, in the midst of making his bed, noticed Ronny and Saija approaching their cots. His posture straightened, hands firmly planted on his hips, and he raised an eyebrow in Saija's direction.

His gaze froze her in the spot, and Ronny chuckled.

"Welcome to my world, kid," he whispered in her ear with a twinkle in his eye before heading to make his own cot.

"What in da blue blazes was all dat fussin'?" Arliss asked, casting his sharp eye back and forth between them.

"Don't look at me!" Ronny shot back defiantly, shaking out his blanket with a flourish that sent a few stray particles of dust dancing in the sunlight.

Arliss's voice raised slightly, "Imma lookin', sonny! What was happenin' between y'all?"

"Numbskull bit me," Ronny explained, revealing his wrist with her teeth marks imprinted in his skin.

Arliss's expression hardened to a disappointed glare, which he locked in Saija's direction. Under his intense eye, she shifted her weight from foot to foot and twiddled with her sweater, feeling the weight of his disappointment.

"Did ya apologize, youngin'?" Arliss prompted.

Ronny scoffed, "No, dat tongue of hers only works to spit F-bombs, apparently."

Arliss picked at his ears, making sure he heard him right. "Say what?"

Ronny, folding his blankets tight, ranted with a sarcastic trim, "Oh, ya didn't know? She can talk. She can speak mighty swell dem curse words when she thinks no one a listenin'. Not only that, she took it upon her damn self to go to da washroom all by her lonesome dis mornin'."

Arliss's tone softened, yet his disappointment lingered as he tilted his head and scolded, "Youngin', I would have gladly escorted ya. Ya didn't have to do that."

With her head down, Saija slowly walked to Ronny. Reaching out her hand, she gestured wordlessly, silently requesting the chalkboard from him.

With a reluctant sigh, feeling like he was only encouraging her not to talk, he passed the board to her. Then, he busied himself, fluffing his pillow, the fabric yielding under his hands. As he sat down and settled back, he listened to the sharp rasp of the chalk as it scratched against the surface of the board.

When she presented the board, his stomach knotted up reading it.

"I sorry I so bad."

Passing the board to Arliss, he locked eyes with her and leaned forward to her level, his elbows planted on his knees.

"Darlin', ya forgiven already... You're not bad. Makin' mistakes don't make ya bad."

She anxiously chewed on her bottom lip, her gaze dropping to the ground as if the concrete could offer solace. With a slight tremor, she dragged the toe of her shoes against the rough surface, leaving faint marks where her uncertainty lingered.

"Alright?" he pressed gently, bending down to bring his face into her line of sight, his eyes searching for any flicker of reassurance.

Feeling the weight of his gaze, she gave a slight nod, though it felt more like a dismissal than an affirmation. Without another word, she turned away, her footsteps heavy as she shuffled to her cot, sinking into its comfort.