Impassive

14| Cake

She was surprised by how few guards were in the house, and she enjoyed it.

AVA

The older Rose tossing the necklace into the ocean. She closed her eyes, her mind likely reliving the entire tragedy. I wasn't moved the way I thought I would be. It wasn't that it was a bad scene—it just didn't have the emotional punch I expected.

When the credits finally started rolling, I turned the volume down. There was silence in the room, save for the sound of the credits and my own thoughts. "Well," I muttered to no one in particular, "I guess we can cross off another movie from the list."

Jerry and Tom, my new best buddies/bodyguards, remained motionless. They didn't say anything—of course not. They never did. But I could feel their presence, the weight of their silence. Their names were probably meant to be some kind of joke, but I didn't quite get the reference. Since then, it had become my declared mission to use my somewhat voluntary stay in this house to expand my knowledge of movies and TV shows. Tom & Jerry had been the first series I watched, and even though Matteo had insisted that the cat and the mouse shared a friendship and that Tom only acted so foolishly to help Jerry survive, I had come to the conclusion that while Tom was a good friend, Jerry pretty much took advantage of him. Toxic, as I had learned from the internet.

Jerry cleared his throat. At first, I ignored it, but then it happened again, followed by a cough from Tom. Irritated, I turned to look at them. "Is something wrong?"

They both just stared at the TV, which was still displaying the rolling credits.

I followed their gaze, confused for a moment. The credits had finished, and the screen now displayed some advertiesment. It was then that I realized they probably didn't want to just stand there in silence. They were, after all, my bodyguards, not just silent shadows in the room.

Still, neither of them moved. Tom, the tall, muscular man who was always serious and businesslike, stood with his arms crossed, his eyes focused on the TV. Jerry, on the other hand, was a bit leaner and more agile, with a sharpness to his features that suggested he was always on high alert. Both of them wore their usual suits, black and sleek, but there was something oddly human in their stillness at that moment.

I tilted my head, trying to make sense of the situation. "You guys want to watch something else?" I asked.

Jerry cleared his throat again, this time louder. Tom shifted slightly, his posture slightly less rigid. It was as if they were waiting for me to figure it out. Jerry, without breaking his silent composure, pointed at the TV, where a football game was being advertised. And then it hit me. "Football?" I asked, my tone questioning but a bit amused. I could almost see a flicker of anticipation in Jerry's eyes. I didn't know why, but it felt like this was their thing. Maybe they watched it all the time when they weren't supposed to be guarding me.

Both men nodded. Tom, despite his usual stoic demeanor, had a slight glint in his eyes. Jerry, now that I was paying attention, seemed almost eager. I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Okay... I guess we're watching football then. Does it take long? I wanted to watch at least two more movies today, before continuing with Pride and Prejudice."

Jerry bit his lip, while Tom quickly reassured me that the regular playtime was about an hour, plus 15 minutes for halftime.

"Okay, sure. Let's do it." I grabbed the remote and switched the channel.

Tom and Jerry took their positions on either side of me, as if to claim their spots for the game. I found it odd, but not entirely unpleasant. These men—my bodyguards—had become an unexpected part of my life, and here we were, about to watch a football game together. We all sat in silence for a while, watching the teams warm up.