Petals on The Moon || Reyna Ramirez-Arellano x Fem!OC

LXVIII

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Dear Diary,

"He what?!" Jason shrieked, spewing grilled chicken bits everywhere.

"He got off," I spat. "They didn't read him his Miranda rights- which, apparently, you still have to do in New Rome and he proved that- meaning everything he said in interrogations and while being arrested is inadmissible. They had... Well, all they had to use against him was the eyewitness reports, but because they fucked up so bad, it leaves them open to being sued by Sebastian. He took a harassment plea. One restraining order from the family plus two weeks community service."

Jason stared at me in disbelief. "You mean Sebastian destroyed their house, threatened the entire family, and resisted arrest... and that's the outcome?" He smiled a bit and shook his head. "Gotta give it to him, I guess. Nobody else would've been able to get off with a slap on the wrist like that."

"He's clever," I admitted, "but oh so stupid." I turned to Suki. "Don't you ever think about smacking his head to knock his brain right?"

"On occasion." She meticulously began cleaning off the food chunks with a rag. "So, um... my dad's funeral is this evening." Jason nodded calmly. "They're making it a relatively small gathering, since... well, let's face it. He was not very liked." She sagged a bit, and folded her hands in her lap. "I was going to ask if you two can come with me."

"Of course," I agreed. "Um... do you have any black hand-me-downs I can borrow?"

"You don't have to wear black," Suki mumbled. "There'll be a big party afterwards. Romans."

Jason frowned. "There doesn't have to be a party if you don't want there to be."

"I want there to be," Suki admitted. "I'll just be upstairs, in my room, probably on the computer. And Sebastian will try to woo some unsuspecting victim, and maybe... I dunno, maybe the three of us can hang out."

"Sure," Jason said with a smile. "We can go homecoming shopping!"

"You're going?" I asked, surprised. "With who?"

"Well, no one," Jason admitted. "The only people I would want to take are you two, but that's not really your thing. No, I'm just gonna go and hang out with some friends. Figured... even if I don't have a date, I should get the experience anyways."

I nodded. Seemed noble and Jason-y, really. I still bounced around the idea of going to homecoming, since it's my freshman year and I'll never get another opportunity. At the same time, I don't like wearing dresses and makeup, I don't really like parties, and I don't really like loud spaces.

But Suki didn't seem too keen on just me and her hanging out.

I shrugged. "Actually, I think I'll go."

Jason's face lit up. "Seriously?"

Suki glanced at me. "What kind of dress will you wear?"

"I don't know yet," I replied. "Maybe the three of us can go together. Like Jason said; just for the experience."

Suki slurped some of her soup broth and just looked down. "I might have to go back to Michigan to look through some of my dad's things." She pursed her lips. "I'll think about it."