Once Upon a Story [ INCONSISTENT UPDATES ]

Bad Blood VI

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 996

Roman leaned against the car, twirling the key on his finger. He had been tense all morning, planning everything for their escape. He would've waited for nightfall, but it would leave Lucien too much time to barricade his estate. It was safer for them, especially Pearla, to escape in broad daylight.

"Sorry for making you wait." There she was, dressed in jean overalls and a plain shirt. There were sunflowers and bees embroidered in the pant legs and the small pocket on her chest.

"Looking good, Princess." He held her hand, twirling her around.

"Jokester. I'm not even wearing any makeup."

He leaned over, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "That's fine. Your freckles are cute."

She cleared her throat and sat with the boys at the back. Roman would drive while their "babysitter", Tristan, sat beside him. He was a rookie who quickly rose in the ranks and could keep up with some of Lucien's best men. Roman had even praised him for his strength. But no matter how hard he tried, Tristan could never best him or his team. He was always only second best.

"How was Lucien this morning?" Roman asked him.

"You should already know."

He did. After having Echo replace the security feed in Pearla's bedroom, he asked that Lucien's whereabouts be sent live to his phone. Safe to say, it had been a good laugh for the team.

As they arrived, Normand finished applying sunscreen to Pearla's face while Echo laughed at the grey sheen on Tyrese'.

"You need to get a better sunscreen."

"I do."

Roman tossed the keys to Tristan and walked with his hands in his pockets. Pearla held his arm, eyes sparkling with anticipation. She was most excited for the rollercoaster, an idea that had both Tristan and Normand shaking their heads.

"Afraid of heights—! Not the head!" Echo ducked away from Normand's hand.

"Dérange-moi et ta commotion cérébrale sera le cadet de tes soucis."

Tyrese broke them apart, urging them to follow Roman and Pearla, who had walked ahead. The group walked together without a care in the world. Meanwhile, Tristan kept a sharp eye out, but didn't know what he was looking for. They were at a fair and it was the middle of the day.

What could they possibly do? he thought.

Their first stop was the roller coaster. The line was short and they were seated in no time. Roman tried to discourage Pearla, worried about her reaction after the ride, but she promised him it would be all right.

"If anything happens, I can count on you to take care of me."

He sighed and tapped her forehead. "Just hold my hand during the ride, and I'll be reassured."

She hummed with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Are you sure you're not trying to comfort yourself?"

His expression remained blank, but she didn't miss the smirk that rose from the corner of his lips. "If I needed your comfort, we wouldn't be in public."

Her face burned with heat, now increasingly conscious of their locked hands. She didn't have much time to think about it as the operator asked everyone to make sure they were secured in their seat.

"I hope this doesn't ruin my makeup."

"T'es laid avec ou sans maquillage, face de cafard."

"Take that back!"

"Echo. Normand. Enough."

"Don't throw up, Tristan."

"Same to you, Roman."

The bickering instantly stopped when the ride was set in motion. Pearla held to her promise and didn't let go of Roman's hand the entire ride. Her face shone with excitement and fear. Each drop had Echo and Tristan screaming for their mothers while Normand spent the ride laughing at their dismay. Roman and Tyrese were the only ones mildly affected by the cart's winding path.

When the ride slowed back to the start, Tristan was the first to stumble away. He threw up in a nearby trash bin. Echo followed shortly after, and Normand, wiping tears from his eyes, mocked their weak stomachs.

"Oh, quelle joie de vivre. N'est-ce pas, Tyrese?"

"Don't bring me into it."

Roman held Pearla's shaking body as she stepped out, recovering from all the adrenaline rushing in her system. He led her to a bench, holding her against him as her body came down from her high. In a few minutes, she was back to the status quo and ready to continue her day.

When they looked for the rest of the group. Tristan was the only one in sight, grumbling with his arms crossed.

"Where are the others?" Pearla asked.

"Echo is getting you a gift. Tyrese and Normand are getting snacks."

"Then, can we go to the haunted house?" Pearla asked.

"They have a haunted house at a spring fair?" Tristan didn't believe them, but Roman quickly crushed his doubt. Standing in front of the behemoth, Tristan couldn't believe his eyes.

"They never remove it," Roman explained. "It's one of their most prized attractions. And Pearla likes to see the actors' costumes."

"Is that okay, Tristan?"

The boy couldn't say no. He was just there to make sure she returned home after their outing was over. Despite this, he didn't like the idea of going inside a haunted house. Trista could handle a lot of things: blood splatter, shattered bones, you name it. But he set his limits at ghosts and zombies, real or not.

Roman happened to know this and convinced Pearla to ask him to go with her. He'd stay outside, claiming, "I need to gather the others before they cause a scene."

It was a valid excuse, and Tristan knew that Roman's teammates could cause trouble, even with Tyrese keeping an eye on them.

"Do whatever you want. I'm only here for her."

"I know." Holding his phone to his ear, Rman set off. "Have fun."

"Let's go, Tristan!"

He bit his lip, following Pearla inside the dark structure.

I have a bad feeling about this.

The next part is the finale!
How will they make their escape 👀