The Untouchables

The Untouchables, Chapter Twenty one

Note; When a word is unreadable, look at the 'th' and replace it was a 's' to understand it. Cai has a lisp and can't pronounce the sss sound.

"Well!" Cai said, clapping his hands together loudly after so much silence and quiet conversation. "Thith ith a horth of another colour!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, miserably. Talking about Zachary really had me down more than usual. The only reason I could think of was am I really untouchable? Is there really no way Zachary can get his hands on me?

"Well, it meath thith ith no longer just a gathering for you to confeth, I think we should all throw a thecret into the midthst." His bum lip causing him to speak with a lisp and to be almost impossible to understand. "But firtht, I have a question. You thaid you 'unleaved' hell. What did you do?"

"Uhh.. Spilled some icecream?" I offered, basing it on the truth, even if it wasn't the whole truth.

Cai nodded quickly.

"OK. Prethton. You thtart." He

"Why me? I didn't even agree to do this."

"Prethton. Take one for the team. It doethent even matter how big the thecret is."

Preston looked uncomfortable for a moment, running his fngers through his longish brown hair, his blue eyes shinning.

"OK well... I have a fear of caterpillars?"

"Good!" Cai said, pointing at Reggie. He seemed to have taken over the conversation completely, but to be honest, my friends all sharing a secret with me was making me feel better. "Reggie Man, you're up."

"Sweet as. Lets get this over with. My big secret is.... drum roll... I'm not really british!"

Silence.

"You're joking, right?" I asked, almost laughing. He was british wasn't he? Maddy and his parents had the same accent as he did!

"Yeah, I am. OK, my secret is that... This isn't my natural hair colour. I was lighter than this before I dyed it." He bowed his head, but I still couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"Moving on!" Cai said, so he apparently thought Reggie was telling the truth. "Riley?" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

"Err... I don't know?" Riley said, shrugging. "Do we have to do this?"

"Riley only hath one secret you thsee." Cai explained to me. "It'th a biggy."

Riley looked at Cai with a demonic look in his eyes.

"Come on, Bro. Tell us." Preston said, lifting one of his knees and placing it on his chair.

"No."

"Riley. Don't make me tell everyone you're gay."

"Fine. I'm allergic to turnips."

"Theemth legit. My go then. Riley, back me up bro. My lithp ith annoying the thit out of me."

"The Daniel story?"

"Yeah."

I looked around at the group of faces, all had of which had changed with Cai's affirmitive answer. Preston looked at Cai like he was mad, like he was being stupid, Reggie looked down, fidgeting with his thumb nail, Riley looked grave and almost... nervous? Cai smiled but he was clearly very apprehensive.

"So..." I said when no one said something for a while. "What's the Daniel secret? He's a chick and you're straight?"

I hung my head in shame as no one laughed at my joke, not that I'd expected them too. Clearly 'the Daniel' secret was something big, not to joke about.