Mobster Boy

1

Pic of Niramay (Adrian). Except without the gauges and instead just regular pierced ears >>>

Dear Niramay,
Having fun on our vacation. Hope you are too.
From, Mom and Dad

I turned the postcard over and scanned over it, seeing if there was a return address or anything that gave me an idea of where they were this time. I frowned, turning it over again. All it had on there was a desert full of cactus, that wasn't difficult to find in California, Colorado, Arizona or Nevada. Then again they could be in a whole different country for all I know...or care really. I rolled my eyes and sighed as I put the postcard in my pocket and stared at the TV, unsure of what I was even watching. There was a news report about an increase in gang activities, and I sighed before shaking my head. I changed the channel and a show that I recognized came on. It was a criminal law show and a lawyer was defending his client in a court room. The lawyer actor was actually a lawyer in real life. I think his name was...Marcus Taylor...? I wasn't really sure.

Jazlyn whimpered and nudged my leg, probably feeling neglected since I wasn't giving her any attention. I smiled and started petting her, scratching behind the ear just the way she liked it. She leaned into my touch with her tail swinging back and forth like a whip. I loved my girl so much, whoever said that dogs were a man's best friend was completely right.

"Come on Jazzie, let's cook some food. How about some whole grain spaghetti with garlicky kale and tomatoes? You know since we're here in a house with a designer stove instead of an apartment where cup ramen aren't good enough, according to mom." My tone was clipped by the time I finished my sentence. Jazlyn huffed like she was angry at the insinuation too, or maybe it was what we were going to have to eat that upset her. "You know you can't always have your way. But I'll see if I can find some beef or chicken, but you're eating your vegetables young lady." She barked at me as the words beef and chicken left my lips, while I got up from the couch and made my way to the kitchen. Jazlyn was on my heels the whole time with her claws clacking against the hard wood floor.

We entered the kitchen and Jazlyn went to lay in her spot next to the table so she could watch me maneuver around my happy place. I loved cooking, it was the best thing ever in my world. I couldn't currently go to culinary school seeing as I didn't have the money and my parents said that I would be paying to further my education by myself since it was their money I wouldn't pay back. 'Like they even know me enough to say that in the first place.' I snorted at the thought and cleared my mind of any negativity as I began gathering what I needed.

I turned on the radio and hummed along to some of the songs I knew, but other than that it was just background music. I was boiling the pasta and heating up the oil for my vegetables when I heard a bang somewhere in the house. Jazlyn jumped up from the floor and growled at the noise, but didn't go to investigate. I sighed in annoyance. I probably left a window open and an animal crawled in or something...great. I turned the stove tops I was using off and headed toward the entryway of the kitchen, only to be stopped by a gun pointed directly in my face.

Jazlyn started barking at the ski masked covered man, while I stayed exactly where I was with my hands in the air with a little more than surprised face. I felt I should have been more afraid than I was, that I should've been trembling and begging for my life. "Can I help you?" Was all I could say. And as insane as it sounded, I found the situation almost comedic, even though it definitely wasn't. Jazlyn whipped around when the back door was broken down, hitting the wall so hard I wouldn't be surprised if it left a hole. I nearly jumped out of my skin at the loud noise it made, and I almost laughed since that was the first thing that scared me instead of the pistol pointed at me. Three men in ski masks surrounded me, but I wasn't afraid for some reason.