To Be A Killer

Chapter 30: Full Disclosure

I frown at the taste of stale bread, cheap cheese and less than grade B meat on my tongue. And I frown deeper at the taste that isn't on my tongue.

"There's no pickles on this sandwich."

That's what I say, but with my mouth full of food, it sounds more like, "Where's fo fivkles on fyhis swandwhuch."

Kefilwe sends me a raised brow, and after swallowing my food, I repeat the sentence again, to which she sighs. "That's because we have no pickles in Abel at the moment, Five."

"But why don't we make some? All it is is cucumbers soaked in vinegar, right?"

"I don't think we've got any cucumbers stored."

My frown deepens. "Why not?"

"Because they're harvested in the summer, and since not many cucumber plants were sown in the first, they disappeared fairly quickly."

"Ah... right." I huff in disappointment. "I guess I have pumpkins to look forward to. We grew and harvested some of them, right?"

"I believe so."

I've been back home for a week now, and God, have I missed it. I received a lot of hugs, which was awkward, and a bit painful because of injured side, which should lose their stitches tomorrow.

Yay!

It's funny how happy Sam was to see me even though we did talk during the two and a half weeks I was gone. It was also funny how much Summer seemed to miss me, especially since I, well, threatened to kill her. Even Janine gave me a pat on the shoulder and a smile.

Penelope was the happiest at my return, followed by Milo. I loved talking with them, hearing what had happened and what they'd been doing while I was gone. Thankfully Sam was able to keep Milo from sneaking off to the track to practice and train, but he still wants to be a runner. He wants it so badly it scares me.

I see the teenager eating quietly at a nearby table. His is near the outside of the building, right by the open door. I think he's trying to look out at the rain so he can get an idea for drawing. He's  shown me a few drawings of his, the ones he created while I was gone. They're getting better, although really, he was talented to begin with.

If only he weren't hanging around those two brats, Polly and Zach. Something about them just screams bad news to me. I wish he'd make some other friends that aren't those two. I've found nothing wrong with them so far besides Polly's need to smart mouth me whenever I tell my son no, but I have a feeling about them. A really bad feeling.

Penelope's eating with her class. She would come sit with me if her teacher would allow it. But after eating she has to go right back to school, and she really, really likes to talk and tell me every single thing that's happened to her so far today in alarmingly accurate detail, so it's best for her not to talk to me until after school.

But I guess it's a good thing I'm not talking to them right now, since I'm finding it very hard to concentrate. My mind feels scattered. It has been since I left that treetop base. I'm beginning to think it was Veronica who triggered those visions, since apparently she will be a part of my death, a big part of it. And after I was around her for two weeks, leaving and no longer having her near is messing with my mind a bit.

But I've not had anymore visions since I left; I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

"Something wrong?" Kefilwe asks, jolting me back to the present. "You look pretty disturbed by something, and I doubt it has anything to do with you not having any pickles on your sandwich..."

She sighs when I don't answer. "Is it because we're having trouble finding anything on that Laetitia Greenwald woman? You seemed rather interested in that bit of information."