Leuthold Preparatory | ✓

Chapter Twenty-Two: Part II

[ A/N: to save everyone from a lot of google translating, the dialogue that is completely italicized is spoken in French, translated for your ease ]

The girls that were in the apartment were named Ines and Aya. Ines had dark skin and a large afro, a small, gold piercing through her nose hung above her full lips. She talked deeply and had a dazzling smile. Aya was petite in almost every way; her nose to eyes to the thickness of her hair to her waist was petite; her pale skin appeared to be just as thin, it was burned and peeled from a bad sunburn.

    The girls that soon returned to their hideout were named Celeste and Eloise. Celeste spoke near-perfect English and had near-perfect ringlets of blonde hair. Eloise was much taller and broader than the other girls, she had dark brown hair and olive skin that had heavy tan lines that showed when she returned Hannil's jacket to him.

    "I don't need it now," Hannil told her but still removed several things from his pockets.

    Celeste had not offered Noah his coat back and Noah was too confused and turned-around to even register that it was his jacket and that he might want it back. It was bigger on her, she ended up folding it around her wrists after she sat down in a circle of pillows with the other girls. Ines brought two more pillows to the circle and gestured for Hannil and Noah to sit.

    Hannil sat first, nearest to Celeste. Noah sat between him and Ines and tried to crack his fingers once again but they did not crack. They ached; he wasn't certain if it was from the violent shaking or from the stress of everything. He only wanted the satisfaction of cracking them.

    Hannil handed over the rest of the six-hundred Euros he promised and Celeste tucked it away in a purple and brown handbag that she proceeded to throw at a wall so that it fell behind their sofa.

    "Thank you," Hannil said to the group, "I am indebted to you all."

    "Easily repaid," Ines replied as she moved to fold her legs beneath her.

    "Are you alright?" Aya asked and Noah flinched when he realized she was talking to him.

    He nodded, he turned to Celeste, "My French isn't very good. Nowhere near as good as Hannil's."

    "He speaks French because his mother speaks French," Celeste explained with a wave of her hand.

    "You know who I am?" Hannil asked.

    "I didn't," Celeste answered, "But when I got closer, I recognized you."

    "We adore your mother," Ines told him.

    "Thank you," Hannil said, his answer felt strange on Noah's ears. He turned to him and had the thought that Hannil was somehow lying to them. That he wasn't enthusiastic at all to hear about his mother from the girls.

    "What are you doing all the way out here?" Aya asked.

    "Escaping," Hannil answered.

    "To where?" Ines asked.

    "England."

"You are far from England," Ines told him.

"Eventually," Hannil cracked his own fingers. "We have to get there," he gestured between Noah and himself, "We can't stay here. But your hospitality is appreciated."

    The women looked them over before they scooted on their pillows to form another huddle and whispered to each other. Noah looked at Hannil who looked just as puzzled by their reaction as Noah was. When he caught Hannil's attention, Hannil shrugged to confirm his ignorance.