Rogue Squad

Forgotten

Rina's, or should I say Leo's, room is quite spacious, very much like Greyson's. Unlike the blue and brown theme of Greyson's room, Leo decided on a yellow and green color scheme. His walls are a light creme color, but everything else incorporates some type of color to it. The dark shades are kind of pleasing.

I quickly find my way to his bed as Rina closes the door behind us. Gently, I sit myself on the side of it and stare down at the carpet. I hear Rina open up a door, bathroom-no maybe the closet? I'm unsure but I don't care to look up. I guess I was more shaken by the events that occurred earlier then I thought. I can't seem to shake the look in Faith's eyes. I also can't seem to shake the sinking feeling that she was on to something... Which I know is impossible. Yet a part of me recognized something in Faith the moment I heard her voice. Maybe I had met her when I was younger? Not that my mom ever let me leave the rogue pack house, but who knows.

I feel the bed dip behind me before I hear Rina's voice from over my shoulder.

"Lucia," she whispers softly, "I think it's time."

That catches my attention, mainly because I have no clue what she is referring to. Confused completely by her words, I glance over my shoulder. I see the backpack that I had stocked up with my personal items and left in Rina's room before the invasion of our pack. Yet, that's not what catches my attention. My eyes land on a small wooden box. One that I had almost completely forgotten about. I didn't even have it packed in my backpack.

"What-how did you..." I start mumbling.

"I went to grab a few things from my safe before I grabbed our bags to leave. Then this caught my eye. I remembered how you got it from your mom and figured it'd be a nice thing for you to have..."

"Well thanks Rina, but I told you already that whatever it is in that box, I don't want to know."

"What if it's important though?" She argues with me, "What if it could change everything?"

"Then I definitely don't want to open it!" I tell her, alarmed and overwhelmed. This is the last thing I wanted to be confronted with after the events with Faith.

"Lucia," her voice is calm, "your Mom gave this to you because it's important for you to know."

I slide off the bed, facing her. "Yeah but she also said that it could make me hate her. And although I don't believe there is anyway I could ever hate my Mom, I don't want to tamper with it. What's the point of looking at it?"

"Because it's important Lucia!"

"Why are you pushing this? I told you I'm not opening it!" I huff at her. I reach out and grab my backpack from the bed.

"I think you owe it to yourself and to your family to open it." She tells me in a calm voice.

I take long strides towards the door. "My family," I spit at her, "is dead." I growl grabbing the door handle. I turn it.

I'm ready to launch myself out of this room and away from Rina's presence but am cut off by her saying, "They're actually very much alive...."

My heart thumps. Why did it thump? I release the handle, it snaps back into place as I turn on my heels. I muster up a glare, shooting daggers at Rina. "What did you say?"

She is unfazed by my menacing stares at this point in our friendship. So she makes direct eye contact with me, take a slow a deep breath before calmly answering my questions. "Your family, is... well very much alive."

"My mom is dead." I tell my delusional friend, unless she knew something I didn't.

"One of them... yes."

My heart drops to my stomach. "One... one of them?" My grip on my bag loosens.

"You should read what's in this box. I shouldn't be the one to tell you..." She whispers.

"How.. What... I'm so confused. Are you insane? What do you mean one of them? Everyone has one mom Rina. That's how biology works." I growl at her crazy mind. How can she call herself a bookworm if she doesn't even understand this simple fact?

"Biologically, yes. But you Lucia, have... well a biological mother and a Mom... I guess the only one who can really decide what you have is you, but the fact of the matter is, you weren't raised by your biological mother."

"I'm sorry," I laugh at her, "You're actually crazy. How can you even say that? My mom was nothing but nice to you, welcomed you to dinners and let you stay in our suite with us and this is how you're going to pay her back? By making up lies?" Oh this is just precious.

"I love your Mom Lucia. She was a wonderful woman but that doesn't mean she hadn't made... well... mistakes in her past."

"Oh this is really something Rina. You sure know how to comfort a friend in need." I laugh at her. Crossing my angry limit into crazy zone. I can't even tell what my emotions are doing.

"I know you think I'm crazy but if you would just look inside this-"

"The box again? Jesus Rina get over it, I'm not opening it." I growl at her. "And while we're at it, could you stop trying to dirty my mother's name? You're kinda pissing me off."

This finally shakes some emotion out of her. She stands up from the bed and frowns at me. "Well you're definitely pissing me off. God you're so ignorant all the time Lucia. Here I am just trying to tell you the honest truth-"

"The truth? Hilarious, but I'm not falling for whatever sick games you're-"

"I opened it!" She yells, creating a long silence between the two of us.

I stare at her for a while, blinking occasionally. Her cheeks flush pink, as her arms fall in front of her, taking the box with them. Once my brain registers her words, I slowly start coming back into consciousness.

"I'm sorry, you did what now?"

Her eyes fall to the side, guiltily looking away from me. "I looked inside it..."

It takes a long moment for her to realize that I'm so shocked by her actions and words, that I simply can't answer. Finally, she speaks up again.

"I found out some amazing things Lucia, and I really think it's important for you to look. I don't hate your Mom, but this is something you have to know." She steps forward, and holds the box before me.

"You had no right..." I whisper.

"You're right. I had no right, and for that, I honestly do apologize. And for that reason, I understand if you never want to speak to me again. Yet, I strongly believe you need to open it. Not only for the sake of your mind, but also, for the sake of mine... I'm sorry Lucia. Not only for looking at you're personal gift from your Mom, but for what I took from you..."

"What you took from me? What does that mean?" I ask her.

She sighs and pushes the box closer to me, it touches my stomach. Out of instinct I reach out and grab it. She finally lets go, taking a step back.

"It's all in the box." She glances up at me, "please read it?"

"All of these weird things you said to me... will all be answered in here?" Referring to the object in my clutches.

"Yes."

Although it pains me to admit defeat, I'm so confused that I have to open it. If what Rina is saying is true, I need to know more. I need to know why. Why did Rina say my Mom isn't my real mom? What about her saying that my family is alive, or that Rina is sorry for what she took from me? What could it all mean? Was any of it true?

I walk back into the room, lay the backpack on the bed and make myself comfortable. I grasp the wooden box in both my hands. Gently, I run my thumbs over the wooden indents. I sigh outwardly. My finger wiggle their way to the latch, which doesn't actually have a lock on it. It pops open easily.

The top creaks open as I lift it from the base. I gasp in surprise as the over filled box pours out it's contents onto the bed before me. I place the box down onto the comforter. My eyes land on two photos, side by side. My heart launches up to my throat, tears fill to the brims of my eyes. I reach down to grab them as tears slide down my cheeks.