Royal Sinners (Sinners 1)

Chapter 5: Remborsi di Debiti

"So... how was it?"

Another curious crowd asked me about my encounter last week. This time, four girls surrounded me with suffocating scents of perfume, lotion and fruity shampoo. It has been days since then but the questions were still endless. People still ask what it was like to see the action up close, meet Fortunello and be involved.

When I tried to avoid them, one girl grabbed my arm and slammed me on the wall at the back of the school.

"Listen, you little bitch," she hissed. "Everyone knows you're not mute, you're just a snob. Now, why don't you answer our question before I cut that foul thing you call for a mouth?"

"Well, well, it's Amber and friends," a sweet voice interrupted.

Vivienne Wies was leaning on the tree and puffing her cigarette. There were still yellow marks from the healing bruises on her face, but it didn't even chip away her confidence. With the golden hair cascading down her back and attitude of a queen, bruises didn't make her less perfect.

"Stop bullying innocent Hanna. You can ask me instead. I was there too."

"I bet you didn't know what happened. Your eyes were too swollen from being beat up."

The girls smirked in unison and one even snorted.

After puffing out her last smoke, she threw the cigarette only burnt halfway. "At least I was there. And you?"

Amber squinted, now her attention fully focused on the newcomer. "You're acting like you're better than the rest of us. Using your 'tragic' past as an excuse and stick to one person to another."

"Who told you I'm better? Anyway, your father would love to hear this: Amber, Mayor's little princess, searching the dark alleys, talking to... people like us."

Amber flinched but her grip on my face tightened. "Bitch." She let me go and walked away along with her friends.

"Thank you," I said, once we're alone.

"I did not do it for you. They hated me ever since, I'm just returning the favor." She pulled out a box of cigarette from her pocket and took out another stick.

"Uhm... you shouldn't smoke in school—" I stopped. "Sorry."

She put it back on her skirt pocket and walked to me. After tucking a few loose strands of hair behind my ear, she whispered, "Good girls like you, should stay good. Stay in the light and be safe." Then she kissed me on the cheek. "You wouldn't want to get hurt, do you?"

Mesmerized, I nodded.

"Good girl." Then she left me with a seductive smile.

Of course, I knew what she meant. It's the same thing I tell myself. However, it seems that I broke a lot of my self-made rules.

Nothing was the same anymore. Not just me, but around me. The Fortunellos took over and no one opposed. The Kings disbanded but no one was at ease.

I shrugged off the thoughts and walked to the library. Friday was usually crowded and I had to avoid that. The last thing I needed was attention and I drowned in it for the past few days.
Aside from biking near the fields, reading is my way of killing time. I usually went for biographies. Something's fascinating about the lives of other people. They were colorful, yet grounded on reality. However, as escape for my current reality, I chose Cat Cinderella by Giambattista Basile. I couldn't remember how long has it been since I read fairytales. However, the dark cover caught my attention. Reading a few chapters proved it was different from the usual bubble stories.