Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
***
Marcus's POV
"They were revolutionary." Lex argues.
Rat. The label I got as soon as my reputation caught up to me. We were supposed to be the trash, the plague bothering the purebreds.
However, to us, is was something to be proud of. The very origin of The Rats is of segregation, of making it clear the difference between us. But the last thing we want is to be like them. It doesn't matter how powerful their families are, because, in here, they are just another entitled rich kid.
They say cockroaches will outlive humanity, maybe rats will too.
"They were just narcissists who competed on who drew the better dick." Petra disagrees. Not the most palatable opinion on Renaissance artists.
"Exactly!" Lex throws his open arms to the sky. "That, Petra darling, is what I call revolutionary."
I laugh.
"What's up, Billy? Don't have an appetite no more?" The Soto Vatos waltz by our table and Billy gives them the finger.
"Fuck off, Chico." Petra utters in monotone.
Chico blows us a kiss.
Our pride taught them the word 'Rat' no longer served its purpose, but it doesn't stop them from finding new and improved ways to torment us. And, I have to say, they can be very creative when they want.
When the world was still ruled by monarchs, criminals were often executed publicly.
Robert-Francois Damiens, for example. He was convicted of patricide after trying to kill the king of France and suffered a thousand sorts of torture in front of everyone. Not that I approve of any kind of monarchy or torture, but I can see where the king was coming from.
Doing such inhumain things to the man, warned anyone who hears about it of the power and influence he has. It assures the peasants that, although the king lets live, he can always make die.
The words of the red-dress girl from last night popped back into my head.
I'm not suggesting we torture Chico in front of the whole student body, but he cannot continue on unchecked.
"We should do something." I say, my eyes trailing behind Chico as he sat down on his table.
"What do you propose?" Billy inhales and rubs his hands in excitement.
"I don't know yet. But it'll have to be grand." I return my attention to the plate in front of me. "We gotta get creative."
"Using the advice from the girl from last night, I see." Billy grins.
"W- What girl?" Lex is perplexed "Did you nasties double-teamed someone last night?"
"She was in the boy's bathroom." Billy explains. The poor guy shivers with the memory. "Marcus had quite the lengthy conversation with her. I don't know about what though, I was too busy vomiting my guts out."
Lex looks at me, waiting for my answer.
"I wouldn't say lengthy, but it was a strange one. When we got there, she was completely wet, and it looked like she had been crying." I recall her red eyes and the way her hands shook slightly before she hid them behind her back.
"Wet, you say?" Lex wiggles his eyebrows.
"Pig." Petra shoves his shoulder. "Let him talk."
"She said someone should do something about him, and I think she's right."
"Who is she?" Petra asks.
"Don't know." I narrow my eyes. The whole interaction was still very odd to me. "She was holding a uniform but said she wasn't a student. I have no clue what she was doing here."
"What did she look like? Was she my type?" Now, Lex was the one excited.
"Someone breathing?" Petra mocks him.
"Shut up, you know what I mean."
I sigh. "She had long black hair, black eyes and," I pause. Really fucking beautiful. "Pretty."
"Do you mean, like her?"
I follow Petra's gaze behind me, to the cafeteria entrance. And there she was. Wearing the uniform, accompanied by the entirety of the Kuroki Syndicate. I widen my eyes. Her arm was tied to none other than Saya herself.
"No fucking way!" Billy exclaims. I linger my vision on the girl a little longer before looking back at him. "The girl who saw me puke a river of stomach fluid was her?!"
"Holy shit!" Lex's eyes are wide open.
I look at them in confusion, because I seem to be the only one who doesn't know who she is. Even Petra, who I've never seen speechless, was at a loss of words right now.
"What? Who is she?" I ask.
"Haven't you heard?" Petra looks baffled by me.
I shake my head slowly.
"They are saying she is Saya's sister." What? "And that she killed the boss of one of the most powerful families in the Yakuza, along with all their children."
"Why?" I almost stutter.
"The rumors are that she is so loyal to her uncle, she'll do anything for him."
"The same uncle who Saya talks so much shit about?" Feeling a sickly churn in the pit of my stomach, I turn my head to look at her again.
Lex nods. "The Asian Hitler himself."
Never would I have guessed.
I am usually good at reading people. Knowing who to trust and who to avoid was essential to surviving on the streets.
That is why I know everything can be faked. Charisma, good intentions, kindness are often misleading. The only thing I can count on is the way a person acts when they think no one is watching.
When I opened that bathroom door, I felt like I was invading a very private moment. One where she let herself be defeated and tired.
I knew she was hiding something. Perhaps she had done something she regretted. But I thought it was something more trivial than killing children.
There always has to be an exception to the rule, I guess.
"Congratulations, mate. You've just had a conversation with the most psycho and deadly assassin in this school."
