Masked

Chapter Eighteen

        Luther drove us back to the academy. Luckily, Hazel and Cha-Cha hadn't decided to pursue and had stayed with their 'briefcase' wailing in frustration until we had left. Diego's eyes had barely moved the entire drive, gazing towards me and making sure I was okay. He seemed to still be uneasy which I could understand. Less than an hour ago, I was flinching at guns that weren't even aimed at me. Not very assassin like; Dad wouldn't be proud.

        As I got out of the car, I thanked Luther for getting us away from the crazies before they tried to kill us. Klaus came over to me while I shut the passenger door. He whispered in my ear.

        "So what's up with you and Diego?" He had a glimmer in his eyes, but Klaus still looked distant.

        I blushed slightly. "Not much."

        "But something." Klaus raised his eyebrows.

        "Perhaps."

        And with that, I left for the foyer heading inside. The chandelier was still shattered on the floor. Mom sat dormant on the floor above. I heard the door open and close behind me. Familiar footsteps echoed through the room. A figure in black stood to my left, caressing his arm.

        "How are you holding up, Princess?"

        "Well, I suppose. How did you manage to get your arm shot?"

        "Klaus and I found the two assassins over at Griddy's, the donut shop. We followed them all the way back to their motel room. I wanted to make them pay, for Patch, for you, everything. They made it look like they were getting ice so that they could get their car and leave. Next thing I know, they're speeding through the parking lot and firing their guns. Hit my arm and my car tires."

        "So that's why you two came in an ice cream truck."

        He nodded. "I'm gonna go to my room and rest, you should too," Diego told me, pointing a finger.

        I sighed, resting was not something I wanted to do. Even just going back to my bedroom where I had spent the last thirty years of my life did not seem appealing. However, eating dinner did. That's why I brought myself to the kitchen downstairs, and when I remembered that my mother wasn't going to be there to make me smile, I almost broke down once more. God, it was hard to get over the pain. She's a robot for heaven's sake, but I know that to me she was more than that.

        Going over to the fridge, I pulled out some steak that had already been cut into strips. From the pantry, I grabbed rice and spices, and the crisper had a variety of vegetables. I took what I had available to me and worked on a recipe I had found. Mom had a box full of them as though she didn't have them programmed into her brain. It was relaxing cooking, well, except for the one moment where I thought the house was going to catch on fire. The flames on the stove had risen a little too high for my liking.

        In the end, I had made enough stir-fry for everyone. The recipe was made with us in mind. I was contemplating ringing the dinner bell or at least alerting the others that there was something to eat, but having leftovers sounded better. Sitting down at the table, I ate my dinner alone as usual. When I was almost finished, Allison entered the kitchen. I smiled at her and waved, not able to talk with the food in my mouth. She was a movie star, and I didn't want to make it seem as though I had terrible manners.

        "Hi, Allison," I said, standing up to wash my now empty plate. "I haven't seen you in a while. How's it been?"

        She smiled. "Good. I was going to ask you the same thing."

        It was awkward as this was the first time we were talking to one another without it being a family meeting. Her outfit was gorgeous and probably cost over a thousand dollars. It was incredible how many things celebrities could waste money on without having to worry about going broke.