The Butterfly Thieves

Chapter Eleven

"And . . . I'm sorry for making your face bleed," I said, forcing myself to be nice.

Jason just smiled at me and nodded. "It's okay. I overstepped my boundaries, and I hope you can forgive me-"

"Oh, shut up," I rolled my eyes.

Jason looked at Thomas as if he was going to fix it, but Thomas just shrugged. "If you're going to be a butterfly thieve, you have to take this type of stuff."

"Really?"

"I can be worse, if you want practice," I smiled at Jason. "I could make a grown man cry, if I wanted to."

"Um, how about another time?" he said.

I winked at him, "Deal."

My heart dropped when I did that, and in a sense, I could see something changed in his eyes, the way he smiled at me. I had to look away from him, I didn't want that stupid smile looking my way.

"What's for dinner?" I asked, going to the kitchen.

I helped in the kitchen for the first time, chopping away at the onions and potatoes like Thomas had asked me to. I actually hadn't cooked anything for myself in about a good three years. I remember being little, and helping my mother in the kitchen.

She used to call me her little helper, and she was so proud of me.

That's all gone now.

She doesn't care, and the things I put them through, I would have disowned myself as well.

"Who is up for a board game after dinner?" Thomas asked.

Jason and I must have both given him a confusing look. "Why?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I haven't had the chance to beat anyone at monopoly in a while."

I raised an eyebrow. "Beat? I don't think so! I'll beat all your asses!"

Thomas smiled. "I get the Scottie dog though, I like that little guy."

"I want the shoe," Jason said.

"I'll be the top hat," I smiled.

"Alright then, we got a corporate game on the way!" Thomas said, in a tone I have never seen on him before. He actually sounded happy and excited and not because he was forcing himself to be. He sounded generally very happy. Like for the first time in a very long time.

After dinner, after cleaning the table and putting dishes away, we got the board game out. I didn't remember the last time that I had actually played a board game, without drugs being snorted on the board.

No yelling, no drinking, no cursing . . . it was relaxing.

A part of me had to wonder if this was normal, and that the way I was living was a mistake. Maybe I did have bad friends, maybe I did have an awful boyfriend, maybe the life I was living wasn't supposed to be the way it was.

Laughing with Thomas and Jason, making jokes, and smiling for once, it was something I couldn't get tired of.

"Oh, Thomas, I was curious, I brought some wine, would you like some?" Jason asked.

"Well, a few drinks wouldn't hurt."

"Wine, Milly?" he asked me, standing up and going to the couch to get his back.

"Old ladies drink wine," I wrinkled my nose.

"Want to be an old lady with us?" he joked.

I shrugged. "Sure."

I quickly realize I could out drink those men any day. Thomas was only on drink two before he couldn't get through rolling his dices without giggling like a teen girl. Jason was even laughing a bit, and even after four glasses, I was still more sober than the guys.

We couldn't go on playing, not when Thomas was making his Scottie dog bark at us.

It was the first time in a long time I could laugh at something so stupid, and so safe. How was it, being kidnapped by a stranger, is that it was the safest I've even felt. I could sleep at night without fear, I wasn't forced to do anything I didn't want to do.

We ended up in the living room, and watching Jason and Thomas act like drunk soccer moms was the best thing I've ever witness.

"So . . .so . . . Milly," Thomas started, giggling. "You did beat our asses. You were right."

"Thomas, we didn't even finish the game."

He started laughing harder. "That's right!"

"Thomas," I started.

"What . . .yes?"

"You've only had two drinks."

"I did! Didn't I? Oh my goodness! Only two? What is this?"

Jason was laughing. "I'm not tipsy."

"Yes you are," I laughed at him. "Guys, I'm ten times smaller than you and drank more. This isn't how it's suppose to work."

Jason and Thomas started laughing harder. I wasn't sure what they were giggling about, but they couldn't stop. Thomas couldn't seem to get out of his rocking chair that he was glued to. "Milly, Milly dear, will you get me a drink of water?"

"Sure," I said going to the kitchen. I got a glass, pour the tap water into it, and carried it back to Thomas. He took it, but grabbed my hand first.

"You are such a sweetheart. You know that right?"

"I'm not sweet," I told him. "Please don't touch me."

"You're kinder than you think. You're going to save Earnest Town," Thomas said, letting go of my hand, and sipping the water. I looked to Jason, confused. He just shrugged. "You know my Ella and you . . . very similar."

"Ella?" I asked. "Who is Ella, Thomas? She was your first butterfly?"

"Yeah . . . the love of my life. You remind me of her. Maybe you would have been the child we would have had."

My mouth dropped. "Where is Ella?"

Thomas just shook his head, and drank the last of his water. "Ella . . . Ella . . . she's gone. She killed herself so many years again. My poor Ella."

I looked to Jason, and the news must have been as shocking to him as it was to me. "Was Ella your wife?" he asked.

Thomas shrugged. "She was supposed to be . . .maybe we should go to bed, what do you think? Jason, you're in charge of Milly. Make sure the door is locked up before she goes to bed."

He was stumbling out of his chair. "Goodnight kids," he said, walking upstairs.

Jason and I looked at each other, questions swimming oceans between us. "Who is Ella?"

He shook his head. "That's the first I've heard about it."

"We need to get answers."

Jason shook his head. "No, leave it be. Let's watch a movie or something. What do you think?"

"No, he was talking about her the first night I came here. I don't-"

"Either that, or you can go to bed now."

I sighed, "Movie it is."