Shadows and Popularity

Chapter 18: Supper

Chapter 18: Supper

Maya got the table ready.

If anyone was a master of intimidation, it would be Maya’s Uncle Jhun. He had served the military in his younger years and he had always played bad-cop-good-cop when it came to interrogate captives. He wasn’t the yelling, go out of his way to use up his voice bad cop though. No, he played good cop. He would always be silent during most of the interrogation, and when it came his cue, he would lean over the table and pierce right through his victim’s heart and soul and mind. In a cold, low voice, he would say something, all in a whisper, and the captive will end up pouring his heart out. All out of sheer intimidation.

Now, if someone, or some-two were masters of holding their tongues and meet fear straight upfront, it would be Nathan’s parents, Fabian and Caitlyn. They were natural social butterflies, able to cope with any kind of personality or quirk. They had easy smiles, contagious too, for by the end of supper and questions were thrown at each and caught then thrown right back, Jhun was giving off his kind of lopsided smile, something Nathan thought was an impossibility.

An hour and two pots of gumbo later, Nathan was passed out on his chair as Fabian and Jhun kept on their contest on who could eat the most. As of now, it seemed like a tie, and Caitlyn was cheering them both on.

“Did Sakri go home?” Maya suddenly asked, looking around. The rebel merely came in, phone near his ear, grabbed a bowl full of gumbo, and left to who-knows-where.

“Maybe he’s in the living room, honey.” Caitlyn answered, eyes glued to the competing men. Maya was already used to the endearment she used on everybody.

“I’ll go check on him.” The wallflower presented, standing and grabbing a clean bowl from the counter and filling it with the soup. She placed a spoon in it as she made her way out of the dining area.

She found Sakri three minutes later in the living room, his empty bowl on the coffee table, his phone still on his ear as his bare feet were sprawled on the sofa arm, his head lying comfily on the other one. He looked right at home.

Sakri covered the phone just as she approached.

“Am I interrupting?” Maya asked.

The rebel saw the bowl in her hands, felt his stomach rumble, and ended the call then and there. “Nope.” He swung off the sofa, grabbed the bowl from the wallflower’s hands, and started eating. He grabbed the remote control by his empty bowl and started flicking through channels on the flat-screen TV.

“The sports channel is on 45.” Maya supplied remembering her uncle loving that specific channel.

Sakri pressed the numbers and a football game played onscreen.

He raised his feet on the table right afterward.

“Need anything?” Sakri asked, his mouth full.

“Actually,” She said, taking the distant seat on the other side of the sofa. “I have a few questions I’d like to ask.”

“Ask away.” Sakri said, lowering the volume by one bar.

“What’s the Secret Service Department?” The wallflower asked straightforwardly.

The rebel didn’t even flinch nor looked at her. His explanation was nonchalant. “You know how the school features different departments for the different skills of students? You know, Academics, Sports, Music, etcetera. You’re from the Academics Department, right?”

“Y-yeah,” Maya answered. “But only because I don’t really belong to any other department.”

Sakri didn’t comment. “Anyways, there’s this special department where most working students like rebels like me or slackers who don’t have anything else better to do go to. It’s the school’s Secret Service Department.”