The Queen of the Underworld

Chapter 19

"Hey," Rio's voice echoed, making me glance at him as the three of us walked to the pie shop in town. "Do you think Kei and I will be asked to join their group?" Kei sighed before answering him.

"We're Akira's best friends, so I think us being with her is enough. I don't think they'd ask us or tell us we have to join, and I don't think your dad would even let us. Akira hasn't even been asked to join; she's just dating the soon-to-be boss." The walk was silent after Rio's question. When we got our pie, we decided to sit on the picnic tables as the wind blew around. 

"I don't think I'll have to join," My voice was quiet as I spoke. "I mean, it doesn't seem to be unsafe, considering I'm allowed to roam freely and have my routine be the same. If it were dangerous, I'd be locked away instead." The two boys looked at me carefully. "Have you thought about which college you really want to go to?" The two looked down at their pies at the question. 

"Not yet," My mouth dropped open at Kei's statement. "But we have some time still." He smiled at me.

"That's not the point, stupid." I huffed at him. "You both need to start actually caring. It's close to the end of our senior year. I understand if you want to do a trade school instead, or even work for a company, but I would suggest some schooling. If you don't want to join the group, getting away from it is the best option." 

"Is that how you feel?" Rio asked quietly, making me look at him in shock. "I know you've made a lot of progress with Vincent, but do you want to leave? I know that we've slowly started to realize what goes on, and I know that you don't like this place much." I looked at my shoes in confusion. Maybe that is what I wanted. Perhaps I do want to out of this place.

"It's normal," Kei spoke, making me look up to him. "Vincent came into your life at a weird time. I know that you wanted to go to school very far from this place. I know that you wanted to go to school for engineering or medical work." The mood of the two boys changed from happy to depressed. "I understand that we all can't be together forever, even more so now since Vincent came into the picture," He stabbed at his pie with the fork. "It's been so long together that I'm not sure what to do without you both, without you, Akira," Silence filled the air between the three of us. None of us moved because we didn't know what to say or do. The hard reality started to sink in for us three. Our trio would be no more once we all graduate. Our lives will be completely different once that time comes in a few months. 

"Well," Rio cut the silence, forcing Kei and me to look to him. "I'm sure my dad wants me to take the gym over. I know that I want to get a degree in business; that way, my options are always open if I decide to go somewhere else." He looked at us both with a fake smile, attempting to reassure us that it would all be okay.

"I want to go to school to learn how to be a veterinarian," Kei spoke next. "That way, I can enjoy what I'd end up doing with my life." I sat there, frozen. It didn't really sink in that we'd all be splitting up so soon. My life has always had a routine with the same people. Now that we're all talking about leaving, it scares me. I won't have my two closest friends with me anymore. The only two people who I trusted outside of any family.