He Calls Me Unnie

Chapter Ten

The three allies wound through the streets once again, back into the depths of the city until they arrived at their destination: the western wall of Akintola manor. A rope dangled from the fifteen-foot high wall down to the street.

"The best place to hide is where they least expect you to be," he and Bay had muttered in unison when he told them where they'd be hiding. He was right. She didn't like it, and she wasn't convinced it was their best option, but there was no time to explore other options.

"This is how I come and go at night." Roman interlaced his fingers so one of them could stand on them. "Go on."

"What do we do?" Bay was afraid of the answer.

"Climb to the top of the wall. I'll give you a boost. Once we've all climbed up, I'll hang the rope down the other side so you can climb down." He acted as if it was the easiest thing in the world, as if every teenage girl had experience scaling walls more than a dozen feet high.

Pike and Bay exchanged glances. Pike stared up at the wall then shook out her hands. "Alright, alright. Let's get this over with. I'll go first."

Pike stepped into Roman's hands and grabbed onto the rope. Roman hoisted her up as high as he could–over his shoulders–then Pike did the rest. She made it to the top, but not without considerable strain and difficulty. Once she sat at the top, she put her fists up in victory.

Bay was smaller than Pike, so when Roman lifted her up, she got even higher, which was fortunate because she was also, plain for everyone to see, significantly weaker. There were only a few feet to go once Roman lifted her, though. With her last morsel of strength, just before her arms were about to give out, she pulled herself up onto the top of the wall. When she looked down, she got dizzy, so instead of thinking about how high up they were she concentrated on the distant rays of sun crashing through the night on the horizon. They had to hurry if they wanted to get into the Akintola manor unseen.

It took Roman no time to climb up the wall, and on the way down the other side he didn't even use the rope, he just jumped.

Pike and then Bay lowered themselves to the ground. Bay's muscles finally gave out with her feet still a few feet off the ground and she landed on the ground with shocks to her legs that sent lightning through them.

"You don't get out much, do you?" Roman said. It wasn't a question he waited for an answer to. They followed him across the yard to his personal quarters without seeing another soul.

"Get comfortable. You'll be here for a while." Roman led them to a closet door and opened it. It was small. Pike and Bay could barely fit together inside. It was a good thing they were used to each other. "But not too comfortable. If anyone finds out I'm storing two Unnie girls in here..." Roman shuddered and lazed over to his sofa. He sat down, kicking his feet up.

"Would you stop calling us that?" Pike said.

"Take that mask off and we'll talk," he fired back.

Without hesitation Pike yanked the scarf from across her face and threw it on the ground. "I always hated that thing."

Roman just blinked, his eyes wide.

"Pike!" Bay couldn't believe what she was seeing–her friend's bare face, pale and glowing, in front of her. She looked around, waiting for Mistress Undulu or Salima to jump out from the shadows and drag her off into the wilderness.

"I'm not one of them anymore. I never was, at heart. And after what they did to you, I never will be again."

Roman gave a slow clap. "Well done, Unnie. But what should I call you now?"