Arabella Academy: Perfectly Imperfect

43. Room 34

In a society that profits from your self-doubt, loving yourself is a rebellious act.

~Anonymous

***

"Fucking street dogs!" Luis cried out.

He had just thrown a stone at one of the dogs. Apparently, the innocent animal had taken an interest in him and decided to go after him. Luis tried to shoo it off but the poor dog misinterpreted it as an invitation to go and play with him. That's when the trouble began. They tried shouting at it, running away and even hiding but the dog was as insistent as the hot summer sun. Eventually, Luis was left with no other choice but to hurl stones at the dog, though it gave him great displeasure.

Marcus moved fast. He was in no mood for jokes that day. He paced forward, the July heat no match for his determination. Luis had to be on his toes to catch up with him. Soon he was panting. He wondered how Marcus was maintaining such a speed. In the end, he had to speak out.

"Compañero, Cool down. You giving the Flash some serious competition."

Marcus stopped and looked at him impatiently. He was also wondering why Luis was losing his speed. He shifted his balance between his two legs and rolled his eyes.

"Come on! We don't have all day. We must find this guy before the darkness finds us," he urged him on.

Luis stood up and slowly walked to Marcus.

"Now, will you tell me what's really bothering you?" his voice was earnest.

Marcus looked away for a moment. He was used to telling Jeff his problems, and he wasn't sure trusting a stranger with his problems was good.

But he dates your best friend goddamnit!

He decided to listen to his heart and talked to Luis.

"It's Sheila," Marcus replied.

"What about Sheila," Luis was getting concerned.

"I'm not sure we should be doing this anymore. I mean, she cheated on Michelle! You saw how heartbroken she was! And yet we are here possibly approaching the murderer for a crime that maybe Sheila deserved," he exploded.

Luis let out a big sigh.

"Marcus, I know that you are mad right now, but don't let those negative emotions control you. We've come all this way. Why would you want to stop now that we are almost catching the killer?"

Marcus' eyes went to the sky.

"I don't know. I guess I was mad because someone she thought loved her didn't actually," he admitted.

"Hey! They loved each other; otherwise, Michelle would have called this off the minute she had found out," Luis reassured him.

"Or maybe she still wants to know what kind of man stole her girlfriend," he smiled but stopped after noticing Luis' disapproving look.

"Are you and Jeff always this sarcastic?" He asked Marcus as they resumed their journey.

"Sometimes. We help lighten up the mood," Marcus replied happily.

"Your friendship suits both of you," Luis spoke. Marcus eyed him sadly.

"Speaking of Jeff..."

Luis halted and glanced at Marcus. He instantly knew that things were bad once he saw that grim look in Marcus' eyes.

"What happened?" he asked, his tone portraying a sense of urgency.

"Well," Marcus began. "He was kicked out of his house for coming out."

Luis stared in fright at Marcus.

"What do you mean he's been kicked out?"

"Yeah. His dad threw him out after he saw that video of you two kissing. He's crashing at my place though."

Luis placed his hands over his head in exasperation. He moved away and suddenly kicked the grass, his Vans scooping a generous amount of soil. He took in deep breaths and slowly let them out, managing to calm himself down.

"How could I have been so stupid?" he spoke, mostly to himself.

"It's okay," Marcus tried to comfort him. "It's what he wanted actually. He's now free."

Their conversation was cut short when the motel came into view. It was a simple one, with it's two separate buildings facing each other. It was an old one, and the dull paint seemed like it held more secrets than the government. It was almost deserted, with few cars parked in front of the buildings—possibly cheating husbands with their mistresses... or misters; whatever men that slept with cheating husbands were called.

Marcus and Luis slowly crept to the building on the left side and slowly climbed up the stairs. They weren't worried about the receptionist; God knows where she had gotten lost to.

"Room thirty-four, right?" Marcus confirmed. Luis nodded at him and they reached the first floor. They then cut to the right side and walked until they were in front of the door with the numbers '34' engraved on it. The window was locked and the curtains were drawn, making it impossible for them to take a peek inside. Luis placed his ear against the window and listened carefully. After a while he nodded to Marcus, ascertaining that there was no one inside. Marcus then pulled out a hairpin from his pocket-he had asked for one from Michelle before they left-and inserted it into the keyhole. The locks clicked after a few seconds, verifying that Marcus had unlocked the door.

Luis nodded at him. Marcus was about to place his hand on the doorknob when Luis stopped him. He then moved away like he was leaving but then stopped at the neighbouring room and picked a bat that was just outside the door. They stood on each side of the door, ready for attack, Luis nodded to Marcus, confirming that it was time.

They then both barged in the room, unprepared for whatever they were about to meet.