FRIENDSHIP

Chapter 9: Inexa

We followed Fletcher and Alyssa without much choice.

We were taken to a bunk bed, and on the highest level sat a boy with dark hair. His brown gaze was imposing, his arms crossed as he stared down at us like some kind of big shot.

Alyssa and Fletcher walked off.

"So... who are you?" Ibe spoke up first.

"Kody Zhoner. You three are the newcomers?"

"Yup, who do you think we are?" I stared at him.

He shrugged as his brown eyes widened menacingly.

"Well, I'm Eina! Nice to meet you! Hahaha!" Eina greeted.

We all stood in silence after her inconsiderate words.

"Listen up." The dark-haired boy leaned forward. "I'm the boss here."

"And?" I said.

I wanted everyone to think that I could attack people whenever I wanted so they would fear me.

"And if you don't listen to me, you'll get kicked out of this house."

"I don't believe you."

"You will."

"I won't."

"Nexi, please be nice to Kody," Eina begged with stupid puppy-eyes.

"Eina!" I kicked her in the shin.

"OW! What was that for?!"

"For the fact that you messed up this whole thing."

"I'm sorry." she looked down to her boots.

"Ugh!"

"Mess up what?" Kody asked, his eyebrows raised.

I glared at him as coldly as I could. "It's none of your business!"

His eyebrows rose higher until I thought they would float off his face. "Inexa, was it?"

"Yeah, and so?" Ibe tried to defend me.

"And so unless you want me to make your life hell, you will stop acting up."

"So tell me what kind of 'hell' that is," I said bravely, though, honestly, I was quaking in my leather shoes.

Kody's brown eyes narrowed. "Well, you're better than Dicaminchi."

"Excuse me?"

"Except that doesn't change a thing." He smiled, a kind of malicious one that made me want to shiver. "V Tamuro! Litson!" he called.

Two girls ran into the room.

"Kody!" the blonde girl greeted breathlessly.

"Kody," Alyssa repeated.

"What are your orders?" the blonde girl asked eagerly.

Kody glanced at us.

I glared at him in return.

He just stared at us.

"Kody?" Alyssa prompted in worry.

He let out some mix of a sigh and a huff. "Don't worry about it, Alyssa. Have they met everyone else yet?"

"No, they haven't," the blonde girl butted in.

He sighed again, more deeply, running a hand through his hair. "Take them, then," he drawled, his brown eyes like stone.

"On it," they replied at the same time. Each girl grabbed one of us, leaving me untouched.

"Hey! Let me go," Eina cried as the blonde girl's fingers cut into her arm.

The two girls dragged us away without responding. We started down the stairs, and I rolled my eyes. We were following someone again.

"What did you do to him, Alyssa?" the blonde girl hissed at Alyssa.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that, Vina?" Alyssa glared back, her eyes like emerald pools of anger.

"Um, hello?" Ibe asked.

The two frowned at us.

"Where are we going and who are you?"

"Vina Tamuro." The blonde girl rolled her mint green eyes. "How could you not know."

"Well I'm sorry we're not children of someone in the military and didn't have to learn that!" Ibe hissed in a half-shout.

"We're new here, that's why?" Eina said at the same time.

Alyssa rolled her green eyes too.

What's with this bunch and rolling eyes?

"So where are you taking us?" I asked.

"To the table," Vina answered.

"Oh," Eina said, "why?"

"For lunch, you freaking idiot!" Alyssa replied. "Now sit down!"

We obeyed.

"Now what?" I said.

"You know what, pigtails? I dislike you," Vina raised an eyebrow, her eyes staring right into my soul.

"And I don't like you," I retorted.

"Nexi, please be nice to Vina." Eina frowned.

"Eina!" I hissed.

"Eina, I hate to say this, but you are messing everything up. For Nexi, at least," Ibe said.

"I agree with Ibe," I replied with glee.

"YAY! You're happy again!" Eina smiled.

"Ugh! We get that you three are best friends! Now stop talking and listen to us!" Alyssa rolled her eyes, irritated.

"Let's see how long that lasts!" Vina said with a malicious glint in her eye.

"I don't know. Forever?" Eina smiled widely.

"You will break apart by the end of this month," Alyssa promised.

"Yes," Vina agreed.

"As if," said Ibe indignantly. "We'll stay friends forever, won't we, Eina? Nexi?"

"Of course!" Eina said immediately.

"Yeah..." I said. "Whatever."

"What do you mean, 'whatever'?" Ibe looked shocked.

"Oh, never mind," I said.