𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡

𝟔𝟕 | 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬

„What?" I repeated, forgetting to close my mouth in shock. Leo didn't even move and looked as surprised as I did. "Andrew, he-"

„Yes. He is my father," he confirmed. Things made a lot more sense to me. That look. Those eyes. An old family friend whose name I couldn't remember... it was Andrew. „And now, it's your turn to explain to me what all of this means." He pushed an empty chair over to me. I looked at the beech wood and avoided its gaze. I hesitated for a moment, but then I spoke.

„I think you should sit down," I said cautiously, „because you probably won't like what I tell you now." Leo tilted his face.

„Just do it," he challenged me, „what do you want to tell me?"

„I...," I began. Something roared behind me. Frightened, I turned and noticed a sleepy Otto. He was only in boxers and his hair was sticking out.

„Are you kidding me," Leo muttered angrily, „you again?"

„I hate to break it to you, but I live here, too," Otto snapped, just as irritated. He opened the refrigerator. He stuck his face in it and looked through it for a moment. „Hmm... where is it?" He whispered softly under his nose. A box of milk fell out of his hands. Then subsequently, another box fell to the ground. Otto was dismissed from his mind and shot his back. He hit his head on top of the refrigerator. „Shiiiit," he squealed.

„Can you get even louder? Don't you want to wake up the whole neighborhood?" Leo said sarcastically. He leaned his bottom against the edge of the table, his arms crossed over his chest like a guard.

„Otto, it's half past two in the morning! What the hell are you doing?" I wondered.

„Early breakfast, duh," he replied like it was an obvious thing. „I was awakened by your arrival, Miss I'mRunningAwayFromHomeLikeATeenager." Oh, so I indeed tore someone out of a dream. I frowned violently. „It was as inconspicuous as I was when I tried to secretly drink from a flask at Aunt Rebecca's wedding. I didn't lie to anyone that it was holy water, even though I had I love Jesus clearly written on it." Otto paused for a moment, and I watched as he poured milk into his glass. He shook the box to see how much of the milk was left. Then he pushed the full cup aside, took a whole box of milk in one hand, a larger box of God-knows-what in the other, and moved toward the couch. A thick eyebrow that looked like two caterpillars rose. „Keep up the debate, don't be disturbed," he urged us. He sat down contentedly and placed a paper box on his knees. He opened it. There were donuts in it. „Aaahh, that's exactly what I've been looking forward to all along," he said, impatiently chafing his hands.

„Okay, so... first of all - what?" Leo didn't understand. With his left hand, which supported his forehead, he slapped it and turned to me. „Second of all – have you gone somewhere?"

I opened my mouth to say something.

„I'm taking it back, you seem to have fooled this dumbhead here," Otto interrupted, biting off the chocolate-glazed donut. Leo growled. I shook my head.

„You know what," I said, "I'm going to bed. I'll tell you about it tomorrow." I turned on my heel and went to bed.

„Oho-ho-ho, missy, not so fast," Leo stopped me. He grabbed me by the elbow and sat me down next to Otto. He sat upside down on a chair and crossed his arms over the backrest. „Speak. NOW," he ordered in a parental tone.

„All right, all right," I backed down defeated. A heavy sigh escaped me. „I was at my father's company."

„You mean you broke in there," Otto corrected me. I glared at him and he sipped milk quickly. He coughed immediately. I waited for Otto to stop choking and continued.