𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐇

XIX

— RORI —

I decide to walk home from school today.

Albeit, this is virtually impossible in the heart of California but luckily our home is only about an hour's walk from downtown (usually quicker for me, because i have long legs and am able to walk fast). I could never Uber everywhere; i usually alternate between walking and cycling, my brothers playing taxi when they can, of course. Teddy usually drives us to and from school and i encourage Annalise to get such exercise with me as often as possible, however she insists on being chauffeured around a lot, which makes me scoff and tell her how much of a Beverly Hills princess she is, to which she replies with "Born and bred."

Xavi's rule of sticking together while we're out and about has not yet been lifted, however there's absolutely no chance any of my brothers would be willing to walk with me. Not that i would want them to, as this time of day is my only chance to be by myself.

Instead, Teddy drove himself, Seamus, and Quentin to The Clubhouse so that the three of them can train and then help out.

I haven't been there in days now.

Things are still awkward between me and Teddy. He seems to have stopped his taunting now, but instead he barely talks to me at all. If i walk into a room and it is just the two of us, he walks out. If i try and make conversation with him, he merely grunts or shrugs as an answer.

In fact, his new-found quietness seems to be omnipresent and i fear that it is my fault...

As i'm absentmindedly kicking a stone across the sidewalk, i notice, suddenly, that i am walking past Club Lumina: the club which i practically forced myself into on what became that very eventful night.

It looks no different than the last time i saw it, except now it is broad daylight and so everything is much clearer.

During the day, it seems there is just one young man who stands outside the entrance of the building. He gives me a curious look when he sees me eyeing him, and i quickly plaster a friendly smile on my face as not to confuse him. After staring, dumbly, at the building for a few moments longer, i continue my journey home. However, i only make it as far as Aunt Tosca's cafe before i spot someone seated at the table closest to the window.

I instantly recognise him as the same man who waved at me the night when my brothers and i were eating dinner in Fresco Dal Forno, just around the block from here.

I remember being a little weirded out by the action at the time, but not thinking much of it afterwards.

And just like the first and only other time i saw him, my eyes are unable to look away from his. And then he repeats the same gesture as before, slowly raising his right arm to wave at me. He wears a poker face while doing so, only a hint of...i think it's amusement in his eyes, but my expression is probably one of confusion. Even after he lowers his hand, he is still staring directly at me and seems to be completely unfazed by the interaction. I furrow my eyebrows at him in question, and his lips twitch with a definite amusement for a brief second, before his serious expression falls back into place.

"Hey, Loser, i'm talking to you."

Startled, i spin on my heels and am met with the face of Uvaldo.

What is he doing here?

"What are you doing here?" i voice my thoughts.

"What am i doing where? Existing in the town i live in?" he mocks.

"No, what are you doing talking to me? In public?" i ask him, as if it is obvious, because, well, it should be. "You never talk to me unless you want me to share my private affairs with you, so that you have blackmail material to use against me at a later date. Or if i have shit to say about our siblings, with which you also use to blackmail me..." i continue, frowning in realisation. "Or if you're plotting against—"