After breakfast, Angela, Nico, Max, and Tess gathered in the rec room, pretending to play a game of table tennis, while actually discussing what they had overheard earlier.
"Okay. What even was that?" Angela questioned, a look of confusion visible on her face. "Was Kal threatening Maira by saying he could make her disappear?"
"That definitely sounded suspicious," Nico agreed, without answering Angela's question.
"Do you guys think that Kal had anything to do with Maira's disappearance?" Max inquired.
"I doubt Kal would send Maira off to God-knows-where just to have her come back mentally unstable, violent, and like a completely different person altogether," Tess chimed in.
"But there has to be a reason Kal-"
"OH FOR GOD'S SAKE MAX YOU CHARACTERLESS PIECE OF POND SCUM." Nico suddenly yelled. Everyone stared at him. "What? How do we know he can be trusted? I mean, sure Kal wasn't with us and didn't hear what we did, but Max acts like he doesn't care that we are stuck here and people are dying. How do we know he isn't with them?"
"Nico, you lived with me-" Max started.
"AND WHAT HAS THAT TAUGHT ME? THAT YOU'RE SOME IRRITABLE EMOTIONLESS PERSON? WE'RE ALL LOSING OUR MINDS, BUT DO YOU CARE? OBVIOUSLY NOT. YOU'RE AN APATHETIC PIECE OF SHIT AND EVERYONE HERE KNOWS IT." Nico's face was red and he was breathing hard. The outburst had taken a lot out of him.
"Well I guess if everyone thinks that about me I might as well leave." Max answered as evenly as he could.
"Why aren't you mad?" Angela piped up. She eyed him suspiciously. "Why aren't you angry? Why are you so passive?"
"Oh look! More allegation against me! If you guys think it's me, why don't you just kill me already!"
"Wouldn't mind doing it." Nico replied under his breath. They all turned and looked at him. Pent up frustration glinted noticeably in his eyes as he glared back at the others. Without another word, he stormed out of the room.
A hush fell over the remaining three. Unsure what to do, they began fidgeting with the ping-pong paddles.
"What's gotten into him?" Tess whispered to no one in particular. Angela shrugged.
"Maybe he's the killer...?" she joked trying to light up the mood. Tess gave her a nod of understanding. Max watched them with a sickening feeling roiling in his gut.
"You guys..." he huffed to himself as he too stomped out, leaving Tess and Angela alone to deal with the awkward situation that had now befallen them.
YOU ARE READING
Gifteds: And Then There Were None
Mystery / ThrillerTen little gifteds all gathered to dine, One spoke their heart out, and then there were nine. Nine little gifteds, all running from fate, One tried to escape, and then there were eight. Eight little gifteds, two present in heaven, Another...
