Death of a King

Chapter 13

"Tell me it's true." Lumiere begged later that day once Dustin allowed me out of the room. I sat on the same chair as yesterday, sandwiched between a man passed out from drunken overload and Lumiere who was fickle with pure joy, "Did you really take a shot to the Vice's pecker?"

    I thought Hilda Johnson, my town's residential gossip queen, was bad but the Tribe was even worse. Word of my assault on Dustin spread like the plague and while a majority of Tribe members tried stifling their laughter every time the Vice limped by, Lumiere had no problems pointing and laughing when Dustin escorted me to my babysitter for the day.

    "He was being an jerk, he got what he deserved." I asserted, casting my eyes downward to ignore the amount of people staring at me.

    This morning has been ... off. I can't explain it nor quite place it, just something about the compound and it's inhabitants was strange. There wasn't as much laughter, and not nearly as much drinking. As if everyone were holding their breath. Most people were sober save for the man passed out next to me which was a phenomena almost unheard of.

    Dustin was anxious to start his daily business with Donovan. They left rather early, both on edge. In turn, that put me on edge.

    Lumiere slapped at his knees, completely lost to his laughter, "I don't doubt it. Oh man, I've been waiting for a long time to put that boy in his place and now, an underage girl does it in a week. Now I've seen it all."

    My patience for Lumiere's jokes ran low nearly twenty minutes ago after Dustin left. Despite having difficulty mounting his due to his sore 'pecker', the Vice tore out of the compound with three other bikers right behind him, including Donovan and Mark. I listened to the roar of their engines as they flew down the streets, traveling farther and farther away until I couldn't hear them at all.

    Once they were gone, all I had was my grumbling stomach and Lumiere's incessant snickering to keep me company. It was then that I asked Lumiere my first question, which he has yet to answer due to his wild mirth. I sighed and tried again, "Yes, I kneed Dustin in the balls. Can we move on please?"

    Lumiere cracked up again, snickering to himself while wiping very real tears from his eyes. He looked down at me with a face crinkled in blissful delight. When he saw my irritation, he sobered himself and nodded though his tone was still pitched high from his recent giggle fit, "Yes my dear, I'm sorry. It's just ..." He struggled to contain himself, " ... I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time. Please excuse my horrendous manners."

    After a few more minutes, when I was sure the laughter had passed, I asked again, "Where did Dustin get all those scars?" If Dustin won't tell me, then I'd find out from someone who would.

    Lumiere waved a hand through the air, still wiping at his eyes, "We shouldn't waste our time talking about him."

    "It won't be a waste of time if you just tell me." I pointed out.

    With a sigh, and a very noticeable pout, Lumiere finally indulged, "Most of them are from fights, he's been in a lot of them. Kind of has a reputation for it, actually. I'm best friends with the guy, but I couldn't begin to tell you where he got each individual scar from."

    There wasn't a genuine reason for wanting to know. Dustin refused to tell me, so now I only wanted to know just to piss him off. Childish? Yes. Effective? Yes.

    "Why do you want to know?"

    I shrugged, "Just gathering information on my captor." Not a total lie. My eyes roamed the compound, searching for more to ask Lumiere. My gaze got caught on a particular couple making out on the same couch I met them on. I nodded towards them, "What's their story?"