Hidden Life (on hold)

Chapter 33:

Hi my lovely readers, sorry it has taken so long but time seems to get away from you doesn't it! Hope you enjoy this short little chapter ♥️

I sit in the centre of the couch surrounded by idiots. They poke fun at each other and disturb the should-be silence of the room and the height of my temper is right now being tested more than it has been in the past month.

"SHUT YOUR STUPID PIE HOLES YOU IDIOTS!"

The 'idiots' all grumble between themselves, Kayden being the loudest but their noise only reduces slightly.

Ryan, newest to the group, is the most quiet and I can't tell if it is because he feels intimidated or if it is because there used to be tension between him and the others. Probably both.

Jayden, Lucas and Mackenzie on the other hand, are more than comfortable running their mouths and telling me how much they hate watching 'stupid movies' even though To All The Boys I've Loved Before was the one that they all suggested in the first place. Jeez boys are so bloody unexplainably stupid. Who knew that such tough boys would be the ones to be convincing me to watch a little sappy teen romance movie?

I continue to turn the volume up to contend with the noise of their running mouths and loud arguments. Unfortunately, as the volume of the movie rises so does theirs.

Suddenly and without forethought I stand up and march out of the room, en route to the front door with a newly formed plan to exit the house completely when there is a knock at the door and I pause immediately- I wasn't expecting anyone. I tilt my head in an attempt to see who the knocker was through the windows on either side of the door. I don't see anybody standing on my doorstep.

My feet move in slow rhythm as I cautiously draw myself towards the door, reaching out to unlock it I turn the handle and push it open quickly in the hopes to catch the person on the other side off-guard. The issue is that nobody is standing there and a fast glance to the left and right of the door into the garden confirms that there is no one lurking in front of the house either.

Looking down though, I spot a white envelope placed neatly on the 'welcome' mat, the name of the gang '___' (keep commenting ideas for gang names for the final version) printed on it in a neat handwriting that I can't help but wish I possessed. In the front of my mind is the thought that this cannot be normal mail or it would have been redirected just like the rest of my mail, or even something sent to a neighbour by accident but really meant for me. That limits the ideas of what it could hold from anything, to something probably not very good.

I feel the boys approach me and look over my shoulder as I consider leaving it there and going back inside. After all, ignorance is bliss right?

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Turns out even though ignorance is bliss, curiosity also killed the cat. So, here we all are once again crowded in the lounge room with the tv turned to mute, still engaged in our own disagreements over if we should open the mysterious letter or not. I, for one, am fine with opening it. I can't think of the harm in reading a letter- if it was a box I'd be a bit more cautious.

I snatch it up from the table, ready to open it and bored with hearing what everyone else has to say but it is snatched out of my hands and pulled over my head. When I turn to see who took it, ready to yell at them, I see Ryan. That makes me pause.

Ryan was the one person who had not yet said anything for or against opening the letter, instead simply sitting in silence and waiting for everyone else to have their own say. So I don't yell at him- but everyone else does. And it starts again.

Grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the room, I doubt anyone even noticed us leave. They seemed so caught up with yelling at each other that they wouldn't even notice a bomb going off in the next room.

Ryan and I stand out of the doorway so the others can't see us and I wait for him to talk. I am eager to hear what he has to say.

He doesn't say anything.

"So.... are you going to explain why you snatched that out of my hands? That is a very disrespectful move to pull on your leader and shows absolutely no regard for any and all authority I hold".

"I know. I know. And I am sorry. It's just that...." he pauses looking over to the boys before looking back at me and lowering his voice even more. "I don't know if you should open this in front of other people. You don't know what this is and who you can trust".

I look him dead in the eye. "Are you saying that I cannot trust the inner members of my own gang?"

"No, no, no" he starts, but quickly stops. "Well actually yes, kind of. I don't really know."

"Thanks for the thought and concern Ryan but you forget who I am and what power I have. These boys know what extremes I am not afraid to go to and what would happen to them if they were betray me." I give him a cruel kind of smile. "And know that that includes you too, Ryan".

He nods his head and walks back into the room with the boys. I follow closely behind