Katya Edition: Second Edition

Thirtieth Corpse: The Mad Victor

❝I've heard better material from chimps.❞

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Thirtieth Corpse | The Mad Victor

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"There's someone I want you to meet."

I looked up from my book, blinking slowly as I took in the excited expression on Quin's face. It took me a while to register it and then I grinned and stood, throwing myself at him in a hug. "My baby's finally grown!" I exclaimed, squeezing him once before letting go, "So where is she? Tell me!"

Quin blinked at me, "It's actually a he, though."

My eyes widened. "Oh. Well, I didn't know you swung that way, but hey, I don't discrimi--"

"That isn't what I meant!" Quin suddenly screeched, eyes wide and face flushed, "Jesus woman, I'm not trying to introduce you to that kind of friend!"

I blinked again before my face fell. "What? Why?"

His mouth dropped open in a shocked stupor before he sputtered out, "What--why? The hell do you mean why?"

"I wanna be a godmother," I admitted with a shrug and Quin's face went bright red before he facepalmed.

"Okay, first of all, we're fourteen. And second of all, what?" He finally mumbled, his incredulity obvious.

I only laughed and Quin shook his head at me with a small smile, understanding that I was just kidding. Sorta.

His smile slowly faded and he looked me over carefully. "How are you holding up?" He finally asked what he'd been itching to ask all morning.

I shrugged. "My childhood friend hates my guts, so pretty fine all things considered."

He gave me a flat, unamused look and I sighed, flopping back onto our sofa and running my hand through cropped hair dyed in a ginger colour—something I'd recently done since having my normal hair was making me a target to psychos apparently.

"She hates me," I mumbled softly.

"You don't really know that though—you haven't spoken to her since you came here," he pointed out, sitting beside me.

I wordlessly pulled out my phone and went into my call log, pushing the phone towards him. He gave me a questioning look before collecting the phone. His eyebrows shot up soon after, lips forming an 'o' of surprise. "That's...a lot of calls..." He finally mumbled, shoulders slouching in defeat.

I shrugged like it didn't matter. "At least she had enough restraint to not turn her phone off until after the one hundredth call mark." I said it like I didn't care, like it didn't bother me. But Nea was like a sister to me. And the fact that she wouldn't even talk to me hurt like a bitch. To his credit, in just a year, Quin learned me well enough to know when I was bullshitting and he wouldn't have it.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me down so my head was resting in his lap and then he ran his hands through my hair in soothing strokes. It was something Jin, my stepbrother and our current legal guardian, usually did for me but he wasn't home just then so it was just Quin and me.

"I'm fine," I muttered, not making a move to sit up or stop the comforting motion of his hand through my hair.

Quin only scoffed, not saying anything and I gave up trying to act tough about it, closing my eyes.

"All things considered, she's still my friend," I said softly, "Even if I'm not hers anymore. I get it. My mother...that woman...she almost killed all of us. Nea could have died because she was friends with me. So I don't blame her for not wanting anything to do with me." I turned so I was lying on my back and opened my eyes, looking up at Quin. "Sometimes I get so angry though, and I can't help but hate her," I admitted quietly, digging my nails into my palms, "I know, it's selfish and unfair and probably uncalled for but..." I trailed off, knowing he got the point.