The Donut Shop ✔️

'I' Stands for 'Introspective'

Once they pulled up to the address in Tweed's old Honda, they got out. Ethan stared at the house in awe, but he wasn't very surprised. Red probably built this home with all the money he stole from nice old ladies.

It was vast, much larger than its surrounding homes, and it had a palatial air about it. The grass on the lawn had a rich green tint that met at the base of the house, which was free of caked dirt like most houses in Arizona. 

The exterior was grandiose. The roof had new clay tiles that flashed with an orange hue, and the stucco was a creamy vanilla color. Even the driveway portrayed the house's grandeur with marble-like stone slabs. It looked like a palace... and if it looked this expensive, there was bound to be palace-level security guarding the place.

"Think we can get away with this?" Ethan asked with uncertainty. Tweed raised his brow at his friend. "I've never heard you question one of my plans before," he observed. Both of the boys stared at each other for a moment of introspection before Tweed cleared his throat. 

"If push comes to shove, we can just—Mara, what are you doing?" he hissed. Her skirt sashayed behind her as she approached the front door. Tweed sprinted across the lawn in an attempt to catch her before she reached the door, but she inserted the key into the knob and flung it open, much to their surprise. 

Tweed's jaw dropped, and his nose twitched. "It's... it's open," he whispered in disbelief. 

"We had a key," she pointed out and stepped inside. With a shrug, Tweed followed her. Ethan flanked his side. 

The hall they spilled into had a ceiling so high that Ethan couldn't clearly see where it started. The chandelier above them shined from the rays of the sun flooding the room through a skylight in the kitchen. 

The walls were painted in a soft white, not unlike the color of the stucco, and it brightened the whole room. Ethan's fingers ran along the back of the tan leather couch as he studied the place with amazement. 

"Ethan!" Mara snapped, and the dark-haired boy turned his attention to her. "I'm going to check the study, and Tweed is checking his bedroom. Why don't you... check the kitchen?" she suggested before darting toward the brown parquet steps. 

Sighing, Ethan shifted further into the room, studying the stainless steel appliances. He opened a few oak wood cupboards and scowled at his friend's doubts about his investigative skills. 

I can be sneaky and find something, he argued in his head as he swung the pantry door open. He wasn't actually expecting to find anything. As if his thoughts were premonitions, Ethan's eyes landed on almonds, and a whole lot of them. 

The pan of almonds was as big as his head. He picked it up, hefting it, and peeked inside. It was nearly empty. Why would Red need such a huge amount of almonds? He couldn't have eaten all of them within the short time that it took to move into this house... The lid opened with a pop, and the can of almonds was half-empty.

"Woah."

Ethan jolted forward when he heard Tweed's voice behind him, snapping the pan of almonds back in its place on the white metal shelf. He felt uncomfortable with being so close, yet so far from Tweed. 

Ignoring Ethan's discomfort, Tweed touched the metal tin, his fingertips brushing over the label. "Do you think...?"

God, Ethan hoped that wasn't the case. He prayed that it wasn't. "I don't know," he admitted truthfully. Tweed glanced around the house as if Red sneaked in without them hearing. 

"Let's go check on Mara," he said, and Ethan hid his amusement. He wondered when, if at all, they were going to come forward and tell him about their relationship. He shipped them more than he shipped Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy.