Page 9 of Fragile Facade

“Oh, it’s definitely a bad idea,” Ghost says, his voice playfully dominant. “But here you are. Too late to back out now.”

“What do you want from me?” he shrieks, skirting around the outside of the room. “I thought bargains were safe!”

Oh, he thought wrong. Especially because he thinks he’s the one making the bargain. Willow beat him to it, offering herself up on a platter by sending her cousin here. She’s an old friend from high school, and no one can access real, undiscovered information like she can. The ten of us look at one another, coming to a decision. This is gonna be fun.Perfect end to Halloween.

“Offer something better and maybe we’ll take it,” Facts says, and when the guy looks at him in his copper mask, he adds, “Hello,” in a creepy as fuck voice.

Monster hasn’t said anything, but that doesn’t prevent him from circling the guy and herding him away from the wall. He’s busy now, trying to think while watching his surroundings, too stupid to realize he’s ringed by sharks.

“Please! My car? I’ll give you my car. And money. More money. Please.”

“We want your body. Your life,” Glitch says.

“Your soul,” Kyd adds.

“N-no!”

I step to his front, the others surrounding him, Monster at his back. “What’ll it be?”

“Please, have someempathy!I lost my aunt!”

Boring. Reaching forward, my smile parting my lips, I grab the sides of his face and say, “I ain’t got no empathy.” I snap his neck.

4

RAGE & CONFUSION

GHOST

We’re linedup in rank. Again. That’s twice this week, and I don’t mind one bit because I’m second from the front, and fuck everyone else. I’ll knock Seven down eventually, and then it’ll be me in first place where I goddamn belong.

With Menace between me and Riot, I give him a smug look, not at all fazed about what happened last night because here I am, ahead of him like I am in everything else.

“The hell happened to you?” Director asks me. “You look half dead.”

Riot snorts, and everyone looks at me.

“Something I need to know about?” Director asks us.

Yeah, my dead hand jerked him off and he came on my abs… and I didn’t wash it off right away.

We’ve already been punished one too many times for our spats. Director made a rule: Riot and Ghost are brothers, but Killian and Soren are allowed to fight. We don’t always follow that rule, but we did last night, so I ignore Director.

“Why are we here? I have to get back to Misfit Hall before they start wondering where I am.” I shift from foot to foot, agitated and sore from being strangled and paralyzed. My fingers ache from playing violin for so long, the calluses more tender than my ego. He might think he won, but it won’t happen a second time.

Director sighs, knowing something is going on, but he chooses not to press it for now. “Sit down, boys. We’ve got news from Axel.”

Kyd’s smile widens, and like the little shit he is, he steps right in front of Director at the head of the table. He slams his palms down, terribly imitating Director. “Boys!” he shouts, trying to be stern. “My boyfriend is batshit crazy with a lazy eyelid and a big dick. When I got that tarot card reading last year, I knew he was gonna show up. And guess what?!” He looks at us all expectantly as we sit down. “Nine inches.” He holds his hands out, measuring about fourteen inches.

“Bullshit.” I snort. “He’s too skinny to have a nine-inch cock.”

“He ain’t skinny, bud. He’s a man with stripes, and I can’t wait to hunt him like a lion.”

There’s a pause around the table, and Director sighs yet again, knowing what’s coming. Our favourite guessing game.

“Twenty bucks,” Menace says. “The nickname will be Gazelle.”

“Forty says it’ll be Simba,” Riot guesses.