13- War Times

Editing in Progress

Chapter 13

HE MUST HAVE REALLY being hungry if the food was already half way done. She inwardly apologized again.

"Okay? What's up" He asked with uncertainty.

"Were you rude to my friend over the phone?"

"Your imaginary friend?" he asked.

"NO! I have a real friend" she sighed in annoyance. "That's beside the point, she said you were rude to her"

"If I was, I don't remember" he responded nonchalantly.

"When is Santiago not rude?" Xavier piped into their conversation.

"That's why he has no girlfriend" Lani muttered to herself, but with wasn't that low.

"What did you say?!" Santi exclaimed, shooting up from his seat. This also made Kehlani stand up. She ran around, hoping to escape from her brother, who would probably tickle her until her untimely death.

Her laughter sang through the air and into the ears of the remaining boys who watched the siblings play around. They had never seen Santiago smile this much.

Soon, Kehlani ran towards Joaquin for protection, which he happily provided. She shielded herself with Joaquin's back.

"Quin move aside" Santi threatened playfully, his hands wiggled around in his face.

"Sorry bro I can't do that, and besides I have been sitting here since I don't see a reason to move"

"Yeah! Tell him" Lani cheered on from behind his back. Receiving a playful glare from Santi, she squeaked and hid back behind her shield, but this time wrapping her hands around him.

"Aren't you hearing what she is saying?" Santiago shouted to his friends as he looked at them for support, but it was a lost cause.

"I didn't hear anything" Quin retorted

"I had buds on" Xavier lied with full confidence

"You are probably hearing things" Carlos teased with sweetness laced in his voice.

"I thought we were bros!!" Santiago yelled.

"It's not like I am lying," Kehlani said, looking up from Joaquin's back. "You got no girlfriend, never had" she eagerly egged on.

"You know we live in the same house, and they don't right?" He playfully threatened her.

"She is babysitting the twins this night"

"Ha! Sucks to be you, I have a babysitting job this night" Xavier and Kehlani said at the same time.

Sighing to himself, sat on the floor in defeat, "I give up" he said which earned a giggle from Lani before she unwrapped her arms away from Quinn's body much to his dismay. He was comfortable with her arms securely wrapped around him.

Going to her brother, she lifted his defeated body from the grass. As their play and teasing carried on, the bell for lunch break rang and at the same time, Joaquin's phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, his Stoic demeanor came back, his eyes darkened. This didn't go unnoticed by them all.

"Yes?" Quin answered the call with a Stoic, cold, and distant voice, and in all truthfulness, it sent shivers down Lani's spine. Holding her arms at the sound of his chilly, cold voice.

Was she scared of Joaquin?

Carlos, being the only one who noticed the change in her demeanor, suddenly threw his hands over her head.

"Yo! Did they just ring the bell for your break over? Already in the rebellious stage, huh?" he teased as he turned her from Quinn's line of sight. "Let me walk you to your class, oh! Royal princess of the west" he fueled on his tease as they began walking.

Just at the edge of the garden, Kehlani turned back to look at him, but she caught already his eyes staring at her. But to her, he was glaring at her, so she immediately turned her head back.

She didn't like it. She didn't like the fact that she was scared of him.

"We are here!!" Carlos yelled in sudden excitement, bringing her back from her thoughts.

'Oh, we have arrived.' She whispered to herself. Seeing as she was still bothered by Quinn's attitude, he flicked her forehead.

"Ignore it" he assured her.

"I am not thinking about it" she lied. Carlos raised his brows at her. It was very clear that he didn't believe a word she said.

"Alright then—that's very good" he answered. "Well bye bye" waving his hand frantically.

She couldn't even give her goodbyes before he left for the garden direction. She moved forward to follow him but suddenly the cold gaze and chilly feeling that she felt from him flashed through her memory making her freeze on her feet.

Why? It's just Quin, let's go meet him. She told herself. But she soon found herself walking, not walking to the garden but walking back to her seat.

At the Garden.

"What was that call?" Santiago asked, tucking his phone into his pocket as he stared at his boss. At this time Joaquin was not their friend or buddy but their boss.

"It was from Ten he said Godfather ordered a meeting today" he spoke. The authority that was laced in his voice could probably shake the ground.

"Why?"

Quin sighed, rubbing his forehead as he later pinched the bridge of his nose.

"He didn't say"

"Glad I asked Lani to babysit for me tonight" Xavier spoke, rubbing the back of his neck. At the mention of, Kehlani's name sent him to a thinking wave.

[She was scared, she was scared of me] he thought to himself. He wanted to thrash around, he wanted to break things, to destroy things.

Did he think that she would be so calm and hug him and be all sweet and cuddly with him?

Impossible.

It was way more possible for him to see a blue star than for someone to fall for him. He knew that he knew that was not possible, so why did he wish for it?

Santiago watched him fight with his inner thoughts but said nothing. He would only say something if it was a confirmation of his thoughts.

But for now, he would say nothing and do nothing, he would act like he didn't notice till it became clear.

"So what job do we have this night?" Carlos's voice rang, disturbing his train of thought.

"What about Lani?" Joaquin asked. The sound of his voice made Carlos flinch as he stepped backward a bit.

"She is in c-class, I took her back to her class, it was already break over, and um—that's why I um—" Carlos fumbled with his words. Santiago just shook his head at him.

Even tho Carlos had known him longer than the other two, he was still not used to Joaquin being cold and barbarous.

He preferred it when Quin was jolly and just outrightly acted like every normal teenage high school boy. He hated it when he went all apeshit and turned into a walking lunatic.

"Godfather wants us at the family house by eleven." He reported the information in full. He had stressed out the time of arrival.

"Carlos, the time for the meeting is eleven—ELEVEN Carlos" he repeated over and over again.

"Yes—yes, I heard you the first time," he said, stuffing his hands into his pocket like a kid being scolded by his father.

"Well, let him be… he knows what will happen if he comes late"

"Can you not threaten me!!" Carlos yelled at his friends. Making them laugh their hearts off.

"Why are you still in school? I thought you hated it to the point it made your skin crawl?" Xavier teased his question at him.

"Oh, that? I was about to leave before Joaquin asked to find out about Juanita" he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Boss ask—Boss Receive"

The sound of the bell suddenly rang, indicating for change of periods.

"Ah! You guys didn't go to your classes!!! You guys will get expelled" Carlos yelled happily. Why he was happy, the three boys couldn't understand.

"Yes, Yes, now get going would you," Xavier said, kicking him. They soon left for their respective class, while Carlos went back to the car to wait. Santiago stood by, watching Joaquin leave for his class.

"Is something wrong?" Xavier asked, seeing as Santi suddenly stopped walking.

"I hope not" he muttered loud enough for him to hear.

Entering the classroom, Quin casually walked into the class as he ignored the teacher who was rounding up his class. He sat down on his seat.

Behind Kehlani. He saw her shoulders quake a bit, but it was only for a moment, that if he had blinked at that moment he would not have noticed it.

His eyes squinted in annoyance as he inhaled and exhaled.

The interaction between the two was non-existence. Their last period was spent in an unusual silence.

The bell rang for school over and the student began packing up their things to close for the day.

Well, all except Quinn and Lani.

Lani swiftly turned around, taking Quin by surprise.

"What was that phone call" she asked standing over him. "I know it's not my business, but your mood turned sour and became distant {pause} S-so I just wanted to know if something was bothering you?" she asked, looking at him, her eyes filled with concern.

Joaquin sighed as he stood up from his seat and walked past her. On reflex, she grabbed his arm and turned him around, but quickly placed her palm on his chest to stop his sudden fall.

"Tell me, I want to know," she said, looking at him dead in his eyes. Her hands didn't move from where she placed them. One hand held his arm and the other was placed on his chest.

Quin lifted the hand she wasn't holding and brushed her face. "Tell me, I also want to know, who hit you?" he asked, countering her question.

*Edited*