5- Tease

Editing completed…

Chapter 5

THAT WAS ALL HE GOT AS A RESPONSE. Then suddenly he began laughing, laughing so hard that he held his tummy. "Worthless!" He spat out.

"Both of you are the worthless ones, but don't worry I am not as careless and stupid as you are, so I am on my way to watch your sons. So you did better have left the house before I got there, or else the fun outing you had planned will be canceled." Placing a command like he was talking to a subordinate of a lower rank in the Armani clan.

"Oh, and if your wife is still crying, tell her to fill a bucket and drown herself in it" Finally ending the call, he took some minutes of his time to steady his breathing before looking at his friends.

The two men had clogged their ears with headphones, knowing fully well how the conversation goes with his family.

"I have to leave, they are going out again and the twins can't be alone" He mumbled, his surrounding aura usually gets dampened anytime his family is brought up.

"I guess we should get going, it's not like we are not doing anything here at the moment," Santiago said.

"Oh! Right! Godfather said we should come by later tonight to collect our share for yesterday's mission, if you aren't going to come text me and come over to my house to collect it" Joaquin reported. Xavier just waved his hands as he slammed his car door shut.

"Are you coming with?" Joaquin asked.

"Sure, let me just send a quick message and—"

"MR SALAZAR!! Get over here!!!" A voice hollered out for Quin. It was Mr. Manuel. "What the hell does he want". Groaning as he rubbed his temple, he quickly handed Santiago the keys, so he could get over the business with him.

🌟

Not surprisingly, he just called him to warn him about his misconduct the previous day and said if he tried it again, he was going to get suspended.

Which clearly wouldn't happen, he was all bark and no bite. Slamming the door to the staff room shut, he passed the music room as he heard the sound of a voice and guitar. Peeking into the room, he recognized Kehlani sitting by the wall, with a guitar and a pen. He noted that she was writing down something as she sang.

Lyrics?

Stepping in quietly, barely making a sound, he moved close enough to see what she was doing.

LOVE SAMBA.

That was the heading of the book, so he just guessed it was a lyric. She was so consumed in her song that she didn't notice him until he spoke up.

"You write songs?" He queried.

"Oh my God!!!" She leaped out in fright, "My heart was about to jump out of my mouth— you scared me" she stated, smacking him on the tummy while she said the last words.

"I apologize but in my defense, I was here for a while," he said truthfully. Closing the book shut as she hid it from his view.

"You write songs?" He repeated his query. She just nodded lightly.

"Just a hobby of some sort" rolling her shoulders like it wasn't a big deal.

"I had no idea"

"Of course, we just started talking yesterday" She let out a laugh at his dumb statement. They were suddenly hit with a comfortable silence.

"Are you going soon? I can drop you off" he offered, finally breaking the silence.

"Nah, I am still busy, and I am not too eager to go home also." She responded truthfully.

"Alright then, see you tomorrow?"

"It's Friday… I have nowhere else to be but school" she teased.

Flicking her on her forehead, "When someone asks a question respond with a yes or no" he lectured calmly as he was strangely amused.

Pressing her hands on where he flicked, she gave him a pout and nodded yes, would see him in school the following day. Leaving the music room, she immediately got a text from her brother.

'Hey Lani, I don't know when I am coming back or if I am coming back tonight. Take care and eat, alright? Love you.'

Looking at her phone, and sighed, at this point, it would be a great privilege to see her brother. Putting down her phone as she continued writing her lyrics, not wanting to think about what she would face when she got home. Shaking her head as if to get rid of the thoughts in her head.

Within thirty minutes, she was already frustrated. Her lyrics were neither making sense nor matching with the tune she had made.

She already had the first verse and second verse as well as the hook, it was just the chorus that was left.

Looking at the time it was 5:15 pm, not wanting to continue this physical and mental torture, she closed her music book and started packing up her things.

"Lani sweet child, I would need to close early for today could you please wrap it up" An old lady called out to her.

"Yes Mrs. Maria" Kehlani answered, swinging her bags onto her shoulders as she picked up her skateboard.

Mrs Maria was the school's cleaning lady. She was a nice old lady who often helped to clean or take away trash. Arranging the music room to the way it was before finally leaving. Seeing a trash bag in the middle of the hallway just beside the bucket of dirty water, she goes ahead to pick it up.

"Mrs. Maria, the music room key is on the fountain top and I took the trash bag out" She called out. Receiving a distant response, she just accepted that she was heard. Leaving the school premises, she went to the back to throw the trash away. Placing the skateboard on the ground, she skated away from the school.

Skateboarding and roller skating were her go-to relief form. From tensions at home, from her brother's constant disappearance, and to the ever-piling debts. It was a coping mechanism, it was either she was on skates or rollers, but she must always be with one. It started as her being curious about the sport, but now it was a full-blown joyful thing to do. Reaching the skating park, since it was already evening most little kids had already left, and it was filled with gangster teens and college students.

It was México City, it was without a doubt that it was filled with mafia gangsters and even drug dealers. The government has probably given up on trying to put a stop to them, or they are even part of it. But no matter the reason, it was rampant in the country.

Minding her own business, she set her bag down on one of the benches. There was nothing really important in it, just school books and pens. Her purse was hooked to her waist pants. Slipping on her headphones, she heard the computer's voice say it was connected. Opening up her Beats for Tunes{BFTs} app and playing some of the songs she created herself.

Sliding down the edge into the spiral vent ramp, she reached the other end of the ramp making an MC twist as she slid back down, just as the board followed the spiral layout of the vent ramp. Making a flip kick at some point. This continued with her making a few flip tricks here and there till the sun had set, and it was fully nighttime. But still, she didn't want to go home.

She dreaded the idea of going home, but putting it off would only worsen the consequences. Coming to a stop as she skated off the ramp.

"Hey! Girlie!! Missy!!!" A voice called out. Surely it wasn't her it was pointed to, right? She flinched just as she felt a hand on her shoulders. Turning around to see a red-haired male close to her. His long-sleeved shirt was opened, and she could see that he had a tattoo with Skeleton bone across his left chest. The hands on her shoulders even tho he wore a long sleeve it was still a bit visible that there was tattoo ink there.

This was not a good sign. Clenching one hand on her board and the other one on her bag strap.

"Hey, I was calling you," The man said, gasping for air. Raising her brows at the fellow. Did he know her or something? People who randomly talk to strangers were weird.

"Didn't think it was me" She gave in her responses calmly, not wanting to create a scene in a place filled with gangsters and the like.

"You have a sick skating skill, man!!" he gushed like he saw his favorite celebrity or something. "It's not to be stereotypical or anything, but damn, bro! You have skills. Like mad skills" he ranted more.

She didn't know what made her happy, was it his dumb funny attitude or his compliment? It could be both, but regardless of which. It did make her laugh, and his way of calling her a masculine term was funny.

"Thank you" she appreciated genuinely.

"No, I don't think you understand. I have been watching you a while now and your stunt tricks are neat bro" He exaggerated some more.

"And that does not give off a weird and stalker-ish vibe?" she questioned with a droopy attitude.

"Blast it… I don't care how I sound, man… you are pretty cool, bro." It didn't take her two or three minutes to figure out he was overly outspoken and hyperactive.

"Hmm thank you?" At this point, the male's excessive flattery was starting to feel off-putting.

"It is Carlos, by the way… just putting it out there," he said, pulling his hands out for a handshake. The tattoo that was partially hidden underneath was now very visible, well, at least she could see the folds of the shirt.

"And your name is?"

"Nessa" she interjected a lie.

"Nessa in Vanessa?"

"Is there another way to say it?"

"Guess not… Nessa, it's nice knowing you" he waved his goodbye as he skated away. Well, what a peculiar evening. Turning the skates to her home direction as she dreaded the journey.

*EDITED*