To read Part One, please click here.
I walk slowly from the cafe to my cave home, thinking about Alia. She seems so delicate and brave at the same time. You know, befriending her would be a great opportunity to have a partner in crime. Or maybe just a friend, for once. Who knows.
Walking into the familiar huge cave, I notice that everyone but John and Somi is asleep in their separate places. They haven’t noticed me yet. I should just avoid them. I missed heist night; I can get in trouble for that. I silently maneuver my way around the furniture to my corner at the very end. Only the best of the best gets that room. I accidentally chuckle at the fond memory of myself winning.
“Well, lookie here. The champ finally shows up.” John looks up in my direction, astonished. Dang it, stupid memories.
“No need to be petty, John. We’re all friends here,” I smirk, trying to stay civil.
“Tim, you almost blew our cover with that ‘girl’ at the cafe.” Somi glares at me through his glasses.
Ah, so that’s what this is about — not about missing heist night. I let out a loud laugh. “That girl happens to have a name. So watch what you say, or you’ll get it.”
“Just because you won best shifter doesn’t mean you own the place,” Somi mumbles to himself.
“I heard that! And it’s in the role. Oh, right, you wouldn’t know, you weren’t born one.” I cackle as I walk into my room in the far back, with John following. What does he want now?
“Why are you defending a girl who’s trying to get us killed? You just met her!” John shakes his head in distress, as I find my phone.
“Oh, don’t worry. The girl Alia is going to be mine. I will bring her to the dark side. Trust your master.” I chuckle at the number of notifications from my dad.
“But why do you think she’s going to like the monster you are?”
I look up at him with an evil smile. “What makes you think I’m going to show her?”
“But —”
“Enough. I’ve heard enough out of you. Get out.” I scowl at him, and he finally walks away.
I sit down on my bed. Fifteen missed calls from my dad. I scroll through his texts.
Why aren’t you picking up your phone?
Hello?
Why are you at the busiest cafe?
Tim, what are you doing?
Where are you? Heist night, remember?
I’m sorry you’re mad at me.
Heist is over, we need to talk.
TIM?!
I roll my eyes and change into night clothes. I scroll through pictures of May and of us together. We were so happy. Even got engaged. Until my father killed her two years ago. Since then, well, I’ve been doing what I do best. Conning and heists. This is my life now. It’s a party. I lie down and call my sister.
“Hey T, how are you?” she answers, sounding tired.
“Eh, I’m starting to get the idea that the universe is totally against me. So, I guess I’m normal. What about you? You sound tired.” I speak softly.
“Makes sense. Well, yeah, it’s midnight and I’m still at work. Being exhausted is part of the package.” Lila chuckles. “So, what have you been up to?”
“Just school stuff and hanging out with May and my other friends. Nothing different.” I smile into the phone. She has no idea what I’ve done in the past few years. All the crimes, what Dad did, nothing.
“Well, glad to know nothing’s changed in six years. When’s the wedding? It’s been two years since you got engaged.”
“We’re just waiting for the whole evil shapeshifter stuff to end.” I roll my eyes.
“Tim, you know that’s never going to end, right? This evil is never going away. Sure, maybe it will end temporarily, but all we can do is continue being the good shapeshifters we are and giving to the world instead of taking.” She repeats the same thing every time. It’s been our family motto since the beginning.
“So we fight evil with evil. That would work too, right?” Every time we talk, I try to hint that I’m not good anymore. But she never gets the hint, which is maybe a good thing.
“You can’t fight fire with fire. Anyway, have you seen Dad lately? Haven’t heard from him in a while. How’s he doing?” She changes the topic to Dad. Classic Liliana.
“Of course I haven’t. Probably drinking with his gang friends like usual. What do you even expect from that guy? Ever since Mom, you know, he’s never been the same. Just a sloppy sulky man now.”
“Don’t talk about him like that. It isn’t his fault, you know; it was meant to happen. But forgiveness is the most important thing we can do to stay away from evil.” God, she won’t quit it. This isn’t helping me at all. It’s giving me “May” death vibes all over again.
“I gotta sleep. Goodnight.” I disconnect the call before she can say another word.
What’s with girls and evil? Pure opposites and staying away from each other. Evil would be so much more powerful if a woman were involved by choice. And I know the perfect girl for it. I heard exactly what I needed to hear.
Walking into the familiar huge cave, I notice that everyone but John and Somi is asleep in their separate places. They haven’t noticed me yet. I should just avoid them. I missed heist night; I can get in trouble for that. I silently maneuver my way around the furniture to my corner at the very end. Only the best of the best gets that room. I accidentally chuckle at the fond memory of myself winning.
“Well, lookie here. The champ finally shows up.” John looks up in my direction, astonished. Dang it, stupid memories.
“No need to be petty, John. We’re all friends here,” I smirk, trying to stay civil.
“Tim, you almost blew our cover with that ‘girl’ at the cafe.” Somi glares at me through his glasses.
Ah, so that’s what this is about — not about missing heist night. I let out a loud laugh. “That girl happens to have a name. So watch what you say, or you’ll get it.”
“Just because you won best shifter doesn’t mean you own the place,” Somi mumbles to himself.
“I heard that! And it’s in the role. Oh, right, you wouldn’t know, you weren’t born one.” I cackle as I walk into my room in the far back, with John following. What does he want now?
“Why are you defending a girl who’s trying to get us killed? You just met her!” John shakes his head in distress, as I find my phone.
“Oh, don’t worry. The girl Alia is going to be mine. I will bring her to the dark side. Trust your master.” I chuckle at the number of notifications from my dad.
“But why do you think she’s going to like the monster you are?”
I look up at him with an evil smile. “What makes you think I’m going to show her?”
“But —”
“Enough. I’ve heard enough out of you. Get out.” I scowl at him, and he finally walks away.
I sit down on my bed. Fifteen missed calls from my dad. I scroll through his texts.
Why aren’t you picking up your phone?
Hello?
Why are you at the busiest cafe?
Tim, what are you doing?
Where are you? Heist night, remember?
I’m sorry you’re mad at me.
Heist is over, we need to talk.
TIM?!
I roll my eyes and change into night clothes. I scroll through pictures of May and of us together. We were so happy. Even got engaged. Until my father killed her two years ago. Since then, well, I’ve been doing what I do best. Conning and heists. This is my life now. It’s a party. I lie down and call my sister.
“Hey T, how are you?” she answers, sounding tired.
“Eh, I’m starting to get the idea that the universe is totally against me. So, I guess I’m normal. What about you? You sound tired.” I speak softly.
“Makes sense. Well, yeah, it’s midnight and I’m still at work. Being exhausted is part of the package.” Lila chuckles. “So, what have you been up to?”
“Just school stuff and hanging out with May and my other friends. Nothing different.” I smile into the phone. She has no idea what I’ve done in the past few years. All the crimes, what Dad did, nothing.
“Well, glad to know nothing’s changed in six years. When’s the wedding? It’s been two years since you got engaged.”
“We’re just waiting for the whole evil shapeshifter stuff to end.” I roll my eyes.
“Tim, you know that’s never going to end, right? This evil is never going away. Sure, maybe it will end temporarily, but all we can do is continue being the good shapeshifters we are and giving to the world instead of taking.” She repeats the same thing every time. It’s been our family motto since the beginning.
“So we fight evil with evil. That would work too, right?” Every time we talk, I try to hint that I’m not good anymore. But she never gets the hint, which is maybe a good thing.
“You can’t fight fire with fire. Anyway, have you seen Dad lately? Haven’t heard from him in a while. How’s he doing?” She changes the topic to Dad. Classic Liliana.
“Of course I haven’t. Probably drinking with his gang friends like usual. What do you even expect from that guy? Ever since Mom, you know, he’s never been the same. Just a sloppy sulky man now.”
“Don’t talk about him like that. It isn’t his fault, you know; it was meant to happen. But forgiveness is the most important thing we can do to stay away from evil.” God, she won’t quit it. This isn’t helping me at all. It’s giving me “May” death vibes all over again.
“I gotta sleep. Goodnight.” I disconnect the call before she can say another word.
What’s with girls and evil? Pure opposites and staying away from each other. Evil would be so much more powerful if a woman were involved by choice. And I know the perfect girl for it. I heard exactly what I needed to hear.
To read Part Three, please click here.