S.M.S(Save My Soul)

Chapter 10: Monopoly

I ended up sleeping into the late evening luckily with no nightmares to make me wake up in cold sweat or scream my lungs off. I wasn't quite sure what drove me to be so rash and come over to grandma's during a school night or even stay longer than this while school is still on, I guess you could say I'm an i***t for letting my emotions get the best of me. That's one of the sole reasons why I keep my emotions in check because if I didn't I do rash things and explode on anyone.

"Are you going to be sleeping for the whole day?" I heard Devontae ask sitting on the bed while reading a book

"Perhaps, what's the time?" I yawned sitting up to stretch my arms

"Almost five-thirty," he answered looking at the stopwatch on the night table next to him

"Mhm so late," I said under my breath cringing at my breath

"Well perhaps because you've been asleep most of the day," Dev sarcastically said shaking his head at me, I lightly scoffed getting out of bed to take a shower and brush my teeth. As I stood under the shower letting the scorching hot water burn my skin I wondered what I was doing here specifically what was I doing with my life, all I was doing was running away from my problems hoping they would just disappear when I come back. I was scared truth be told of everything and everyone, not knowing what a person was truly capable of was what always put me on edge whenever I was around people especially men.

With a sigh at how pathetic I was, I finished my shower and changed going to the kitchen to grab a snack before dinner.

"Look who's up, mind helping me with dinner?" Lila asked with a small smile

"Sure thing," I said washing my hands before preparing the rice while she prepared the main dish; Snoek. While the rice was cooking on the stove I prepared the veggies before setting the table up, this is what I loved about coming to grandma's no one was asking me questions nonstop or yelling at me to show my emotions and such, at grandmas I could relax without feeling like I had a mountain over my shoulders, here I could forget about my worries even for a short time.

By the time dinner was ready my stomach was growling in hunger and I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the food. But what made my day was how easily comfortable I felt having Devontae here with us and I could tell he enjoyed staying with us, the little guy always had a smile on his face and for a bit, I was worried his face was stuck that way but he was just happy to be with us. Grandma was surprisingly kind to him even glad to have him around the house which shook me most of all considering I had in mind that she would kick him out of the house the moment he entered it but I suppose people can surprise you in mysterious ways.

"Wow this is delicious, Lila," Devontae said with a mouthful of food smiling quite wide.

"Oh thank you dear but thank Belle she helped as well," Lila beamed, a wide grin on her face from the compliment.

"You're welcome, swallow before talking," I advised him with a small smile.

"Thanks," he said his words mixed up due to the food in his mouth but I got the meaning so I gave him a nod.

"So bland," Grandma stuck her tongue out at the food changing the mood in the room to a sour one.

"I'm sorry to hear that, what would you like for dinner tomorrow?" Lila asked politely hiding her anger so well that if I wasn't sitting next to her I would be fooled as the rest that she wasn't affected by that but her locked jaw told another story.

"Pizza, we haven't had that in weeks," Grandma grumbled pushing her food around on the plate with her fork like a little kid.

"Alright then, I'll order pizza tomorrow," Lila said with a small smile and continued to eat, the only sound in the room was the low hum of people talking on the tv. It was quite fitting to have pizza on a Saturday so I was glad I came over this weekend but my dad was going to have my head for skipping school for no reason.

By the time dinner was done Lila and I cleared up leaving grandma to play monopoly with Dev. When we finish clearing up we joined in the game and I had an unbelievably good time, yelling and laughing at grandma's absurd swearing. But our fun game was rudely interrupted by loud honking at around seven-thirty.

"I'll check it out," Lila told us leaving the game to go open the front door and find out who was making such a ruckus this late in the evening.

"Ha, pay up b***h," Dev sassily said with his hand out for the fake money I had.

"Cocky bastard," I Huffed paying up what I owe him for landing on his property.

"Smart bastard is what he is," Grandma chuckled rolling her dice before moving her piece to end up landing in jail," Stupid game is rigged," she groaned angrily making Dev and I laugh.

"Belle it's for you," I heard Lila yell at the front door.

"For me?" I questioned under my breath before getting up and heading to the door.

No surprise my dad's car was parked in front of the house and I wasn't surprised in the least when he came out of the driver's seat and Lauren came out of the passenger's seat but what did surprise me was the third person coming out of the car with a wicked smile that sent chills of horror down my spine.

"Goddamit Belle, what the hell is wrong with you?" Dad non so kindly practically yelled when he stood a few inches from me.

"Good to see you too dad," I sarcastically said not keeping my eye off the third person.

"You could've given us a call when you got here?" He angrily asked taking a step closer towards me to which I reciprocated by taking a step back finally catching his eye and seeing a hint of hurt before he covered it up with anger.

"I don't have my phone remember," I blatantly said and it seemed my nonchalant attitude ticked him off as he almost took a threatening step towards me but Lauren pulled him back by the shoulder digging her fingers into his shoulder enough to inflict pain.

"Watch your manners," she threatened coldly her expression ice-cold before she did a one-eighty and looked concerned for me, "Why don't we have a chat girl to girl huh?" She asked gently looking me dead in the eye.

"Nah I'm good thanks," I slowly said eying them both cautiously.

"Ok enough of the pity party watching this s**t show makes me want to gauge my eyes out," Anji bitterly said with a hand on her well-curved hip, "Eve tells me you won't make it to the haunted house party nor go to this funeral she said so what are you doing tomorrow?" She asked with a tilted head and narrowed eyes.

"None of your business, and what the hell are you doing?" I asked her with narrowed eyes.

"None of your business," she threw my words back in my face.

"Alright let's take it easy we are all responsible, reasonable people I'm sure we can find a way to get through this," Lauren said gently looking at us both.

"Lady you don't know me so don't assume what I'm capable of," Anji rudely said with a locked jaw not a fan of Lauren

"Watch your mouth young lady," dad threatened Anji and the way she flinched slightly had my nerves on high alert, it was barely noticeable to anyone who didn't know Anji because she hid her emotions well, very well but I saw through those cracks day as night.

"Leave her the hell alone and I don't know why you came here in the first place, I'm perfectly fine so you can go now just leave the banshee here," I said motioning to Anji who gave me a stone-cold look.

"Belle that's enough ok, time to grow up and we are going to have this conversation whether you like it or not," Lauren authoritatively said scaring the life out of me with how much of a strict mother she sounded. I couldn't find the words to reply so I merely nodded, " Good, let's go for a walk then just you and me," she said with a small smile.

"Well that was easy," dad said

"Don't push your luck," I mumbled under my breath walking past him to follow Lauren.

"Bring her back in one piece I still have a bone to pick with her," Anji said with a hard glare in my direction. Damn the girl wanted to murder me just because I said no.

"Will do," Lauren said with a small smile before pushing me gently on the back, I cringed away from her hand walking a couple of steps ahead of her.

"Bellenthu," she called me with a sigh

"That's my name don't wear it out," I nonchalantly said staring at my feet

"Bellenthu I'm talking to you, look at me," she authenticated turning me around by holding me to a stop by my shoulder, walls hung up high as I shivered from her touch shrugging her hand away but she didn't let go merely tightened her hold which made me panic even more.

"You've had your time to push everyone away which is understandable but you can't keep pushing the ones that love you and want what's best for you. There's no shame in admitting when you need help, we are at your disposal so use us, talk to us about what's bothering you?" She said in a motherly tone.

"Right now your hand is bothering me very much," I said through gritted teeth.

"Right sorry," she said retracting her hand from my shoulder, I rotated my shoulder as if that would stop the tingling goosebumps littering it.

"It's fine," I mumbled under my breath not once making eye contact with her, she sighed tiredly seemingly done with me, well that makes the two of us.

"Belle why don't you want to come to Kyles funeral, I'm sure he would want you there?" She asked tenderly, I was so fed up with her nagging me about this funeral perhaps if I just said yes she would leave me alone after all I had to only stay till they buried him then I could leave straight after.

"Fine I'll attend the funeral," I said through gritted teeth

"Belle I don't want you to go because you're been forced to, you should want to go," she said

"Yes I want to go now can I head back Anji after all she has a bone to pick with me," I said turning around to head back.

"Oh I'm glad you have a good friend such as her," Lauren said walking alongside me,

"If you could even call her that," I scoffed rolling my eyes at the absurd innuendo.

"Why is that she seemed like a nice girl in the car?" She asked.

"Ya in the car she was just trying to seem nice but she's the devil incarnated," I said

"Don't say that she seemed genuinely worried about you," Lauren said with a creased brow unsure why I thought of Anji that way.

"Ah that's just a coy, adults can be so easily fooled," I mumbled under my breath heading inside the house.

"Excuse you we are not easily fooled," Lauren huffed like a little kid as we headed to the lounge where we heard everyone talking.

"Ok think what you want," I said sitting on the floor with Dev and Anji.

"Look at that she hasn't bitten my head off way to go, Lulu," Dad smirked, I gagged at the nickname he gave her.

"Get a room you two there's a child here," Anji gaged wrinkling her cute button nose in disgust.

"Relax you old cow they are discovering young love once again," Grandma said picking up a card.

"Old cow who the hell are you-" I cut Anji off by covering her mouth with my hand before she started an all-out war she was bound to lose.

"Hands to yourself," Grandma said smacking me on the back of the head

"Ow," I cringed rubbing the back of my head

"Alice!" Dad firmly said

"Oh relax it's not like I hit her with a hammer," Grandma said with a wave of her hand

"Keep your hands to yourself," Dad grumbled like a sulking kid

"Relax Nick," Lauren chuckled lightly squeezing my dad's hand, I couldn't help but shiver in disgust it was way too soon for me to see my dad with a new woman let alone the woman I almost got killed.

"Please get a room," I cringed feeling my eyes burn just staring at them being all lovey-dovey

"Oh grow up," Dad said

"Look whose talking," I rolled my eyes at him

"Belle," Lauren warned me

"Right, where are my manners, sorry I pointed out that you're such a child dad," I said and gave Lauren an innocent smile

"That's good enough," she said making my dad give her a hard stare to which she just pinched his cheek like he was a kid.

"Who's the street kid?" Anji asked giving Dev the stink eye, I got triggered by her calling him that.

"Call him that again and it'll be the last thing you do," I threatened her coldly

"Belle calm down, and who is this kid?" Dad asked with a raised brow eyeing Dev up and down like he was an enemy and I could tell Dev didn't like all the negative attention he was receiving by the way he was ready to bolt.

"This is Devontae and that's all you need to know end of the story the real question is why are you still here don't you have a funeral to plan?" I asked dad and Lauren making the atmosphere in the room heavy and uncomfortable

"You sure know how to ruin a mood," Grandma laughed giving me a thumbs up, way to count on grandma for any awkward situation.

"Ya I think it's time we head back it's getting late anyway," Lauren said stiffing a sniff but even a blind person could tell she was about to cry and that just made me feel shitier than I already did.

"Ok," dad said to her throwing me one last I'll murder you later look before he got up with Lauren.

"You coming Angelica?" My dad asked Anji who was busy spectating everything that was going on.

"And spend the rest of the ride listening to you two s*x talk no thanks I'll stay here with the devil's spawn," Anji answered eyeing Lauren up with a calculating stare that made me sure she had something on her.

"I like this one," Grandma laughed pointing at Anji

"No you don't grandma she'll slit your throat in your sleep," I said giving Anji the stink eye to which she replied with a victorious smirk happy to ruffle my feathers.

"You're just jealous," Grandma said, I didn't answer that just shut up and let her think what she wanted to.

"Have you had dinner yet Angelica?" Lila asked Anji

"Do I look like I'm trying to get fat?" Anji rudely said making me flick her forehead

"Watch what you say to her," I threatened her, I could handle her rudeness and disrespect but if she was going to go after Lila then that was going to be a problem.

"You f*****g b***h," she cursed rubbing her temple

"Settle down girls and watch your mouths there's a kid here," Lila warned us both throwing us a sharp glare.

"Sorry," I said apologizing to Lila and Dev and then gave Anji an expected look for her to do the same

"Keep your beady orangutan eyes to yourself," she coldly said in disgust

"Says the girl with Chinese eyes," I scoffed rolling my eyes at her, she gasped in shock feigning hurt by my comment.

"Why you slimy, conniving piece of trash," she cursed angrily seemingly ready to slap the s**t out of me.

"Who invited the rabbit Chihuahua here?" Grandma asked focusing her eyes on Anji who threw daggers at her, Lila, dev and I couldn't hold in our laughter at the fact that Anji was basically like a rabbit chihuahua. When those dogs got mad even the devil feared them, they were so cute yet dangerously terrifying at the same time.

"I invited myself you old hag," Anji bitterly said fed up with my crazy family

"Oh, I like this one Bella she's a keeper," Grandma laughed enjoying the banter between her and Anji.

"Ew I would never be caught dead dating this animal," she pulled a sour face, she knew how to push my buttons without trying.

"Feelings mutual Barbie doll," I said rolling my eyes and landing once more on Dev's house

"Pay up b***h," he excitedly said.

"Language," Lila smacked Dev on the back of the hand.

"Sorry antie," he said rubbing his head with a cheeky grin.

"You're bankrupting me," I told him giving him almost all my cash.

"He's a cheeky bagger taking all our money," Grandma cursed landing on another of his property making us laugh

"Would you like to play?" Dev asked Anji who was rapidly typing on her phone probably hiring a hitman on us.

"Do I look like-" I cut her.

"Zip it and roll," I ordered her, shoving a playing piece in front of her face.

"Rude much," she said before rolling and moving her piece.

Turns out she wasn't the worst player and even kept her rude remarks to a minimum. We ended up playing till about nine before it was time for grandma and Dev to head to bed, Lila helped me make makeshift beds on the L shaped couch that Anji and I were going to sleep on.

"Night girls," Lila said before switching the lights off

"Night," I answered back not having any intention of sleeping considering I already had my sleep and I wasn't tired.

"Night," Anji mumbled under her breath, she had been relatively decent after the new game which made me wonder if something was bothering her but I wasn't that nosy so I let her be and went under the covers with my torchlight to read like when I was younger whenever I didn't feel like sleeping early.