Royal Hybrid

Wasting Time Pt 2

For once, Amber and Jade did as they were told. Both washed their hands and even pulled out their dinner trays.

Now with her food finished, Amber sits beside me, practically on my lap, licking her greasy fingers clean of any chicken remains. Her plate, void of everything, sits on her dinner tray. While Jade pokes sadly at the small piece of chicken with her silver fork.

“If you’re not going to eat it, I will,” I grunt as I lean toward her plate that’s on the other side of Amber. I pretend to grab at her chicken, which causes her to scoop it up and start biting it.

“Nooo!” she grumbles through a mouth full.

“That’s what I thought,” I giggle with a smirk. “You~” I point at Amber, “deserve all the playtime I can give you tomorrow when we wake up. If your sister eats her food as well, maybe I can convince Grams to take us to the park.”

“Really?” both Amber and Jade ask at the same time. Jade’s mouth is still full of chicken, so hers is barely audible.

“Of course,” I say with a smile, rubbing Amber's head softly.

Grams lets out a grunt as she stands up, “Why don’t you little kits go grab a board game for us to play?”

Briskly, Amber perks up and sprints back up the stairs that are around the corner. Jade stuffs the last bit of chicken in her mouth as she sprints after her twin; the excited screaming of a typical child fills the air.

Grams looks at me as I stand up to help her clean the plates up. “I’ll make an exception this once, but you know I don’t like going around the humans.”

“I know, Grams,” I sigh.

It’s true her skulk used to avoid human colonies all the time. However, we live in a time when humans have vastly deforested the nature that surrounds us. So it’s harder for us to blend in.

“We can’t avoid humans anymore, that much I know,” I suggest openly.

She furrows her brows as we walk toward the kitchen. “If we had wiped them out in the wars years ago, they wouldn't have destroyed our homes.”

“I know,” I sigh. 

Although I don’t know much about how it runs, I do know a few things about our history, thanks to Grams. Over 200 years ago, when Grams was a small kit, a war between Mythicals and humans raged wild. They killed our kind, so we killed theirs. Eventually, a truce happened, and Mythicals became nothing but fiction for their scared tattered minds. All Mythicals were forced into hiding, which caused unrest between the Mythical factions.

“They love you,” Grams whispers.

We both place the dirty dishes into the double kitchen sink, “I know. What’s going to happen to them?” I ask.

“They’ll stay with me until we can find someone to take them in, whenever that is.”

“What about their ranking? They were next in line for Beta,” I say quietly.

“They won’t have the Beta stance anymore,” she says, her voice hoarse.

Loud thundering footsteps vibrate through the house as the twins rush back downstairs. Multiple game boxes of various sizes are propped under their arms.

“We have time to kill. Why don’t we play all of them?” I suggest making their eyes grow wide.

“Yes!” the twins shout together as they scuttle to the living room. 

____________

Amber, Jade, and I sit in a circle around a small square board game. Vibrant small squares of all different colors make a road to the start and end of the game. Through various candy lands and sweet named places, it’s easy to win the game. You move by following the colors you draw from small rectangular cards.

The room is silent and focused, except for Grams, who is relaxed in her fluffy recliner watching the television. Jade’s in first place, a single blue square from the finish line. Amber’s in second place four squares from the finish line. I’m all the way in the back on purpose and a severe case of bad draws from the card pile.

All Jade needs to draw to win is a single blue square. She nervously pulls the card and flips it over, sending joy across her features as she moves her piece to the end.

“Ah! I lose again,” I giggle in a playful voice. 

Jade, who just won the candy-themed game, gets up and does a little victory dance. The hood of her fox onesie bounces behind her. I chuckle as I realize her dance resembles more of a chicken flailing wildly, but she’s happy and enjoying herself. 

“I want to play a different game,” Amber grunts as she crosses her arms, pouting. She’s yet to win a game against her softer spoken sister.

“Well,” I hum as I click the power button on my iPhone 6s to see the time. The white letters shine a glowing 10:16 p.m. “Why don’t we play a different game tomorrow?” I ask as I realize what time it is. It’s time for me to head out, and it’s way past their bedtime; I’m surprised Grams has let them stay up this long with me.

“I want to play it now,” she grumbles as she glares at her sister.

Grams, who has stayed relatively quiet since we started playing games, sits up in her chair. “Amber, Topaz has to go hunt. She doesn’t get to do it often like everyone else.”

“Can’t she do it some other time?” she asks as she spins around on the hardwood floor, looking up at Grams with puppy dog eyes.

“Even if she did, it’s still your bedtime,” Grams states.

“I guess you’re right,” Amber grunts.

Grams smiles wide, “I always am. Now up to bed.”

“Yes, Grams!” Both Amber and Jade squeak in unison as they both rush to hug me before sprinting back up the stairs to where their bedroom is.

I chuckle at her response. “Thank you for letting them stay up and play a few games with me.”

“They needed it. Just like you need to get going,” Grams states as she hands me my backpack.

“I need to clean this mess up first,” I suggest as I look at the mess of various board games scattered across the floor.

“I got it, Topaz. You just get out there and enjoy yourself.”

I grab the backpack and slide my phone into it before putting it onto my right shoulder. “Thank you, Grams.”

“Love you, dear,” she says with a smile as she embraces me with a hug. “Your plate will be in the fridge waiting for you if you are still hungry when you get back in tonight. Make sure you let your Mom know that you’ll be home to grab clothes and plan on staying here tonight.”

I hug her back, causing her smell to run up my nose, instantly comforting my nerves that have started to stir. “I will. Love you to Grams,” I whisper as I let go and begin to make my way to the front door.

“Be careful and stay hidden,” Grams reminds me as I grab the doorknob and begin to open the door.

“Always am,” I joke as I close the door behind me and make my way toward the woods. The best hunting spot that I’ve found over my few visits is where I found Crevan earlier today. No one should be around there, Crevan included, since he has his newfound Beta responsibilities. 

So it should be safe. Should be.