The Alpha's Apocalypse (Back IN-FROM HELL)

CHAPTER NINE: SHOULD I LIE?

"I never knew this would come in handy." Karen said.

She hastily went into her car. She opened the door, crutched on the chair, supporting her body with her left hand stopping her from falling off. She stretched her hand reaching for the bottle of water at the feet of the seat beside the driver's seat. After taking the bottle of water from the car, she gave it to Alde to drink.

"Drink this." She said, and the rest watched the scene with rapt attention.

Alde removed the bottle cap. He was about to drink it when Cassy shouted, and everyone stared at her including Alde that was about to gulp down the contents in the bottle.

"Mom, this water has been there for as long as I could remember, and if to be precise it is more than five years now."

One of Karen's subordinates, a seer, asked Karen to prepare an antidote for the super portion. Normally, the super portion is used by Kyla most times to boost the power of her subordinates if they are not inclined to using their powers to work with her, or there is no morale to boost what they are capable of doing. Karen didn't see a reason to prepare a portion that will counter the super portion, but right now she is grateful to the seer for this.

"It isn't poisonous. Just drink it," Karen said.

"I just met you a few days ago. Who knows if you want to really kill me." Alde said unapologetically.

"What?"

Jarek listened to his father's dialogue with Karen. Angelo and Sasha watched silently, but rampaging their thoughts, trying to bring it to life. Max on the other hand wanted to ask Karen about his water that Alde had drank, and why is she confined to making Alde drink of the water she brought earlier, but he couldn't say anything, and just watched, hoping the answer would suffice without him asking questions. Cassy stared at her mother silently, asking herself why her mother cared too much about Jarek's father, "As Jarek's father stole the heart of my mother?" Thoughts therein thereon, she starts placing puzzles, and walking mazes. To the eyesight of her mother when she first met Alde, "Jarek's father is married!" She screamed inside of her making her forget that Alde had already taken the water Karen gave to him. The scream Alde let out brought back her sense of reasoning to the scene.

"What the actual f**k is this?" Alde shouted, bringing his tongue out, and feeling it with his index finger, and thumb.

"Watch your tongue, kids are here." Karen said under her breath, watching kids leave the schoolgate to their various destinations.

The five little friends jilted. Jarek became scared thinking that Karen really wanted to kill his father. He ran over to his father. "Dad, are you alright?"

"I think I am fine… for now" Alde responded, coughing.

Max stared at Karen. The questions he had been wanting to ask her just came out before he could hold it back. "What's that water for?" Max pointed at the bottle in Alde's hand.

Karen traced Max's hand to where it was pointing at, then looked back at Max. "You won't understand if I tell you. Why do you ask?"

"The water that they all drank," he stared at Angelo, Jarek, and Alde. "The water looked like water but didn't taste like water. And yours is no different." Max said.

Karen reasoned with what Max just finished saying. "Who are your parents?" Karen asked.

A long pause, then tic, "My father is one of the members of The Pentagon." Max confessed.

Karen stared at him passionately. "Garrison Edward?" Karen asked.

"I will prefer the first name first." Max replied, indirectly answering her question.

Karen did a flashback to what Hugo told them in the inner room. She was baffled, and Alde can see right through that -- anyone would. Sasha and Angelo were feeling out of place, and they wasted no time telling Alde about it. Alde excused himself, and everyone departed. Cassy entered her Mum's car, Jarek, Sasha, and Angelo entered Alde's car. As they were about to drive off Alde asked Max if he would hop in, but Max loved walking home all by himself. His father and stepmother had complained about that, but Max would not listen. Alde passed Sharia Tanna, and within a few minutes he got to Angelo and Sasha's street. They got off, and waved them goodbye.

"Nice game today." Angelo praised Jarek.

"Thanks." Jarek responded.

Alde stared at the brick he had seen the previous day, and saw it hadn't been tampered with. He zoomed off after Angelo and Sasha had entered their gates.

Cassy's house is not far from the school. They had gotten home within 10minutes minus the traffic they encountered while coming. Traffic around Boston was one of the things Karen hated Askarvard for, but she had gotten used to it. Cassy hasn't though. She ranted yesterday about the traffic, and her Mum expected her to rant today -- in which she did. "She is so like me." Karen always says to herself, making her smile sheepishly.

Angelo and Sasha walked as slow as they possibly could. Sasha cared for Angelo since when she was five. She met Angelo on a subway where his stepfather, Bellion, bought him vanilla ice cream, he looked unkempt, and Sasha pitied him. Sasha and Angelo became friends during the annual festival in Askarvard. Some kids were asked to dance and recite the Askarvard anthem. Angelo was one of the kids that sang that very day, and Sasha felt a bond that she needed to protect him anytime and anywhere, and till now, she had kept that promise.

Sasha halted when she got to the front of her house. Her house is beautified with a bed of roses, nearly trimmed, and watered nicely, bringing out the red silk colour.

"We won't be seeing each other today , right?" She asked Angelo.

"Yes, I think so." Angelo responded.

"In case you are free before 6PM, call me." Angelo nodded.

Angelo was glad when he didn't see Zed and his clowns coming after him today. Day after day when Angelo joined the Mega clan, his stepfather had told everyone that Angelo was a werewolf, but because he was young no one expected him to shift, the alpha confirmed that he was part of them when he told the strongest of the kids to face Angelo in a combat. That evening was dreadful for Angelo. He had never been that frightened his whole life, but with the help of Sasha, and motivations from his step-parents, he conquered his terrible nightmare that evening; That even made Sasha like him more. He grew older, and isn't showing signs of shifting. Everyone questioned the fact that he is not part of the clan. It got worse to the extent that they signed a petition for him to leave the clan, but Sasha pleaded with his father just to make them stop the crazy act that is about to affect a small, little kid. Since then, Zed and his friends always bullied him, calling him names. At first he was always angry, but time went by, and he got used to it.

He got home, and went directly inside his room. His room is very close to the sitting room - it was easy to sneak in without anyone noticing except for the noise the door makes anytime someone opens it. And as usual Angelo's stepfather heard the creak the door made. He made way to the sitting room to see no one. To his possible guess, he went inside Angelo's room, and saw him there sitting down, and utterly tired. He used his tongue against his incisors. The water he took from Max.

"Angy, is anything wrong?"

"No, Dad."

He slightly remembered the conversation his step-parents had yesterday. He didn't want to show how angry he was, so he requested a meal.

"Can we order pizza please?"

As if he knows that that's what Angelo would love. He dipped his hands into his pocket, opened an app called "One way stop" , it is a pizza joint, and it was agreed that they make the best pizza in town. Tosan, his step father ordered the pizza. He notified Angelo, and left the room. Angelo sighed, and lay down like someone who had given up in a fight. Not long after, his stepmother called him. He felt like cursing, but he had no choice than to answer that dreadful call.

Vanessa was busy telling Jarek and Alde how her day went. None was listening to her as they focussed on the basketball game playing on the TV. Vanessa stopped talking as she knew no one was listening.

"Damn!" Alde shouted as someone was dribbled. "Did you see that?" He asked, staring at Jarek, and then at Vanessa. 

Jarek was fuming in anger as he saw his team losing. Alde laughed at him when he noticed the sudden change on his son's face.

"You are losing today," Alde said, and Jarek shrugged.

"Let's see if I will."

Vanessa was stuck in thoughts on how she had coped with both of them. "If someone had told her that her home would be peaceful, she would have cursed the person." She watched as Alde screamed after each basket, and Jarek would remain seated angrily. "He looks really cute anytime he is angry." Vanessa would say.

"Jarek, do you still feel that substance in your mouth?" Alde asked, feeling his tongue.

Jarek imitated his father.

"Yes, kind of"

"What is that?" Vanessa asked, almost looking worried.

"It is nothing." Alde replied, and Vanessa stared at Alde silently for over five seconds. "It is nothing really." Alde assured, and another round of silence lasted about ten seconds until they heard a scream from the TV. Jarek screamed for joy, but Vanessa was keen on letting Alde pour out his mind to her. "Damn! how would I explain to her about another woman giving him something mysterious to drink." Alde thought.