Rose in the Serpents
Chapter 1
The Dream
~Day 1~
I was running through a forest. I heard people laughing and giggling, horrifyingly. The trees were grabbing and hitting me. They were laughing at me. Everything was laughing at me. I was three years old. I was running through the Tadasu no Mori, The Forest of Correction. There were faces on the trees. Mean faces, sad faces, and scary faces.
They looked at me and judged me like I was a prisoner. I was crying as I ran endlessly through the forest. I ran to the city. I kept crying. My face was sweaty and dirty. When I made it to the city, I saw a building.
A red building with red lights and big red X on the front. My tears started to heat up my cheeks. I turned back to myself. My dark brown hair grew down my back. My body matured into my 18 year old self.
I was wearing a red dress and red shoes. My hair was tied in a red ribbon. I walked into the red building. There was a red carpet leading up the stairs and into the foyer. As I walked up the stairs, I came across a red door.
I opened it and I found a club. The lights were red. The walls were red. Everything and everyone was red. All but one, a dark shadowy man. He sat on a throne like a king, like a shadow conjoined to the walls.
He was dressed in a type of suit. He was wearing a half-opened white dress shirt, black pants and black boots. His appearance was frightening.
He was scorched. He had scars on his face. His hair was spiky and he had a buzz cut on the sides. It was also adorned with feathers and an animal tail at the nape of his neck, coming over his left shoulder to rest in the front.
He looked at me. More like glared at me. I saw his red eyes go up and down my silhouette. I blushed madly. He gestured his fingers.
"Come Here". I felt he said to me from a distance. I shook my head. "No".
He blinked twice and sat up in his chair. He just stared at me for a while before he finally got up with a grunt. I flinched. I tried to walk away from him.
But, my feet were chained to the ground. And in a split second, everybody in the club vanished and the music came to screeching end. All I could hear was his footsteps. He stopped only a couple of inches from my face. He stared at me with bright malicious red eyes. I tried to keep my eyes off of him. I felt that if I did look at him, I wouldn't be able to turn away.
He'd...kill me. I felt his hand touch my right arm. I couldn't help but I looked at him. His face was as cold as possible. It looked angry and scary. Like, A boogey man.
"What's your name?" The man asked me with this suave and sweet voice.
I could barely talk. I managed to squeak out my name.
"Neima Neanne Garnet." I sighed.
The man flinched at my name. He liked it. His face said he did.
"Well, Neima...You're mine now. I don't know where you are but...I'm going to find you, soon. "
"What do you mean?" I asked him. He chuckled. And in a bright flash, the man vanished. I woke up in a cold sweat. My face was sweating, terribly. My friends came upstairs to the room.
"Neima! What the hey-hey! What's with all the screaming?"
"Huh? Screaming?" I wondered.
"Yeah, Neima…You were screaming and yelling. You were talking in your sleep as well. Was it...the dream again?" My friends sat on my bed.
"Yeah...it was. Only this time, the man spoke to me..." I told my friends.
"The same man, huh?" This is my friend, Harper Donovan, she's not your typical blonde girl. He is a 17 year old girl. She plays soccer and is a total tomboy. She is the funniest girl you'll ever meet. I've been friends with her for 10 years.
"Yea, the same scary man. He spoke to me this time…It was so freaky."
"Whoa...talk about weird. This time he wasn't just sitting down?" This is Eugene Fraiser. She's Asian and a little bit gothic. She is isn't hardcore goth, she just likes to wear black a lot…and write poetry. Despite how scary she is to most people, she is the kindest girl I've ever met. I and she have been friends for 10 years as well.
"No, this time he got up and he asked me what my name was and then he said 'You're mine now and I'm going to find you soon', that type of stuff." My friends were worried about me. They knew I wasn't crazy.
Ya see, we're in a dormitory for girls somewhere I don't know WHERE in Tokyo, Japan. Somewhere near the Shopping District here.
I'm sorry, where are my manners? Hello, my name is Neima Neanne Garnet. I have long dark brown hair and hazel eyes. I sometimes have strange or weird dreams about things that are going to happen soon.
So, it's weird if I have a dream of a man I'm going to meet, ya know? Since about three years ago, I've had the same dream over and over again. Until I reached a certain age, the scenes in the dream would change. My friends, Harper and Eugene, were always there for me.
When I was 8, you see, my parents had died. A car accident. They sent me to Tokyo where my aunt lives. My friends took their own money and bought a ticket to come with me. They told me nothing was waiting for them in America.
We live here in Sakura-Kenoji's Dorm for Girls and we also live here with my auntie, she's the dorm manager. Her name is Sheryl, My aunt Sheryl. Not a very original name, I know. But her and my mom loved each other.
When Sheryl met me when I was 8, she would not stop smiling. At first, I thought she was crazy. But, she was just your typical auntie loving over her niece. After the dream I had, my friends took me to the mess hall.
It was morning time so people were jetting around to get to college or high school. Me being 18, I had to go to high school at this age. But, my aunt told me I never had to go to college. She sets us up with a hottie tutor.
His name is Masahiro Katashi. He teaches us everything from math to history. He's the boyfriend of my friend Harper. Eugene hates his guts with every fiber of her being or so she told me. I sat down at the table in the mess hall. Harper went to get us some cake. In 7:30 AM in the morning. Cake. I loved it here.
"Neima, you're going to have to go to a therapist. Those dreams might be a bad thing for ya." Eugene tried to take me to a help clinic. I just sighed.
"Genie, I'm not crazy. I'm just a mind-reader."
"No, you're not. You're psychic. You know when things are going to happen and when you meet a man in a bar. You're going to MEET a MAN in a BAR."
"I don't care. I'm a smart girl. And besides that guy looked like he RAN the club."
"Okay...So...I don't know did you see anybody else?"
"No, I really didn't, I just saw him."
"What was his name?"
"I don't know. I never get the chance to ask." Harper finally returned with our cake. She sat down on the seat to my right.
"Okay...So! What did he look like?" Harper asked me with a smile. I sighed as I thought back to the dream.
"He had spiky hair with a buzz cut. And his face was covered with scars. He looked really scary. He had feathers in his hair and-"
"Whoa, feathers? Keep talking. Keep talking" Harper took out a random picture and stared at it.
"Okay then…and he had...a type of suit on but he wore it really raggedy and he had really scary red eyes. And he was sitting on a throne of some kind."
My friends looked at each other. Eugene took the picture from Harper's hand and put it in front of me.
"You're talking about Xanxus from Club X, Neima." I gasped at the picture. It was him. That was the man from my dream…he's real.
Just then my arch rival, Zankokuna Marichiyo, she whipped her long fake orange hair over our table. She sat down and I just sighed with resentment.
"Hiya, weirdos!" She greeted us. I glared at her.
"Yo, ho!" Eugene said. I laughed and Zanko smirked.
"What are you doing on THIS neck of the woods?" Zanko asked us. I gave her a weird look.
"It's the west side of the mess hall so we sit here to get away from the east side. YOU'RE side. So step, honey." Harper hated Zanko so hard. Zanko was an american as well as us. She thought we were hiding something in Tokyo so she followed us here. Talk about no life. I didn't mind her. Except for when she'd insult me.
I had a bad case of potty mouth. Harper said it's because I'm a Scorpio. Scorpios say what they think. And they have a yin and yang about them. One second you love being around them. The next second they try to rip your head off and since I'm an Ox too.
She said it was double the trouble. I don't know why but she was kind of right. Zanko always thought I was prettier than she was. And I'm not, obviously. I'm like that girl you see in school with the long hair and clear face but I still have lots of flaws in my wake.
Like, how I can't comb my own hair because I can't hold the come right and I can't stand carpets or any type of rugs. But at least, I was smart. I'm an all A's to B's student. I'm not perfect. I'm...just right.
I'm not too cold. I'm not too hot. I guess I'm the ordinary girl here like, many others.
Zanko thought I had it good. She snarled at me any time she got. I didn't hate her for it. I just hated the way she treated people. It always irked me if people got hurt for no reason.
Like, getting hurt for debt, money, cars, or women. It was all stupid through my eyes. As I watched Harper and Eugene argue with Zanko. I kept thinking about my dream. I had a deep hatred for the gangs in Tokyo.
I guess just because you're on a different part of the world doesn't mean things change there. But then something dawned on me, his name was Xanxus. It hurt me to death learning his name. I didn't know him. I didn't think I did, anyways.
Why did I see him the way I did? I had to know more. Who is this guy? Where did he come from? Zanko got around town, maybe she knew. I was going to ask her.
"LOOK, You stubby little troll! I am the most awesome girl here! And everybody knows it!" Zanko tried to explain.
"Yeah, whatever." Harper snuffed her off. Zanko groaned.
"Hey wait, Zanko-"
"What is it?"
"Do you know Xanxus? Club X?" I asked. Zanko gasped, smirked, and then she gave me a snide look.
"Xanxus? Well, he's my boyfriend, of course."
I gasped. How could this be? Who would date Zanko? She's completely evil!
"How did he become your boyfriend?" Harper asked, sitting up in her seat.
"Well, I was just a small town girl when I went to Club X. I heard rumors, of course, that Xanxus is the candidate for being some big time Mafia boss. He has truckloads of money and bunches of guys under his command. He's practically royalty. I know some of his friends too."
Ugh, he's a part of the mafia. Worse than just a gang, a MAFIA!...I just sighed.
"What they name is?" Harper said in her fake ghetto voice, making me and Eugene laugh.
"Well...There is a guy named Belphegor who-"
"A demon that helps people discoveries and make riches?" I asked, associating Belphegor with an literal Belphegor.
"NO! Not a Belphegor. Belphegor, he takes me out to lunch when Xanxus does not have time. I just call him Bel."
"Wow...Bel" Eugene giggled.
"Shut up...anyways then there is this JERK named Squalo-"
"Shark?" I asked her.
"YES, Shark...you weirdo. Anyways he's a jerk with long silver hair, you CANNOT miss him."
"Because of his hair?" Eugene questioned.
"NO! His voice, he says VOOOOIIII a lot."
"Man, your friends are crahzeh" Harper told her. Zanko sighed.
"Then there is a baby named Mammon or Marmon I don't know. He talks and he is SUPER greedy with money." Zanko explained.
"A baby? That talks? Greedy?" Harper laughed out loud. She literally fell out of her chair laughing. I laughed out loud.
"Shut up, you Hispanic freak!" I giggled again. I was Hispanic but not a freak. I didn't care about her comment at that time. Zanko continued with her rant.
"Anyway then there were two more guys but I can't remember their names so that's it."
"Where is Club X?" I asked Zanko, trying to wrap up this entire conversation.
"Good luck getting in. You gotta know somebody."
"Where. Is. It?" I halved my words, making it easier to understand.
"It's on Kaichi Street."
"Ouch...Neima, that street is FULL of gangsters." Eugene explained.
"I know I know. What does it look like?"
"It's a big red building, red lights, and a huge red X on it. You can miss it." I gasped. I looked at my friends and they looked as worried as I did.
A big red building, red lights, and a X on it. It's the same building that was in my dream. She just described the same building from my dream. The exact same one. I had to see it now.
"Zanko, can you take us there? Just to see the building?"
"Sure. I can get you in, even better."
"Thanks."
"No problem-o. Meet me at the front of the dormitory at exactly...9:30 PM. That's usually the time Mammon comes to pick me up." She walked away. "OH! And dress in red! It's the theme!" She left our eyesight after that.
"Neima, did she say the same building that you saw?" Harper asked with a worried tone.
"Yes...she did."
"Uh oh...You might have déjà vu." Eugene said, we called it "déjà vu" when my dreams would come true.
"I know. My dream might come true."
"What time was it where you were in your dream?"
"I don't know. Umm…It was...midnight."
"Well, we are meeting her at 9 so...How long does it take from the dorms to the club?..."
We gasped.
"Oh crap-olah..." Harper said her catchphrase.
We got up immediately and went back to our dorms. I hopped on the computer.
"TO MAPQUST!" Harper shouted. Eugene and I looked at her funny.
"TO GOOGLE MAPS! BECAUSE MAPQUEST IS UTTERLY USELESS!"
"That's more like it." I told her as I searched.
"From our dormitory to the club. It takes...exactly...three hours."
And we're leaving at nine so...ten, eleven,…TWELVE MIDNIGHT!"
"We have to go. Now." I told them. I got up and took my favorite ribbon and tied my hair up. I then gasped as I looked at the ribbon…It was red…I sighed. Harper slapped her knees.
"Yup, we sure do. Get your clothes ready for it."
"I don't have anything red to wear." They both sighed. Eugene snapped her fingers.
"You can borrow my old red dress." Eugene told me.
"Oh?...What does it look like?" I asked.
"It's a plain red dress...you saw it in your dream, didn't you?"
"Yup..."
"Well, we can't change anything if it's already destined to go down so... we got the red dress. Got any shoes?"
"Yeah...my red pumps." Harper and Eugene gave me a weird look.
"Pumps?" Harper and Eugene said in unison.
"Yeah...PUMPS!" I laughed. Eugene just shook her head in shame.
"You are such a freak...OH and I ain't goin." Harper said. Eugene whipped her head at Harper and I gasped.
"I know I am a freak! And you ARE going."
"No, I am not!"
"Why not?"
"I HATE dresses! And the theme is dresses and classy junk that I don't got. I'm a more...shorts-type girl."
"Doesn't matter, we need your brains and utility."
"No...I'm not going."
"Oh...okay." I smiled. Me and Eugene laughed, mischievously. We continued our day like usual. We went to school, went shopping and such but we never forgot the plan at hand. Get into the Club and fulfill the events of the dream.
It was the only way to see if the scenes would change. We were an hour early for the pickup. We were the first ones there. The harpy we called Zanko came at 9:30, exactly. Her car came five minutes after she did. It was a limo.
"Whoa..." Eugene and I said at the same time.
"I know. My boyfriend got it for me."
"VOOOOIIII!"
"KYAAAH!" We screamed as someone emerged from the sun roof.
"GODDANG IT, SQUALO. WOULD YOU SHUT UP?" Zanko yelled at him.
"WHATEVER! GET IN THE FREAKIN CAR, YOU WEIRDO COUGAR!"
Eugene laughed out loud at the man's insult. Squalo shot his eyes at her. He started to blush.
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?"
"YOU HEARD ME! ACK!" Squalo was pulled down into the car. We gasped. We then heard the window scroll down. And a slight Chee chee chee. I was rather confused at the turn of events.
"Hey...Zanko, who're your friends?"
"They AIN'T mah friends. They're just girls who I took pity on. I decided to bring these NOT fine ladies to the club since they've always lived in such grave circumstances. By the way, aren't we missing one?" Zanko said referring to Harper.
"Nah, she came with us. See?" Harper stomped down the dorm stairs in a red t-shirt and red skirt with her black combat boots.
"I hate you all and I hope you all die in a car crash." Harper said pouting at us.
"Oh well, I'm glad you came." Zanko said.
"I was FORCED. TO. PARTICIPATE." Harper said with an eager grunt.
"Well, you don't have to come. We're kinda packed in space in here. Don't think we could fit…all that…" The blonde boy said scoping Harper, fiercely.
"What do you mean?" Zanko asked. She walked up to the car and peaked in.
"Ugh...Shut up, Bel." Mammon said and continued. "Go ahead and come in."
"No, I'm serious. We have NO room." Bel said joking around. Me and Eugene hopped into the car. I had the shame of sitting next to Zanko but it was okay. We waited for Harper who just stood outside the car.
"Harper! Get in here!" Eugene ordered. "No." We rolled down the window more and peered out.
"Get. In. The. Car." I said. Harper squinted her eyes. "HELL NAH!" Belphegor laughed. Me and Eugene sighed. Zanko humphed.
"Let's leave her."
"We can't. We need her." I said. "Well, she doesn't want to go." "True but she is very important to our plans of world domination." I said. Zanko looked at me weird and I laughed out loud. Then we heard yelling outside and Harper's legs are forced in the car through the window. Zanko's eyes widened.
"GET IN THE FREAKIN CAR!" "NO! I REFUSE!" "GRAB HER LEGS!" I did as Eugene ordered and grabbed Harper's legs and pulled her into the car where it turned into a slappy fight with Eugene once she got in the car. There was no actual slapping just childish flailing of the arms.
"Whoa! Whoa! WHOA! Wait! My nail came off…" Eugene squealed. "Oh dang, really?" Harper said.
The fight came to a screeching halt. Squalo busted out laughing at the turn of events. I just shook my head at the whole situation.
After Eugene recovered her nail, it was an odd...odd...odd...car ride. Half the car ride was silent. Squalo kept staring at Eugene. And for some odd reason, Bel kept staring at Harper's legs.
"This is a really awkward car ride." Eugene spouted. Me and Harper laughed.
"It wouldn't be weird if only one of them picked me up." Zanko pouted.
"We had no choice. We had to make sure nobody would try to kill you." Mammon said.
"Doesn't matter...He never does it."
"OH PLEASE, EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR ANNOYING AS GOD KNOWS HOW MUCH!" Squalo said.
"Shut up..." Zanko said. Again I sighed. She shouldn't treat people like that, it wasn't nice.
"Look, it's bad enough you brought friends to an exclusive club with nothing but danger in every corner."
"We can take care of ourselves, thank you." Harper told Mammon.
"Whatever." Mammon said.
"Mammon, don't be mean." Zanko told him.
Zanko turned on the radio and we heard random but low-volume songs play. Harper tapped her foot to some of them. Then a certain song came on.
"Is that 'Like this or that'?" asked Eugene. Mammon looked at the player and nodded to her.
"Turn it up." Mammon did as she asked. As the song gradually played, Eugene started jamming and doing the snake left and right, soon after I joined her in doing the snake. Harper laughed and joined us.
"Freaking weirdoes, what are you doing?" Zanko said.
"Jammin…Don't interrupt." Eugene said. Zanko started feeling the music and started dancing with us. After a while, we started having some actual fun. The males in car didn't really approve to dancing to 5DOLLS but hey…I think it's a good song. When the song ended, we were panting out of how exhausting that dancing was.
"Crap." Eugene exclaimed.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I need deodorant…Looks like I won't be doing any macking tonight."
"With a body like that, I would never guess you needed to." Squalo said under his breath. Nobody else heard him say it but me. I'll be watching him…
"We're there." the driver commented. The car stopped. My friends and I took a deep breath and got out the car, I was the second one out. I saw the building at last. It's the same red building. But that X…that X…It sent shivers up my spine.
We all entered the building and went our separate ways. It already felt like déjà vu. I stood in the middle of the club. I looked around endlessly. I sighed after minutes of searching. I guess this dream was just a fluke.
Then just when I thought I was safe, I saw him. Xanxus. It was my dream all over again. He saw me and his eyes widened but they went back to normal.
He gestured to me. I shook my head, no. He got up and walked to me. I wanted to run but...I couldn't move. It felt like my body was telling me, Stand your ground. Don't run. I was scared. His red eyes made me nervous.
Those same burning red eyes…They were even crueler this time. I heard his footsteps over the loud and thumping music that sounded so silent compared to those mind-bottling steps. As I gazed, it looked like he was walking through the people, like a ghost.
After a little while...There he was...Standing dead in front of me.
"Neima...I knew I'd find you soon."
"W-what?" What did he just say? Find me? H-how?
"I told you I'd find you..."
"What do you mean?"
"I keep my word, Neima. You're mine now. Now let's make this quick…and no screaming-"
"WHOA HOLD IT! I am NOT going anywhere with you. So you can drop that!" Who did he think he is? I was expecting him to be a prize with a few battle wounds but, not an obnoxious, self-absorbed, jerk-wad.
"Oh really?..." He asked me with a shrewd voice.
"Really-" Then I heard a scream. It scared me half to death…I knew that voice. It was Harper!
I ran to Harper's voice. I saw Eugene running to her on the way. When we got to her, she had red punch all over her. She was crying hard. Harper acted tough but really she was a rather weak hearted girl and Eugene and I knew that much so we didn't hold it against her much.
I heard giggling and it made my blood boil. I turned and it was Zanko. She planned this. I officially hated her guts. She never had any friends. This wasn't a type of joke a friend pulls on another friend. She only messed with us because she had no friends. Eugene kissed her fist and punched Zanko square in the face. I gasped.
"GENIE!" Me and Harper both yelped, trying to hold Eugene off of Zanko. Eugene was a killer. She didn't take crap from anybody but friends. Eugene was normally very calm and subtle but once you mess with her friends…
Harper and her have known each other for longer then I knew them. Squalo was laughing from a distance. I could tell Eugene did something he wanted to for a long time. I looked at Bel and he was frowning. I guess it was at Harper because he was looking dead at her.
Zanko was crying on the floor, making her the victim. But, the people there knew who was at fault. It was Zanko's fault. Everything was her fault.
The dream was officially ruined. The back of my head started to burn. I yelled and jerked at the back of my head. The images…started to re-align. But…my dream wasn't ruined. It happened exactly…It happened Xanxus walked up to me and it always cuts off there…But why is my mind burning like this? Xanxus walked up behind Zanko. Zanko grabbed his ankle.
"Xanie...can you...believe she did that to me?...You'll kill her won't you?...For me...?" She said in an ever-so-seducing voice. My friends and me were prepared to high-tail it out of there. I looked away for a second and Xanxus had kicked Zanko in the head.
"OHHH SNAP!" We yelled and gasped. She hit the ground in a thud. To my amazement, I felt pity for her. I knew I shouldn't have but...Why did I of all people feel she was in danger?
A kick to the head was the equivalent of getting a couple of gallons worth of punch in your hair and on your clothes, IN PUBLIC.
But as I watched him kick her…He kicked her again, again, again, and again. Then it got to the point where her head was bleeding and then I realized…it's not the kicking itself that's making me feel for her safety…it's who's DOING the kicking!
"STOP IT! STOP!" I yelled. I stopped him from kicking her anymore. I know Zanko was evil beyond all reason. She hurt everybody. But, kicking near death was cruel and unusual. I ran at Xanxus to make him stop what he was doing.
In the end, I made him fall...Next thing I knew he had me in a waist-lock. His arms were heavy and I couldn't wiggle out. He got up in a chuckle while he held me close. Zanko was confused.
"Xanxus...what are you doing?" She was mortified at the scene. Eugene had screamed and Harper was knocked on the floor. Somebody took her by the legs and drug her away. They were both taken away. Xanxus started to squeeze me harder soon I couldn't breathe.
"Xanxus...stop it now...I can't brea-" I fainted from lack of breath. Everything went dark. I didn't have a dream. I just laid in an otherwise very comfy place. It was warm. I felt around and Harper and Eugene were asleep next to me. I could tell it was still night-time. I heard somebody walk into the room we were in.
Two people...Both male...They spoke.
How long are you going to keep them here?
As long as possible. I want to know if they are the same women my dad was talking about.
Aww, man that means...
Yup these girls could be a part of the Vongola bloodline. I never thought I'd find them in the same place though.
Heh so...Harper is my partner...
Yea...Don't wake them up.
Right, boss. The two men left. I fell back into my pillow.
What's...a Vongola? I heard curtains open. I then felt sunshine on my face.
"You idiot! He said don't wake her up!" I heard a mysterious voice. I slowly opened my eyes.
"Oh! But look how pretty she is. She isn't anything that, that ugly woman Zanko said. She's prettier than Zanko is by miles! Besides, she's been asleep for 3 days already." I heard a rather girlish voice say. My entire body was tired. I could barely open my eyes. All he did was squeeze the air out of me and I was conked out for 3 days. Who is this guy? What kind of monster was he?
"Shut up, Lussuria." The voice said.
'Aww come on, Levi-chan!" Lussuria said. I yawned.
"See? You woke her up...I'm so telling the boss."
"Oh whatever she was awake when we got here. Like I said, she's been asleep for a good 3 days, it's good she's waking up...Hi, My name is Lussuria. I'm the Sun Guardian of Xanxu-!" Lussuria was shoved by the man named Levi. Levi looked at me and smirked. A cruel and mean personality came out.
"Get up and get dressed it's already night-time...Wear this." He threw a black dress at me. It had black satin lace at the ends and a pair of white stockings. I nearly fainted again. As I looked around, I was in a type of manor...It looked nice.
There was a portrait of Xanxus on the wall over the headboard. I realized my friends weren't next to me anymore. I gasped.
"W-where is Eugene and Harper?" I asked.
"There in the lobby with the others. Get dressed and we'll take you to them."
"Fine..." I sighed as I got dressed. To my amazement, the dress fit me a little too well. It was loose and all but it was exactly my size. That was hard to find for me and my...growth spurt after result. I got out of bed in my otherwise very revealing clothes.
Levi grabbed me by my arm and escorted me through the manor. As I looked at it, it was amazing. I heard cheering coming from the lobby he told me about.
"OHH YES! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT! WOO!" I heard Harper cheering. I sighed in relief.
"Dang it! That is cheap! Got any threes?...DANG IT!" I heard Eugene. I was so glad they were okay. I was asleep for a few days. Things change I suppose. Levi, let go of my arm when we entered the room. I looked and it was more of a game room then anything. It was big though. Harper and Eugene turned to me. They smiled.
"NEIMA! YOU'RE OKAY!" They both sprinted to me. They collided with hugs for me. I was so happy and glad they made it. I don't know what was going on before I got here.
"Okay...like you promised...Neima woke up. So now we can leave!" Harper said to Xanxus sitting on his chair away from the fun. Xanxus looked at us slowly. He glared at me. I gasped. I wasn't good at glaring but I did it. He started laughing. Squalo's eyes widened.
"What's so funny?" I asked him. Xanxus stopped for a second.
"You're not going anywhere from here. You'll be staying with us for a short while. So get comfy."
"Hold it but you said-"
"Shut up! I know what I said. Now I'm saying all three of you are staying here-"
"As guests or prisoners?" I interrupted him. He obviously didn't like that. I was going to fight him until he let us go.
"Prisoners,...any more questions?"
"Will we get to leave our rooms?"
"Yes but you won't be leaving the manor."
"Are you the leader here?"
"Yes..."
"Leader of?"
"None of your business."
"Hmph...None of my clothes are here. And my aunt will be looking for me-"
"I had Lussuria buy clothes for you. And your aunt was sent to Hawaii. She thinks you're going to Europe to study abroad with your friends." I was baffled. He covered everything.
"What about the dorm. Girls will get suspicious if we don't show up."
"Doesn't matter. I sent Squalo to tell them where you are."
"Where did you tell them we were?"
"In Hawaii, with your aunt." He smirked. I gnarled at him.
"Why are you keeping us? What did we do?"
"Neima, you're father's name is Othello. Right?"
"Y-yeah...Why?"
"Your father knew my father, Timoteo. My father saw that I wasn't open to others when I was younger-"
"Wow even with you as a kid. You're the most coldest thing ever." He glared at me again.
"He and your father made a deal. That if he ever had a daughter she'd be tied by contract to the Vongola..."
"In what way would this daughter...be tied?"
"...marriage." I gagged. Harper nearly fell backwards laughing.
"I don't know what you're laughing about. You're tied too."
"HOW SO?" Harper asked.
"Belphegor comes from royalty. You're great grandfather was the best friend of the king of Belphegor's home country. The king at that time was Belphegor's great uncle who gave the crown to his brother who gave it to his son, Belphegor's father.
You're great grandfather's great grandson came highly recommended because he apparently wanted to keep the families' closely associated. And when you were born, you were shown to the King who was still a young man and had two sons on the way.
So to keep the families associated, he took your birth certificate footprints and they were printed on the contract of authenticity and later so were Belphegor's. Technically, you two are arranged to be married. Therefore, you'll be staying here too. All of you." Our mouths were agape. We slowly turned to Harper, whose eye was twitching rapidly. I pointed my finger laughed at her.
"Shut up, Neima" Harper frowned, furiously but then something seemed to strike her. "WAIT A FLIPPIN MINUTE! I'm adopted! HA!" Xanxus glared at her and we heard movement behind us. Belphegor put his arm over the couch and looked at Harper with disbelief, he looked at Xanxus.
"True but the truth is your real family died in a tragic accident and before Belphegor's people could pick you up from the orphanage, some desperate couple picked you up and took you to America where you were out of our reach. If Belphegor's family had found you, you would've been living a far more glamorous life then you are now it actually kinda sucks when you think about it." We were even more agape then before. Eugene started to panic a bit.
"Okay then. What about me? How am I connecting to your little…group."
Squalo got off from the wall and walked up to Eugene.
"You're not. I just your fine as all holy hell…"
I broke out laughing. I could barely contain myself.
"But until we actually confirm you're who your blood says you are. You'll be staying here." I then felt a needle come out of my arm.
"OUCH! GOD! MUTHAF*CKER! DANG IT! UGH!" I cursed the needle I didn't even notice. Everybody laughed. I just sighed in anguish.
"But, until then…come here." Xanxus gestured his stupid fingers again.
I just snuffed him off and I walked slowly to him. He grabbed my arm and sat me down on the step by his throne. I was right by his legs as he sat down.
"You'll sit here and do as I say" He whispered to me. "You'll never be leaving here until I'm as sure as god about who you are to me."
"Why? You could always weasel out of the situation."
"How?"
"By leaving me the smurf alone and letting ME and my friends go? Ca-poosh?"
"Hmph...you are so disrespectful."
"Gladly!" I yelled.
"We'll see how long you choose to go against me."
"Oh believe me I'LL last!
"Oh yeah? Well, we'll see..." Xanxus kicks my back slightly, I pinch his leg. He just smiled. He then whispers to me again with his disgusting breath.
"The more you act like that the cuter you get..."
"This is such a fluke."
"How so?"
"Think about it...If I'm NOT the girl you say I am. You'll throw me out in a flash me AND my friends."
"Oh yeah?..."
"Yeah..."
"We'll see..."
"You and your freakin mafia..." I shake my head in disgust. That day was quiet and awkward. It quickly turned into night-time. People were going to bed. Everybody left the room. But Xanxus and I stayed in the lobby.
I took a glimpse of him and he had his fist on his right cheek. He was fast asleep. I kept my eyes on him. I slowly tried to get up. He nudged and squealed in his sleep. It was...kinda cute in a funny way. I got away from him long enough to get to the door.
But, my cover was blown by the eerie screech of the door. It woke him right up. I sighed in defeat. Dang it, door...For ONCE help me OUT! He looked at me with calm and subtle eyes.
"Where are you goin?"
"Umm...To the restroom, I'll be back..." I just smiled.
"Sigh...SQUALO!" I jumped at his loud voice. I then ran out into the hallway, I looked down the hallway and a door opened up at the end of the hallway.
"OH GOD SOMEBODY SAVE ME! THIS GUY IS CRAZY!" Eugene ran down the hallway. She tackled me in the hall. We hurriedly got up and we both started running.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE?"
"I COULD ASK YOU THE SAME THING! HARPER! PLAN ESSS-KAH-PAID! IS A GO!" As soon as Eugene said that, Harper came out of a room and her feet literally screeched as she came out of the room. Then she started sprinting. That's what you get from a girl like her. She's half poetry-writer and half Olympic runner. Before long, we were all running at the same speed. Then we looked behind us and a couple of men in black suits were behind us.
"SPLIT UP HERE!" Eugene yelled. I looked ahead and the hallways split. We split up at the up at the hallways and we continued running through the manor. Until I hit a brick wall.
Wait...this isn't a brick wall...oh crap...
"EUGENE! HARPER! THEY HAVE ROBOCOPS!" It was a fly-looking thing...As I looked at it more and more. I realized it was on Xanxus's side and I swiftly ran away from it. I made it past the men in black but I was captured regardless.
"DANG IT! UGH!" I screamed and kicked at the man holding me weird. I looked at him and it was Xanxus. I just screamed in realization that the plan was ruined. At least, Harper and Eugene made it out.
"NO! LET GO OF MEH! NOOOO!" I saw Harper and Belphegor had her at the neck and he was practically dragging her at his waist. She had no choice but to follow. He was frowning a lot at her.
"I HOPE YOU BOTH DIE!" Harper yelled at both Bel and Xanxus, popping the finger at the both of them. Eugene probably made it those skinny asian legs of hers. Sigh...And just when I thought there was a light of hope.
"CRAP! LET GO! I MUST BE FREE FROM THIS PRISON!" Eugene was being carried bridal-style by Squalo. Harper and I just shot dirty looks at the three. Eugene was trying to kick Squalo but ended up kicking the wall and making them fall.
"WILL YOU SHUT UP AND CALM THE H*LL DOWN!" Squalo yelled.
"SHUT UP YOU WEIRD A** FREAK!" Eugene yelled back. Squalo just stared at her. She stared back. It was an awkward moment. It seems those two were more alike than we originally thought. I looked at Harper and during the confusion; she took the chance to karate chop Bel in the neck, making him choke, and run.
"HA HA HA YOU SUCKER!" Bel jetted after her and it wasn't long before he caught her.
"DANG IT! LET GO OF ME, YOU FREAK OF NATURE!" I was steadily laughing at the situation they both put themselves in and again we was brought back to the lobby and sat down. We were sat on the couch in front of the TV. Bel sat between me and Harper and Squalo sat down between me and Eugene. It was rather uncomfortable.
"Sigh...Plan ess-kah-paid failed." Harper said, making us relive the entire moment.
"I hope you both die..." Eugene said to Bel and Squalo.
"It's your own fault for trying to run..." Bel told us. We just ignored him... Harper had already had another plan though. We were going to wait to get into our rooms and go to sleep. But we had to wake up EARLY and when we did, we'd escape through the windows.
We were on the bottom floor but it was still high from the ground. Bel started playing video games with Squalo as we sat there. It was boring watch them take their jobs so not seriously.
Then something amazingly cute happened, Bel took Harper's legs and slid them on his lap. I gasped. I nudged Eugene and we looked at Harper. She looked at us with the look of What am I supposed to do? This is a matter of life or death! I just giggled and she popped the finger at us. And we laughed out loud.
"What's so funny?" Xanxus asked us. We just ignored him. I snuffed him off. It was long night. I was feeling tired. I leaned on Squalo for a pillow but I just jumped off of him. I kept nodding off. Xanxus took notice.
"Lussuria!" He yelled and Lussuria walked in. He walked up to Xanxus.
"Yes, bossu-kun?" I giggled slightly.
"Take Neima to bed...I'll be joining her shortly."
"No the heck you ain't... I don't do dems..." I said half asleep. He just smiled slightly and Lussuria went to pick me up and he did it easily. I guess guys like him have muscles too. He took me to bed and I waved at Harper and Eugene. Harper nodded. Be ready in the morning.
I winked at her. Right... Lussuria placed me in Xanxus's room. It wasn't the same room I was in this morning but it was cozy. I fell asleep automatically. Tomorrow, we were going to escape for sure. I know it...then the voices came back.
They did a lot of damage, Xanxus. Are you sure you want her to stay?...
Yes, I'm sure...She's special in an odd way. Her attitude intrigues me.
Right...What about tomorrow...You'll know they'll try it again.
Yes, I know…I want to see how much she'll try...
A.k.a. you're toying with her.
Call it what you will. I like her for some reason and until I know why she's never leaving me...Never leaving...Never...leaving.