"Chapter Four;
Pained Knowledge"

Do you ever have those moments where you just hate being right? That moment you know something that will really annoy you, and you know will already happen? This is one of those moments for me!

Forty-eight hours my ass! It's been over three days since I took those pills and I felt like shit! I asked Lee why I was still sick, and the answer I got wasn't in my favor. "Did I really say two days?" I nodded once. "Whoops! I meant 168 hours." He said.

That was what I hated. Flu-like symptoms for a whole week, simply to make sure I'd stay in bed. I was gonna kill him! Why? Let's look at the scenario from yesterday, after school.

Kali came over after hearing I caught the flu, and was surprised how bad it was. She was questioning the story I gave her, when Tala stepped in, saying the hit screwed things up, and that the arm wrestling incident happened during her last trip to Venice, then explained how I fell off the roof. The only thing she had to say to him before returning to my side was this: "Call a professional the next time you need to fix the roof!"

I thank whatever God was out there, looking after me, that my cousin was just as good, if not, a better liar than I was. Yes, I was kind of religious, but I didn't know how I could possibly serve him, so I tried my best to make good decisions. Yes, becoming a thief did not help me, but this wasn't just for my family in this house.

You'll learn when you learn who the clients are.

Anyway, just as Kali was about to leave, her father, as suspicious as usual when his daughter comes over, came in with a mask over his face, seeing if he got the truth. Tala re-explained the story of the injuries, then he went to questioning Lee how I could have gotten as sick as I am now. Him being way better at lying than the rest of us combined, was able to explain an infection that probably came from the bush I supposedly fell on. Claimed he got a tox-screen, claiming that prescription medicine would help, and said shortest amount of time I was down was until the end of the week.

He went to an apology because he couldn't even catch Night Phoenix/me after he shot him/myself. I was a casual guy, but, even though I seemed interested in catching myself as much as he did, I was really happy with his spazz attack. This was a sign I was good at my job. I asked him if he got a blood sample, he claimed yes, but not enough of one to identify DNA. I said it's better than nothing, and it meant the phoenix/I might slip up again if he keeps the way he's going. This put him in a good enough mood to leave with Kali, quietly.

I always felt that her Dad liked me a lot more than when we first met, simply because I keep him entertained. That wouldn't be much of a surprise...

Anyways, now I was lying down, feeling like shit, as Hillary was trying to have me drink her 'get well fast soup.' We all believed the name should have been changed to 'get stomach bug fast stew.' That stuff smelled like a fish left outside in a desert for a week; nasty!

"Hillary, go away! I don't want it!" I complained, sleepily. I swear, I sounded so much like Tyson, it wasn't funny, but if the chances are that me getting sick makes me tired, it is one of the end results.

"Oh, quit being whiny and just drink it! I swear, you sound like Tyson when I make him cut back on the food!" Oh, that was funny! Still, I refrained from opening my mouth, and she was trying to use one of her hands to pry it open.

Just when things were about to get ugly, Lee walked in, mask on, and eyes wide in horror when he saw Hillary with the soup canister. He ran up to her, hooked his arms with her shoulders, and began to drag her away. "Hillary, it's time for his medicine, and after taking, he can't be digesting anything! Please, leave him alone!" He insisted getting her out the door.

She seemed disappointed, but she grew a serious face. "Alright, but promise me you'll get him to drink it later!" She pressed on.

Lee let out a nervous chuckle. "Of course, you're get well soup never fails," he half stated, shutting the door, and waving at Hilary. Once shutting it, he let out a sigh of relief, his back to the door, "to kill the consumer digesting it!" He finished.

I laughed, softly. Ribs didn't hurt as much, but they still hurt. "Why'd you keep me sick for a week, anyways?" I asked, no higher than a whisper.

Lee scowled at me, before giving me the vengeful finger. "Payback for not listening me about sky raid escapes, and getting yourself hurt!" He answered. I rolled my eyes. I still didn't get how he and Ray were brothers, but I knew I'd find out sooner or later.

After I took the medicine, he left with the canister, and naturally, of course, I got bored.

Still, I was pretty bored, and there was nothing to do while everyone else was gone. And because I slept a lot, boredom had only come naturally. But, really, it could have been worse, and sadly, it got worse.

Tyson, walked in, a smirk behind the mask, with his arms behind his back. "What?" I croaked out.

Tyson's smirk only extended as he brought a book from behind his back. My eyes widened in terror. It was my journal. Cobalt blue, with a phoenix design on it, along with flames bursting around it.

No, this wasn't a diary! This was a journal with my writings in it. It had all of my inner thoughts in written down in poem, song, or short story. It was a hobby I developed, and the journal was for my eyes only, and for good reason. "I can't wait to see what you have to say about Kali, in here!" He stated, trying to budge it open.

"Number combo." I told him. That was encrusted in my head, so it wasn't written down anywhere. In all truth, it was pretty basic, but Tyson wouldn't figure it out; I'm not that complex, really, I choose to make people think that, and Tyson did think it, so naturally, he spent a good hour trying to crack it until Brian came in an hour later, swiping it from him, then kicking him out.

He put it underneath my pillow, patted my head, lightly, a grin on his face, then he left to screech at Tyson for bothering me.

I was slowly falling asleep soon after, Tyson's screams echoing like a lullaby as I thought one thing. "He spends way too much time with Tala..."


hope u've enjoyed!