They Called Me FIVE

LANCE

It was already 3am when I get back. The light was off. The building was silent. No one greeted me at the door with a scary face. No Beast is pacing in the ground trying to flip new fixed furnitures. 

I can't understand why Dad wanna repair the old broken ones, instead of buying new. Even though our stay here will last six months tops, I still want to experience eating at a very sturdy table, not unbalanced leg put together by hammered nails. I want to sit in a soft not easily braking couch. I wanna sleep at a foamy comfortable bed, not the broken one I have in my room.

Dad said he repaired it. He forgot to mention one heavy move and I'll be sent toppling down the floor. I wasn't in the mood for early morning pizza snack. My head can't keep up to the happenings surrounding me lately. 

I need some sleep. To rest. My tired body can't process anything right now. I didn't bother turning the lights on. Just take the creaking stairs. Once or twice I catch movement at the corner of my eye. A tendency in the dark. 

Our mind will always play at us in the dark. Letting us think about that shadow just moved. And you won't sleep through morning because you're too scared to close your eyes. Or open them once and the figure you imagined is staring down at ya.

I kicked my door opened. It hit the nearby wall with a loud thud. I crack my neck. Yawn and carefully crawl to my bed. Pillows smells like me. Sheets smell like me. But my room smells like dead rats are dancing at each other dead bodies. 

Or cockroaches mating. I saw them everyday. Having one big happy family to my closet. And one happy love making every night. I groaned. The last thought that passed through my brain is Meira's naked back.

I've finally done it. I'm done being a virgin. I should see her tomorrow. Ask why she brought me to the alleyway where Seven is. I reckon she saw her killing one time. Too scared to report Seven to the authorities, she kept the secret at the expense of her own safety. 

Poor Meira. Because Seven was her friend she's willing to cover her up.

And on that night, I sleep like a log. 

***

I wake up to a sky with no sun except dark thunder clouds clapping each other in the butt. Giving 'good morning' greetings to one another. I sat up. I stretch. I yawn. Three knocks at the door. 

"Lance?" It's Dad. 

"Hurry up, breakfast downstairs. You'll be late for school." 

"Coming!" I haven't gotten used to this routine. Unlike before, our trainings are moved to the afternoon, right after school. Yesterday was just an exception. They're out of town. And I'm out having sex. 

Great night. I smiled like an idiot. Then after that… 

Wait, did something happen after that?

My memory is vague. I remember I went to another place. I certainly meet someone. Who was it again? 

"Lance!" 

"I'm up. I'm up." I stood on my bed and do the back flip I've mastered recently. One thing I found out recently, is I excel in acrobats. I can do push up with one hand. Then five fingers, then three. Having one finger was extremely difficult. 

I can jump in high places too. The first time I fought the Beast, I fell off the three storey building. Back then, I have someone to catch me from falling. So embarrassing. I remember thanking them..

Wait, who was that again? I think it was a girl…No, definitely a guy. Yep. A big dark guy with buffy muscles. Yep. Yep. Never saw the dude again after that. 

I hop to the corridors and went straight to the kitchen. Lista is on his apron. Holding ladle with one hand, and a pot cover in the other.

"You Lance, come here." He said, his nose flaring. Did I do something again?

"Yeah?" I took a seat opposite to Dad on the table.  With a bowl of oatmeal, milk chocolate drink for me and hot brewed coffee for Dad. Ever since Lista moved in with us he took it upon himself to cook us food. And he forbid Dad and me to eat pizza at breakfast. After training snacks were an exception. 

"What happen to dinner?" Lista slammed a icky bowl of chicken soup he prepared for me last night. Oops.

"Sorry, I forgot." I smiled sheepishly at him. He scowled. 

"What a bad liar. I know you don't skip meals. Especially not dinner. If you forget, and supposed you are, where's the messy stacked of pizza boxes in the living room? You both don't know how to clean up your trash. Heck, none of you knows how to hold a plate for dishwash nor a broom. So it's really impossible you ate pizza and throw it in the trash outside. By yourself. Be honest Lance, you're out last night weren't you? Where did you go?"     

Dad stopped eating. His strict expression resurface again. The one I always see before Lista came in to our house. I gulped. I should probably tell them the truth.

"In a girl's house. She's my classmate." Dad stood up abruptly. I panic.

"Believe me, I don't know how it happened. I was just hanging out with her.. and then it ended up with both of us sleeping in the same bed. Naked." 

Dad now assumed a murderous aura in his being. I shuddered. 

"I'm sorry." I murmured. I tried to slowly squirm out of my seat. For escape. Lista slammed his hand on the table. Cutting me the only possible route for escape.

Uh-oh.

"So you were out all night? Having se – se – sex?" Dad's stuttering so much some part of his coffee drips from his lips. He looks like he's about to explode. Lista looks like he's about to pass out.

"No, not all night. I came back home. At three in the morning." Another slam. This time coming from Dad.

"That's not the issue here. You do realize what you have done here?"  My hand's began to tremble.

"I'm sorry." 

"Did you use condoms?" Lista butted in.

I blinked. "Co – condoms?" 

"Yes, if you haven't. She'll end up getting pregnant. Have you heard of teenage pregnancy.?" 

I'm tempted to say 'Yes, a bunch of ear aching times. It's always the subject of every PE class.' But I remembered two important factors. One, Dad and Lista aren't from this world. Two, they're both virgins.

With me in the picture, that makes the three of us.