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“Of course. Thank you again,” he repeats, and my body relaxes, relief coursing through it now that the conversation has finished.
“I’m glad I can help.”
Perfect. Everything’s worked just as I had planned. Now I just have to hope that Roland likes his money and business as much as I expect him to.
Chapter 31 – Cinquantaquattro
Val
I stand on the sidewalk, facing the partially empty street. The trees sway through the current, their leaves flying off and onto the floor occasionally. The cold breeze sends a chill through my body. Despite the weather, I’m wearing a tight jeans skirt that stops above my knee, and a white knit sweater with each sleeve folded up once. Today, I decide to take a tote bag instead of a normal bag, since Ellie spilled soda on it and it needed to be cleaned. The tote bag’s color matches my boots: baby pink. Everyone says winter is a season for dark colors, but I say no thank you. The brighter the colors, the brighter the mood.
A black car then pulls over in front of me, opening the door to reveal the empty passenger seat, as well as a dead-looking boy who looks like he had to drag himself out of bed to be here. I walk to the car and sit in the passenger’s seat, before the door automatically closes. I turn to Lorenzo, who’s looking into thesmall mirror as he attempts to calm down the mess his hair is in. He gives up, turning to me and smiling.
“You look dead. And you’re here early,” I point out. He said he’d be here ten minutes before school started since we only need two minutes to get there. But then I got a message from him, thirty minutes earlier, saying he was on his way.
“I look dead because I came here early. I don’t get how you wake up at the crack of dawn and have the energy to wear your wig and all those extra disguises.” He waves his hand at me, circling it. He then places his hand on the steering wheel and continues concentrating on the road.
I take the tote bag off my shoulder and place it in front of my legs. “So, why are you here early then?” I ask him.
“So we can get to school early and see if the plan worked or not. Elias told me Roland had a meeting with Vid Vibez yesterday, so I need answers,” he stresses, using both hands to grip the steering wheel now.
Why is he stressed about the plan working? I mean, I get it, he’s Elias’s friend. But he’ll find some way to stop him from leaving. This is only the first plan we executed. We’ll figure out something else if it doesn’t work.
“You’re more stressed about the plan working than I am.”
He turns his head, blinking repeatedly. I shrug my shoulders in confusion, and he sighs, turning back to look at the road. “Because, if it doesn’t work, you’ll use more time you obviously don’t have just to find a new plan, and that will just stress you out,” he explains, keeping his eyes on the road. Wow. Rude how he just reads me like it’s nothing.
I frown, straightening my neck. “I already have a backup plan, jokes on you,” I murmur, to which he sneers.
We enter the school’s parking lot, where Lorenzo stops the car in an empty space. The engine turns off, and we both walk into the school, continuing to our normal spot.
When we get there, we see Elias and Aurora, who’s expressions are unclear from a distance. Elias is sitting down on the floor, cross-legged as usual. Aurora, on the other hand, is standing up and facing him. I try to see any sign of emotion, but their faces are practically blurred from this distance. Lorenzo and I both look at each other. He purses his lips, and we both continue walking toward them.
“Hello Elias. Aurora. Good morning to both of you,” Lorenzo greets, causing them to turn both their heads and look at us. I pin my arms at my stomach, attempting to read the room and guess whether our plan worked.
I get a glance at Aurora, who looks both distressed and relieved at the same time. Her lips are tight, and her expression is tense. That is before she suddenly approaches Lorenzo and squeezes him in a hug. Lorenzo stands still, almost paralyzed by the act. He looks at me, confused.
I shift my gaze to Elias, who is looking at Aurora and Lorenzo with a soft, almost unrecognizable smile. I think that means good news. I mean, why else would Elias be smiling, unless it’s a smile of sadness and Aurora is hugging Lorenzo because she’s had some bad news.
“Am I missing something?” Lorenzo asks, looking around. Aurora lets him go and stands in front of him.
“Thank you. Thank you so much,” she repeats, and I let out a breath in relief. At least whatever the news is, it’s positive now. Thank God. I didn’t want to have caused any more problems than I already have.
Lorenzo moves his head to stare at Elias, giving him aexplain nowlook. Elias pushes himself up from the ground and stands up, dusting his clothes. His normal clothes. Not his unusual, casual clothes.
“My father changed the plan, and we’re not moving anymore,” he announces. My heart rate slows down, and theknot in my stomach unties. It worked. Thank God, my plan worked. Lorenzo’s right, I didn’t have time to think of another plan.
I spot Lorenzo’s grin, and he peeks at me and raises his eyebrows, a grin of success forming on his mouth. “Finally Roland came to his senses,” Lorenzo states.
“You promised to tell me how you did it,” Elias reminds Lorenzo.
“You’re not moving, that’s what is important now,” Lorenzo tells him, but Elias raises an eyebrow at him in demand for an answer. Lorenzo rolls his eyes, taking a step to the side. He raises his arm, wrapping it around my shoulders.
“Well, I can’t take all the credit,” he tells them. He’s acting like I hadn’t talked to him about the plan and asked him to keep my part in it a secret. Is he trying to expose me?
“What the hell are you doing? I said take credit,” I whisper to his ear.
“Trust me,” he leans closer and whispers back, before looking back at them and announcing, “It was Vi’s idea.”
