Chapter 917 Parked

Chapter 917 Parked

Today has been quite a strange day.

A strange day, indeed.

Worst part was I didn't even know why it was, to begin with.

Like I've been blindfolded, wrapped tight with a double knot for good measure, but the material's just thin enough squashing into my eyeballs that I could just vaguely tell what was what but never really any more than that.

Woke up this morning to find out half the residents of the house seemingly had vacated the premises, then discovered they were called into a super secret, covert gathering halfway across town held by one Amanda 'Criminal Mastermind' Collins, and like, I can't even begin to describe how the entirety of my being quickly morphed into a brimming, swallowing vessel sucking up nothing but the worst kinds of bad feelings.

And when Ash returned a little while later in the middle of noon, just imagine my surprise—the utter SHOCK—when she told me nothing, nada! The betrayal!

Okay, that wasn't exactly accurate. The moment I started hounding her about it, the devastating battlefield of emotions that had waged on her expression between her unwavering loyalty to me and her presumably recent fealty to Amanda's organization got so bad, that, out of guilt, I had to just let her off the hook before I could even finish my sentence.

Ultimately, I'm sure she would have spilled the beans to me eventually. But I wasn't about to make a snitch out of the honorable Knight and have her bore the brand and shame of being one just to satiate my own curiosities.

I decided I was gonna find out some other way.

And that was when I got to call.

"Meet me in front of the station after I get off work today. Park your bike somewhere out front but not in front and wait. I'll be there."

Irene. Like some sort of demon evoked alone by the utterance of her name. Manifesting herself into the mystery, my empty schedule, with a literal time and place.

<<6 pm>> came her follow-up text immediately right after. <<Bring a spare helmet.>>

Guess it was fortunate I recently went and bought another helmet just the other day. Figured it was about time. Was anticipating I might have a use for it soon—today being my off and all—but never expected needing it for this. Whatever this was. Just another mystery to add to the pile.

And that's not even mentioning the things that happened in my sleep before today went and drenched me awake with a swirling bucket of ice-cold oddities.

Getting clearer by the hour that I've got a bunch of things to unravel, but one thing at a time, I suppose.

Which brings us to the now: parked just around the corner from the police station, leaning idly against my bike, taking in the fumes of the evening rush hour while making extra careful to not be perceived as some kind of bomb threat by the occasional officer flinging me the side eye.

So far, January felt like dredging awake from a long, long slumber. The city streets chugging along with an almost infectious flow of persistent lethargy.

It was getting warmer too, still snowed every now and then, but every downpour had been getting shorter, every blanket of snow thinner. The sun's up there actually visible now, teasing us all through broken clouds with the glint and promise of springtime.

A quarter past six. My phone kept reminding me of every minute's pass in the corner of the screen, like an alarm, an extra push, swiping my thumb towards her contacts and drumming the words, 'You're late'. But I stayed my fingers. Last thing I wanna do was rush her, busy gal like her... she's got good reasons for everything even if I don't know them.

"Oh, well, well, well... just who do we have here?" noVE-lB-In

I quickly looked right up, my whirling gaze immediately assaulted by a blend of bright colors. I recognized those faces, those waggish smirks, and those six-legged struts.

"Should have known, should have guessed," the Blue one marched out of the pack, flanking my right. "So this is the reason why we got an early leave today."

"Was just telling ya, wasn't I?" chuckled Green, pincering my left. "She's always got good reasons for every little thing."

Red was the only one who stayed in place, wearing a small smile that was by far the lesser of both evils besetting me, greeting me softly, "Hello, Boyfriend."

Three actual officers of the law left, right, and center, but why does it feel like I'm about to be hustled by some gangbangers instead? Doesn't help that the glint in their eyes seems to be seeing fresh prey.

"Happy New Year to you too," I said, struggling to keep my eyes on all of them at once. "Will Irene be coming out soon?"

"Why?" Blue raised her brows. "There a date tonight?"

"Tryna' make up for ghosting her on Christmas?" Green added.

"She's clearing up..." Red answered, coincidentally, also my favorite color right at that moment. "She's never left this early before..."

"That so?"

"Didn't answer the question there," Blue inched closer. "Where are you two heading off to on this fine, romantic evening?"

"Guess is as good as mine, officer," I told her. "She's the one that told me to be here on time."

"What? So you ain't even the one that asked her out today?!" Green started tutting, hands fastening firmly on her hips. "No good. Not good. Was seriously expecting to hear the other way around."

"No, come on, girls. I didn't come all the way out here to be judged and juried, please," I pleaded with them, getting more exasperated as their stares grew heavier. "What—so ladies can't take the initiative no more? That they shouldn't? Is that what you're all trying to say?"

"Sometimes' just fine," replied Blue with a nod to my retort. "But it can never be, shouldn't be all the time. Most crucial aspect. Balance. That's what we're trying to say."

Green stepped up, arms crossed and head condescendingly high. "And mister, since the day we met, I'm afraid you've been caught sorely lacking on that front."

Yeah, got it exactly right all right. I was being hustled here.

"No relationship is ever one-to-one with what you typically see, alright? Just because you don't see me asking her out doesn't mean we're falling apart," I said, clambering behind a makeshift shield of reasons. "Plus, this is Irene we're talking about. You're there with her arguably more than me. You know how she is."

"Yes, exactly..." Red stood over me, that once comforting color, that once sweet smile, shifting to darker, bleaker shades. "We all know how she is, but shouldn't it be you who should know more?"

The thing is I do. More than they could ever imagine. But I don't think the thing they're talking about is the same as what I was thinking about.

"And how do you know I don't?" I asked anyway.

"Answered your own question just now, didn't you...?" she said, sweet and simple as can be. "We're with her more than you, aren't we?"

God, just where the hell did Irene find these girls?

Even when they're wrong, somehow, they're still right.