Chapter 139: What Happened To My Friends?
Today I went to the mall to meet the group. It was Saturday, the kind of day where the air conditioning in the entrance feels like a slap of relief against the humid afternoon heat. I had called Sasha earlier to see if she wanted to hangout, but she said she was already there with the others.
They were tucked away inside the eatery, a bright spot filled with the smell of fried dough and over-roasted coffee. I spotted them from across the food court, huddled together, talking and laughing so hard I could see Sasha’s shoulders shaking. But the moment they saw me weaving through the tables, the laughter died. It didn’t just fade; it stopped like someone had pulled the plug on a speaker. By the time I reached the table, they were acting all calm, eyes fixed on the table or the ceiling.
I slid into the booth, the seat sticking slightly to my jeans, and greeted them as usual. They responded at the same time, a chorus of "Hey" and "Hi" that sounded way too rehearsed. It was suspicious. Haley and Sasha were suddenly fascinated by the plastic-coated menu, staring at the pictures of burgers and shakes like they were trying to solve a complex math equation.
I turned to Malo, who was leaning back, tapping furiously on his phone screen.
"What’s wrong? Did something happen? Why is the vibe like this?" I asked. I could feel the prickle of annoyance under my skin. I already suspected something was off, and their silence was just confirming it.
"No, nothing," the three of them said at the same time. It was like some weird choir-type shit, perfectly timed and totally fake.
"Yeah, something’s definitely wrong, because why are you all acting so awkward?" I said. I felt a sting of offense. We were supposed to be a team, but right now, I felt like a stranger at the table. "What were you guys talking about before you saw me?"
No one answered. Sasha bit her lip and Haley adjusted her ponytail. Now I knew for a fact they were hiding something big.
"Malo?" I looked at him, right at his profile. He was sitting right beside me, but he felt a thousand miles away.
"I’m currently working on our next Beast Morph hunt. Just taking notes, so..." he trailed off and focused back on his phone, his thumb moving in a blur.
I turned my attention to the girls, waiting for one of them to crack.
"Hey, the mini turkey sandwich sounds delicious. Let me go order that real quick," Sasha said. She slide out so fast.
"What the fuck is happening?" I muttered to myself.
After some time, while we were sitting there picking at the food we ordered, my mind was still stuck on that heavy silence from earlier. Were they hiding a secret? Or were they actually pushing me out of the group? The thoughts ran through my head like a runaway train. I realized that today, I had no idea they were even meeting at the mall until I called. We have a group chat for a reason, but when I checked my phone, there wasn’t a single new message.
So how did they contact each other? And since when were Malo and Sasha even friends? They usually just tolerated each other because of me. They were leaving me out for a reason, and the not-knowing was making my stomach churn.
"So, last night... how was the club?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"It was the best friday club night ever!" Sasha blurted out before I could even finish.
"I was asking Malo," I said slowly, my eyes narrowing. Then the realization hit me. "Wait, you went to the club? All of you?"
I turned back to Malo, tapping his shoulder hard. "And you, why didn’t you wait for me yesterday? I told you I was coming."
"You were taking too long, Faye. You said you wanted to shower and dress, not spend an eternity bathing. I didn’t want to miss what happened. I was even a minute late as it was," he said, finally looking up with an unapologetic shrug.
I just stared at him, my mouth agape. I was ready. I just had that long, emotional talk with my brother. Malo could’ve at least shouted my name or knocked on the door one more time, and I would’ve come running out. Instead, he just ditched me.
"What about Princess? Did she achieve her goal yesterday?" I asked, my frustration momentarily pushed aside by excitement. "I want all the details."
Finally, Sasha sighed, a long, heavy sound. She looked at the others before speaking, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"Faye, don’t freak out about what we’re about to tell you..."
"...Why would I freak out? Is she okay?"
"Last night, my brother knelt down to Princess," Haley said. She actually looked happy about it, a small smile playing on her lips. I stared at her, confused.
"Why are you happy? That’s your brother, right?"
"Not just to Princess. He did it in front of everyone in the middle of the floor. He was begging, Faye. Promising to cancel his contract with Leo right then and there," Sasha added, her eyes wide with the memory.
"Yes. Princess now has full control again. Leo has given her the official right to host the Friday night underground races," Malo said. He looked genuinely satisfied.
Wow. They were all happy, and honestly, so was I. This was a good thing, a great thing. Princess got her power back. This means we can finally have a normal relationship, something steady. Not just because of the pups or the marking, but as my actual girlfriend.
Yeah, the thought came out fast, but I realized I really did want to be her girlfriend. She called me family at the Kings cemetery, and I wanted to make her my family too. I wanted us to date, for real.
"Wow, what made that punk Antonio actually bend the kneel to Princess?" I asked. I was already deeply regretting not going last night. I missed the climax of the whole season.
"His dirty secret was filmed. Princess had the footage and used it on him. Antonio had no choice but to obey or be ruined," Malo said.
A dirty secret. My mind raced. How bad could it be that a guy like Antonio had to get on his knees? I looked at Haley again.
"He’s your brother, right? So why are you so happy about him getting blackmailed?"
"Antonio is my stepbrother, and he’s a total jerk. He bullies me every chance he gets at home. I’m happy because he told Dad this morning to prepare his transfer papers. He’s leaving Oakland to finish high school and college abroad. He’s finally leaving," Haley explained, her voice full of relief.
"So... does anyone actually know what the dirty secret was?" I asked, leaning in.
"No. That was the deal. He steps down, he leaves, and the secret stays hidden forever. It was a clean transaction," Malo said.
"Okay..." I muttered, trying to process the win. I still wanted to know the secret, obviously, but this didn’t explain why they were acting so weird around me. "I’m not freaking out, Sasha. This is good news."
Sasha looked at Malo. They exchanged a long, heavy glance that made my heart sink.
"Faye... there was another transaction," Malo said. He started scratching the back of his neck, a nervous habit he has.
"...Okay." Now I was fully alert, every muscle in my body tensed. I had a sinking feeling I wasn’t going to like the rest of this story.
"Someone filmed Antonio’s dirty secret. Someone who helped Princess. And in exchange for that footage, they made a deal to get back together with Princess," Malo said.
"But not as an item, nothing romantic!" Sasha quickly added, waving her hands.
"What the fuck does that even mean? Get back together how?" I felt the blood start to boil in my ears.
"The Trios are back together," Malo blurted out.
"What the fuck?!"
