Free Elementary Virtue: The Prophecy by Sonja Wuthrich Page B

now. I am sure you will understand that, won't you my dear? You always have been such an understanding and nice kind of guy".
    Her voice dripped with sarcasm. Winking at him, she pushed the now clueless feeling Ana for the second time out of the apartment door. They left Carmine Grande speechless and Gabe gleefully grinning behind. It served the manipulative old geezer right, finally challenged by someone for once.

Family and Other Disasters
    Leyla tried to sneak unobtrusively into the house when she returned from her shopping trip with Ana. Only the thought of confrontation with Shannon and Franco made her feel sick and provoked slight nausea. When Ana asked her why she was grounded. Leyla had told her, that she would do everything in an exact manner if she had to. Leyla didn’t regret anything for one second that had been the truth. She would do it again. But, it also reminded her of how damn lonely she felt and that she hadn’t heard anything of Gregory since he left.
    She hoped that he arrived safely in Sicily and that he hadn’t jumped out from the frying pan into the fire. She tiptoed cautiously up the stairs to her room. Downstairs from the parlor, she heard voices. It sounded as if there was a fierce debate going on. The voices grew louder, and she heard someone sob, Leyla was sure that it was her aunt, Shannon. Sure thing, it was terrible for her not knowing where Gregory was. On top of everything, Shannon didn’t have a clue what was going on with the legend and all that other unreal stuff. She couldn’t admit or believe in the idea of him having abilities that were, let us say, out of normal. It was certainly easier not to deal with it at all.
    Leyla sighed and closed carefully the door behind her. She wanted to get some rest before she had to deal with her family, get a little private time, and stall the inevitable discussions. She lay on her bed tangled away in daydreaming. She imagined how she would flee with Ana to Switzerland and enjoy the bright blue sky and the cool mountain air in a beautiful mountain setting. That would really clear her head. Maybe all she needed was some change of sceneries. She could almost feel the cool air physically. When between the mountains of a clear turquoise lake Gregory’s face appeared in her daydream right in front of her. His eyes sparkled in so many shades of blue that she could not help but to stare at him hypnotized. He took her hand pulling her towards him when all of a sudden the lake became an erupting volcano. They both were in a sea of lava, and the fall into the crater seemed inevitable. Leyla awoke with a start she must have dozed off. Her phone was vibrating on the pillow beside her. It was Aiden, "Hey, how's it going?" Leyla sighed, "Real bad that much I can tell you. Gregory's step-parents have shown up, and I would do anything not having to talk to them. Getting out of their way for as long as possible, because I have no answer to their questions. Believe me. I am in deep shit."
    "Well then, in this case, I am sure that you like my plan. Brooklyn, Mila, and I have decided that you have soaked long enough in your misery and that it is time for you to get out among people. Besides, Shane is in town." Leyla laughed, but it sounded anything but happy, "Great and how do you think I will get out of here? Did it cross your mind, that I'm grounded?"
    "No problem, we have figured it all out. You did empty your bank account right? So I think your parents would appreciate it you had a job earning some money to stock up your empty account again." Leyla was suddenly wide-awake, "And what job will it be that makes me earn that much money on the fly?"
    "Did I say a word about making money on the fly? No, the job will take until the fall break, and we would all join in. There is this new Club where new bands get their chance to play, and they hire high school kids as waiters to keep up bartending service. Coincidentally, the owner is, what a surprise, a friend of my