12 days before the job

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It a brand new morning and the smell of sizzling eggs makes me float out of my bed into the living room.

And there is my baby Minnie, flipping eggs, while our taller twin is standing next to her, serving rice from the rice cooker into plastic bowls Dhara and I picked up at a store very similar to Walmart.

Ugh, Walmart.

"Gimme the goodies," I adjust my pajama pants before gracefully setting my flat butt on top of the kitchen counter.

Minnie smiles, "Good morning sunshine," And she hands me a cup of black coffee. Just what I need to start my day.

Jian places a cup of rice in front of me, with a fried egg on top of it. Plus there's a smiley made by cutting up seaweed.

Perfect.

"What have I done to deserve this treatment?" I place a hand on my chest.

"I'm just trying to prove that I would be one hell of a housewife," He shows me his perfect set of teeth in a full smile.

I pick up my chopsticks just as Alby and Ariadne make an appearance. Alby thanks Jian for the rice while Ariadne just scoops up milk and cereal.

Blaise enters next, and without looking at any of us, she picks up the coffee mug and pours herself a cup.

The infernal twin tries to serve her a cup of rice but she's already out of the room, so he's left staring at the cup of rice with a little smiley on it.

This just makes it all the more depressing.

Rey snatches that bowl up and then offers to make Jian some coffee. I warn him that he'll be bouncing off the walls. Yuxian hops into the kitchen and declares that he is up to the challenge.

I drag his sorry ass out of the kitchen because I can't have any hacker out of control.

And till then Jian has drunk a cup.

And oh Lord he's speaking faster than I've heard him speak.

"So I used just a teaspoon of sunflower oil, and I fried it till the albumin becomes faded white in color and I leave the yolk running and I put salt and pepper and a some sesame oil and sesame seeds and just a little ramen seasoning and-"

"But... I didn't even ask for the recipe... " Dharuna cuts him off.

Fucking great.

Yuxian takes his coffee and joins Blaise who is now standing at the balcony, and the two of them smile at each other while talking, Blaise nodding her head from time to time, while Yuxian uses a million hand gestures.

"Seriously why is she smiling so much, has she lost it?" Pandora siddles up next to me, making me jump a little.

"I dont know, love's a beautiful thing," Elara walks up next to Pandora.

"You think it's love?" Jian comes to my left, his eyebrows are cringed together, making his forehead crease.

"What else could make the grinch smile?" Ariadne walks up next to Jian.

"Maybe he drugged her coffee," Rey offers from behind our backs.

Everyone turns to stare at Rey.

She shrugs, "It's a very real possibility. Have you seen the effect of ecstasy?"

"Well, she does have a good point," Minji comes to Rey's aid.

"I vote for the drug theory as well," Monique calls out from where she's sitting at the dining table.

We turn to watch Dharuna who is quietly stuffing her face. She is the only one who hasn't made a comment.

She turns her stuffed cheeks towards us, "What?"

"Move aside, move aside, let the expert analyse," Alby shoves Jian aside to stand right next to me and she stares at the two.

"The conversation seems friendly. Both of their postures are relaxed. The pupils are their normal size, a tad bit smaller because of the sun. They are not making direct eye contact though... Hmmm.... That could mean something.... "

Cassandra shoves Jian further away and stands next to Alby, "You idiot, Blaise never makes eye contact, it's totally normal.... Oh no wait they are making direct eye contact they are discussing something important."

"Blaise's posture has changed up as well," Alby investigates, "She looks a little... Like a deer in headlights."

I look at the two, and I kinda agree.

"You can read the lips right?" Alby turns to Cassandra.

"The sunlight is being a bitch," Cassie counters while squinting hard, "Yuxian is saying... 'All... of... pen.... Aah...watching...'

Yeah... The two of them are now looking at us.

Just then Yuri walks in front of us with her tooth brush still in her mouth, "Did I miss something?"

"Uhh who wants pancakes?" Minnie calls out, and all of us scramble away.

****

"Did you seriously just drag a deck chair in here?" Rey asks Pandora as I lift the seat covers of the motorboat.

Pandora unfolds the chair, "Is it my fault that you are too dumb to ever be prepared?"

"Why are you even here?" I ask, mustering up as much courage as I can.

Jian looks at the sky, "Perfect tanning weather, you know?"

I turn to him, "And why are you not with Blaise and Yuxian?"

He shrugs, "My system overheated, it needs time to get back to normal. Plus they are doing fine."

"Yeah, being a third wheel is very annoying," Yuri says, fumbling with the keys. Jian gives her a big frown but nods slightly.

Yuri and I had arrived first to the docks, to scout escape routes, and we had only asked Rey to come, for a little extra help, but she showed up with Pandora and Jian alongside her.

"Also, where the fuck did you get a motorboating license?" Rey asks Yuri.

"Where the fuck did you get the motorboat?" Jian adds on.

"Where the fuck did you get your deck chair?" I point to Pandora.

"Wait where the fuck did he get a harpoon gun?" Rey points at Jian who is now holding a crossbow with a harpoon on it.

He shrugs then points to the trunk of the motorboat, "There's also a couple assault rifles and a box of TNT."

All of turn to Yuri who has made arrangements for the boat. She shrugs her own shoulders.

"Must we waste our time quizzing each other?" Yuri tosses a sparkling water to Pandora from the cooler, "Relax, tan, enjoy and please don't get in my way when I'm trying to plan routes, okay?"

"You don't disturb me," Pandora warns.

Yuri does a salute, "Yes Ma'am."

And now Kai decides to make an appearance standing on the dock, holding a file, "Here's the docking schedule of the next two weeks, plus the security shifts."

I stare at her, "You got these so fast?"

Kai shrugs, "I just ran up to them and told them I saw drugs on a cruise ship. Disappeared after not telling them which ship. They are searching every ship."

Damn, didn't know it would be that easy.

"I made copies and replaced them, but I didn't have gloves," She looks at me apologetically.

I shake my head, "That's fine but be more careful next time. You had a face mask I hope?"

"Of course."

"Hey bestie! Wanna join?" Yuri calls out to Kai.

Kai surveys the boat with her nose wrinkled, "I don't know... "

Rey holds up a can of coke, "We got the ice cooler!"

"And sunscreen," Pandora adds.

"And assault rifles and TNT," Jian has the audacity to add.

"Interesting," Kai replies, looking over at Jian.

****

I am ashamed to say this, but now all of us are lying down on boat, with sunscreen on our bodies.

Except for Yuri and the infernal twin. Yuri is driving around, while Jian is too tall to fit anywhere. Ha ha. Tall people problems, can't relate.

I shift my head to put my left cheek up because the right cheek is really hot now. I shift my hat to cover my eyes a little better as the boat rocks lightly on the calm waters.

"The sky is so... blue," Rey decides to randomly comment, "It's so... high."

"Just like you are," Kai says before sitting upright.

"Hey now, I've never done drugs... Okay maybe once... " Rey drifts off into deep slumber.

I shift myself a little and put my head in Kai's lap, and she begins to stroke my hair. It slowly makes me sleepy as well.

"Excuse me Leesh, stop being a leech and get off my babe," I see Yuri's face above.

"Get lost driver girl," I wave my hand in front of my face as if I'm shooing a fly.

"You're mean," Yuri scoffs and Kai chuckles lightly, making my head move with her body.

"Okay, let's change the topic, give me the gossip of the gangs, tall guy," Pandora addresses Jian.

He thinks for a moment, "You know Hugo? From Wen Gang? He knocked up the driver of the Wu Gang."

Kai's eye widen, "What? He knocked up Mo? What the fuck?"

He smiles, "Yeah, the Wu gang tried to kill the guy when he tried to abandon Mo."

"The prick deserves it," Pandora scoffs.

"And my friend Paul worked in Russia with this scary gang. They put roofies in his vodka and he found himself naked on the train tracks of the Trans Siberian track the next afternoon. He lost a foot to frostbite."

Wow, brutal.

"That's one hardcore prank," Rey comments, sipping on a can of sparkling water.

Yuri perks up, "Who wants to bet Blaise and Yuxian will hookup before the job or after the job?"

"Before!" Rey puts her hand up, "I'm putting a hundred on before."

"I got a hundred on after," Kai comments.

They turn to look at me, I glance at Jian looking out at the sea. It's his twin we're talking about, must make him uncomfortable.

"Never, I got a hundred on never," I say confidentally and Jian gives me a sideways glance.

"Interesting," Yuri says, "Okay, I am the betkeeper. Pandora is the witness. Shake on it, gamblers."

Kai, Rey and I join our hands together in a three way handshake.

Suddenly the boat lurches violently to the right and Yuri apologises frantically while taking the helm again, as we slightly knocked into a rock.

"Be careful dude we got TNT in here," Jian calls out with a frown, but his facial expressions have become extremely cold now.

He usually has a snarky smile and bright mischievous eyes, but now I can just see the urge to go back ashore, in those calf brown eyes.

Maybe Elara's theories can be taken into consideration.

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Ahhhh I really liked writing this one! Hope all of you liked it as well :)

I would love any kind of feedback guys, it really helps