The third point of view

"So are you in or out? Trust me when I say I don't need chickens in this team"

Pedro was in a dilemma, he was the oldest amongst them, so was supposed to make the right decision yet Isabella had a way with words and could be quite persuasive.

"You're running out of time" Isabella tapped her foot impatiently, she didn't have much patience left.

The more time they spent indecisively, the faster Maya was liable to catch them being alone in a secluded corner of the kitchen - a telltale sign of their impending mischief.

"What's your plan?" Pedro finally inquired which brought a smile to her lips.

"Simple, we have our fun while Maya's still distracted"

"What?"

"From my hypothesis, your mother Cecil, my aunt Emily and granny is sure to keep Maya busy and preoccupied enough not to notice our disappearance - "

"That is all?" Anabelle was quick to ask.

"That is not 'all' because you interrupted me before I was through with my words" she scolded Anabelle who bit back the rest of her questions.

"As I was saying before I was interrupted" Isabella stressed her words, intentionally maintaining eye contact with her cousin.

"It would create suspicion if we all left at once so, I would be the first to leave for Maya's room and secure the target - the Martini" she went on, gesturing to several points on a made believe invisible map on the counter.

"After that, Pedro would be the second to slip out unnoticed. He would head to the kitchen and grab three glasses from the shelf before grabbing the rest of the ice - "

"The ice in the bucket has been used up" Pedro pointed out, "Maya used them all on her juices"

"Fine, we'd use pre-formed cubes from the freezer tray" She suggested.

"Why do we need ice for the martini, when we could drink it like that?" Anabelle began her one of a kind questions.

Pedro's mouth quirked, from the way Isabella's face had contorted, Anabelle was about to receive one of her special lashings.

An irritated yet covered up with a fake smile stretched her face, "Why we need ice?" Isabella questioned her back, lifting her brow, "Then, why do we wear undies even after we put on pants?"

Anabelle rubbed her chin, beginning to think, "There are a variety of reasons why we wear panties but the most apparent function is to act as a barrier between one's bits and bottom layers"

A cruel smirk crossed Isabella's features, "So you're this smart yet you keep leaving me LOST FOR WORDS!"

Ugh! Isabella formed her hands into paws as if she wanted to claw out her younger cousin's eyes out of irritation.

Anabelle quietly wiped away the saliva ejected on her face. She pouted her lips like a falsely accused prisoner. How was it her fault that she was overly curious and her senses kept going in and out like a network status bar?

"Since you're so good with socializing, you'd keep the unsuspecting women busy for about five minutes before making your departure." Isabella, the chief superintendent of their little impromptu squad commanded her and added, "Make sure they're engrossed in the discussion before taking your leave, understood"

"Yes sir, yes sir!" Anabelle stood at attention, saluting Isabella theatrically.

Isabella facepalmed, she considered removing her cousin but she was afraid of this little moron throwing a tantrum and exposing their rendezvous.

Isabella clapped "Now, everyone spread out. To your position in one, two - "

Annabelle looked left and out cautiously before she did a flip, then rolled out of the kitchen which made Isabella's and Pedro's jaws drop.

Their eyes met and held, they began to communicate telepathically: what was wrong with that girl, did she think they were acting a spy movie or what?

The chief superintendent shook her head and left, making her way towards Maya's room which wasn't locked as expected, mwahaha.

It wasn't hard to find the drink because Maya didn't know how to hide stuff or perhaps it was the fact, she didn't have any hiding place in this room of hers that was equivalent to her walk-in closet back at home.

"Gotcha!" She exclaimed, pulling out the bottle and half of her body from under the bed.

"Now, we wait"

Isabella leaned against the bed, waiting for her accomplices to arrive and as planned, Pedro was the first to come into the room.

"Here they are," Pedro said and passed a small bucket to Isabella which contained the cocktail glasses, ice cubes, and apple slices.

He shrugged when he saw the girl's gaze settle on the fresh apple pieces.

"I thought you would want to garnish the drinks with the apples like they do in the movies"

A smile curved Isabella's face,

"Great minds think alike" she gave him a thumbs up.

Since Anabelle would be arriving soon, Isabella decided to prepare the drinks in advance.

She grabbed the appletini and poured the electric green liquid into the three glasses. Adding cubed ice, she stirred until the martini was chilled before moving ahead with the garnishing.

As if on cue, Anabelle stepped into the room just as Isabella was through with the drinks, sweating and heaving as if she ran a marathon.

"Why are you breathing like a gorilla with a deviated septum?" Isabella frowned.

Anabelle plonked to the ground exhausted, "If you think it's easy to make conversation with three grown adults and shake grandma off my tail, you can go try yours"

Isabella thought over it, "Well, you do make sense" she noticed Maya's granny was really clingy.

"But don't worry" Anabelle waved her away, "I sweet-talked her into leaving"

Well, maybe Anabelle does have some usefulness. Though Isabella wondered what she said to Granny for her to leave her precious granddaughter Maya and head home.

"Alright, no time to waste. Grab your glasses, everyone" Isabella urged them.

"Are we going to toast as Daddy does on ceremonial occasions?" Anabelle asked with a hint of excitement.

"Yes, Anabelle. That is what we're obviously about to do" Isabella gestured to their glasses lifted in the air. She mumbled under her breath, "I wonder sometimes whether a zombie ate your brain "

"So cool" Anabelle cooed, not minding her cousin's exasperated look.

"To our first coming of age alcoholic drink ever - well, to you guys to be precise" Isabella pointed out the fact that this wasn't her first time.

"Fine," Pedro groaned.

"To our first coming of age alcoholic drink" The trio chorused, clicked glasses, and proceeded to drink from it.

Isabella threw her head back and finished the content in one gulp.

Pedro glimpsed at her and followed her step, scrunching up his face afterward when he felt a mysterious warmth journey down his throat.

Anabelle stared at the both of them inquisitively, took a large sip yet wrinkled her nose.

"It tastes sweet yet sour and I feel the burn in my throat" Innocent Anabelle felt her throat with her hand.

"What are you drinking, water? Milk? You're drinking alcohol, dumbhead" Isabella said sarcastically.

"It feels awful yet it feels good and did I forget to mention the apple taste is so good" observed Anabelle.

She savored her drink slowly, taking the sliced apple into her mouth.

"This drink has a much gentler flavor and lower alcohol content which I hope you both don't get drunk from," Isabella told them while downing another glass.

"I need a refill" Pedro lifted his cup which made Anabelle finish hers in a hurry, presenting her cup quickly to the superintendent.

"Me too"

"This is not milk" Isabella warned both.

"Please"

"Fine, a second glass, and we're done. Better we keep some for Maya before she goes gaga when she finds out - half bread is better than none"

So, Isabella poured out the drinks for the second time and the third for herself.

"I'm curious about something," asked Pedro who currently had a flush on his cheeks and eyes going unfocused.

"Sure, go ahead" Isabella shook the dizziness out of her eyes.

He pointed at her, "Why do we two always follow you into danger every time"

Isabella began to laugh but burped in-between," Because I'm the alpha female and you two losers" she pointed sluggishly at Pedro and Anabelle, " Are my followers - you are my beta and my moronic cousin, the omega "

"I-I no omega " Anabelle's words slurred and stood to her feet unsteadily.

"Where are you going?" Isabella eyed her because she moved, stumbling about like an intoxicated person.

"Pee, bathroom" she pointed with no sense of direction.

"That is not the toilet..."

Isabella watched Anabelle head to Maya's wardrobe, swing the double door open, and locked herself in.

"Great" Isabella slapped her forehead and threw up her hands in surrender, "I give up"

She was yet to recover from the shock when she felt a weight on her shoulder. Pedro was relaxing against her, his hot breath fanning her neck.

Her eyes narrowed, "What are you doing?"

Pedro ignored her question, instead focused all his attention on his hand threading through her hair.

"Why do you look beautiful?" Came his strange question.

"Why? You don't like it?"

"No, I like it. But you're a devil - where's your horn?"

Isabella yanked away his hand searching her forehead for the so-called horn out of irritation. This was not how she planned this, these losers ruined everything - they couldn't handle the little alcohol.

"Shit" Isabella cursed when she heard Maya's voice coming in the direction of the room.

Drunk or not, she sprang up to her feet like a cat causing Pedro to drop to the ground since he has been using her body for support.

"What should I do?" She panicked until an idea came into her mind.

It was obvious Maya would pull her ear and would take the brunt of the punishment because she's the only one awake during the peak of Maya's anger - they would face this together.

With lightning speed, Isabella dragged and pushed Pedro under the bed, alongside every evidence of their little drinking fun before joining him.

The door clicked open at that moment but Isabella was secured under the bed which had bed linen that hid them from view.

She just hoped that Anabelle's bladder was full enough to keep her in that wardrobe till Maya left.