Recovery

"Julio? The Lincoln...it's where I said it would be, in front of the park..Yes, come get it! What the hell do you think I'm calling you for? WTF?" click! "Man, he can be a real blonde!"

Reyna put down the phone and looked out of the passenger window at who Rica stared at. Caleb, Alexa and Tiara, two blocks away from the Lincoln they just parked. And there was Alexa, hugging Caleb.

“Hey? Is that girl hugging your boyfriend? Pffft! Hahaha, that one is Alexa right?” said Reyna.

Rica watched Alexa whisper in Caleb's ear and then, playfully, bite him.

“Haaa! I told you little anime girl, they smile in your face, and she is pretty, hee hee!”

“Mmm..”

Rica wasn't laughing. In her eleven year old heart, the boy she talked to hugged another girl. A pretty and popular girl. A girl that did not come with the excess baggage of being a contract killer. Rica could see, and understand, why Caleb would choose Alexa over herself.

“Hey! I'm talking to you!” said Reyna.

“Eh? I'm sorry?” Rica replied in a low voice.

“Rica! Stop overthinking and stay focused! I know I joke with you about school and your new friend but it's only fine provided you remember that this is business and he is a job, do you hear me?”

“Yes ma'am.”

Rica watched Alexa and Tiara separate from Caleb, as Caleb watched them walk away.

“Mom?”

"What?”

"After we're done with this job..can I.... can I stay in this school?”

"Eh?”

Reyna knew this would happen. Reyna's precious baby was growing up and socially interested in peers her own age, and other activities outside of Reyna and the business of killing. She understood this, and ever affectionate, she rubbed Rica's hair and spoke softly.

"Baby face, I really don't have a reason to say no to you. That is, provided you exhibit the professional self discipline I expect out of you...oh who am I kidding, you've never been a disciplined girl, just a passionate one,” said Reyna.

"Just like you! And I'll be a good student, I won't make trouble for you!” Rica replied.

"I don't know pumpkin, you can be a jealous little bitch when you want to be.”

Rica watched Alexa and Tiara walk on the main avenue.

"I'm not jealous of her!”

"Rica!”

"I'm not! ...I mean..I just want to know..if..if I-”

"What? If you matter to Caleb? You silly child, you were never supposed to get so close to that boy! Jeez Rica, I could understand you making him like you but.”

"Nya,” Rica replied, sad faced.

"Well, I suppose you could ask him,” said Reyna.

"Would he tell me the truth?”

"It won't matter, you'll believe him because you want to. Puppy love and all.” Reyna replied.

"But I'm not!”

"I know, baby!” Reyna caressed Rica’s face. “I know, just stay focused, ok?”

"I will.”

Five Minutes

Caleb rushed into his apartment, stripped, and jumped in the shower. He couldn't be too late for school. No need for rumors and innuendo after what happened this morning.

His shower, five minutes, towel around waist on to the bedroom, and...Rica Reyes, standing in front of his bedroom, scaring the Jeezis out of him.

“Wha-What the hell are you breaking in here for? You could knock!” he cried.

"Couldn't be helped, not with all that happened.” Rica responded with a smirk.

Caleb closed his bedroom door and spoke to Rica while getting decent. “I thought your plan said not to mention anything about this morning and go to school?”

"Do you like her?...Alexa?” Rica asked.

Caleb, now dressed, stopped moving then opened his bedroom door.

“I'm sorry, it's been a long morning, I'm not following you right now and I..WE need to get to school, and you have blood on your shirt!”

"I brought a change of clothes. Please answer the question.”

“Rica, why are you asking me this now?”

“Because.”

Caleb, thoroughly confused, asked himself, "What is up with this girl? I watched her murder two men in front of me. But now she's not even the same person she....oooh I get it."

It finally dawned on him, as boys are naturally dense by nature, and have trouble figuring out the wants of young ladies. But Caleb's a quick study, and he figured out that Rica watches him, and she certainly must have seen him with Alexa earlier, and totally misread the situation.

“I see..C'mere.”

"No!”

Caleb took her hand and pulled him toward her, Rica resisted, he pulled harder.

“I know what you think you saw, but it wasn't like that. It was the exact opposite,” he said.

"Eh, I didn't see-”

“Not everyone is as strong as you are, Rica. Those girls, Alexa and Tiara, have not seen the things I know you've seen. And I know you want to "stick to a plan" but sometimes that plan means hugging people who have just been through some crazy shit.”

He pulled her close and held her. “Stop fighting me.”

"Hmph!” she pouted.

Rica feigned resistance but gave in and hugged Caleb tight, not because she wanted him, but because she was jealous and embarrassed, and she wanted to hide her face in his chest, just like Alexa did.

"Yeah but...why'd you have to hug her?”

“Seriously? Wow, you are such a Yandere!”

"What?” she asked with a confused look.

Caleb pulled her onto his bed and on top of him, still holding her, Rica didn’t resist.

“Rica? Are you and me boyfriend-girlfriend?”

"No! I don't know,” she replied.

“Yes, we are, and my girlfriend is a jealous girl! I mean what heck!”

Rica beat on his shoulder with her fist, but never lifted her face from his chest. She liked his shower fresh smell, but still, she had to punish him.

"Did you just call me crazy, you bomb making bastard? Punch, punch.

“Ow! Only half crazy, the other half of you is lovey-lovey-dere~dere, except right now cuz you dirty and smell like smoke! Heh heh.” He laughed.

"I hate you!” she cried, sniffing herself “Aah! I gotta take a shower!”

“Ok, you got five minutes~ I'll make waffles for you.”

"Ok..don't burn them..and don't come in the bathroom or I'll..

“I know, I've seen what you can do!”

"Hmph, I'm not that kind of girl who-”

“You're down to four minutes~”

"Yaaa!” she cried.

Rica jumped off of Caleb, ran into his bathroom and slammed the door. She had a pre-packed emergency bag with a change of school uniform as, being in Rica's profession, blood stains and quick changes to blend back into the crowd, are par for the course.

Caleb, also a young man with a lot on his shoulders, hid his own fears. His adrenaline had long since come down and he felt very afraid.

He would never say this to Rica, but he felt safer with her there, not as a bodyguard, but as a fellow survivor of what happened in that white house this morning.

Rica took longer than five minutes in the shower, he figured she would, now was his chance to demonstrate his breakfast skills with eggs-over-easy.

As the good boyfriend prepared the meal for Rica, he remembered what Alexa said about Rica and he agreed. Rica was definitely a scary girlfriend, and that kinda turned him on.

"Heh heh!” he laughed and slid two over-easy eggs on a plate for Rica. Cooked perfect.

...