"Trouble?! Was this **** your ****ing work?!" Gabriel bellows.

"Nope! I didn't touch your face! Your welcome for sending you to the bathroom so you could fix it!"

Between our shouting and laughter, the other boys are woken up and thunder and crash down the stairs.

Why are they in such a rush?

"Where's the fire?!" I shriek.

I look around frantically trying to locate the fire. Where is it?! Is the mansion going to burn down? Which valuables do I save? Which boy do I "accidentally" leave behind? Oh, wait. I like them.

Instantly, they all snap to me, wide awake.

Shouts fill the room so much that no one can understand what is being said.

The only consistent and discernable word is "fire."

That's it!

The mansion is burning down!

I burst out of the house running down the long driveway.

Why the guacamole is their driveway so long?!

I run to the end and stop so they can find me easily and I am safe from the fire.

They explode out of the mansion and race toward me.

North Star wraps his arms around me and twists us so he is shielding me. We all just kinda stand there.

"Ms. Sorenson, where is the fire?" Mr.Blackbourne questions.

I gawk at him.

Did he really just ask that?!

"I asked y'all that same question and all the sudden you're yelling and the only word I can make out is fire! You tell me where the fire is!"

What kind of deranged and sick joke is this?!

"Wait," Axel breaks in. "You mean there was no fire and we are all standing in the driveway in our pyjamas?"

Well, everyone except Mr.Blackbourne who is fully dressed and ready for the day.

We look at each other and the mansion and down the road. We look for smoke, but we can't find any. All of us start to run back inside.

Naturally, I get there long before them and head into the kitchen.

I start dishing up apology plates.

They burst in and I roll my eyes at their dramatics.

They can't possibly be that out of breath.

Those wimps sure are out of shape.

Once we are all sitting down eating, I turn awkwardly and look at Meanie who is sitting behind me

I ignore the marker that is still on his face despite his scrubbing and say, "Meanie, what do I wear now?"

Gabriel says, "Well, we decided that we will retrieve some clothes for you from your room."

I nod.

"Okay. I'm going with you."

Shouts explode again.

I stick my fingers in my ears and Star helps me shout, "Shut up!!"

Except, it wasn't just a shout. Its volume is higher than most people can reach. Their voices cut off and I open my eyes to see them covering their ears.

"You people are way too loud. I am going, with or without you."

They look at Mr.Blackbourne.

Poor guy. He has to make all the decisions and take care of them like a hen.

Mr.Blackbourne studies me and replies thoughtfully, "Very well, but you will be taking Brandon and Gabriel with you since the rest of us will be busy."

I smile and nod my head.

"When are we leaving?" I inquire.

"As soon as we are done eating," Brandon inserts.

"Okie dokie artichokie. You two can just wait in the car while I pop in and grab my stuff," I say casually hoping they won't pay attention to what I am saying.

They look at me like I have a third head.

"Sang Baby, you aren't going back in there alone!" North Star exclaims.

"Father and Master will kill them if they see them," I explain.

Dead friends are no fun.

They look at Mr.Blackbourne who nods.

"Ms.Sorenson, may we trust you with a secret?"

"Yup! I know a lot of secrets!" I announce happily.

"We are members of the mafia the Academy," Mr. Blackbourne states.

I burst into laughter.

I can't breathe!

These boys are so funny!!

I am hysterical with laughter.

Slowly, I stop, noticing that I am the only one laughing.

I look at the fourteen confused and wipe away my tears.

Where is the fun in a joke of you don't laugh?

"I assure you, Ms.Sorenson, this is not a laughing matter and we are telling the truth."

I scoff, "No way are you wimps in the mafia."

Axel looks at me and says, "Sang, we are, in fact, in the mafia."

Even Corey?

The fainter?

But he's my Peep!

He is too sweet for the mafia!

"What has happened to the mafia?! It used to be a respectable killing organization?!" I cry.

How times have changed...

They seem a little annoyed by my reaction for some reason.

"Tell you what," I say graciously. "Once we get back, I will prove that I, a young girl, am a much better fighter than you weaklings. Now if you'll excuse me."

Sounds like a grand idea to me.

And with that, I stand and walk out of the dining room.

***

Sean's POV

I shook my head at Sang.

What was it with her and calling us wimps and weaklings?

If she were anyone else, we probably would be killed her by now.

Fortunately for her, we were all hooked on Sang Sorenson.

I took my plate to the kitchen and got started washing the dishes. I was glad that Sang did not try to do all the cleaning again. Although, I would love to see her sing the animals into action again.

Sang was impossible.

I didn't know what to do except wait for her to trust us enough to explain. It hurts that she doesn't already, but it makes sense. She has been hurt emotionally, mentally, and physically her whole life. To all the sudden be surrounded by fourteen strangers who care about her must confuse her.

Pumpkin was impossible because she was perfect.

I scrubbed the dishes and laughed at Gabriel again. Luke got him good. Gabriel had used several cleaning supplies and still couldn't get the black off all the way. What I don't get, though, is why didn't he draw a unibrow or mustache or something funnier like that. Actually, knowing Luke, I pretty confident that it is a ninja mask.

I can't believe we actually thought that there was a fire!

You'd think that we would be smart enough to notice there was no smoke or heat or anything except Pumpkin asking where it was.

But it was Sang.

So we all leapt into action.

***

Sang's POV

As we drive up to Kota's house, I can't help but marvel the fact that I have lived in this house my whole life and I never met Kota.

What school did he go to? I know that he has lived here for a while because I would remember the moving trucks. If I have seen them, then it was so long ago I forgot.

I guess what they said about being in the mafia was true.

I still can't believe there is a mafia that would take them.

We slip out of the car quietly and head through the woods to the back of my house. As we planned, I slip in silently and make sure that Father is not back and Master is still passed out and Marie is gone or asleep.

Star helps me move silently and breathe silently so my house doesn't attract a bit of attention. I walk upstairs where Master is snoring heavily on her awful smelling room. Marie is asleep as well. Judging by her smudged makeup and the smell of alcohol, I'd say she went out last night and won't be up anytime soon.

What surprises me most, however, is that Father is home.

He is asleep on the couch in his suit like he got home late and didn't bother getting ready for bed or make it into bed. His shoes are on his feet still and his suitcase is standing by the door.

I creep back outside to Gabriel and Brandon and whisper, "The three of them are asleep in the bedrooms and on the couch. Father isn't a light sleeper, but be careful. Follow me to my room."

I lead them to my room under the stairs and open the door and they silently flip out.

It is pretty entertaining to watch, actually.

Gabriel presses his lips together and looks like he is about to explode. Brandon looks like he has seen a ghost and is about to puke.

I frown.

I didn't think my room was that messy.

Gabriel hands me the suitcase and I quickly select the clothes I need from the rod and hand them to him to fold and set in. I take the necessary clothes from my drawers and, together, we stuff the suitcase until we can fit no more.

Good thing Meanie brought a giant suitcase.

Brandon picks up the suitcase and we move to sneak out the front door.

All the sudden, Brandon stops and grabs Gabriel's arm and points to Father asleep on the couch.

Once again, they silently flip out and, once again, I have no clue why.

Surely there are a lot of people who come home too tired to make it to their beds.

I shrug.

The three of us (And Brandon and Gabriel) walk out quickly and because and shut the door carefully behind us.

Not wanting to attract attention, we casually walked to Brandon's car and drive off.

When we arrive, Brandon and Gabriel are still shaken, but I don't understand why. They spent the whole car ride back in silence and deep thought.

"Sarah? Star? I am really confused right now? Please explain," I plead.

Sarah hesitates and says, "Sang, if we let you believe something was okay when it really wasn't, would you be mad?"

I think that over.

"If you let me think it was okay to try and help me be happy or having my best interests at heart, then no, I wouldn't be mad."

Sarah let's out a sigh of relief.

"Sang, your room is really a closet. It should be for costs or storage. I think that Brandon and Gabriel understood how awful it is that you have to sleep there. As for Father, he was drunk and passed out. He probably repulsed them."

I reply, "Thank you, Sarah. I am not mad, but I will need a little bit of time to process this new information."

"Take your time, Sang," Sarah assures me.

Star adds, "Thank you for understanding that we were just looking out for you."

It's not a big deal that my bedroom is a closet.

The problem is that Sarah, Star, and I are supposed to share everything. For goodness sake! We share the same body!

I am a little hurt that they withheld something from me.

Brandon, Gabriel, and I head inside and Brandon sets the suitcase down by the staircase.

"Sang," Brandon starts. " We need to tell Mr.B what we saw at your house. Gabriel and I will take turns letting him know over the phone. "

I nod and Gabriel's eyes grow wide and he gasps.

"You mean I get Trouble all to myself?! Do you know what this means?!"

I shake my head unsure.

"I get your hair! I have been dying to mess with it!" He shouts.

I blink.

"What on earth does that mean?"

"What it means, Trouble, is that I am going to wash and brush and braid your hair!"

Why is he so excited about nonsense?

I shrug again.

To each their own.

"Okay, just let me get changed first."

I pull out the clothes that Sarah tells me to and get dressed in the bathroom.

I am now wearing a pair of dark jeans and a black tank top with a backless red shirt on top.

I follow Meanie into the kitchen where he uses the large sink to wash my hair. When it is clean enough for his liking, he brings me a towel and helps me dry it. It is such a simple act of kindness that it makes me so happy I want to cry.

I hug Gabriel tightly.

"Thank you for caring enough to wash my hair."

Gabriel hugs me back and murmurs, "Anything for you, Trouble."

I pull back and he slowly works a brush through my hair and gets all the knots out. He brushes it down my back and begins to braid my hip length hair.

"Ready to see, Sang?" Meanie asks nervously .

Silly groosling, he should know better than to be nervous.

I smile and walk to the mirror hanging off of a walk in the living room.

I gasp.

Is that really my hair?

The braid is intricate and looks incredible with the dark blue and silver in it.

"Thank you, Meanie! I love it!" I hug him again.

Gabriel blushes and mumbles words that I can't understand.

I let go of Gabriel as Brandon enters the room.

"Ready, Mechanic?" Brandon asks me.

I beam, "What are we going to do?"

Brandon scratches his head and says, "Well, I don't have anything planned. Do you like video games?"

My jaw drops.

"I have always wanted to try to play a video game!"

Brandon brightens up.

"We can practice a racing game for when the others play. This way you can figure out the controls."

"Okitay!"

I follow him downstairs and he sets up the video game and hands me a controller. Quickly, he goes over the buttons. I woulda been lost, but Sarah helped me memorize the buttons and their functions.

"Okay, since this is your first time, we will race on the easiest track and I will go easy on you," Brandon declares graciously.

I smile.

He is so nice!

The light counts down on the screen and we take off. Star, Sarah, and I all work together. In no time, we are finished and Brandon is gawking again.

"Hey, Sang?" Star asks in a mischievous tone. "Do you want me to help you with the electronics?"

"Genius idea!"

"Just make sure it looks like a glitch," Sarah conditions.

An evil smile splits my face in two.

Brandon sets the game up again and we take off.

Of course, I am in the lead by a lot. Then Star used her brainy powers to fix the race so we demolish him. The screen blacks out and comes back on and I am right I front of the finish line.

I cross it and toss my controller in the air. I do my happy dance while Brandon wears a confused expression.

"What the **** just happened?"

"I whooped your booty!" I shout.

Brandon says, "I can't believe the system just glitched like that. You weren't that far ahead of me."

Outwardly, I shrug nonchalantly, but inwardly, I am cackling with evil laughter.

"How are you so good?!" Brandon exclaims.

I boop him on the nose and say, "Elementary, my dear Watson."

We play the racing game until the others get back. Gabriel and Brandon are still confused and in awe at my many victories.

"Guys! Get the **** in here!" Meanie shouts.

They all burst in and I roll my eyes.

They sure don't do anything halfway, do they?

"Mr.Coleman, please explain," Mr. Blackbourne orders.

Wow.

He speaks so politely even when he is giving out orders.

Brandon speaks up, "Sang is destroying us in a racing game, even though she has never played a video game before."

They look a little suspicious.

What?

Are these supposed to be hard?

It is really simple. Star fixes the game and Sarah helps me remember the buttons and choose the best path to take.

Meanie sees their suspicion and offers, "Here, you guys try and beat her. Don't come crying to me when you lose."

I beam.

More peoples to crush!

Victor sets it up for us so I am racing against, Kota, Victor himself, Luke, Corey, Paprika, Raven, and Marc.

When the light turns green, we burst out of there and Star makes our car to faster than it should and Sarah makes it so we stay on the best path to victory.

Sure enough, I annihilate them all.

This is getting boring.

There is no challenge in racing them.

As they gawk at me (again!) I say, "Pug, you said at breakfast that you needed to check my back and throat?"

This snaps Pug out of it and he blinks and nods.

I walk out and into the bathroom and Pug follows me.

"Go ahead and take your shirt off. I am going to get my medical supplies and we will check your back and then your throat."

I take my shirt off as he leaves and remove the tank top. I slip the backless shirt back on. This way, he doesn't have to see nearly as much scars and won't be all grossed out.

Pug comes back in with a large brown bag.

I turn so he can see my back and bite my lip.

Pug traces a few of my scars, sending tiny shivers down my back.

"I have a cream that will help your wounds heal and some of your scars fade. May I ask what happened?"

He applies the cream while I get permission from Sarah and Star.

"Master and I were having a playtime and we played with one of those stick thingies you use to open and close blinds," I say finally.

There is a pause before he says, "Thank you for telling me, Pumpkin."

I bite my lip again.

"Pug? Does my back disgust you?"

"What?" Pug asks shocked. "Your back does not disgust me! Pumpkin, you are the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen."

I blush deeply.

I would have thought he was lying, but there is sincerity in his eyes.

"Thank you, Pug. You don't look completely disgusting either."

He chuckles with amusement lighting up his features.

Quickly, he checks my throat and let's me know about the healing process and my progress.

"I coulda told you that," Star mutters.

"Now, Sang. Mr.Blackbourne has something very important to tell you. I need you to trust us. Okay?"

I smile and nod to show my agreement

I already trust them with my life.

Put takes his bag and waits outside the bathroom while I fix my shirt.

I walk out and he takes my hand with his free hand. I beam with happy surprise.

I like holding his hand.

We walk back in and they all look at us.

I flop down on the couch and Superman pulls me onto his lap.

"Ms.Sorenson, we must talk."

"About what?" I ask tilting my head curiously.

"Your father. He isn't who you think he is. He is a feared killer and the worst of the worst and belongs to the shadiest mafia in existence."