Joseph sat alone at on a corner couch looking out over the cityscape. Madison had paid for a luxury hotel. She said that she was not staying in some second rate hotel for the tabloids to talk about her. So she paid for the hotel herself.
He looked like he was deep in thought. Annabelle was just staring at him. Natalia snickered to herself and slid over to Annabelle. She pokes the woman and she looks at the little 8 year-old nuisance.
“Looking kind of hard aren’t you?” she said. “I’m just trying to figure out what is going on with him. If he doesn’t have cancer, why in the world would he get a brain scan?” Annabelle said. “That’s easy!” Natalia said opening her big mouth. Madison covered her mouth over with her hand and Natalia bit it. Madison cringes and gives Natalia a dirty look. The mischievous child stops and sits back.
“Ask him yourself. If he wants to talk he will.” Madison said looking at Natalia. She was telling her not to say a word unless Joseph consented to do so with her eyes. Natalia stuck her tongue out and Madison stuck hers out back. She wondered why…but sometimes Natalia drove a person to near madness with her impish attitude.
Annabelle left them both to fight each other and she sat beside Joseph. She looks at Joseph who turns to her slowly.
“Why are you here?” she asked him. He looks at her and knows that she was only going to keep asking. He decides to himself that she could know the truth…some of it. “I…came across a group that wanted to run tests on me. They…uh…injected me with some sort of formula. It um, changed me into something like a beast where follow orders against my will. And then there’s the really bad side effect where I… If I lose someone I care about, I no longer care about them after they’ve passed.
I don’t love them. I don’t hate them. I’m not angry at them. I’m not sad because I lost them. There’s no emotion. It’s hard to describe. Humans are full of emotion, and they find it difficult to describe how they feel in some situations. Imagine…not feeling a thing and trying to explain that to someone who lost someone they cared about. They’d find it impossible.” Joseph related to her in his soft-core version of the murderous and dark organization, the I.O.S.T.A. She could not really believe her ears.
“Is this a joke or something? Are you being serious?” she asked him with her eyes looking into his confused. Joseph sighed and shook his head. He knew that she couldn’t really wrap her head around it.
“It’s true. You don’t have to believe it. Your father just wanted you to get out and have some fun. So, I’ll make sure that happens and I will handle my own problems.” Joseph said shutting down to her.
“Joseph, I didn’t mean to make you feel…” Annabelle told him. He cut her off and raised his hand. He was demanding complete silence as he looked back into the lights of the city to be lost in his own thoughts again. Annabelle gets up defeated by the man’s stubbornness and his colder than ice attitude.
She walks back to the girls and raises her eyebrow when she sees Madison look up from raising her fist to the girl. Natalia had her mouth around Madison’s leg. Each of them were bruised slightly…like they had a gotten into a scuffle and Madison was losing. Annabelle shook her head and rolled her eyes and continued in.
She walks into the suite and picks up the phone. She dials on to home. Someone picks up the phone on the other end. She starts to smile.
“Hey daddy.” Annabelle said. “Hey sweetie. You calling about something little girl?” “Not really. I just, I want to know how to talk to a man that shuts down on you.” “Huh? Why?” “No reason dad. It’s just…” “Is everything alright down there? Do you need me to come and get you baby girl?” “No! Daddy, everything is going alright. I’m fine. Don’t worry that much about me. I’m with good people…people who can handle themselves and me. I just, was wondering.” “What’s going on with this guy?” “He’s not willing to tell the truth. I mean, he came here for something and I feel like he’s hiding something from me.” “Something bad?” “I don’t know. All I wanted to do was have a conversation. He just shut down and shut me out.” “He do that to the others?” “They aren’t near him.” “Then let him be sweetie. He just needs a little time. You sure everything is alright?” “I promise everything is alright daddy. Thank you.” “Okay. You tell me all about your trip when you get back now.” “I will daddy. Love you.” “Love you too baby girl.” “Bye.” “Bye.” She hangs up the phone and looks out to the balcony. Joseph was still looking out into the city and she could only wonder what in the world he was thinking.
He gets up and looks at Madison and Natalia. His face frowns up. “Are you two seriously fighting again? Go clean up. I’m going to get me a little dinner in my stomach.”
They get up and Madison takes Natalia’s hand. She drags her into the bathroom and starts running water. Joseph walks out of the door. Annabelle waits a moment before she decides to follow after him.
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Joseph sat at a table alone eating a steak, with mash potatoes, corn, and gravy. It was accompanied with some rolls. He wasn’t stuffing his face, but he was eating a great deal, like comfort food.
Annabelle sits at the table with him. She crosses her legs and puts her purse on the table. She takes a roll from his basket and he looks up. He snatches it out of her hand and puts it back in the basket.
“Don’t touch the rolls. They’re for Princess when she arrives. You’ll have to order a separate basket.” Joseph said swallowing. “Really? You do all of this for your little sister?” Annabelle asked. Joseph looks up and his eyes glare into hers, as if the questioned completely confused him.
“Why shouldn’t I? She’s my sister. She deserves to be treated like a princess like any other child and sibling.” Joseph said cutting his steak. Annabelle bows her head knowing that she was still getting nowhere. He was a brick wall that had to be beaten down with a sledgehammer.
“Joseph, I don’t think you were telling me the truth earlier, at least not the whole truth.” Annabelle told him. Joseph snaps his finger and rolls are brought to the table. It is covered with a cloth to hold in the heat and he points to the now cold basket.
“Oh, now I can get some?” she said. “Get it if you want. I don’t care what you want to do.” Joseph said sticking his fork into one and lifting it to his plate. She takes one and starts eating out of it.
“Your right Annie…” “Annabelle. Get it right.” She snapped. “Annabelle. Excuse me. I’m not telling you the entire truth. But to be honest, you’re not ready for the truth just yet. “
“I’m a big girl Joseph. You don’t decide for me what is too much to handle and what isn’t.” Annabelle said to him. He stops looking down at his plate and looks into her eyes. She was stricken with the eyes of authority and command. It softened its crude commanding feeling just slightly.
“It’s my decision to tell you what I want. You don’t get it do you. Madison has been around me for the longest time. You haven’t. I know her. I don’t know you that way Annabelle. From what I see…I only see a girl that’s very fragile. The truth…it can hurt you. I’m trying to keep…keep that fragileness safe. I’m sorry Annie.”
Her mouth was opened slightly and her tongue rolled over her tooth to the left and she nodded. She was a little touched that he thought of her as fragile. She gave him a small smile.
“Okay then Joseph. I’ll keep my tongue at bay for now. By the way…what do you think of Madison?” “That’s easy…if it’s not a hint of narcissism; I’d say that she is true to herself…she’s the real deal. What you see is what you get.” Joseph said, “Of course, I’m not saying that she’s…very shallow...just a little more than self-concerned, but I really don’t care. Everyone has their quips.”
Joseph smiles as he sees Madison. Annabelle’s heart fell just a little that he started to smile when she came around the corner. His eyes fall on Natalia…his little princess and he starts to beam. She runs to the table and pulls a chair out. She sits down and pulls the covered rolls to herself.
“Thank you!” she said to Joseph. She took the rolls and started eating them. Madison sat across from Natalia and ordered a plate similar to Joseph’s.
“I don’t have to watch my weight! So I’m going to indulge myself for all those days I was on a diet…just as long as I don’t gain more than ten pounds, I’m fine.” Madison said proudly. “Who told you that?” Joseph asked. “You did.” “Oh. Huh. Make sure I’m fully awake.” Joseph said smiling.
Madison frowned and punched him in the arm. She is brought her food and she isn’t even sorry that she ordered a side of rolls. She knew she was going to be later on…but not right now.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbs83KeirM
