Chapter 2 Management
After that short little play-fighting session, Hazel was, for once, kind enough to help me clean my room.
The closet was destroyed. My desk was a mess. My room had bullet holes in it. And my pillow had a stab hole in it.
next time, I well break Hazel's legs-just to get a month-and-a-half break from this.
Hazel
"Oh, Selene, babe, you're talking to yourself again."
Selene
"So what? It's just you here."
Hazel
"Yeah, but I'm saying people would think you're crazy- which you are But you embarrass me by association."
Selene
"Oh, that's hilarious coming from you, considering you're the reason for all this."
Hazel
"Hey, hey, I'm only human, after all. A young one at that. A girl's gotta make mistakes every once in a while."
Selene
"You call shooting a gun at my head while I was taking a nap-and laughing while doing it-a mistake?"
Hazel
"Sweetheart, we're getting off topic. So, I agreed to disagree, to agree again that I'm right, and because I'm right, you're wrong-so you should shut up and listen."
Selene
"Sigh ... Go fuck yourself"
Hazel
"Excellent. Now people are going to start thinking you're a psycho bitch. You do that in front of them, which will draw attention—and attention is something a supposed dead woman does not need. Am I right?
And another thing—
You've got to stop analyzing every single detail. Learn to chill out a little. You're more paranoid than Ma when it comes to me and the stove.
Speaking of which, between you and me..."
"Ma texted me earlier-said she's going to come up here. So, I would hide the bullet-"
Selene
"Ah, shit idiot why didn't you say that earlier."
Right on cue, I heard Ma cry from downstairs.
"我哪有说我要上去?!我是叫你立刻给我滚下来!"
*("I didn't say I was going up! I told you to bring your ass down here!")*
Hazel and I look at each other, knowing this was going to be a pain.
Hazel
"Damn, that hag's got ears, am I right?"
"我听到了!"
*(I heard that.)*
"Come on, Hazel. Let's get this over with. At least we won't have to worry about the bullet holes."
Me and Hazel freshened up, changed our clothes, and walked out the door to the hell awaiting us.
"Hmm, I wonder what our next punishment will be," Hazel said, her tone mockingly inquisitive.
That led me to respond with, "I hope she doesn't make us wear bulletproof vests and shoot us in the chest with shotguns again. It hurts."
Hazel
"Oooh, remember that one guy that shot his toe off? His big toe flung into the air, landed in his mouth, and he choked on it and died. Low-key the funniest and dumbest way I've seen someone die."
Selene
"I don't want to hear that—especially right now. Although… I never thought Ma would have a sense of humor. She made this coughing in the shape of a toe. It made us all put red wine on it."
Hazel
"That's a proper send-off, if you ask me."
Selene
Well good thing no one ask.
As we walked through the hallway, I noticed the orphanage's weapons wall, adorned with creations crafted by the younger kids living here.
There were miniature polearms and swords, mixed with more modern weapons like QBZ-191 assault rifles and straight swords, all hanging proudly, relics of the playful chaos that defined our home.
We start to walk down the stairs to But living room where Ma resigns
Hazel spoke in a whispering tone as we got closer
"Okay, listen, Selene. Let me do the talking. You know Ma's got a soft spot for me."
Selene
"I whispered back at her Ha! Hazel, she utterly hates you."
Hazel
"Even if you hit a toxic ex, you can still have a soft spot for them."
Selene
"The common sense is in hell at this point," I muttered, rolling my eyes.
Hazel
"Shush and just listen. I'll just say that you slipped in, accidentally set off a small fragmentation grenade, and I'll offer to pay for the damages."
Selene
"Why do I have to take the heat?"
Hazel
"Haha! Oh, my dear, you have red hair-which symbolizes a beautiful spark. A spark that can grow into a massive fire that can engulf us all."
Selene
" That doesn't answer shit."
Hazel
"Doesn't answer shit, you say? Well, of course-someone who loves to talk shit would want to get an answer from it."
Selene
"The fuck you say?"
"Shush. Hold on. We're here."
Hazel was about to turn the corner to face Ma.
**"哦,嗨--"**
*(Oh hi Ma-)*
Before she could utter a word, I had to hold her head down-barely avoiding getting shot with Ma shotgun, The gunshot blew a hole through the corner of the wall close to where Hazel face should be.
*(Internally)* I thought, *She shot at me and Hazel as soon as we turned the corner. I swear, she hasn't changed a bit.*
Ma sat in a rocking chair, rocking slowly and steadily, holding a Norinco model shotgun in one hand and a cigar in the other. Her eyes were hollowed out, like the lifeless eyes of a dog that got turned into roadkill.
Hazel
**"哎呀,我真想知道你的秘密.你明明是瞎的,怎么还能一开枪就打得这么准?"**
*("Oh my, I must know your secret. How is it that you're blind, but still so on-site with that trigger?")*
Ma
**"闭上你的嘴,Hazel!我叫你们下来,不是为了听你废话!"**
*("Oh, shut up, Hazel. I didn't call y'all down here to talk to you.")*
**"现在,Selene."**
*("Now, Selene.")*
Selene
"Listen, Ma, I'm sorry for everything-"
Ma
**"我把你赶出去!"**
*("I'm kicking you out!")*
Selene
"What?! You didn't even let me finish-hell, you didn't even let me start!"
Ma
**"没关系,你们现在都离开."**
*("Doesn't matter. You both leave now.")*
Hazel began to butt in. "Wait, wait, wait-how are you kicking me out? I don't even live here!"
Ma
**"那你们就禁止再回来这里."**
*("Well then, you're banned from coming back here.")*
Selene
I intervened. "But Hazel's the one who started it! She's the one who attacked me!"
Hazel"Snitch."
Ma suddenly screamed in perfect English. "This isn't about the ruckus y'all caused earlier!"
I asked, "Then what is this even about?"
"Have you forgotten this is an orphanage? You're 19, pushing 20. You're too old to stay here."
"Oh, don't you dare give me that crap, like this orphanage isn't training killers and selling them off."
"You say my age is the problem-can I just become an instructor or something?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm very certain someone paid me a lot of money to send you off somewhere."
"Let me guess-Lilith."
*Hazel
"Hey hey, Selene. Don't disrespect your mom by calling her by her first name."
"Well, there's no way I'm calling that woman 'Mom.' Isn't she the same person who dropped me off here? And now she wants to send me off somewhere else? The bitch can't make up her mind."
Ma
**"够了!"**
*("Enough!")*
"I know she was not the best, but she's still your mother. Show some respect."
"Whatever. Anyway, where is she sending me to? And what about the Foundation? I'm supposed to be dead remember What if they find me?"
"I'm not worried about the Foundation. Only because I know how you are.
I've been raising you for 4 years and I can say Even a blind woman like me can see how dangerous you are.
If they ever find you, you'd be hunting them, not the other way around."
"And as for where you're being sent..."
"Y'all are going to Eleanor University."
Me and Hazel's eyes suddenly widened.
Hazel
"Eleanor University? It's that university that suddenly popped out of nowhere. No one knows who funded it, but it became one of the best universities in the world-globally."
Selene " what's weird about that college is that they're usually located in one of the more dangerous, gang-affiliated areas."
"How are we getting sent there? I never even went to school. And Hazel's grades are... iffy."
Hazel
"Jokes on you. C students usually get better jobs than A students."
Ma
"Your mother paid for your tuition and ordered me-before dropping you off-to send you there when you turned 19."
Hazel
"See? Your mom isn't all that bad. She's trying to give you a better future."
"I don't think she has the right to decide what future is best for me."
Hazel
"Wait a minute-why am I going there? Did my mom actually pay for me too?"
"Hell no. I took some of the funding out of your orphanage share for your tuition. I just want you out of my ears. And I don't trust your wild ass out there, so you're going with Selene."
Hazel
"Aww, you're worried about me. You know, you could've just said that, you know? I bet you just drown in emotion-"
Hazel tilted her head, narrowly avoiding Ma gunshot losing a couple of strands of hair in the process.
Ma
"I don't have much time left, and you two are constantly draining it. So spare this old lady-and just leave."
Selene
"You know what? All right, whatever. Ma, I will go to the stupid academy. But after this, you and that pig of a mother will stay the hell out of my life. Thank you for everything you've done so far, I guess."
Ma
**"Don't bother thanking me, rat. The life you were born into, you can never escape from. So don't be naïve enough to think we won't come across each other again-maybe as allies or as enemies; who knows, and who cares? Just leave my fucking house already."**
Selene
Gladly
"Okay, Hazel, come on and help me pack."
"Wait, what about my clothes I don't live here remember?"
"We'll stop by your place and pick them up. Just come on."
Ma
Hey, Selene.
Selene
"What is it now?"
"别利用这份好意,但如果有什么事,就打电话给我,我会尽力帮忙."
*("Don't take advantage of this kind gesture, but if anything happens, just call me and I'll see what I can do.")*
After that, I didn't know-I couldn't even respond. So I just turned around and walked to the place that soon wouldn't be my room anymore, not giving another person who abandoned me a second glance.
End of chapter