After about ten minutes of silence, Adam returned to Leo’s room with a complicated expression on his face. He didn’t know whether he should be laughing hysterically or if he should be genuinely concerned with his choice of friends.
Leo asked with a hint of trepidation on his face to which Adam struggled to find the right words to say. After a moment, he spoke.
"They are in the backyard digging a hole. Rachel is tied up and for some reason Aria was singing blues music as if she was getting ready to go to jail or something."
Leo nodded his head as if understanding what his sister was doing.
"She is turning everyone into accomplices in case she does actually kill her."
Adam blanched as his eyes widened at Leo’s noncommittal response.
"So I became a fucking witness to a crime I had no part in? What the fuck man?!"
Leo waved his hand in a dismissive fashion
"Don’t worry about it man. I am just messing with you. When Sis gets mad, she likes to teach them a lesson they won’t ever forget without crossing too many lines."
Adam wanted to say something more but Leo spoke again with emphasis
"Not too many lines."
Adam glanced out the window speechless, praying that Rachel somehow made it through the night.
"Anyways. You have to tell me a bit more about you Adam. Don’t think I forgot about it."
Adam sighed and sat down again with a hint of weariness in his expression.
"Alright. Alright. A deal’s a deal."
Adam gritted his teeth for a moment before slowly opening his mouth to ask
"Before I begin. What do you know about the Samael family?"
Leo looked slightly confused for a second.
"Not much to be honest. I just know that they run a very big pharmaceutical company that manufactures drugs and medical equipment. A company that is directly responsible for saving countless lives."
Adam openly scoffed at that remark, looking slightly disgusted at Leo’s opinion about the company his family owned.
"Your perspective is nice, delusional..but still nice."
Leo scowled at the harshness in Adam’s words but held back on saying anything when he saw the flickers of rage in his eyes.
"As you know, I am the son of the Head of the Samael Family: Victor Samael. The media often painted him as a virtuous man whose ideals will help save thousands if not millions of lives."
A low growl escaped from his lips as he barely held back his rage.
Leo’s gaze faltered as he saw the dark negative emotions beginning to swirl in his friend’s eyes.
"I am his bastard child and the youngest. My seven older siblings used to abuse and torture me for fun and to make sure I knew my place: beneath their feet."
Leo’s voice was full of concern as he didn’t know what he could do to help him. .
"They were concerned I would try to take over the family..but I never wanted that...I just wanted a family...after my mom passed."
Tears were beginning to form in the corner of his eyes as his voice grew softer.
"My mother was the only good thing to ever happen to me. She was kind, warm and gentle. Everything I am not..."
A single tear rolled down his cheek
Leo leaned forward slowly, A genuinely caring light shone in his eyes as his voice called out in a manner that was quiet but firm.
Adam didn’t say anything. He stared at the floor, fists clenched tightly in his lap.
"You’re rough around the edges,"’
"and yeah, you act like a punk half the time and a wiseass the other half but you’re here. You’re still alive and you yourself are living proof that she loved you. As long as you live, her love and memory will never be forgotten. So stand tall buddy, each and everyone of us is stronger than we will ever know.."
Adam gave a bitter laugh, wiping at his cheek with the back of his hand
"You know, you are really good at this therapy crap."
"This is not therapy, nor is it crap man. It’s from the heart."
Adam didn’t respond at first, but his expression softened ever so slightly.
"I think my mom would be happy to know that I have a friend like you."
Leo let out a small chuckle as he held out a fist for a fist bump.
"And that is the greatest compliment any guy could ever hear."
Adam held out his own fist, bumping it against Leo’s with a chuckle of his own.
"A Cat and a Snake becoming best of friends? What are the odds?"
He casually remarked with a soft smile, but neither of the two spoke again after that for a few minutes. After all Adam was not ready to open up about the atrocities that his siblings committed against him nor was Leo ready to delve deeper into explaining his own childhood.
They sat in silence for a moment, the heavy words hanging between them like fog. The sounds of muffled blues singing that had been emanating from the backyard had thankfully stopped, though Adam wasn’t sure if that meant things had gotten better... or worse.
Unable to bear the awkward silence any longer, Adam tried to make a teasing jest.
Adam said slowly, as he cracked a weak grin,
"if your sister does end up killing Rachel, does that mean you’re gonna inherit the house?"
Leo gave him a flat look.
"Dude. That’s not funny."
"Come on, It’s hilarious and you know it."
The tension broke, just slightly, as Leo let out a quiet chuckle.
"She’s probably just making her dig a symbolic grave or something."
"...Symbolic. Right."
Adam stared toward the backyard with no real conviction.
Leo shrugged and leaned back.
"If she was really serious, she wouldn’t let witnesses live."
"That’s not helping!"
"Then maybe don’t hang out with lunatics next time."
Adam groaned and buried his face in his hands.
"Too late for that..."
His attempt had clearly backfired.