I stared as Anna quietly poured hot water on my cup noodles, before shaking it using a plastic spook and handing it to me.
Good job Albert, you and your sister's relationship are back to zero.
Silently accepting the cup noodles, I stared at my meal as guilt and shame slowly wash over me.
"Sorry" I muttered.
Not even bothering to answer, she proceeds to sit on the chair in the room and began staring at me.
I glance at her for a moment, before quickly looking away.
What I saw on her in a second greatly saddens me.
Tears started to fill her eyes, her face also filled with shame and humiliation.
I can clearly see she's not angry with me, but at herself.
I think she's starting to realize that I became like this because of her, and she regretted it.
"The crack" she suddenly spoke.
My ears perked up at her words and I immediately turned my head towards her.
"I hid it inside your room, you can find it below the third shelf of the cabinet." she explained, her eyes still fixed on me.
What the hell is with her?
I stared at her with wide eyes and in shock.
I can't believe this...
Is... Is she trying to let me do as I pleased?
"But!" she stood up from her seat and pointed her finger at me.
"But?" I asked.
"You must not let mother get involved in your new and stupid life, understand?!"
Not knowing why, but my body immediately reacted fast as I sat up from the bed and began nodding my head repeatedly.
"Thank you, I'm sorry, thank you, sorry, thanks, sorry." Hell, I didn't even noticed my mouth is already blabbering shit.
Clicking her tongue, she opened her mouth again.
"And my phone, it's already yours, I'm going to get myself a new one!"
I stared at her again with surprise.
"Wha..?" I opened my mouth in shock.
"It's already stained with your dirty hands." she retorted.
What the f*ck? stained?....
Or is it just an alibi because you're getting a new one from Mark.
Either way, I think I'm okay with it... I mean, who would refuse a free phone, right?
"O-Okay, thanks." I stuttered as I glance at the phone placed on top of the table besides me.
"And the apartment room."
my heart skipped a beat at these sudden words.
Apartment room? is she throwing me out?
"We're still keeping it." she said.
Immediately, I felt the heavy feeling on my chest suddenly wash away.
Breathing a sigh of relief... I looked at her in the eyes and smiled.
"So we're good now?" I asked.
"Who told you that?" she gave me an angry glare.
My smile slowly shrink at this, and I can feel the shame and guilt slowly washing over me again.
Makes sense.
"Oh well" Grabbing my new phone on the table, I began to dial Kevin's number.
After a minute of ringing, Kevin's voice was finally heard behind the phone.
"Yo Albert, what's up?" Kevin asked.
"Where are you right now?"
"In my house, why?"
"I'm going to let you earn us much more money." I explained.
"How?"
"Drop by in the hospital and take the keys I have right now to our apartment room, once you arrive, go to my room and collect the crack hidden inside, a few packs were hidden below the third shelf of the cabinet located on the right side of the bed and sell them inside Jessie's club, also bring Christian with you, we're splitting the profits between the three of us, remember 80 dollars each pack, and you're going to earn us 480 dollars, since there are only six packs." I explained.
"What happens afterward? should we directly split the-" I cut him off.
"No, you bring the money to me and I'll check if you didn't embezzle a single penny." I stated. "And when I see you didn't touch anything, the splitting is a go."
I can hear him gasp in shock behind the phone.
"You don't trust me." he said, sadness clear in his voice.
"I do, but only fifty percent." I chuckled, making him click his tongue.
Although Kevin has done so much for me in these past few days, I still can't forget that day when he borrowed the money and promised me that he'll pay it back next two months, instead ran away with it and never showed up for a year.
That's why when it comes to Kevin, I'm having trust issues.
"Alright, see you later." he said with irritation on his voice.
"Okie, bye." I immediately dropped the call and placed the phone back on the table besides me.
Of course, they still don't know where I've hidden the rest of the 27 cracks I got from T-rock.
I mean, Anna didn't even bother opening the suspicious suitcase laying on the floor on the side of my bed.
Turning towards Anna, I can see her giving me a disgusted look,
She probably heard my conversation with Kevin on the phone, but didn't do anything about it, she never even uttered a single word.
But with the look she's giving me, I can see hundred meanings inside of it.
Sighing, I patiently waited for Kevin to arrive in here.
And true to my words, in only a few dozen minutes, I stared at Kevin and Christian who was now standing in front of me.
"The keys?" Kevin asked.
Opening the drawer on the left side of my bed, I grabbed our apartment keys placed inside and handed it to Kevin.
"Thanks" he said before walking off, Christian in tow.
"Good luck out there." I called out.
"Yeah" Kevin and Christian both said before opening the door and stepping outside of the room.
And just like that, me and my sister were once again alone in the room.
She never spoke a word, and neither did I.
Sighing, I turned my head upwards and stared at the white ceiling above.
What should I do in the future?
When the cracks ran out, I have to find possible ways to refill them or just create another different line of work.
Should I get a supplier? that's no problem since a man named 'Andrew' existed.
Or... hmm.
I placed my hand on my chin as I began to think, I need to find different other ways to earn money.
But that was when an idea suddenly clicked inside of my head.
Andrew once spoke of the Mexican smuggler where T-Rock got his crack from.
Should I have him smuggle stuff for me to which I would sell it?
But the pay would not be so small.
If I do not have the budget, then I have to resort to extorting and racketeering.
Oh yeah... extorting and racketeering.
I could shake people for money in exchange for providing them 'protection'.
Overall, it really looked like copying Jamie's actions before, but no... instead of extorting people everyday, I'll just come by every week and collect the money, that way they can save enough money to pay for the next due.
Not only that, I'll largen my scope to not just the school but to also nearby retail stores and shops in the whole neighborhood.
If they won't pay, then... I'll just threaten them or ransack their whole store.
Of course, I need a large group of people with me to accomplish this things, but I believe I've already earned the entire school's respect the moment I threw the tray of food at the back of Robert, so gaining a small group of followers would probably be easy.
When all these kinds of ideas started to show up inside my mind, I began to crack a smile.
Grabbing my phone at the table again, I began to dial Andrew's number again.
*ring* ring* ring*
Two minutes have already passed and it still hasn't been picked up yet.
What the hell?...
I tried dialing again, but this time, Andrew finally answered.
"Oh Albert, what do you want?" Andrew asked behind the phone.
"Can you tell me about that Mexican smuggler where T-Rock got his crack from."
He went silent for a moment, before finally speaking.
"Oh, if you're thinking of getting that guy to smuggle crack for you, then it is already out of the question."
I was slightly shocked at this.
"Why is that?" I asked.
"He is already an alleged member of the Isadoro cartel, so you can't expect him to work for another person." Andrew explained.
Isadoro cartel? is this group so petty that Andrew doesn't need to hide it from me?
"Then why did he smuggle those cracks and sell it to various people?" I argued.
"He was only asked by their leader, besides, that was only a lucky jackpot, he wouldn't be able to smuggle crack ever again, even if their leader told him to."
Then having a smuggler smuggle goods for me to sell is now out of the question.
That leaves me with another choice.
"Do you know any people that could supply me with 'goods'?" I asked Andrew.
He went quiet again for a few seconds, before finally speaking.
"I know someone"
.
.
.
CHAPTER DONE!!