Sinistre, Age 42
I remember perfectly well. Sinistre took me to school. That wasn't usual. I usually walked, so this was very awkward. Shortly afterwards, I realized exactly what it was about.
"Good afternoon, Mister Valentine," I remember saying, bowing to the man. He didn't say anything in response. He just nodded and pushed his son, Nikola, toward me. I was shy around boys during that time in my life. Sinistre hated me talking to boys. She said it was a distraction. But this was a special case, I was guessing. So I bowed to Nikola and said, "Good afternoon, Nikola Valentine."
Giovanni Valentine
Nikki, Age 12
Sinistre and Giovanni Valentine tallked for an awful long time. I noticed that Sinistre put sickingly flirtatious words and tones into her voice, and she touched Giovanni's arm a lot. "Well," Nikola said, "this sucks." I turned to look at him. I nodded.
"Oh, it sucks. Big time sucks."
We talked for a while longer, and after him getting fed up with me calling him Nikola, he practically demanded that I call him Nikki. I was taken aback by his sudden outrage, but he became normal again the next second. I remember thinking, This kid has GOT to be bipolar...
I don't know how to say this, but... Whenever I looked into Nikki's eyes, I felt something strange. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, and a shiver went down my spine. It was a mixed feeling. I felt happy, but I felt sick at the same time. I looked into his eyes, and I saw Yolanda. Yolanda, the kind-hearted girl that always greeted me with a smile. But I had killed her. I feared I would kill Nikki too. Because he and Yolanda both had red eyes. And I found I hated red. It drove me crazy with guilt.
Nikki and I, I guess you could say, were the best of friends. Well, that's how I felt about him. Sinistre hated the fact that I was around him so much. "A young lady should stay a young lady," she would tell me. "Being around boys won't benefit you in any way." I wanted to ask her why she was around Nikki's dad so much. Why she flirted with him. But I knew the reason.
Sinistre figured that if she could get to Giovanni, a world of opportunities would be unlocked for her. I found out that Giovanni was the don of the Valentines. I had to admire Sinistre for her knowledge on the world, but I seriously doubt that Giovanni was interested in her. He seemed like he had a heart for ice. He looked at Nikki the way Sinistre looked at me. With love, but with hatred. The want of perfection, and if perfection didn't come, some serious concequences would be issued. Hell, I think the love part might have been a lie. You never know with "parents" like ours.
