Author's NOTE: Hope you all liked the last chapter, and I just couldn't leave you all waiting! So, here is chapter 12! Enjoy! I myself really don't like this chapter, it's long and useless...nothing exciting happens, and its pretty much a bore; well, to me it is, hope you all feel differently. And for some reason I just decided to throw in a lot of random Italian words.
The Thief Lord is a product of Ms. Funke. I only use her characters to make them do what I wish.
The girl known as Harper, however, is mine. Take her if you dare. She's used a lot in the beginning, but she'll go away..I've just been wanting to put her in this story from chapter one...she just never had a good time to show up. And don't worry, she isn't a threat. Haha.
"So, where do you want to sit?" Scipio asked with a smile.
"How about here." Prosper smiled as he pointed to a table for two.
Scipio nodded and they both sat down. About a minute later a short waitress walked over to them. She looked about their age, maybe a year older. She had on a white apron that was tied around her waist, black pants, a white long sleeved button up dress shirt, a black tie, and oddly a pair of black converses. Her light brown hair was messily tied behind her head, in a sort of bun, and a few brightly coloured plastic hair bows and clips. On her face, though, was a disguising mark. Underneath her left eye she had a long, thin, pale scar, which resembled a cut wound. In her hands were two menus. She pushed back some strands of hair as she approached the two boys.
"Buongiorno Signore Massimo!" She said excitedly with a smile as she set a menu in front of each boy.
"Harper! How many times do I have to tell you? Just Scipio." He smiled and stood up.
She laughed; "Yes, yes, I remember." She smiled and hugged him. Then she kissed both his cheeks and then quickly on the lips; "how have you been?"
Prosper's heart suddenly sank. Why did she kiss him so many times? And why were they both smiling uncontrollably? Oh, no...Were they going out? Is that why Scipio had wanted to take him out to breakfast so badly? Just to show him he had a girlfriend, and that he wasn't interested in him? He wanted to get out of there as fast as he could. He felt extremely uncomfortable.
"Harper, this is Prosper. Prosper, this is Harper."
"Prosper." Harper said softly. She placed a hand on her scar for a moment, and then smiled as she approached him.
Prosper just stood up and put on a fake smile. He felt sick. Harper smiled again, hugged him quickly (though, he didn't hug back), and kissed both his cheeks. Prosper blinked. Did she always do that?
"It's wonderful to meet you." She smiled.
"Yeah...you too..."
"So." She took out her small notebook and pen and looked at both boys; "what would you like to drink?"
Each boy quickly glanced at their menus.
"Caffe. Two sugars, and a slash of cream, low fat." Scipio said with a smile.
She nodded and jotted it down; "And you, Prosper?" She smiled at him.
"You're not from here, are you?" He asked.
"Oh, is my Itallian that horrid?" She bit her lip; "I'm sorry."
"Oh, no, no! It's great. I was just wondering because of your accent."
"Oh...oui. I'm French." She smiled.
"Thought so." He smiled back; "I'll just have water."
"Alright. I'll be back with your drinks in a moment." She smiled; "its great to see you again, Scipio." She then leaned down and whispered in his ear; "don't lose him. He's adorable." She winked, and walked back into the pasticceria. Scipio's face reddened and he looked down.
"So, she a good friend?" Prosper asked as he eyed his menu.
"Y-Yeah. I saved her you know." Scipio said as he set his menu down; he knew what he wanted.
Prosper blinked; "Really?"
"Yeah. Practically how the whole Thief Lord business came about."
-
Riccio couldn't get what had happened last night out of his mind. Scipio took Prosper after he had passed out, and they just disappeared. He had no idea where they could have went. Did Scipio end up taking Prosper to the hospital? If not, then were could they be? None had proper homes, so there wasn't any place they could be.
So, he just walked along the fondamenta so he could at least look in the water. He had his hands in his pockets, and his back was slumped. He was extremely tired, and couldn't help but be bored. He really didn't feel like searching throughout all of Venice to find Scipio and Prosper. There would be no way in hell he'd be able to find them anyway. So why bother?
-
"Here you are." Harper said as she set down the boy's drinks; "have you decided what you'd like?" Again she took out her small notepad and the pen.
"Grazie." Each boy softly said before Scipio started up his order.
"Yeah, a plain bagel lightly toasted, a side of strawberry jam, and honey creme cheese. And that fresh fruit side thing..." Scipio began.
"The strawberries, blueberries, and fresh cantaloupe with the honey-lime yogurt dip?" Harper looked up at him.
"Yeah." He smiled.
"Alright. Someone's on a bit of a diet." She grinned and he rolled his eyes; "and Prosper?"
"Yeah, umm..." He stared at the menu; he was extremely hungry and everything on the menu made his mouth water.
"Get what you want." Scipio smiled.
"The umm...raspberry danish, and umm...that bacon quiche sounds good." He looked up at Harper with a smile.
"Okay." She jotted it down; "I'll be back in a bit." She nodded and walked off.
"So..." Prosper began; "how did you become the Thief Lord?"
Scipio took a sip of his coffee; "Well, it all started out like any other night..." Prosper scuffed a laugh; "shut up..." Scipio rolled his eyes.
"Sorry." Prosper grinned.
"So, anyway...I was just sitting outside my home by the water, about umm...almost two years ago, and I hear someone running and there comes Harper, all ragged and dirty. She's half starved, freezing, and just looks like a mess. It so happens her mother just died and her father just dumped her off in Venice. That's where her scar came from." He poked under his left eye, indicating her scar; "after he dumped her off, she wouldn't leave his side, so he lashed out at her until she ran away...I shouldn't keep getting into her personal life, so anyway...I decided I'd help her out. Just to be nice, and for something to do. I figured we could use the Stella for shelter, because I couldn't bring her to my house, and the Thief Lord just grew from there. We ended up finding more homeless kids, and she just kept my secret...I guess because she was forever in my det, or so she said she was."
Prosper blinked; "Why isn't she with us now?"
"Oh, she left about four months before you showed up. Some young couple saw her wondering around this pasticceria and took her in. Happiest moment of her life." He laughed softly; "she always said she wanted to be a baker."
"You just wanted to help everyone out..." Prosper took a sip of his water.
"Yeah...and I don't know what the others would say if they knew I was really...not an orphan..like them."
"Well Harper understood."
"Yeah, but she was pretty much in on it with me."
"I understand..."
Scipio blushed faintly and he looked down at his coffee; "well, you're different."
Prosper shrugged; "Just an understandable kind of guy."
Scipio laughed softly; "Well, I'm glad, because if Hornet, Riccio, and Mosca knew..." He closed his eyes and shook his head; "they're all so caught up in my Thief Lord business that they'd just die if they knew...and Bo too...I actually think he looks up to the Thief Lord..."
"Yeah you're right about Bo...but I'm sure the other's would understand."
"No. I don't think so..." He took another sip of his coffee.
-
Riccio dug his hands in his pant pockets and kicked the air. He had no idea where he was going, nor why he was wondering off so far from the Stella. He wiped his nose on his sleeve and looked up momentarily.
"Ugh...look at that little street rat." Scoffed a nicely dressed older lady to another.
"His mother should be ashamed of herself to let him out of the house looking so filthy." Sneered the other.
Riccio clenched his hands into fists as he shook softly. Dammed, no good, old hags! What do they know!? Nothing! He bit his lower lip and looked back down. He was debating on whether he should lash out at them or not. They were pretty old...
"Disgusting."
"Disgusting."
"Oh, what do you know, you old bitches!?" Riccio screamed
Each woman gasped as they stared wide-eyed at him. Riccio shook softly; outraged. He told them! Those stupid old hags!
"You little brat!" Spat the first old woman as she lifted up her purse and slapped him across the face; "how dare you speak to us that way! You ungrateful little punk!" Again she raised the purse and continued to thrash at him; the other woman joined in also; each woman yelling at him.
Riccio couldn't believe it! He yelped and tried to escape them, but they just wouldn't give up. He was being pummeled by to old women! It was too shocking, but also to hurtful! What did they have in those purses?
"Ahhh! Stop it!" He screamed, trying to shield his face.
"You have to learn a lesson, you little brat!"
And finally he was able to push past them and run. He ran as fast and as far as he could. He didn't stop for anything. He pushed past people and anything that stood in his way. Now he really didn't have any idea where he was going, but it didn't matter, he just had to get away from those old ladies! They were crazy! Slowly he began to slow down his pace until he finally stopped to catch his breath. He had ran far, and now was stuck in the middle of a campo that was surrounded by rich people shops. He slowly glanced around; feeling like the "black and blue" sheep in the flock.
-
"Did you enjoy your meals?" Harper asked with a smile as she withdrew their empty plates.
"Ah, yes, grazie." Scipio smiled as he patted his lips with his napkin.
"Grazie..." Prosper nodded. For some reason he still felt a little uncomfortable in front of Harper. Was it that odd scar? Or perhaps that she was too nice? Or was it just the way Scipio was acting? Very rich and...well, richly.
"Please come again soon." She smiled.
"We will." Scipio smiled back, and than at Prosper; "there you are." He looked back at Harper and handed her the money.
"Grazie, Signore Massimo."
Scipio rolled his eyes and stood; Prosper followed his lead.
"Arrivederci, cara. Until next time." Scipio smiled broadly, and this time kissed both her cheeks, though she kissed his at the same time.
"Arrivederci." Prosper lifted a hand to wave.
Harper smiled and kissed both his cheeks; though, he didn't kiss her's back; too nervous, and taken back to have the chance.
"See you later, Prosper." She smiled.
"Avanti." Scipio slightly shrugged to Prosper who nodded. The two slowly walked to the edge of the pasticceria and looked around.
"See anywhere you would like to go?" Scipio asked.
"I...I don't know..."
Prosper still wasn't used to being around...rich people...actually, he just wasn't used to being around a rich Scipio. It was too weird. He started to miss the old Scipio...he really missed the Thief Lord...
"Are you OK?" Scipio asked, looking a bit concerned.
"Yeah, fine..."
Scipio bit his lip, he knew something was bothering Prosper, but what? Maybe he should buy him something to make him happy again. He turned slightly to see if he could find a shop, and suddenly his eyes widened. Oh, shit...!
"Prosper, we have to go...NOW!" He grabbed Prosper's hand; who then gasped, and darted off into the side calle. Because who stood in the campo looking around was Riccio.
(Which I got from my copy of The Thief Lord)
Buongiorno- good morning.
Signore- Mr.
Caffe- coffee.
Pasticceria- pastry shop.
Fondamenta- paved walkway beside a canal.
Campo- an open square.
Grazie- thank you.
Arrivederci- good bye.
Cara- my dear.
Avanti- let's go.
Calle- an alley, or street.
French Word List:
Oui- yes. (Harper's accent is extremely strong, which makes her Italian sound mostly French; easily being able to disguise her for not being Italian.)