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𝐂 𝐇 𝐀 𝐏 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑 𝐅 𝐎 𝐔 𝐑

𝖻𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖻𝗒:
𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝖻𝖾𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗍
& 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝖺𝗆𝗆𝖺 𝗆𝗂𝖺 𝗌𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗄

𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨, 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬

𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 quickly the following day, and the speakeasy, once dead and empty besides the four, boomed with life, full of customers, music, and alcoholic beverages despite the prohibition. It's what made them pretty popular given that many would kill for a sip of it nowadays, not literally unlike those running the place.

The blond was more stressed out than the last he could remember. Sure, he was learning, but it didn't prevent him from breaking glasses here and there, giving the wrong drinks by mistake, and not knowing how to defend himself against some regulars who were testing the newcomer with how much they could get away with. Ellie tried to step in for most of those cases, but she was busy herself. Besides, if he wanted to stay, he was going to have to learn to hold his ground, especially in an illegal place like this where there weren't regulations holding customers back, nor the employees for that matter.

Regulars learned real quick Maria and Ellie are the type of people you want to suck up to, kiss their feet if anything. They knew the rumors—unproven. But that duo instilled fear in those who tested them, especially Maria who lost her temper a tad easier than her sister. If you were new, you'd learn pretty quick or... well, you walked out beaten to a pulp or didn't turn up the next day. At least those were the rumors.

Ellie had seen this whole spiel before, but Estelle handed it smoothly, even with having to be on stage. She'd never let the memory slip of a man, drunk out of his mind, pushing her boundaries after one of her shows of 'distraction', and the poor sucker had gotten his teeth knocked in the moment he continued to advance on her after a blunt 'no'.

This boy on the other hand...

Her gaze moved to the blond in time to see him shrinking back into his shoulders as he was been shouted at by one of the customers, nearly throwing the drink at him.

She walked over, picking up their one-sided conversation on the way.

"What the hell is this? What do youse think ya serving me in this dumb joint, huh?" The man yelled in a thick accent, waving the drink around spastically so some of the liquid inside fell out of the glass.

Ellie placed herself beside the blond as she arched a brow intimidatingly, "That's giggle water, sweetheart, but if our 'joint' here is so dumb, go chase yourself." Her voice was sweet, but chilling all the same. It showed she meant business within her casual words.

He slammed the glass onto the counter, "Where else am I supposed to get my liquor?"

She hummed, "Not my problem."

He threw his arms up and stormed toward the stairs, leaving the place in a fit of anger. Only when he was gone did she turn to the wide-eyed boy.

Ellie set a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "What have I said about putting up with that?"

He sighed, nodding his head but still remaining my voiceless.

The girls had let him keep the notebook to speak, after discovering he was completely mute, and that he went by Anthony. At first, they assumed he just didn't want to talk, but he kept it vague as he explained he couldn't speak.