What I Did In The Back Of His Car

Chapter 9

Hey again! Okay, so in my absence I've been working on What's My Name Again? But I don't want to upload those chapters until I've got that story more reads and feedback, so go check it out! But now it's summer - yes, I'm on m summer holidays already! - so more uploads. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think? Votes and new fans are always welcome too :)

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"Okay, so let me know if you're up for tonight, yeah?" Tori asked me as we parted ways.

       "I have your number!" I shouted after her, wagging my phone at her back before turning towards my own house. Or, not my house. Dad's house. It really was starting to feel like home though.

       Tori was that blonde who I'd seen messing with Gary - the beanie boy - that first day I'd met them. That was a week ago, and we'd been spending every day around each other since.

       They were different than what I'd expected them to be. I was surprised, to say the least. They weren't criminals like I'd expected them to be - all of them doing drugs and stealing shit from the corner shop. I cringed, thinking about how judgemental I was just a week ago. I guess it's just that I came from a different world, the preppy world. Where we all bitched and competed and got jealous with our perfect hair and bodies and houses and ... well, everything. I guess I should've seen Jason coming. In the world of scandal that I lived in, nothing should've caught me off guard.

       That didn't stop the ache in my heart though that I felt whenever I thought his name though. Jason and Steph. Jason and Tiff. My best friend. It still stole my breath from inside of me, thinking about what they could be doing right now. Did they even notice I was gone? Did they care? 

       I closed my eyes, trying to block out the ideas.

       But these guys were so. . . happy. That's what surprised me. They weren't friends with each other for the reputation or the competition or the guys but just because they loved being around each other. And they welcomed me in to be around them too.

       True, that was probably because I was just Ren's little sister and they felt it was their duty to him to keep me company until he came home. I was probably nothing more than a pest. But I didn't even care, because they helped me take my mind off New York.

       Tonight they had all planned to go to this festival down by the beach. There was gonna be music and rides and food and a bonfire and drink. I hadn't drank alcohol since I found Jason and Tiff in that changing room... I'd started drinking it every chance I got. Bit of a teenage alcoholic, right? So I wasn't sure if I should've joined in tonight. I was trying to give up drink. Turn a new slate. Back in New York, we all took it way too heavy at parties and bonfires. We thought it was cool. So maybe I should sit tonight out?

       I rounded the corner onto my street, where the villa waited for me. I was walking down the driveway when I heard raised voices. I decided to hide behind one of the palm trees beside me, peeking my head out between the leaves. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't usually a snitch. But something about the tone of those angry voices told me I wasn't supposed to intrude. And something also told me I didn't want to miss out. Huh, my intuition seemed to have gotten better since I've come here.

       "We're waiting for the money, Baker. We're not gonna leave until we have it."

       Who was Baker? I could only see a large SUV parked outside, and the back of one huge man looking threateningly down at Ace, who was standing in front of the closed front door. Why was Ace owing this guy money?

       "Can't you understand?" Ace bit back. "You never made that deal with me. It was Ren. I don't have your money."

       "Yeah, well Ren's not here now is he? And I'm not waiting around until he gets back you hear? I need that money, and I need it now." The man snarled and started circling Ace so I could see his face. He had a couple of missing teeth, I noticed as his lips curled upwards, and his eyes were black and menacing. His head was bald and he had the shape of a body builder. I'd be terrified if I were Ace.

       "He's back in a couple months. Come back then and we'll have the money." He said it so calmly, as if he wasn't talking to a guy who looked like he ate people for breakfast.

       The man just got angrier by Ace's casualness. He pinned him up against the wall. Ace just looked at him head on.

       "What are you gonna do; kill me? You'll never get your money then. Two months tops. Come back then."

       The man brought his arm back and clenched his fist, then smacked it into Ace's face. I gasped and smacked my hand against my mouth to stop from screaming. There was a crunch and Ace collapsed against the wall, sliding down to the ground. He had his hands cupped around his nose but I could see shin blood coating his face. 

       The man just snarled again and spat on him. He turned around and when he was sitting in his black SUV, he rolled down the window and called out to Ace. "If you or Ren don't have the money next time, I'll see to it that you're both dead."

       And with that, he backed out of the driveway. I ducked down so he wouldn't be able to see me as he passed, cursing myself for being so cowardly. Just as he passed me, I remembered to look for his license plate. I could report him to the police. But when I swivelled around to find it, he was gone, leaving speedmarks on the tarmac.