Scream

Enzo King

Now Brock is back up, too. Duke manages to twist my arms behind my back as Brock starts to punch me while I can't do anything... at the moment. Brusquely, I kick my head back. I feel Duke's nose break. I'm about to take care of Brock next when, out of nowhere, a wily fist comes from the crowd. It collides with Duke's temple. Duke goes down with a thud.

The encircled crowd cheers and hollers as my fellow fighter raises his hands up. "WOO!" he cheers, a giant smile forming under bright eyes. "I've never felt more alive!" The crowd raises solo cups and flasks and bottles to the guy in congratulations.

"You know, I had it under control," I mumble. 

"I think I know that more than anyone," Makai states. "But I couldn't let you have all the fun." We both laugh before Makai's eyes widen and he yells, "Duck!" Following his orders, I get low and see I avoided Brock's meaty fist. Standing up, I elbow him in the kidneys, turn to face him with a kick to the upper ribcage, and finish him with a knock-out hook to the head.

"Thanks," I gratify Reyna's brother. "Oh shit, hold still."

Duke manages, though barely, to get up. Stumbling, he goes to tackle Makai. Calmly, I reach over for my empty bottle and chuck it at the kid's head. The crowd gasps for a second when the glass shatters and falls to the ground. Aimlessly, Duke stands with a blank expression. Makai and I exchange a confused glance. Why is he just standing there? 

With exaggerated bravado, Makai uses his index finger to poke the football jock. And just like that, he falls; knocked out cold.

There's a silence among the people before a vivacious roar of amusement rips from their throats. "We. Are. LEGENDS!" Makai shouts, throwing his fists in the air. He looks over to me and grabs my wrist. Like a boxing ref, he throws my hand in the air. "Come on, man. This is the only time people will love you for being abusive, so enjoy it."

Realizing he's right, I hold my own fists in the air. I feel a sense of fulfilment somewhere deep inside of me. I was good at sports, but my grades were never high enough to stay in them, so I never had my moment of glory. I never scored the final basket, or earned the winning touchdown, or finished the race with a burst of speed. Aero always got the fanfare with ease – he didn't even have to raise a pinky. But doing what I do best – causing pain – has earned me five gold stars. Where have these people been all my life?

On your list of victims.

Once the fanatic behaviour dies down, I see Reyna. "I see why you didn't teach me how to fight like that," she notes. "I'd have been broken in half."

"Exactly," I acknowledge. "So you get a good look around?"

"Yes. There's one staircase here, the master bedroom overlooks the pool area with a balcony, and there's nowhere to hide outside – there are just plains of grass," she informs.

Childishly, I pat her head. "Good girl."

She scowls at me and fixes the hair that I actually didn't mess up. "Have you kept an eye on the people? Well, other than just now, I mean."

"Sure I have," I answer. Nodding to the bar, I point out Ozzy and Maren. "Those two have been totally infatuated with each other." Next, I nod towards Kellin trying to show Grayson how to dance. "Kellin and Gray did awkward body shots earlier, and now they've brought their awkwardness to the dance floor. And Makai..." Where is Makai?

"Form a net!" one of the kids around here shrieks. For some reason, everyone in the room knows what that means. But I don't. Form a net? What the hell is that? The kids interlock arms until the entire first floor is like a knitted quilt. "We're ready!" that same kid shouts. Then, everyone looks upwards.

"Jesus Christ..." I utter, looking up. Perched on the balcony with an eager look in his let's-die-partying-instead-of-die-being-slashed eyes, is none other than Makai Keanu.

"Makee, what are you doing?" I call.

"Flying, Enzo," he degrades at me as if I should've known.

"Right. Where's my common sense?" I sarcastically spit. Looking down at Rey, I ask,

"Is he always like this?"

"Only at Adriano's parties. It's the only chance he has to be excusably stupid," she jokes, lovingly shaking her head as Makai whoops and leaps from the railing upstairs. The arms overlapping him catch his fall and carry him to the other side. 

Another kid gets up on the rail as Makai did, but he's unsure of his actions by the way he dawdles like a moron. "I'm going to jump!" he shouts, leaping. But no one was paying particular attention to him, and before any of us can do anything, he plummets into the snack table.

 There's an overall gasp as I go over to check on the kid. "Uh... You good?" I inquire, unsure of what to ask.

Reyna elbows me in the side. "'You good?'" she mocks me. "More like: are you alive?"

With a painting groan, the kid raises an arm. The crowd chews on the ends of their hair and bites their fingernails in anticipation of the verdict. The jumper flashes us a thumbs Up. "Alive," he croaks. "But I need an ambulance."

"Ambulance?" Makai questions. "I'll have Adriano's designated driver take you to the rendezvous point. Will the DD please step forwards?"

The bartender steps forwards and whispers something to Makai. Makee's confident expression morphs into shock and the emotion of oops. "Okay, well..." Makai announces.

"I was the DD... so I'll take you to the point, but I don't know if we'll get there in one piece. Everyone else: light it out back!"

All of this lingo seems so familiar to the kids here, so I assume they're frequent attenders to Rio's bashes. I stop Makai, who picks up the jumper and slings him over his shoulder. "Rendezvous point?"

"We can't call an ambulance here or we all get busted," he explains. "Duh."

"Light it out back?" Reyna further interrogates.

"We've got a couple of illegal fireworks, and fingers crossed that we start a huge fire. Adriano tends to befriend a lot of pyros."

"Wait," I prolong Kai from leaving. "How long will you be gone?"

"Half an hour tops. I'll try to be quick."

Before either his sister or I can say anything, Makai is swallowed into the crowd.

Uneasily, I look down at Reyna, who uneasily looks up at me. "He basically just said he'll be right back," she paraphrases. "Great."

"It could be worse," I offer. "Instead of being friends with a ton of pyromaniacs, he could've been friends with a bunch of psychopaths."

"Hopefully he isn't," she gravely states. "Adriano is still on the suspect table. We all are."

"All of us?" I press.

With a half-smile, Rey looks up with her grey eyes. "Most of us."