Playing for keeps

03. The Rooster

E A S T O N

"What!" Cake spills out of Oakley's mouth, but he doesn't seem to notice in his state of shock and confusion. His eyes are wide and the cake that he was so excited about is now disregarded on his plate. "He was in your house?"

I glance around the coffee shop in case Oakley's loud voice disturbed anyone, smiling in apology to the elderly couple sitting a few tables away, their irritated expressions directed towards our table.

Since we didn't have soccer practice after school today and we were both free, Oakley and I decided to have a study date at our favourite coffee shop in an attempt to help each other with all of the assignments that has been thrown our way this week.

We'd had a good hour before I'd spilled everything about the guy I'd nearly witnessed kill someone outside of a club, who was now my brothers' business partner.

In an attempt to ask my brothers' casually about the people in the house a couple nights ago, I brought it up in a passing conversation during breakfast yesterday morning. 

And from what I'd worked out from their brief answers, they were members of a mafia.

Which was great. Normally, it should freak me out, make me tremble, but in reality, mafia gangs and murderers and illegal stuff didn't really bother me anymore or make me blink twice.

"Would you keep your voice down?" I whisper-hiss at Oakley. "I don't think my brothers will appreciate you yelling their business all over the coffee shop."

But Oakley only waves me off, in a breezy 'don't worry.' "They aren't here. Now, the more important question...Was this guy hot?"

I nearly choke on my coffee. "Oakley, the guy nearly killed me. I wasn't worrying about whether he was GQ cover worthy."

"East, it's like the first thing you notice when you come face to face with a guy. Right, then here's another question - Would I do him?" Oakley assess me with deadly serious eyes.

"Oakley!" I groan. "You're supposed to help me with these things. Not stay high alert on your gay radar. But for your information...He wasn't bad to look at," I reveal with a sigh, hating that I did in fact notice that he wasn't bad on the eye.

"Do you want me to drive you to a gun store for a weapon to defend yourself?" Oakley offers innocently, like it's a normal thing to ask.

I lean back in my chair and cross my arms, "yes...wait no. Violence isn't the answer."

"It is if he attempts to kill you," Oakley mutters before sipping from his coffee mug. I glare at him and he shrugs with innocence. "What? It's true. If he whips his glock 300 out at you, you need to swing at that motherfucker. Go down fighting."

My glare intensifies at the lack of help from my best friend. "I'm so glad I have you to help me with my problems."

"Let's be real, East. Your brothers will take a bullet to the chest before they let you get hurt. It's like you got three overprotective brothers/bodyguards/fathers/nanny's."

"It's not so fun when they accompany you to the bathroom at the mall," I huff, stirring my coffee. 

"I'd let your brothers accompany me to the bathroom anytime," Oakley mutters into his cup. 

I throw my pen at him.

~

My system is overloaded with caffeine as I walk through the city, on a mission to get to my brother's office so we can ride home together.

My earphones whirl the music into my ears and I cut through all of the short cuts to get there faster, hoping my fast pace will relieve some of my energy.