Surviving the Aces (#Wattys2018)

Meet Tonys Story

I had most of my classes with Tony. My last three classes, I had with Jace. Quintin was a year under us so I only saw him a few times in the halls.

Jace refused to look at me. I didn't mind because I was ignoring him as well.

Lunch with Tony was a bit overwhelming. Tony's friends kept asking me questions and giving me strange looks. And to top that off Jace kept staring at me throughout the entire half hour.

I couldn't figure him out. One minute he was sweet, bringing me ice cream, and the next he's dissing me in front of his family, then he flirts with me just to go back to being rude to me. I didn't want to be rude to him, I only did it to return the favor.

"What are you thinking about?" Tony asked me in the car.

"How to kill you." I responded smiling sweetly at him.

"Well, you'll have plenty of time to think about it. You're coming home with me." He informed me.

I groaned. "Do I have a choice?"

He shrugged. "As long as you know how to jump out of a speeding car, you do have a choice."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay. Whatever."

We got out of the car and he lead me inside. "If you're only using me to get back at Jace, why are you inviting me inside?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Lacey!" He called.

"Busy!" A little voice yelled back. I smiled even though I didn't even see her yet.

"Sit." Tony said before going upstairs.

"Bark." I replied sarcastically as I sat down in one of the couches. The couches were all a dark brown to match the table in the center. There were magazines and old books scattered on top.

"Who are you?" A deep, scraping voice asked me. I looked up to see a tall man staring at me. He looked just like Tony, except darker and taller.

"Dakota." I responded. "I'm-"

"She's no one." Tony cut in. "And we are going out back." He announced as he returned from wherever he went.

I glared at him but allowed him to pull me up and out the house through a back door. I just barely glimpsed the kitchen as we passed through. He kept pulling me until we reached a shed.

"What's this?" I asked.

"My home away from home." He replied. He was staring angrily at the wall.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked him, I sat down and leaned against the wall patting the seat next to me. He gave me a strange look.

"There's bean bags in the corner." He said, though he sat down anyways. I looked around his "home." There were small cabinets and one tiny refrigerator. A bookshelf covered one wall, there were picture frames on another and paintings on another.

"Those paintings look angry." I commented.

"I was best friends with Kennedy." Tony said, ignoring me. "I'm not going in detail but Diego's brother is a lawyer. He put my mother in jail and Kennedy helped him do it."

I gasped. "How do you know that?" I asked.

Tony clenched his fists. "Because they found out things that I only told him. I told him everything and he betrayed me."

I touched his tight fists. "Did you talk to him about it?" I asked.

He glared at me. "There you go again trying to make them seem like angels." He spat.

Tony ripped his hands away from mine. "After my mother was arrested, my father was laid off and we had to move here with my gradmother, she died a year ago and left my dad the house. His new job barely pays for it and I don't have time for anything but part-time. They took everything from us. Everything." He ranted.

"You should go home." He pulled me up before I could respond.

We walked around the shed until a motorcycle came into view. I grinned.

"What are you so excited about?" He grumbled at me.

My smile widened at his dark mood. "I've always wanted to ride a motorcycle." I informed him.

He shook his head at me. "Just get on." He ordered. "It's a short ride."

I rolled my eyes and mounted the bike behind Tony, I wrapped my arms around his waist. "Don't enjoy yourself too much." He joked.

I pushed my hand up and hit him in the chin. "I bit my tongue you jerk!" He exclaimed.

"Stop treating me like crap." I retorted.

He didn't have anything to say so he just revved the bike and sped off. The ride was so thrilling, like nothing I had ever experienced before. Thrilling because I was afraid I would fall but I knew I wouldn't, like a roller coaster ride.

The ride ended too fast and before I knew it I was on my feet again. "Thanks." I said.

He shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I'll pick you up tomorrow." He said before mounting his bike again and speeding off.

I sighed and turned to go inside. A movement in the curtains caught my attention. It was time for my revenge.

I stopped the first butler I came in contact with and whispered what I needed in his ear. He nodded and got ready to drive to the store.

I smiled to myself and went upstairs to work on homework. When I opened my door, someone was already sitting on my bed.

"Get out." I immediately said dumping my book bag on the floor. I searched my drawers for a t-shirt.

When I found one, I gave Jace a pointed look. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "Was I not precise? I said. Get. Out. Of. My. Room." I repeated slower this time.

He frowned at me. "You shouldn't hang out with Tony." He finally said.

I scoffed and glared at him. "And you shouldn't get into other peoples business."

He stood up and walked towards me. "I'm serious Dakota. Tony is bad company." He insisted.

"He told me what happened to his mother." I retorted raising my eyebrows at him.

Jace raise his eyebrows as well. "Did he now?"

"That what I said " I replied pushing him away. "Now get out. If he's bad company, then I'll find out on my own, just like I did with you." I snapped.

He glared at me. "Fine then. But when you get hurt, don't say I didn't tell you so, because I'll say it myself."