Locked Up

Running

"We need to confess our shit Charlie."
"To who? The police? We will get arrested and with Rey attacking Johnny while he had immunity it will only add more to our sentence."
Dex runs his hands through his hair and sighs.
"Does she have a record?"
"It's Rey, of course she does."
I say silently while I look at Rey filling the tank with gas in the distance.

"Then we are done for. If they find us the poor girl is going down with us."
I wait with my answer because the cashier could hear us at this point and if anyone finds out what we did nearly 3 years ago we will go straight to prison.
I pay the cashier for the food and drinks and calmly walk back to the car.
"There must be a way to only get Johnny behind bars."
Dex grabs my shoulder and turns me around.

"Are you insane! We tried so hard to come to an agreement with them and now you wanna screw them by handing Johnny to the police!"
I take a step forward.
"Keep your god damn voice down.
If all three of us get arrested, Gerald will have no one to clean up his mess.
One of us can be spared, I think getting rid of Johnny seems the most profitable choice."

Dex rubs his neck and grabs my shoulders.
"If I get caught, I'm taking you down with me."
Dex threatens tightening his grip.
I understand his aggression and am very well aware of the deep shit we are in. He has all the right to leave now and try to escape the spiral of crime we fell into years ago.

"They won't find out besides we don't even know if Johnny has talked, and if he did maybe Gerald will kill him for us."
I try to calm him but he just gets more paranoid.

"Listen to yourself you sound like a fucking mob boss. How did we even get in this fucking mess Charlie, I mean listen to yourself it's like we are part of some fucking crime show. Worst part is we are the freaking criminals."

"We are not criminals just unfortunate associate's."

Dex narrows his eyes and leans in to my ear.
"I'm with you but never ever think that what we did was normal or something for the greater good. Murder is murder Charlie never forget that."

"I mean, we didn't kill him."

Dex rolls his eyes and continues walking towards the car.
"If you think that matters to the police you have officially lost it."
I take Dex's words in and process them carefully before I realize he is pretty much right about the whole thing.
We are in deep trouble but I still think we can somehow make a deal with Gerald in exchange for our freedom. I guess Dex wouldn't be in for another cleaning job but someone has to do it.

I finally follow Dex to the car and hug Rey from behind.
"Geez you have been gone for a minute and already act like it's been a year."
She says turning around to face me.

"Well we've got 7 years of lost time to catch up."
She flashes that bright lovely smile that melts my heart every goddamn time and I clash my lips with her

.
"Get a room!"
Dex yells from the backseat as he enters the car.
We both roll our eyes and glare at Dex who now gives me a friendly smile.
"Last time we got a room, we ended up in your mother's room."

"God that was like a few hours ago please don't remind me."
She opens the door for me and I close it again.

"I'm driving, you need some sleep."

"Well thanks mom."
She kisses my cheek and gets in the car, suddenly my phone rings.
Fuck here we go. I pick up without looking at the name.

"Charlie where the hell are you?"
The voice on the other end makes me sigh of relief.

"Holy shit Connor, I thought you were my mother."

"Well she did call mein distress, she thought you were here, knowing you I told her you stayed thenight here after the party. She also said your brother went missing orsomething."
I pinch the bridge of my nose at all this new problems just streaming into mylife.
Johnny gone? He's either hunting us down or also doesn't want mom to find outabout our past.

"Thanks for lying but how long can you keep it up?"

"Well you're mother told me she was going to look for Johnny and that you couldstay at my place until they find him. She said there was a pool of blood in thehouse. Do you think someone killed Johnny."
Connor sounds scared and curious.

"If he was dead I would've been home celebrating right now. He's fine it wasmerely a stab wound."

"You stabbed him!?"
Connor whispers in a yelling tone.

"Rey stabbed him but only because he was trying shit, it was self defense.Listen if my mom asks just tell her I'm staying at your place for the vacation becausewe had plans ok?"
I look at Rey and Dex who are enjoying some food and seem to have a niceconversation. I don't want to bring them in danger, they both mean to much tome.

"I'm really trying to understand but something tells me I don't want to."

"I don't want you to get involved Conner, 5 days, give me 5 days to solve this.Stay Safe."
I hang up before Connor can say anything else and get in the car.
I start the engine and drive off again.
"Who called you, was it mommy?"

Dex asks innocently yet mockingly.
"No just Connor, he's covering me, turns out Johnny ran away."
Rey crosses her arms while she gets this distressed look on her face while Dex angrilystares at me through the mirror.
I comfort Rey while giving Dex an angry look back.
Johnny wouldn't run unless he was scared of something which in this case wouldbe Gerald.
We'll soon be at the lake house, I just need to relax and clear my mind before Ideal with my sociopathic brother.