Antidote

Chapter 37

"Ooph!" I cry out as something heavy shifts on top of me. I look up into the crystal blues of Tristan. He smirks down at me and says, "Good morning." "You're a brat," I say, slapping him on the arm. "Why'd you wake me up?" Cockily raising an eyebrow, he says, "I thought you wanted to meet the gang." "Oh yeah!" I exclaim in remembrance. Quickly I slide out of the bed, darting to the bathroom.

I turn the hot water on full, and as I'm waiting for it to warm up, I cradle my baby bump fondly. My pregnancy is getting pretty far along now. I look like an oversized pumpkin. I think I'll refrain from wearing my bikini the rest of the time here. I look too fat in it. Mom bought me maternity clothes a long time ago, so I'm good there, thank god. According to the doctor, I'm about seven months along (not realistic, but go with it) so I'll have my baby in two more months. I've specifically skipped finding out the gender of my baby. I want it to be a surprise.

I take a quick shower and run a brush through my hair. Then, holding a bobby pin in my teeth, I shout, "Tristan, go get me something to wear!" I pin my hair up in a bun before Tristan returns with jean shorts, one of my t-shirts, and a pair of converse. I mumble thank you, pull on the clothes, and begin my makeup.

I put on some mascara, eyeliner, lipstick, and blush. Then I rub some concealer over my arms. I don't want Tristan's gang asking lots of nosy questions. Finally, I'm ready.

I go outside, where Tristan is waiting for me, casually dressed in jeans and a tee. "Let's go," he says, hopping up from the bed and taking hold of my hand. I smile, pleasantly surprised. He's never held my hand before, except for that one time at the mall.

We head out the door and I veer for my motorcycle. I swing my legs on first, Tristan following. We speed off towards an old warehouse while Tristan texts his friends to meet us there.

When we get there, they're all sitting cross legged on the floor, talking. Looking around, I quickly observe them.

There's seven of them, six boys and one girl. The girl has long, silky black hair and a hard cut facial expression, like she could survive the worst of life's torture. I know immediately that I admire her. Two of the boys, I know. They're Tristan's friends, Max and Ty.

Tristan clears his throat and they all turn around to pay attention. "Today I've brought my true love to see you, on her request." Max and Ty look at each other and say, "YES!! THE SHIP IS SAILING!" at exactly the same time. I raise my eyebrow at them. Max explains, "We made a bet when Tristan first started noticing you that you guys would end up together." "So you shipped us?" I ask, bursting out laughing.

"Yep," says Max proudly. I start laughing again. Ty turns to Max and says, "About that bet, you owe me fifty bucks." Again I laugh. Despite their laugh worthy behavior, I'm thrilled that someone actually shipped Tristan and I.

Tristan and I make our way to their makeshift circle and sit down. I've got Tristan on one side and Max on the other. "So, introductions," he says, taking the job away from Tristan. He points to himself and says, "Max O' Donnell, a.k.a. sexy beast." Tristan scoffs at the 'sexy beast' bit, and I giggle.

Then Max points to Ty and says, "Ty Matthews, our best shoplifter." I nod, urging him on. He points to another boy, a cute one with blonde hair and a dimple, and says, "Jake Boyles, our "undercover agent"." I smile in a friendly manner at Jake, who smiles back at me. "Tony Delray, the one who vandalizes the trains," Max continues, pointing to a hot boy with a deep suntan, wavy brown hair, and blue eyes similar to Tristan's. He gives me a halfhearted grunt, and I smile in return.

"Chace Brown, the "second leader" of our gang," Max says. "He organizes and leads all of our attacks on other gangs." I smile at the boy, who has deep brown eyes and soft brown hair. He smiles and winks at me. "Next, Denny Fitzpatrick, our public relations specialist," Max narrates, pointing to a sandy haired boy with dark eyes. "Public relations specialist?" I ask Denny, giggling a bit.

He smiles, a friendly, warm one and says, "That's a fancy way of saying I know people who supply us with guns and ammo." I smile back and nod at Max to continue. "Lastly, Zoe Gonzalez, our best fighter," he says, pointing to the girl I observed earlier.

I can see her history in fights on her. There's a scar across her cheek, her hands are rough, and she has a fighter's stance, well built and muscled. I smile at her, and she gives me a tight lipped one in return.

"So, now that you know us, what's your name, princess?" Chace asks, smiling flirtatiously. "Lay off, Chace," Tristan orders. He smiles but stops hitting on me. "I'm Alex Foster," I say. "Say, nice baby bump you've got there," Denny says, grinning. "Tristan, you didn't tell us you needed condoms already!"

I blush furiously, while the boys hoot with laughter. "W-we don't. Didn't." "Then what happened?" Chace asks, sobering. Quickly I explain everything to them, including my father's murder and the return of Mystery Man. Everyone listens closely, offering sympathy.

"So, is it a boy or a girl?" Denny asks. "I don't know," I say. "I want it to be a surprise." They nod in agreement, and we sit around talking for a while.

***

"Well, we'd better get going," Tristan says, standing up. I follow. "No, we'd better get going," a cruel, cold, calculating voice says from the doorway of the warehouse. Muffled gasps can be heard from the gang members, and Tristan's hands clutch into fists. I look up at him for an explanation, but his face is deathly white and his eyes are focused directly ahead, staring at the man who stands before us.

I scrutinize him, trying to get a clue to his identity. Hushed whispers are coming from the circle of Tristan's friends, and I catch a part of their conversation. "Blake...he's back!" I audibly gasp. Blake. Blake Daniels. Tristan's father!

AN: Little cliffhanger there for you. Ta-da! Anyways, I'm sorry, but you all must wait until tomorrow to find out what happens. I'm warning you, it won't be good. Muahahaha!

All my love,

Em