Saving The Gangsta

e l e v e n

"If you ever, ever, put your hands on me again without my permission, I will cut them off." I threaten, a deadly warning hinting through my tone. "Believe what you want about me, Valentine. But I am not one of you, I'm not a Viper and I will not be treated as anything but equal. Rebecca Clarke isn't my boss, nor my leader. And neither are you."

And then I walk, with my mind running in countless directions.

What the fuck was that?

"Astrid! Over here."

Following Dylan to the podium, I sign. Every Viper sits down in their seats. I study them. Taylor seems to be nursing his swollen nose, Becca sits with her arms wrapped around Alexi, and they all appear quieter than I've ever seen them.

I fucking hate public speaking.

"There's more to life than living for the next fight." I project my voice, as my English tutor from third grade taught me. "Life is made up of moments. Some good. Some bad. But they're all worth living for."

"We lost someone very important to us. Asher Caldwell might not have been a Viper, but he was a part of your family. He was your friend." I make eye contact with most of the boys, their gazes flickered.

"It in times like these in which you need to remember exactly who you are, and what you stand for." I tell them, catching Rebecca Clarke's eyes.

"Number One," I raise my voice, stepping away from the podium. "No Viper will ever stand alone."

" Two, Family above all. Familia super omnia." My lips moved upwards, as many of theirs followed.

"Viper's always bite back." I spread my arms out, in a cross-like position, welcoming the others to join me.

They didn't disappoint.

"When together in unity, we will always succeed." Scarlett pulls Hayden up with her, linking their hands.

Jesse stood with them, tall and proud. "A Viper...Will never lie or give false information."

Dylan jumped onto Taylor's back, raising a pistol into the air and firing. "No Viper will ever be left for dead."

"Betrayal by a Viper will always result in death." And Jayce.

They all stared at me expectantly, and every single one of them stood up.

My lips turn upwards and I meet Taylor's stare.

"Anybody can have the joy of killing us but they won't ever have the satisfaction of seeing our fear."

I breath out, "Asher Caldwell will never be forgotten. He may no longer be with us, but he will live on in each of our hearts. He will live on in his sister's daring personality. He will live on in our memories. He will live on as each of us survive."

I hold a single sheet of paper in my hand, one that Eric had scribbled on when we were kids and I refused to leave behind when I fled.

Meeting Erin's gaze, the same eyes stare at me just like they did when we were 10 years old. I read out his words. "As family we stand, together we fall. We lose one; We lose em' all."

I step away from the podium after a moments silence, heading straight to the food and drinks.

Double vodka and coke, don't mind if I do.

"You know that quote was meant specifically for The Outsiders? When I wrote it?"

I eye Erin cautiously, taking a quick sip of my drink. "I know, that's why I found it fitting."

"This isn't some petty gang war, Ing-" He cut himself off, diverting his stare to the ground and taking a deep breath. "Alexi wont go on a rampage like Dally did in the book. This isn't the same, that's why it doesn't fit."

"We haven't spoke in 5 years and you're going to lecture me on a speech I did for a dead kid?" I scoff, shaking my head at him. "Fuck you."

"And for the record, you was wrong when you told me that we would always stay golden." I say matter-of-factly, fully aware that he would know exactly what conversation I was referring too. "You rotted away and I crumbled into a million pieces. Ponyboy was right when he said nothing gold can stay."

"Ingri-"

"Astrid." I force out, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Astrid." He emphasised, "I've been told there's a traitor. I'll never forgive you if I find out it was you."

Is he being serious?

I did something that I never thought I could do to him, I walked away.

Sitting next to Hayden, I watched everybody else carefully.

Dylan ran up to Taylor, quickly touching him and then sprinting off into the opposite direction, a faint "You're it." Could be heard as he ran.

Everyone, other than Taylor, bolted. Their jubilant laughter drowned out all our doubts of friendship and loyalty.

Taylor soon tug River, and River got Xander, who then got Oli, and then Erin, and then Jayce, Taylor again. They ran around in circles until their faces were red and our breathing irregular. Splitting into two teams, they chased each other until someone was caught.

For a split second, we were just children, playing a game of tag with each other, having fun and giving absolutely no cares of whether we'd make it to tomorrow alive. We didn't care that our rivals were targets, or that we could be next. We didn't care that we were playing in a war zone, or that we could be attacked at any second. For a split second, we were normal children, playing around. We were happy. We were careless. We were reckless.

We were untouchable.