Double M is My Man

~ 13 ~

I can't help myself, I gulp nervously. 

"If you notice that guy, you automatically run away from him as if he has contracted a deadly virus making you want to get as far away from his as possible," Charlie elaborates, never dropping his scrutinizing gaze from me. I squirm in my seat from his stare. "So, why did you kick those two out of your life?"

I fidget with my fingers, completely lost at this point. I mean, what am I supposed to tell him? 

Turns out that the mystery girl who interrupted our soccer convo knows how to wield a gun. I got to witness her skills first hand. Oh, and so did Chasity, lol!

That would definitely  cause Charlie to question my sanity.

So not happening.

A loud BANG suddenly explodes to my right. I flinch, instinctively cowering away from the sound, remembering my situation with that black haired girl and Chasity. Words can't even begin to describe the amounts of fearful thoughts speeding through my head that day as that gunshot filled the atmosphere with unbearable tension. I stayed frozen in place as I heard a thud, indicating that someone has fallen.

I recall dread consuming me in less than a second as I feared for the worse only to have that dread disappear a second later when I heard Chasity warning me to not turn around yet.

That gunshot still echos in my ears sometimes that's why the loud bang scared the peepers out of me but that doens't stop my head from turning towards the origin of the sound. I look to my right to see that a waitress has accidentally dropped her serving plate which contained a few empty glasses. Those glasses shattered across the floor. 

There's my opportunity to avoid Charlie's intervention!

I begin to stand up to go help the embarrassed waitress but some other customers nearby have beat me to it. It would be unnecessary for me to go over to them and offer more help. Sadly, they go it covered.

Flying donkeys! Now how can I escape?!

"Zada, I'm waiting," Charlie calmly reminds me. 

I sink back into my chair.

How can I begin to explain, what seems to be the most horrifying moment of my life. The shooting back at the cabin over the holidays doesn't seem to compare. Sure, I got shot and fell down the stairs but it was very sudden. The entire moment lasted a few seconds until I was knocked out cold.

But the incident after school that Wednesday? I had to walk for, what felt like, fifteen excruciating minutes with a pistol on my back, reminding me constantly of my fragile life. At the time, I was concerned for not only my life but Chasity's. I forgot then that she has the capability to handle those types of situations.

Chasity is a superhero who made sure I was turned around when she took the life of the girl who threatened to take our own.

I have contacts who will come to take care of the body. Don't speak of this to anyone, Zada. Not even to Reece.

That was all Chasity said before she used her strength to pull my shaking form back up on my feet and forced me to walk away from the crime scene with her.

I haven't slept decently these past two weeks. I have avoided Reece, Bailey, Cameron, and Chasity, especially, at school. I make sure to walk into Bio class right when it starts and be the first one to leave. I take a longer route to a farther subway station so I don't run into anyone familiar.

Overall, let's just say I'm not handling the aftermath too well.

"...I didn't kick them out," I softly answer, deciding to walk along a thin line between more lies and the truth. Out of everything that has happened, I haven't kicked Charlie out of my life and I can't jeopardize this friendship I have with him.