Annalise

Chapter 30: Chaos & Ricky (Pt.3)

It must've been trash day in my mind, because apparently all the words I've learned were tossed into a garbage bag and hauled off, away and out of my sight. Wait, how do you form a word and create it into a sentence?

Apparently that piece of information was riding a horse off to the sunset, laughing at me and my inability to remember. Right now, I was just a girl with her mouth falling and opening in an endless loop, being intensely scrutinized by the frosty eyes attached to Ricky's hostile face.

"This resistance really was my idea, not hers. I just wrapped Annalise into it," Brendon explained through the trembles of his voice, intentionally grabbing the blame and responsibility.

But I couldn't let him try to protect me, too many people were doing that already and not helping at all.

This case wouldn't be different.

"Do you really believe it's wise to lie when there's clear evidence contradicting you? Playing the hero doesn't suit you, kid, nor will it help you or anyone else," Ricky warns in a tone that could slice clean through someone.

The sound of a loaded gun echoed in the room filled of speechless teens, which was immediately followed by a whimper of protest. I instinctively stared up to find the source, spotting a disturbing sight in the process.

Ricky's weapon was lowered to Brendon's quivering mouth, the tip of the gun dangerously brushing against his lips, which would provide a clear shot in the direction of his mouth if fired. Suddenly, words came tumbling from my lips, the more I talked, the more I dug my grave.

"Please don't," I blurted in a desperate plea, the words rushing out to be heard. "The truth is, we both are equally to blame for creating this mess! You're right, it- it's not all on Brendon. It's on me as well, I spread the word of it and brung most of the people here," I avowed, my voice scratchy and dry, all the saliva that coated my mouth seemed to disappear.

My heart was banging against my ribcage as it pumped aggressively, my anxiety was doing what it did best. Soon after, my hearing was consumed by the erratic beating in my chest.

Ricky's solid blue eyes found my own again, chaining me to the spot as I involuntarily started to shake underneath his stony gaze.

My straight posture grew into me having a hunch back, I kept slouching down at every fleeting seconds morphing into long minutes. A thought in the back of my mind whispered that making myself smaller would deter predators from pouncing on me. Maybe it'll work with Ricky?

His observant eyes didn't falter as it gazed only at me and my pale face, intently inspecting my soft features. His chest rose up before settling down again, letting out a long exhale through his nose.

"Alright, this is how it's gonna go down," he broke through the deafening silence, still gazing at me. "¡Ven ahora!," his indifferent, deep voice ascended into an authoritative order, dropping low as his Spanish accent ran though his command. 

Multiple shoes rubbing against the school's floor caused high-pitched squeaks to ring into the classroom, making everyone aware that Ricky wasn't a lone wolf, he had company.

In came robotic Jose, whose dull green eyes lacked emotions. The only light igniting in them were the reflection of the actual lights from above. Then came Timothy trailing stiffly behind him, inches shorter than his friend with a much more lively expression. Fierce, passionate, heavy hatred glowed brightly in his milky brown eyes, leering at the sight of the teens riled up against his gang.