While in Verona

Chapter One: Out

After six months of rotting in a jail cell, Coen relished being out and breathing fresh air. But as he drew closer to Redwood Academy, he knew his senior year was going to be difficult. Rumors were one thing, but his crew was another thing.

Didn't matter. Not anymore. He held his head high and walked through the large oak doors of the large school like he owned the place. The bland blue and grey hallways went quiet as he walked past the hoards of people crowding the hallways.

Fear, they reacted in fear. But Coen couldn't blame them, he wasn't someone people wanted to hang around anymore. He knew trouble now, and nobody wanted to go under like he had.

Stopping at one of the grey lockers, Coen dialed his combination. Opening his locker with a metal clang.

A hand smacked his locker. Coen clenched his jaw, waiting to spit out venomous words.

"Hey, I didn't know you were out."

Coen recognized that voice, it was Davis Hiel. A sly little bastard and one of Coen's top dogs on the street. Shoulder length black hair and a mousy face. It made him look like the well-behaved kid he wasn't.

"Yeah, a few days ago. Had to sort some things out," Coen explained. He tried to pry Davis away from his locker.

"Boring. So anyway," Davis began. "Want to hit Verona after class?"

Coen stopped and faced him. "Verona? That place is still standing?"

Beckett nodded. "Thriving." Beckett stood against the lockers, him standing taller than Coen by mere inches. Beckett's Latino skin and brown eyes made him look calm and collected. His level headiness usually kept the group out of trouble.

The bell rang through the crowded hallways, making kids scramble to classes. Coen turned back toward the two. "Sure."

Davis grinned and pushed off the locker. "Cool, see you after school?"

Coen nodded as the two walked in the direction of classes. Leaving Coan to find his classes on his own. He scoffed and opened his locker to grab his books. He shut the locker and tried to remember where everything was.

"Cades are coming into west territory far too much," someone said.

Coen looked over to see the Brass Growlers. Ranting again about the rival school. Acadia Academy, the northern school of Boston. The city split into territories, each territory designated to an individual school. Redwood took the south while Acadia took the north.

"Maybe we need to put them in their place," another suggested.

They all grinned and made their way to the front door. Coen ignored the delinquents and kept on his way. Some things never change.

After classes, Coen walked into the lunchroom to see a girl arguing with a jock. Braided black hair to her waist and a mini skirt short enough to barely follow school policy.

"You know what?! Fuck you, Todd!" She yelled. "You can go suck a-"

Coen whistled, grabbing the attention of the room. She spun and face him. Her face going from furious to an amused smirk. She crossed her tattooed arms over her white button-up.

"Well look who came back into society. Have fun in prison?" She mocked.

"Tons. But I have to say that I kinda miss it. The stale air, what's not to love?"

Her smirk turned into a grin. "You gonna come sit or are you gonna stand there like a doofus?"

Coen rolled his eyes and walked over to her, sitting on their usual table. The cafeteria stood with lines of gold and green walls. Tables lined in a row, graffiti gratifying the walls and tables.

She hopped on the table and looked down at him. "How was prison? For real?"

Coen ran his hands down his face. "It was a fuck show, Shaye. And, God, I hope you never have to go there."

"I won't. But Hames might," she said. Coen leaned back against the table with his body tense. "He's been getting into fights, and going against the crew's tolds." She leaned back on her arms.

"Everything went to shit when you left. So can you come back? Please?"

"I didn't think you wanted me back after what I said to you," Coen said with a cold facade.

Shaye crossed her toned legs. "To be honest, I'm still pissed." She shrugged. "But we need a leader. Now more than ever."

"And you all decided on me? After everything I've done?"

Shaye rolled her eyes. "It's more of what you didn't do. And no, we haven't' decided anything yet. But I think once they know you're out-"

Coen shook his head and stood. "No. I'm not walking into a slaughterfest if I can help it. You all decide it on your own then talk to me."

She grabbed his arm and looked him dead in the eye. "Be honest. Are you going back to the Riders?"

Coen tugged his arm from her grasp. He shoved his hands in his pocket. "No. I was planning on staying out of the gang life for a while."

She leaned on her knees. "What if we want you back? You gonna leave us high and dry again?"

"No. I'm not making that mistake again." He declared. "But I'm not gonna beg either. It's up to you guys." Coen walked out of the lunchroom. It's for them, it's for them.

I blame her.

After his classes, he found Beckett waiting for him. Walking toward him Coen asked, "where's Davis?"

Beckett pointed over to the collective group of band geeks. With sweatshirts with the music department's name on them. Davis stood surrounded. The crowd entranced by what he was spewing. No doubt making deals that would throw the poor bastards into debt.

Once Davis finished his dealings, he struts over to the two boys. "Hey! Where you been, man? We've been waiting for, like, twenty minutes!"

Coen tried to hold back an eye roll. "Are we going or not?"

"Yeah, yeah. Slow your role. I just have to talk to this kid." Davis rushed off to one of the nerds, shoving his smug grin in the poor kid's face. The nerd handed Davis a packet of paper and pleaded. Davis shook his head with fake sympathy before walking away.

"What was that about?" Coen asked.

Beckett leaned in, "the kid owes Davis. So Davis gets his homework done before we get the lesson."

Making deals that would throw the poor bastards into debt. Some things never change.

"Can we go now? Or do you need to harass a few more people?" Coen asked.

Davis waved him off. "Nah, I'm done for the day. Let's go. I want my coffee."

Off they went, walking toward Cafe Verona.