All It Took

Chapter 3: The News

*Warning: This chapter mentions the use of guns.* 

"We'll talk about it at the restaurant. Are you ready to go or do you wanna stay a little longer?", my dad tells me. 

I look at Lewis and he answers me as if he knew what I was thinking. 

"Go! We'll be here when you guys are with done if you still wanna come after." 

"...Okay. I'll text you when were done with dinner", I saw to Lewis with a smile. 

I give Lewis one more hug before we leave. By my surprise Sasha gives me a hug and says, "I hope everything is okay" with a concerned smile.

Okay? Why wouldn't everything be okay?

When we get to my dad's car I tell my family to wait outside so I can change in the back. There is a bathroom nearby but it has a long line and I don't really feel like waiting. 

I manage to change into a pair of ripped jeans, a shirt and my white vans, although they aren't really white anymore. 

When I get out of the car I tell my dad I am ready to leave. He tells me that he would like to wait for the traffic to calm down before we try to leave. 

"Okay, sounds good", I tell him and go over to my siblings. 

"I'm so excited to go to China Town, I haven't been in so long!", my sister says excited. 

"Yeah me too, I'm so hungry!", I say agreeing with her. 

"I can't wait to get the-"

My brother is cut off by five loud pops. 

"What was that?", I immediately ask. 

"Were those gun shots?", my sister asks. 

"It sounded like it. They couldn't have been fireworks because they don't sound like that up close", my brother tells us. 

The police cars in the parking lot turn their lights and sirens on and speed toward the direction the sound came from.

"Dakota are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost", my sister tells me. 

I'm frozen. I can't move my body. 

Could what happened in New York be triggering me? But why? What happened tonight and what happened in New York aren't that related...or are they? 

"Oh, I'm fine. I'm just really hungry, I haven't eaten since breakfast!"

"You guys ready?", my dad comes over and asks us. 

"Yeah let's get out of here", I say and rush to the car. 

When we pull out of the parking lot were immediately stopped by a cop in the street. There's cop cars and ambulances in the street. 

My dad rolls down his window and says, "Good evening officer". 

"Good evening sir, where are you guys headed tonight?" 

"My family and I are going to dinner in China Town", my dad tells the officer. 

"Okay, I'm just gonna need you to turn around and take a detour, this road is closed off", the officer tells my dad. 

"We're those gun shots we heard earlier?", Alicia asks the officer. 

"Yeah, just some kids celebrating a little too hard tonight. Well, have a good night", the officer says and then directs us where to go. 

"Man that's crazy", my dad says. 

I look down to see my hand shaking and I stop it with my other hand. Why am I just now having reactions to what happened? 

Is it because I decided to pretend like I never saw what I saw that day? 

I think I need to talk to Emma, she can help me. 

When we get to the restaurant, I go to the bathroom. Luckily Alicia doesn't follow me. 

I go in the bathroom and check all of the stalls. They're empty. 

I pull out my phone and call Emma. 

"Come on, pick up, pick up..."

"Hello?"

There's loud music in the background. I wonder if she's at grad night. 

"Emma? Do you have a second to talk?"

"Sure! Let me find somewhere quiet!"

"What's up Dakota? I haven't heard from you in a while. Did you hear about what happened tonight?" 

"Yeah...that's why I called." 

"Oh..."