Battle of the Killers

- YAZ -

DEAD. They couldn't be fucking dead. They couldn't. I threw my filthy screwdriver on the floor, shaking my head. My fingers clutched at my face, spreading black oil all over my skin, as I trembled, trying to process what I just saw.

The edge of the saw sliced Betinia, but they didn't mean it killed her, right? They just wanted to fuck with her like they always did, right. She wasn't dead — they weren't dead.

I coughed, rocking back and forth, trying to erase the heartburn growing in my throat. I blinked, fighting the tears forming in my eyes. Don't cry. Don't cry, stop it.
They're just people. People entered and left my life all the time. I didn't get attached.

But you did this time. I fucking did. I closed my eyes, body trembling uncontrollably. Betinia was my girl. She fucking saved me twice without even asking for anything in return. Everyone always wanted something in return.

My own damn grammie tried to fucking sell me because she had to take me in when my mother went AWOL.

"You ain't living here for free," Grammie spat out, slapping me in the face with her metal cane. "You pretty, you better fuckin' work that ass that god gave you and bring in some green."

Nothing in life was free. I waited for the day when Betinia would collect or ask for something in return. But that day never came. Instead she hung out with me. Laughed with me. Shopped with me.

I sniffled. And fucking Rucker — fucking idiot. My nails dug into my scalp, wanting the tears to stop coming. He was so fucking annoying. He knew how to get under my skin. I wanted to kick his ass ninety-nine percent of the time.

But during that one percent, he could be a great guy. Funny. Passionate. A smile formed on my lips when I thought of the pool party. He irritated my soul the whole time, but I had the best fucking time I've had in a long time.

He looked so peaceful when he fell asleep that night. Watching him get tortured like that was so wrong. This game was so fucked up and rigged. They didn't want Rucker to survive. Everyone could see that, but how could they take Betinia too?

It had to be a joke. One big fucking joke.

I wiped my face and stomped over to Khan, hoping his brainy ass would have an answer. He always had an answer. "Tell me they're just fucking with us. They can't be dead."

Sitting in his computer chair, Khan lifted his head slowly, exposing his bright red eyes. I flinched. I've never seen that boy show any major emotion, but he looked so lost now. I hurried over to him, wrapping my arms around him.

We were a team — all five of us, and we were nothing without either of them. Sebastian ran off earlier before the game resumed, looking pissy because he saw Betinia and Jookie smooching. He put a damn hole in the wall before leaving.

I held back a sob, thinking of how I was going to tease her about it when she got back. Now I might not ever get the chance, and it fucking sucked. It hurt.