Scars

Chapter 12

The guys and Abby were already settled in the living room by the time I came back. I shake off the nerves and go sit by Kevin, letting Abby talk to Keith about something.

"Has she eaten?" I ask Kevin, who nods before speaking.

"We are telling her right now, aren't we?"

I nod before turning to face Abby, avoiding looking at anyone else.

"Abby," I call out to gain her attention. The moment she looked at me, I falter for a second before schooling my expressions into a blank mask. If I am going to tell her the truth, she needs to hear it in one go, expressions will just lead to diversions. "We need to tell you something."

Abby lets out a confused laugh, "No need to say that line Ash, it's the line a boyfriend uses right before he tells the girlfriend that he has been cheating on her."

"Well, we need to let you hear this so..." Ace cuts in.

"What is it?" Abby questions, now intrigued, as she leans forward giving us her undivided attention.

"Do you know anything about the... how do I say this... unlawful network?" Mason starts, trying to put it in the nicest way possible.

I snort.

"Unlawful network?"

Abby, Keith and I ask in sync while the rest give Mason a deadpan look. He shrugs before asking Abby again, "Whatever you can call it... have you heard of it?"

"Yeah... how can I not when our town is literally in the middle of three hubs of crime in the country? Like, the drug rackets and weapon dealings... the three surrounding towns are all about them. Though I wonder how come our town is still safe?"

Abby stands up while speaking and gets herself a can of sprite before asking, "What has that anything to do with us?"

Kevin stiffens beside me, and I gulp audibly. My heart beat increasing and anxiety making its presence apparent.

I am about to lose another best friend.

"About that... you know these... lawless activities-"

Abby cuts off Mason, "Crimes... these are called crimes. Continue."

"Right... um... So these crimes are done by a group of people. And those groups are called gangs and they have a leader and then an under boss and..."

She cuts him off again with a sigh.

"See, if this is about you guys trying to tell me that you all are a part of the gangs... then yes I know it."

Pin drop silence.

The burning in my chest reminded me to breath, me being momentarily too shocked to breath. I gasp, my lungs filling in the cold air.

The boys around me are in the same condition. Ace, for the first time in the past year looks caught off guard while Ryker stands tense, his phone near his feet as he dropped it on Abby's words. Mason tries to speak but no words come out, Keith shakes nervously and Kevin stares at Abby like has grown two heads.

We are shocked.

"How..." Kevin asks for all of us as we gather ourselves.

She shrugs, "I kinda started having doubts when the boys would disappear at odd times and sometimes come with cuts or bruises. Then I started noticing that even though Ash would stay with me, Ace or Ryker always seem to talk to her before and after these type of incidents.