Wrong (A Shalnark x Reader)

[Chapter 5-Job]

"Car,"  I say with a stern voice.  "I know they might be a little strange, but why would t-" "No.  [Y/N], just listen.  It's up to you to decide what you do, but please just listen."  

I shut up and wait for her to continue.  She takes the hint and starts speaking again.  

"You remember Macie's family?"  She asks.  I wince at the memory.  "Yeah."

Back when I went to school with her, something horrible happened to Macie's family.  One night, Macie woke up and found her parents unconscious in their room.  There were three people there but she didn't get a good look at them, for she dashed out of the house and got help.  Turn's out her parents had been working with the government and a large gang had sent some members to their house, unaware that they had a daughter.  This is why Macie is so quiet.  She used to be extremely outspoken and confident, but the trauma of the event caused her to go into this introverted state.  Her parents sadly passed away.

"Remember how she said she didn't see what the people looked like?"  Car asks.  "Yeah."  I repeat.  "Well, she didn't get to see them completely.  But she did notice a few details.  And 'Shalnark,' over there, fits one of the descriptions perfectly." 

I think about it for a moment.  "Car, you know Macie wasn't in her right mind at that moment.  How could she possibly think that Shal was one of the people."  "That's what I said."  She relpies.  "But Macie insisted, and I trust Macie."  

I stay silent for a bit.  "Look, [Y/N], I was skeptical about it too.  We don't care if you still hang around him...just try to stay safe, alright?  I know its a long shot, it really is, but you can never be too careful."  The door swings open and she strides out looking normal.  "Just in case.  Alright?"

~~~

I sit on my bed fidgeting with a bottle of pink nail polish.  "Hey, what do you want me to put on the TV?"  Shal asks.  "I don't know.  I'm sure we've watched every show possible."  I say.  He chuckles.  After a minute of sitting in silence as he scrolls through movies, I finally speak up.  As soon as the words leave my mouth, I'm embarassed.  

"Shal, are you in a gang?"  I ask.  God, that was so stupid.

He full-on laughs.  "Man, I wish.  Why do you ask?"  I shrug.  "I don't know.  Macie thought she recognized you from somewhere or something.  I don't know, it's not really important."  I say.  I laugh along with him.  "Man, that really was a dumb question.  Look at you, as if you could be in a gang with that attitude."

"Hey!"  He says, pouting.  I throw a pillow at him and it hits him in the face.  This turns into a full on pillow fight.  

"Hey!  Pipe down, I'm trying to sleep!"  I hear my dad yell from across the house.  We lower our laughs to giggles.  "Sorry, Mr. [L/N]!"  Shal yells.  

~~~

That night shouldn't have been as important as it felt, but sure enough, two months later, after we had adapted to school and everything, it was still on my mind.  Not a whole lot, but enough that it crossed my mind as I went to sleep, or caused me to have to reread a line in a book a few times because it had popped up.  

Subconsciously, however, I know the thought had been plaguing my mind, slowly eating away at me bit by bit.  

I wake up, do my usual moring routine, and head off to school.  Nowadays, Shalnark meets me outside of my apartment building and walks to school with me.  I would say that he walks me to school, but that makes it sound like he's protecting me, and the reality is that, if something were to happen, I think I would need to protect him.