-•NATHAN•-
"I owe you, Greg," I said, shaking his hand. "Without your Tyrants, we would be screwed."
We were in the armory where Greg's Tyrants mingled with my Creeds. A celebration.
Greg took a sip of his beer. I remembered when I thought he was the most idiotic person in the world, maybe I was still right, but right now, he was my favorite idiotic person.
Greg patted my shoulder. "You don't owe me anything, Nate," his face was sincere, then a smirk lit up his face. "Does this mean you're going to let me win at the next gang race?"
I laughed. "I don't owe you that much, Greg."
He sipped his beer with a smile. "Guess I'll have to beat you fair and square." Then he walked away to his comrades.
"Son," my father's voice filled my ears. I turned around with dread.
I held my hands up in surrender. "Before you say anything-," I began, but he waved me off with a tired hush.
"I met a woman, son," he said, there was a glint in his eyes that I hadn't seen in a while. The words didn't seem right in his mouth, something so tender and easy.
"You met a woman?," I asked, incredulously. "How?"
He looked slightly embarrassed, then recovered himself with grace. He smiled. "The little beauty shop lady, you know her."
The little beauty shop lady. The one that Presley and I negotiated with. The portly woman.
I couldn't hold in my laughter. "How did that happen?"
He shrugged with a smirk of his own. I'd never seen him smile this much, not since my mother was alive.
"One day, I went to go pick up a check from her shop and...," he looked like he was in another world, a better one. "She makes me a better man, Nathan."
It was something I hadn't done in a while, but I hugged him. He patted me on the back, then I drew back. "I'm happy for you, dad," I said, drawing out the last word. He hated that word. It made him feel old.
"You should know something though," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Katrina and I are going on a trip. Somewhere far, we'll be back, but not for months."
"Where are you going?," I pressed.
He rubbed his jaw. "Europe, but that's irrelevant."
He stood taller. "My son, from this point on, I name you the leader of the Creeds. The boss. May all chaos meet you with grace."
I stared at him, confused. "Are you serious?," I spoke in a hushed manner.
"It's time for me to stand down, Nathan," he said tiredly. "I've been at this gang business far too long. Now it's up to you, make something better of the Creeds. I know you can, I've seen it in you. A lion of a leader."
He brought me in for a parting hug.
His departing words were. "Where loyalty is all we ask."
I repeated the words.
Before my father left the armory, he shouted. "Long live the Creeds!"
My gang shouted, "Long live the Creeds!"
There was one little Creeds member in particular that I wanted to share the news with. I was going to tell him that I loved him.
I was going to promise him life and beyond.