L A N A
"I never expected to be doing this on a school night," Everett said, as we were hiding behind the Laker building, ready to set our plan in motion.
Everett seemed nervous as he was biting his bottom lip and looking around as if on alert despite the fact that we were well hidden from anyone's sight.
"Okay, remember. Everett goes to their base. They grab him. Call us and threaten us with him. We get there. A fight breaks out. Lana will be on the ceiling. She'll jump in. Get Everett out. Arjun will get the cops there after showing them the video. A video of Carlos murdering someone will definitely get the cops here, even though pretty much nothing else does."
We all nodded before Jada turned to Everett. "Okay, you gotta go. You remember where I told you to go?"
Everett nodded and turned to me and gave me a small, anxious smile. "Be careful."
Was he seriously saying that to me? This idiot.
I nodded. "You too."
Everett turned and ran off before Jada turned to me. "Okay. Get to the ceiling of their base. You know the way. You'll see Everett from up there. We'll be there as soon as Carlos call us."
I nodded and we huddled together for a quick group hug. I feel Jada's arm on my back as she said, "Let's get rid of him once and for all."
Shortly after, I quickly parted ways with them. I climbed the same brick wall and jumped from the same trees, but the witching in my chest felt heavier. For the first time in a long time, I felt so much pressure. I needed to make this right. I had to get rid of Carlos. I was the spy of The Sirens. I had to be the best help for Jada and for Everett.
My hands were shaking as I reached The Lions' base. They had probably taken Everett inside by now. My hands were shaking as I pulled open the squared lid on the roof, which was my entry to their base.
I'm so screwed.
Still, I inhaled deeply and pushed the lid aside before jumping in, and landing on the ceiling inside the base. I quickly crawled over to the where they probably had Everett captive. It was in the main area of the base as soon as you entered. I had been up here way too much. Especially back when Carlos led The Lions. Jada depended on my spying skill to stay one step ahead of them at all times.
"Why are you doing this? Let me go."
Everett. I felt my heart stop for a moment. I quietly pushed myself against a small wall up in the ceiling as I gazed down at Everett tied up in a chair beneath me. A few Lions surrounded him. Carlos was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he was waiting for Jada.
"Hey, prez. I told you to keep your fucking mouth shut. Carlos will be back with your girl's boss soon."
"Jada? Why is she coming here?"
Either Everett had genuinely put all his trust on us to save him or he was really good at acting clueless. Or maybe he just wasn't scared of these guys. That wasn't possible. Even The Sirens were scared of Carlos. Just the thought of the fact that he murdered someone was enough to send shivers down my spine.
Before Everett could say anything, someone burst through the door, and his firm, playful voice filled the room. "What's the hurry, Weston? I got your gang right here."
Everett turned his head at the same time my gaze landed on Carlos followed by Jada, Isha and Carmen. But something didn't look right. While Carlos patted Everett's shoulder and turned his chair so he was facing The Sirens, I noticed he had too many guys on his side. There were six of them. As far as i knew, Jada didn't have any backup. If she did, she definitely hadn't told me about it.
Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
A fight might break out. Focus on getting Everett out. I'll handle the rest with my boys. Cops will come soon.
-Arjun
A fight? A fight! So that's what Jada was talking about when she repeated the plan real quick before we parted ways. The fight was happening very soon.
A fight as in we were getting beat up or a fight as in a form of distraction. It could've easily been both. I guess it was for me to decide. I had to calculate my next move carefully.
My fingers were still jittery. I kept telling myself to stop being scared. I thought about the girls, laughing and smiling as we raided the candy store the last time, took down people twice our size and our nostalgic walks on the streets during the sleepy nights in this town. I thought about Everett. His soft smile, his tender touch, his warm hugs and his bravery and kindness.
I clenched my fists. I couldn't let Carlos win. Not this time. I had a lot more to lose now because I loved and cared for too many people. Also Ali, Kiana and Diego. Even the student council no matter how much I terrified or annoyed them. I didn't want to lose anyone. This town was shit but it was home for me and my friends. Carlos never called this place home. He treated this place and the people in it like shit. He couldn't be big and dangerous in those others squeaky clean rich places. That's why he returned. It was easy for him to be the boss here. Not this time though. Not again. I wanted him gone. Everyone probably wanted him gone.
I needed to get my thoughts straight. I had to focus. If Arjun said his boys would handle everything and I just had to focus on Everett, then that's what I would do.
Just when Carlos' boys jumped on The Sirens, a bunch of Arjun's boys who left the gang when Carlos returned, barged in. The anticipated fight just broke out. On cue, I jumped down from my hiding spot, and rolled on the dusty floor before finding my footing. I was close enough to Everett and quickly limped over to him while everyone around me was throwing punches at each other.
In the middle of the chaos as I was untying him, Everett's eyes found mine. He smiled, relieved. I took him in, inspecting for any injuries but he was okay. Not a scratch. Not yet, at least. We weren't safe until we were far away from this base.
He grabbed my gloved hand I led him away from the fight, and through a narrow hallway. I wasn't completely sure about every route in The Lions base. It had been a long time since I was last here. Arjun didn't mess with us as much Carlos used to.
"You okay?" We both asked at the same time when we were safe enough to take a break. He smiled when we both nodded at the same time. I tightened my grip around his hand.
When we almost reached the exit, I turned to him. "Okay, just go straight ahead from here and to the left you'll find a door. You'll be outside and climb over the wall and just run. Go home and text me when-"
"-Wait, no. I can't just leave. I have to help you guys. I'm not leaving you to Carlos and just running home. No way."
"Everett."
"Lana."
I groaned.
He pouted. "I can help. Let me help. Please?"
Before I could say anything, I heard shouts from the room we escaped from. "Everyone, halt! Hands up! Where's Carlos?"
The cops. They were here.
"Everett-"
One second, he was in front of me, the next second he was knocked down to the ground.
My eyes widened when I saw Carlos towering over Everett's body. He raised his monstrous gaze to me and my heart stopped when he hissed, "You little bitch. I'm gonna kill you."
"Jada Fucking Davis calling the cops on me? On me? How fucking dare she? That ugly bitch," he spat, angrily. "I'm skipping town in a sec, but not before I destroy you right here and now. The last time wasn't enough, was it?"
Before I could make a run for it, he pushed me to the ground and pushed himself on top of me. Just like that, it was enough to send flashbacks across my mind of that night in the dark room, his weight pressing down me, between my legs and his rough breath across my face.
It was the same night, all over again? How did all come back to this? To relieve it all over again?
I was frozen. I couldn't move and I couldn't breathe, my words stuck in my throat. I felt completely numb and powerless under his weight.
No. Not this time. I forced my numb arms to muster up the strength and struggled beneath him as I tried shoving him off me. However, as I tried to scramble away, Carlos pressed me down, his hand around my neck.
He was going to kill me.
All of a sudden, however, he was quickly pushed off, his weight pressing me down gone in a blink. I opened my eyes and a pair of familiar warm brown eyes were looking into mine, pooled with panic and worry.
Everett helped me up and pushed me behind him as Carlos glared at us. Before he could jump at us, two policemen came running, guns in their hands.
My heart stopped when they shouted, "Halt! Hands where I can see em!"
"Fucking hell," Carlos whispered and all three of us raised our hands.
They both looked at Carlos who was still on the ground on his back. Then one of them said, "Carlos, you're coming with us."
I almost collapsed of relief. They signalized us to drop our hands while they pulled Carlos up on his feet and handcuffed him.
After they dragged him away, I felt Everett's arms gently tug me against his chest, his arms around me. "You okay? Are you hurt?"
For a moment, I was still before I exhaled a deep breath and wrapped my arms around his back. I nodded. Despite, my blurry vision and my staggering state, his warmth comforted me in just a few seconds and I sighed in his embrace.
"You two okay?" I heard Jada ask, as the girls approached us.
"Yeah...Yeah We're all right," Everett answered, his voice still shaky.
We were okay. I kept telling myself that until Everett and I safely left the Lions' base with the The Sirens, Arjun took back his gang and Carlos was driven away in a police car.
"He's gone. For good." After the words left Jada's mouth, I finally believed it. We were going to be alright.
***
Author's note: Hello! Sorry for the late update. This was the last chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for all the support!❤️