Zadie's POV
'That'll be £10, please,' said the pizza guy.
'Shut up,' I slammed the door in his face. Yay, free pizza. We were hungry and I couldn't be bothered to cook. Also I can't cook. I walked back into the fort with the boxes. I sat next to Tristan. There was something about him that made me feel so comfortable around him, even thought I've only known him for a day.
'So...' said Brad.
'Why don't we watch a movie?' suggested James, looking pretty nervous. Maybe he felt bad because he was the one who asked about my mum.
'Which one's do you have Zadie?' Connor asked
'Fast 6?' I said, because I fucking loved that movie
'Sounds good,'
We put it on and munched the pizza. It felt warm and comforting, bit like Tristan's arm.
Wait what.
Well, Tristan was a very good looking guy, with his hair and eyes and smile and cheekbones and face in general, but now wasn't a good time to fall in love. If was ever a good time to fall in love. Sometimes it was just better to have a few friends and dedicate yourself to work and money. You know, get rich or die trying and that. And being in a relationship wasn't exactly trying to get rich, was it? I guess that's what all the Barbies do though.
I felt my eyelids droop. I had a lot of shit to do tomorrow, and thought I should maybe get some rest. I knocked out, and fell into a heavy, dreamless sleep.
James's POV
I woke up early and disorientated. Once I got my bearings. I decided to get a glass of water to sooth my sore throat, and found Zadie in the kitchen.
I felt awful about asking about her mum. Maybe I should ask if there was anything I could do.
It was only 8 and already Zadie looked like she was about to go out. She was sitting at the breakfast bar eating a bowl of Lucky Charms.
'Morning,' she smiled.
'Morning,' I poured myself a glass. Everyone else was still asleep, so I thought this as a perfect opportunity to talk to her. 'How much was the pizza last night? I want to pay,' I said as I slipped in next to her.
'I didn't pay for it,' she replied, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
'What do you mean?'
'I mean just that. I took the pizza, and shut the door. Keep up, James,' This stunned me.
'So we ate stolen pizzas'?'
'Yeah?'
'How do you do it?' I was determined to find out more about Zadie.
'Do what?'
'Break the law? Like it's a normality?'
'Well, define normal,' she hit me with that one.
'Umm...' I racked my brains, but when I gave it some thought, I really couldn't.
'Exactly. Everyone has a different normal. So much so, I don't think normal should exist,'
'You've lost me,'
'To me, eating stolen pizzas' is normal. My dad would do it all the time. To you, paying for pizzas' is normal, because your parent's would pay for them, right?'
'Right,'
'So normal is basically what you're raised around. And abnormal is what you're not. Agreed?'
'Agreed,'
'I was picked up from school by my dad's mate's, whilst everyone else was picked up by a relative. I thought it was weird,'
'But to them, you being picked up by someone who isn't directly related to you is weird,'
'Proving my point. So my dad and uncle's and family friend's all broke the law on a daily basis. Even though it's weird to you, it's completely normal to me,'
I considered this, and came to the conclusion that Zadie was right 'Thanks for the insight into the complex world of your mind!'
'Anytime!'
'So... Is there anything I can help you with?' Then Tristan walked into the kitchen.
'Morning,' he yawned.
'Morning,' me and Zadie both said at once.
'What's happening today then?'
'Mmm, I need you two to help me carry some stuff,' Zadie said.
'Sure, okay,' Tristan agreed almost immediately.
'Um, okay,' I was a little more hesitant. What if we got in trouble with the police? How would that make the band look?
Zadie walked to the spare room and me and Tris followed. She grabbed a screwdriver and started lifting up floorboard to reveal envelopes, labelled messily. It was too late to say I didn't want to carry the obvious drugs on me now.
Fuuccckkk.
She tucked them into inside pocket on her jacket, then put the floorboards back. Next she went to the cupboard where the blankets were kept and pulled out a large tool box and handed it to me. Then she got a skateboard and handed it to Tristan.
'So he gets the skateboard and I get the heavy toolbox?' I moaned, although I was glad this is all I had to hold. Relief had washed over me, and I was now filled with curiosity.
'Man up,' Tristan grinned.
'What about Brad and Con?' Zadie asked
'They won't be awake for another 16 hours yet,'
Zadie put on a pair a pointy high heels and we headed downstairs, then jumped on 2 trains. The box wasn't really heavy, although it gained me some weird looks from the public.
'Excuse me,' a strange voice came up behind me. We turned around and it was police.
Oh no.
'Um, er, good morning sir,' I said, trying to keep calm. Panic was thrown across Tristans face, whilst Zadie looked calm, normal.
I remembered our chat this morning about normal.
'We need to ask, what's in the box?' they said. It was pretty suspicious, me just carrying a toolbox.
'Tools,' I hoped I wasn't lying.
'Why do you have a tool box with you?'
'Our dad's a builder and forgot it when he left. My brother was just helping me take it too him,' Zadie swooped in. The officer looked from me to her and back again. We could pass as siblings.
'Okay, have a good day,' and he walked off. I breathed out.
'Bloody hell...'
'I always pictured hell more firey than bloody,' Zadie smiled.
I guess she was used to that as well.
We arrived at her dad's mansion and she took us round the back, into a gigantic yard, with a pond and a pool, a flower bed and a tennis court.
Firey hell.
She led us into a kitchen, where there was a pretty lady with auburn curls swinging around her shoulders. Her green eyes sparkled. She looked about 21.
'Heyyyyy,' she drooled 'You're Sadie, right?'
'No... Zadie, with a Z,' Zadie seemed annoyed.
'Kayyyyy,' the lady grinned at me and Tris 'And you must be Dom, Hayden, Izzy and Owen, yeah?'
'No,' Zadie facepalmed 'They're some other friends of mine, just helping me transport some stuff,'
'Ohhh... don't you want to know who I am?' I wanted to know.
'No, not really. Where's my dad?'
'He's out at the minute, but I'm here,'
'Yeah... I just need to borrow his car so I'll be gone in 20 minutes max,'
'Does he know?'
'Of course not,'
'That's very bad young lady, and dishonest,'
'Whatever,' Zadie shrugged and walked down the hall way. We caught up with her just as a man came into view. He looked a lot like Dominic, only with more muscle, and gold.
'You alright Zazz?' he said, his voice deep.
'Yeah, I just need a car Marcus,'
'Dom told me about the note you found on one of your clients,'
'Crap, I forgot to tell my dad about it,'
'Don't worry, I'll tell him. Just forget about the whole thing though, yeah?'
'Why?' Zadie narrowed her eyes.
Marcus didn't answer and walked off. Zadie then proceeded into a garage, where I set down the tool box and Tris put down the skateboard. Zadie put her back on the skateboard and rolled under a Skoda and started fixing it up. Me and Tris crouched down.
'Who was the guy?' Tristan asked.
'Dominic's dad, known him my whole life,'
'What note?'
'Don't worry, it's business related,'
'Who was the girl?' I said, maybe a bit too eager to find out.
'My dad's new bitch. Or Barbie number 4,' oh. Right.
Zadie scooted out and asked me and Tris to take off the current number plates on the car. We did so while she found some new ones. We helped her fix them in place. After she instructed us to 'get in the fucking car', and we did.
Zadie had a mask on again.
Tristan's POV
We pulled into a little cottage. Zadie knocked on the door and Izzy opened it.
'Wagwun,' he let us in. Once we were inside, we saw the others boys sitting identically, with papers' in their hands. Zadie gave Izzy the envelopes.
'Safe,' she said.
'You can't bring flies with you on collections Venus,'
'I ain't, this little trip is for my back,'
'The coppers are really cracking down on us,' Owen sighed. Me and James sat down. 'Sooner or later they're going to get us,'
'Owen, you're dad's been doing this for 30 years, he's not caught yet,' Hayden said, worry in his voice.
'They're getting wise to old tricks Hayden,'
'So use new ones!'
Zadie was emotionless, her beautiful eyes empty.
'Look,' Dom spoke up 'We have to take it one day at a time. There's two deliveries today, right? Make them pay up front, we'll talk at Anton's tonight,'
Sounds of agreement came from The Life Ruiners.
'Alright, me and Zazzie will go do that collection now,' Dom stood up and headed for the door.
'Text us figures, we'll do the same,' called Owen as we walked out and into the Skoda.
'Can we come on your collection Zadie?' I asked. I was drawn into this whole new mysterious business, the daughter of a drug lord and her work, her own circle of dealers and breadwinners. I wanted to find out more about this pretty girl, and how she earned her dough.
'Tris...' James said, I chose to ignore him.
'You sure mate?' Dom asked, slightly amused.
'Pretty sure,' I nodded
'What do you say Zazzie Wazzie?'
'Mmm, it's not nice Tris...' Zadie said
'I do beg,' I wanted to see what was what.
Dominic laughed at that. 'They are hench looking Zazz,'
'James? Do you want to?' Zadie asked
'Um, er, um, yeah, I mean, I'll text Con to let him know we're fine, but-'
'Okay, what's the address Dom?'