Check out any other books on my account too, I recently published two more!
1) 'Take me to Coachella' which is about a band who go on a road trip towards the famous music festival but one of them has a secret which they are running away from. Will it ever catch up?
2) 'Try Me' (published today) which is about two boys chasing a girl who has more secrets than they know. She is a criminal.
So check them out after this one hehe..
xo
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The boys sigh and follow me into the lift, only the music interrupting our meek silence. We are about to fight a load of tough, well trained secret agents as we try to escape with our lives and the only song the author of my life decides should be playing is 'Happy' by Pharrell Williams.
I mean, come on...
"Because I'm happy, clap along if you feel like a room without a roof..." the bouncy rhythm jolts and I snort.
I look up.
I'm stuck in the lift of a skyscraper. Not exactly my ideal situation.
The bridge of the song comes on and I roll my eyes at the irony. "...Bring me down, can't nothing... bring me down, my level's too high..."
I snort as the song ends and sigh into the silence. The next song is calming for the stressful situation.
"Will you still love me— FIND WESTLEY— tomorrow..."
Suddenly there is a huge CRACK and I squeal and cling on to nearest possible thing— which happens to be Zeke.
"Oh my god what was that help someone help we're doomed I can't take this I'm claustrophobic help me oh my god..." I murmur desperately, thinking the lift is breaking and I might be stuck in a metal prison forever.
"Sorry." Baz shrugs and turns to face me, his scar showing up more vivid in the light. "I was just cracking my knuckles..."
Zeke laughs. "Alright Badass, here's the rules." He turns to me. "You stay behind me at all times, okay? When I say 'run', run. When I say 'move', move, and when I say 'stop', stop. Simple? But the most important thing is that if I tell you to leave, you have to leave. With me, or without."
I gulp. "Copy that."
"Do you know how to throw a good punch? Flip someone over, attack without bitch slapping or girly screaming?" He asks seriously and I fidget.
"They don't call me badass for no reason." I try to speak convincingly.
Zeke narrows his eyes at me before nodding to Baz. The bouncer then grips me and flips my body onto the lift floor, my back crashing against the metal. Zeke stands over me, a smirk on his face. "Don't fall on your ass too much, sweet pea."
I grumble and curse under my breath as I get up. I step close to his face, my heavy breathing and tired eyes mirrored. Pressing closer still, I sneak my arm around his neck luringly. He lets out a little groan and I smile at him sweetly one last time before kneeing him in the gut.
Zeke goes cross eyed as he falls to the floor. "The bad boy ain't doin well now, is he?" I grin. "Don't get too distracted, sweet pea."
The next thing I know the lift pings and we all turn towards the doors. Zeke is quick to stand in front of me, probably trying to seem strong and respected like he didn't just get beaten up by a girl, but ends up blocking my view.
I would like to say that I'm surprised by what I see next but that would be a lie. As soon as the lift doors clinks open and a "ping!" cuts through the air we are faced with a line of about five Blacksuits, their smug expressions and their arms crossed making me feel small and insecure.
It's nice to meet you too.
I notice Mr Nichilo dusting down his suit. "Looks like the love birds have a third wheeler." He grins before shrugging. "Get them."
The Blacksuits close in on us and I feel Zeke's eyes searching for me. "If you haven't guessed this is the part where you run..." he murmurs before throwing a huge punch at the first figure, followed by a thump as Baz wrestles another to the ground. I feel a hand clenching my arm and tear myself away.
I glance around.
I can see Beatrice, the secretary, near the reception desk fighting for peace with the more aggressive Blacksuits. There is no way I can defend myself against all these thugs...
All at once, like a mouse searching for a hole in the floorboards, I duck and fall to my knees. I'm reminded of the stinking smell of Beatrice's feet from earlier and shiver. I'm now surrounded by all the stomping shoes and boots of my attackers as I crawl through the forest more commonly known as their legs. I get to the edge of the crowd after pinching and tickling my way further than expected when a hand grips my collar, pulling me to a stop.
"Hello sweet heart," a voice all too familiar speaks slyly. "Here for another stab at death?"
My heart pounds as I turn to face Goldtooth. She's like a mosquito that I just can't squish, a spot that I just can't squeeze, a bitch who I just can't slap. She stabbed me once, and that was enough thank you.
I turn on my mask of confidence. "Still haven't sorted your teeth out then." I mock, a smirk on my face.
Goldtooth's eyes gleam with anger and I feel like I'm slowly being set on fire... Or at least that's probably what she's imagining when in actual fact I seem fine.
Her hand grips my throat. "Hayley, isn't it? I think you need to watch your tongue, you little bitch."
I try to speak but her grip is too tight. I scan her body for weak spots; big, strong thighs... tree trunks in my opinion... tough arms and a hard set face.
And that's when the idea strikes me.
I use my girl instinct and punch her hard in the boobs, making her yell. She tries to punch my face but at the same time I grab her hair, pulling her down with me.
As soon as she's down I get up and sprint towards the doors, but to no avail. Goldtooth swings me round and punches my stomach, just where I was stabbed... in other words, my weak point.
Her snarl is vicious as she watches me scream and fall to the ground. The pain is unreal, hardly like anything you've seen in the movies. If only this was fake blood... or even better– imagine if it was ketchup... yum... all I would need is a hot dog...
"Shit shit shit shit shit..." I hiss through the pain and try to stand myself up again but only fall.
I can only see Goldtooth's thick combat boots marching towards me, closer and closer still, but then another pair join in, bouncy and fast. They trip her up, before I watch punches scattering her body.
I lay flat, bathing in the hope of my saviour, before finally trying to move. I lean up on one elbow and slowly but surely bring my feet under me to stand up. Through my lashes I can just about see my new hero, and groan when I see who it is.
Zeke is in the firm headlock of the Blacksuit, kicking and squirming but making no difference. He smiles reassuringly but his eyes only show sadness as he looks at me, like he didn't want me there. I'm about to reach forward when he whispers the words I didn't want to hear.
"Leave." He mouths, gasping for air.
All around me there are Blacksuits coming towards us, blocking exits and throwing punches. Even Baz is getting battered to the ground and he is bathed in blood (or tomato ketchup- you never know).
I'm about to start towards my not-so-heroic hero when a hand grips my wrist and drags me backwards. I try to fight it when a hand covers my mouth.
"Shut up, bitch!" The voice is creepily familiar and I try to turn around.
Once I see who it is I fight even harder. "Let me go, you idiot!" I yell and fight for Zeke even harder.
"Seriously bitch? I'm the back up! I'm trying to save you!" He replies and I snort.
"You're saving the wrong person Mace, now let me go and stop being such a jerk! If you really want to help, then go save Zeke!" I cry as my eyes are drawn to the jet black haired teenage boy getting shoved roughly to the floor by a fifty tonne Blacksuit.
I don't want him to get hurt.
"I promised I would save you." Mace pulls even harder and ends up lifting me up off the floor to stop my kicking. His hands are around my waist and for a second they touch my wound. I yell out. "Sorry but this is what Zeke would have wanted." Mace murmurs slightly apologetically.
It's like Zeke is already dead!
He drags me out the doors and I feel hands holding me tight as I get passed to James. "Don't struggle." He whispers as he carries me bridal style towards his car. Behind him I see Mace and Miles fighting the Blacksuits by the door and want to help.
I feel so weak and pathetic, wrapped up like a baby as people die because I was stupid enough to try to save a criminal.
"Babes what happened to your hair?" A feminine voice dripping with disapproval interrupts my thoughts and I turn in the car to see Rebecca.
"Oh my god..." I cry.
"Rebecca Carson, here to help." She smiles cheekily before mocking. "The name's Carson, Rebecca Carson, license to style."
I roll my eyes. "Hun there is a huge fight going on and you're worried whether you'll break a nail?"
"Well duh." She looks at me like I'm stupid. "Well it's the hair really..."
I snort and try to get out the car again but find the doors locked. "We have to go!" James shouts as he sprints towards the drivers seat urgently, a Blacksuit by his side. "We can't hold them off any longer!"
"What about Mace?" Rebecca's mouth opens.
"And Myles and Zeke?" I ask, bewildered. "We can't just leave them."
"We have no choice." James claims and I notice Foster run to the side door with a Blacksuit's ID card in his hand.
"Go! Go! Go!" He shouts and as soon as the door clicks shut we are speeding off, away from the fight, and away from Zeke and Mace.
Oh, and Myles.
And Baz.
And Beatrice...
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Have you ever got a pencil and sharpened it until there is nothing left? Or sucked a sweet until your tongue changes colour and there is nothing to chew?
Well I have been biting my nails so much that I swear there is nothing left.
Zeke, Baz, Myles and Mace have not returned for two hours since we were forced to desert them as they fought The Blacksuits.
TWO HOURS.
Either Baz really got aggressive or they stopped halfway through to have a tea party because the Miroir Building is only 30 minutes away so they can't have got lost.
Rebecca sits beside me, her face buried in her hands.
"Zeke and Mace will be fine." She comforts, probably to herself more than me.
"I just feel so useless. I can't do anything because someone kidnapped me and drove off before I could have helped!" I throw a pointed look at James and Foster.
"They'll come back." Foster shrugs as he takes another swig of beer.
How can they be so chilled right now?
"Yeah, Baz has never lost a fight in his life." James smiles kindly and offers me a drink to which I refuse.
"Well I bet he is now!" I cry in frustration. "Why the hell did we have to leave?" I ask and watch as James looks at the floor. "Of course..." I piece it all together. "Zeke asked you to, didn't he? To stop me from going and getting hurt so that he could take it all for me?"
"It wasn't all like that." Foster mumbles, looking uncomfortable.
"Bullshit!" I call exasperatedly. "Right, I'm going after him I can't take this anymore—"
I'm just about to touch the door handle when it turns and the door opens to a brown haired guy, large and muscly.
"Baz?" I frown and nearly hug him out of sheer joy. I said nearly, because that would just be weird if I hugged him. "Where's Zeke and Mace?"
Baz opens the door wider and Mace hobbles in, supported by a battered Dillon.
"Mace!" I smile and then frown. "Dillon? What— how— when—"
I thought Dillon wasn't part of the plan? I thought he was busy on the other side of town?
Dillon staggers further into the room and drops Mace on the sofa. His arm is in a sling but Rebecca still throws her arms around him, which Mace enjoys a little too much.
I reach out to hug Dillon, so glad to see him alive. He winces as he hugs me back and my eyes bulge when I see his bruised and swollen fist— Dillon never usually fights! I then realise that most of the survivors seem to have red, bruised hands and darkened faces and the whole situation becomes more real. Especially Mace, he has black smudges from a substance I would mistake for charcoal, unless he's been rolling around in mud like the fat pig he often resembles.
I pull back when a voice moans behind me, "Is no one excited to see me or am I just not loved?"
I laugh and roll my eyes as a beaten up Myles enters the room. I'm about to answer when James fills in for me.
"I love you!" He shouts, arms outstretched like a kid hugging Po from King Fu Panda. "Bromance!"
We all laugh as James tries to hug his best friend who simply pushes him off.
I smile up at Dillon but my face falls once I look into his eyes.
"Im sorry Hayley." He murmurs and looks back outside to where I see Zeke's car but no Zeke.
"What is it..." I ask warningly, extending the 'i', daring him to say what I think he's going to. "Tell me..."
Dillon looks away and I run outside, completely drawn by my madness.
I can't have lost Zeke. I can't have lost Zeke.
Suddenly a yelp escapes my mouth as I bump into a leathery figure and warm arms wrap around me. "Hey Badass."
I growl and push him away by his hard chest. "Where have you been? What happened? Explain to me!"
Zeke raises an eyebrow. "Nice to see you alive, too."
Ooops.
I bite my lip. "Thanks." I mumble before following him inside the house.
Soon we are all sat snugly on the sofas, listening to Zeke's account of the 'totally awesome' fight.
"We wouldn't have made it out if it hadn't been for Dill." He explains, pointing towards the door which Dillon left from earlier when he had said he wanted some fresh air. "He got us out and brought evidence to show that it wasn't my fault for any of the shit Nichilo blamed me for."
My eyes are drawn outside and I slowly tip toe out of the story time club to find Dillon. I see him, smoke as he exhales, leaning against the brick wall round the side of the house.
"Hey." I shove my hands in my fluffy pockets and stand by him (yes, practically all my hoodies and jackets have fluffy pockets, it's my thing okay). "I didn't know you smoked." I start the conversation.
Dillon presses his cigarette end with his heel. "I haven't for ages. I tried to quit, but times brought me back..." I nod along with what he's implying. "Er... Hayley?"
I try to smile although I've had enough of surprises already. "Yeah?"
He looks at me for a second. "I just want to say now that I never knew that Nichilo wanted you, or that you were in the Miroir Building when Baz and I started the plan—"
"Wait, what?" I frown, completely lost.
Dillon looks uneasy. "I didn't know you were in there when the lights went out or later... when the explosion went off."
My frown deepens. Zeke never mentioned an explosion... and Baz never mentioned another plan...
"What explosion?" I ask again.
This time it's Dillon who is confused. "Did Zeke not tell you?" I shake my head. "An explosion went off, Nichilo's dead."