Kayden
I reached Kenneth's door and knocked twice. As discussed, we would meet up and start the job for M. The sooner we could find these two, the better. The door opened to reveal a tired Ken. His eyes were red and the stubble on his chin made him look homeless.
"Cool," he grumbled, stepping aside to let me in.
"You look like shit," I said, shutting the door behind me and following him through to the living-room.
He yawned and shrugged. "Been a long day, init."
"It's seven o'clock, man."
"Whatever." He scratched his head and I saw all the mandem chilling.
"Yo Tempz," Dwane greeted with a nod.
"What you saying?" I nodded to Christian, who was busy grooming his nails, and sat on the sofa.
"Just waiting for this prick to get ready," Nic said, jerking his chin at Kenneth. "Then we can bounce."
"Fuck you, man." Kenneth sighed and slowly left the room. His footsteps went up the stairs.
I looked back to Dwane. "What's wrong with him?"
"He caught his girl cheating yesterday. Must've walked in on her fucking some next man." Dwane shook his head. "Messed him up."
I whistled. "Shit."
"He only just got out of bed," Chris mentioned. "We had to drag him. He's like a shell of a man right now."
Nic kissed his teeth. "If I were him, I'd get her back. Fuck her best friend or sister or somethin'."
Chris raised a brow. "You're actually a scumbag."
"Nah, I just don't take disrespect well."
"So a proud scumbag?" Chris asked.
Nic stuck his middle finger up at him and grabbed a zoot from his pocket. "Whatever Ken's goin' through, he better be on form today. Don't want any of you costing me p."
"He'll be alright," I said.
Chris watched as Nicholas sparked up his zoot, his face twisting in disdain. "Do you have to do that shit here?" he moaned. "Get out."
Nic laughed. "You get out."
"Make me." Chris stuck his tongue out and we all watched him.
"Gay," Dwane muttered.
"Your dad's gay. He sucked my dick last night," Chris said.
"So you are gay. You let another man suck you off."
Chris faltered for a moment. "Shut up man, you know what I mean." He kissed his teeth and we laughed.
"Just admit you like dick and we'll leave you alone," Nic urged.
"I'm not gay. I like girls."
"Perv," Dwane whispered.
"No! You know what I mean!" he yelled in frustration. We laughed again. Although Christian was the punching bag of the group, he restored balance and made everyone feel at ease most times. It was fun winding him up.
Kenneth eventually came back in the room wearing a full Nike tracksuit and a matching beanie. "You man ready or what?" We got up and left the house. Chris unlocked his car and we all slipped in. Me in the passenger's seat, Nic, Ken and D in the back.
"Where we heading? Bush?" Chris asked as he started up the engine.
Ken nodded as he slipped on his gloves. "Yeah. Head for White City."
With that, Chris took off down the road.
"Yo D, you said you know a couple man round there?" Nic asked, the zoot still hanging from his lips.
"Yeah. They'll know who Dean is. Just gotta chat to them."
I watched out the window as we sped down the road. For someone as eccentric as Christian, he drove like a madman. He was an enigma in every single way. I checked the time on my phone and wondered what Rebecca was up to. No doubt she was disappointed in me for not turning up to work yesterday or today, but I hoped a part of her understood that some things took priority. This was one of them.
My phone vibrated. I opened the text Aaliyah.
— You said you'd be there for me but its been ages
Did I do something wrong? If so I'm sorry. I need u
Instead of responding to the text, I called her straight away. The tone of her message didn't seem right. I looked at Chris to turn the music down before Aaliyah answered.
"Hello?"
"What's that text about, Li?"
Her voice was croaky as she spoke, "You haven't been here. I thought maybe I crossed the line last time."
I thought back to Aaliyah trying to have sex when I tried to comfort her. She was upset when I told her no, but I'd only said that because I didn't want to take advantage, and because Rebecca was in my life now.
I sighed. "Nah, it's nothing like that."
"Then what is it?"
"Just been busy." She was quiet for a moment. "How are you?"
"Been better." She sniffed. "Mum's gone."
I paused. "Gone where?"
"I don't know. Just gone. Came home from college and she wasn't around. I don't know where she is and neither does Dad."
Fuck. The situation with her parents was gradually getting worse. "She wouldn't just leave like that."
"But she has, Kayden. She's been out of control lately. This divorce ... it's changing her."
"Have you tried talking to any friends or family? She might have gone somewhere to stay a few days."
Aaliyah sighed and I heard her blow her nose. "I've tried. Dad's tried. He's pissed off now. He's gone to look for her."
I ran my hand over my face. It was always one thing after another with this family. Soon, Aaliyah will spiral out of control.
"Has your mum heard from her?" she asked, hope tinting her voice.
"Not that I know of. Sorry."
I heard her gulp. "I'm worried, Kayden."
"I know. She'll be fine. Probably went to clear her head. She'll come back."
Nicholas leaned forward. "Oi is that Aaliyah? Tell her I said hi." I shot him a glare and he shut his mouth, pulling back instantly.
"You sound busy," Aaliyah said through a dry throat. "Sorry for disturbing you."
"Don't be." I checked the time again and noticed we were nearing our destination. "Where are you?"
"In my room." She breathed heavily and I could tell she was still crying. "I just needed someone to talk to. I'm scared that my dad will find her because he might hurt her. How fucked up is that?"
"If he did, you know I'd have to get involved, right?"
She sighed. "Yeah."
Her despondent tone worried me. "Don't do anything stupid, Li."
"I won't."
Chris suddenly parked up and Ken opened the door. "Come we go." As everyone started getting out, I stayed where I was to make sure Aaliyah was okay.
"I mean it, Aaliyah. Relax and don't do anything."
"Okay."
She wasn't convincing in the slightest. "I'll call you back."
"Okay," she said again.
I hung up and stepped out the car before shutting the door. Chris locked the car and we walked down the quiet road.
"Might as well call that yout you were chatting about," Nic suggested to Dwane, who retrieved his phone and dialled a number.
"Yeah, it's me. Where you at?" Dwane hummed at the response through the phone. "Swear? Man's just around the corner, you know." The deep voice spoke again. "Yeah, wait there. I'm comin'." Then he locked off and looked at us. "He's in McDonald's."
I nodded. "Come then."
We walked down the road in silence and entered McDonald's. It was evening time so it was packed, with long queues and busy tables. Dwane led us to where his boy was sitting but Nic froze.
"Man's kinda hungry y'know'," he muttered as he peered at the menu on the far wall.
"No time," I said. We reached the back and approached the boy sat alone at a table. He was blacked out, slumped in his seat while he tapped at his phone. Dwane spudded him and we all took a seat.
"Cool Zion," Dwane greeted, sitting beside him.
"Yeah man. You?"
D shrugged. "Man's calm. How's Shanay?"
"She's good, just busy with college. You know how it is."
My ears perked up at the table full of loud girls not too far away. They were rowdy and still in their school uniform. I couldn't even hear myself think.
"Need to ask you somethin' real quick," D said.
Zion raised a brow. "Yeah?"
"You know Dean?"
Zion started to shake his head but he paused. "Dean Jones? Tremz?"
"Yeah, him."
He gave a brief nod. "Yeah, I know him; lives on Coverdale road."
Ken smiled; the first genuine emotion he's expressed since I've seen him today. "Coverdale road yeah? What number?"
"15 or 17. One of them."
Nic suddenly nudged me, pulling me out of the conversation. "Yo Tempz, look." I followed his gaze to the same group of girls that I noticed before.
"What about them?" I asked.
"See the lightie with the bushy hair? I'd beat that."
I watched him. "She's like fourteen."
He rolled his eyes. "You're acting like I've already fucked her."
"You know you can go pen for that, right?" Dwane asked him, picking up on the conversation.
Nic shook his head. "There's no way she's fourteen. Either way, fuck it."
"You're fucked," I muttered, looking away again. Even if they weren't young, no other girl interested me. Not ever since Rebecca entered my life.
"What about you, Chris?" Nic eagerly asked.
Christian pursed his lips in disgust. "They're little kids, man."
"Don't lie. You're just making excuses anyway, battyman."
Zion's head whipped round in Chris' direction. "Shit, for real? You're gay?"
"I'm not fucking gay! Fuck you, Nicholas." We all laughed as Chris threw a strop. I noticed Ken was eyeing the same table of girls, oblivious to the conversation now.
"You too, Ken?" I asked.
"I know her," he muttered to himself.
I raised a brow as he suddenly stood up and approached them without saying a word to us. We watched in silence as he spoke to a petite one with a long ponytail. After they spoke for a moment, she stood up and he placed his arm around her shoulder. Then they walked out of the building.
"Is he gonna smash?" Nic asked.
I ignored him, wondering what the distant look on Kenneth's face was. Eventually, he returned and the girl sat back in her seat looking incredibly stiff. He approached our table again with a straight face. "Coverdale road, yeah? Let's go."
We all got up and said cool to Zion before leaving. When we got in Chris' car, he started up the engine and glanced at Ken in the rear-view mirror. "You good man?"
Ken simply nodded.
Chris nodded and sped off down the road.
Becca
Day three of seven.
Being consistently nice was eating away at me. But I had to follow through for the sake of my dignity. And pride.
"What's wrong, Beccs?" Grace asked, watching as I picked at my sandwich. It was lunchtime and we were in the canteen but I didn't have an appetite.
"Nothing really," I muttered, finally giving up and putting the sandwich down.
She raised a brow. "You sure?"
"Yeah, you've been off lately. What's up?" Natalie chimed in.
"Is it Kayden?" Natalie queried.
"What is this, an interview?" I snapped. I took a deep breath and reigned it in. I was constantly on edge but I couldn't even express myself otherwise I'd lose. Being so self-aware of my kindness shouldn't even be this hard. "It is Kayden," I finally answered.
They all leaned in with interest.
"He's..." I was ready to call him something bad, but I refrained. "He's been skipping work."
"Oh." Natalie pouted. "Thought it was something juicier than that."
"Same," Brooklyn sighed.
Grace was the only one who withheld interest. "Is something wrong with him?"
"Not sure. That's the problem, I guess? It's like he's disappeared."
"Why do you care?" Natalie asked with a raised brow. "Ain't this what you wanted?"
I shrugged. "It's not that. Just an observation."
Brooklyn cooed. "N'aw, is that why you're so quiet? You really love him, don't you?"
I bit my tongue.
Chris entered the canteen looking as fresh as ever. He spotted our table and sauntered over before taking a seat next to Grace. "You alright, babe?" She nodded with a shy smile and he pecked her on the lips. Seeing them so loved up made me happy, but it also made me quite envious. If Kayden wasn't busy doing illegal shit in God knows where, we could be cute like that too.
Wait. What?
I scowled at my thoughts.
Chris looked at me and frowned. "What's wrong, babylove?"
Brooklyn answered before I could, "She's missing her boyfriend."
Chris was confused. "Thought you and Leon broke up?"
"Not him, the other one," Natalie said.
"Hate you both," I muttered.
Chris laughed. "Oh, that Kayden guy? What happened?"
"Don't listen to them," I said, waving it off.
Thankfully, Chris let it go. We eventually went out to the courtyard for some fresh air. As we settled on the benches and the girls continued to chat, I zoned out for a moment, wondering if I could really keep up this facade. It was getting harder by the day.
I spotted Shanay at the other end of the court. She was with her new friends, laughing and typing away on her phone. Then she suddenly looked up and stared right at me, as if she had felt my eyes on her. She screwed her face up.
I wanted to fight her so badly.
And I will. Very soon.
The boys calling for Chris snapped me out of my hateful thoughts.
"Come we go shop," Gavin yelled from the middle of the pitch. They were all heading out but it was as if they couldn't function properly without Chris around.
Chris rolled his eyes and snaked his arm from around Grace's shoulder. "Duty calls," he said, giving her a sweet kiss on the lips. "Later girls." He high-fived me before jogging off to meet the rest.
"You two are so cute," Natalie whined.
Brooklyn sighed wistfully. "For real. When's the wedding?" Grace glanced at her wide-eyed and she shrugged. "God is patient but I'm not. Time's ticking."
Natalie nodded. "It's true. Need to wear a cute dress before I start gaining weight."
"It's been like a month," Grace said with a chuckle.
"Long enough," Nat grinned.
"Oh yeah! Beccs, Charles wants to meet me today after work," Brooks squealed, suddenly clasping my arm and tugging on it.
I blinked. "Who the hell is Charles?"
"Shit, I didn't even tell you! Remember when I chilled with you at work that time? When I left, some guy moved to me and we've been talking since then. That's Charles."
"I remember you telling me!" Natalie's grin turned mischievous. "Are you gonna sample this one?"
Brooklyn mirrored her smile. "Depends how big he is."
Despite her blinding faith, Brooklyn turned devilish whenever her and Natalie got together. It was one of the enigmas about Brooks; she was devout and God-fearing, but it didn't stop her from messing with guys. Or drinking, for that matter.
Grace perked up at that. "What do you mean how big?"
"Don't worry," I told her. Grace had her moments but she was still innocent, even though she was dating someone as ridiculously horny as Chris.
"Speaking of big." Nat turned to me. "You said Kayden disappeared but when's the last time you saw him?"
I watched her for a moment. What was she even implying by linking the words big and Kayden together? I decided to not question it. "About two days ago."
"That's hardly disappearing," Brooklyn laughed as she texted on her phone. Probably to her new boo Charles.
"Why did you just say big again?" Grace asked.
Natalie's grin widened. "Ask Rebecca."
Brooklyn suddenly glanced up. "You've seen his willy?"
I stared back. "What? No?"
Grace gasped. "Wait, you two had sex?"
"What is happening?"
Natalie laughed. "You need to hurry up and ride him before I do."
I rolled my eyes. "Do you even know what he looks like?'
"Yes, actually. Saw him on the bus one time."
"How did you know it was him?" I challenged.
"He was wearing a Footlocker shirt and it had his name tag on. By the way, he's fucking sexy."
I couldn't help but smile at that. Yes, he was painfully attractive. Sometimes it threw me off. But he was also used to the attention and I didn't want to be the next girl to just give it all up for him.
"I'm never having sex with him," I said.
The girls gasped dramatically. I ignored their dramatic reactions and took my phone from my pocket. Stacey had an early shift and she was probably on her lunch break now, which was perfect timing since I needed to confirm something. I pressed call.
She answered on the third ring. "Hey, girl."
I noticed how cheery she sounded. "Hey, how's everything?"
"Not bad, to be fair. Just here with Nathan."
I checked the time on my watch. "Kayden has a shift today right?"
I heard the shuffling of papers as Stacey checked the rota. "Yep."
"Can you let me know if he turns up?"
"Yeah, will do."
"Thanks."
"And if he doesn't?"
"Then I'll have a bone to pick with him."
She laughed. "I look forward to hearing about this. I gotta go, break's over."
"Have a nice shift."
"Thanks. Later!"
I hung up and noticed Brooklyn was watching me while the other two spoke about their nails.
"What?" I asked.
"You need to come with me to see Charles today."
I raised a brow. "Do I?"
"I don't wanna go alone, I'm scared. Please come with me," she begged, grabbing my arm again.
"Why can't Nat go? You two are partners in crime."
"She's busy today. And Grace is going off with Chris. You're my last hope."
I considered it. Really considered it. I have to be nice, meaning I can't exactly blow off Brooklyn like this. Even though I'd be a third wheel, I had to be consistent with my kindness. If I could meet up with that asshole Leon, who's to say I couldn't chill with one of my best friends for a couple of hours?
"Yeah, sure," I said with a shrug.
She squealed and clung to me, squealing thank yous. As she joined in the talk with the other two, I peered around at the school kids enjoying their younger years, carefree and (mostly) innocent, ignorant to the stresses of everyday life they would eventually face. Part of me wished I could rewind time to when things were simpler, before my world turned upside down and I developed this deep-rooted pessimism for life. Before the darkness of sorrow enveloped me.
Somewhere along the way that darkness lessened and light slowly seeped back into my life. No matter how many times I tried to deny it, I knew it was because of Kayden. Somehow, he made my life easier, better, joyful. Even though he's created this stupid bet and I wanted nothing more than to kick him in the nuts, I anticipated seeing him again, just so I could see his handsome face and playful smile.
I heard the boys on the pitch shouting for the ball and then felt a hard force hit the back of my head. The girls fell silent while I sat there stunned, trying to process what had just happened. The force didn't hurt, but my eye still twitched in annoyance.
"Who did that?" I asked calmly.
I slowly turned to see the group of schoolboys on the pitch. They were all pointing to the stumpy white boy with chubby cheeks. I didn't react. I just picked up the ball and walked over to him. I felt all eyes on me as I handed the ball over to the culprit. He watched me with wary eyes.
"Be careful next time," I said with a tight smile.
He held the ball and nodded quickly.
"What do you say?"
"S-sorry."
"Apology accepted. But if I ever see you act reckless again, you're finished."
His eyes widened and he visibly gulped before running off with the ball. His friends watched him disappear into the building.
I joined the girls back on the bench and they were busy laughing.
"Can't believe you didn't fight him," Grace said with a giggle.
I scoffed. "He's a little boy. It was only an accident."
An accident that almost cost me this bet. It made me realise that I had a lot of grudges right now, starting with Leon, then Shanay, then Kayden—for this stupid bet alone—and now that boy. They were all testing my patience. If I snap, it'll be on one of them.
"You're different lately." Brooklyn slapped the back of her hand on my forehead. "You sure you're alright?"
I pushed her hand away. "I'm good. I just don't let things bother me anymore."
Not until next week, anyway.
Kayden
Coverdale Road, door 15. I was surprised by the appearance of the house—or mansion—even though I knew what this guy was about. Dean Jones was part of a wealthy family; he abused his money and was selfish with it. Looking up at this overbearing house and the luxurious cars on the drive, it was hard to believe that he couldn't pay M back what he owed.
We passed the front lawn decorated with garden ornaments and flowers and approached the door.
"You think he's alone?" Chris questioned, tapping one of the ornaments with his foot.
"Even if his family aren't home he's probably got maids walking around half naked and shit," Nic muttered.
Dwane shook his head. "You watch too much porn, bro."
I walked up the steps first and rang the doorbell. Then I turned to the others. Ken adjusted his beanie, Nic dragged his cap over his eyes, and Chris and Dwane tightened their hoods.
The door opened. I looked down at the small black girl dressed in pink pyjamas with a glass of water in her hands. She looked around five or six, with big brown eyes and pouty lips. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail and her curious gaze swept across the five of us. I expected her to be frightened but instead, she smiled.
"You guys look scary. Are you a rap group?"
We all looked at each other and I smiled at her, bending down to her level. "No, we're just friends of Dean's. Is he here?"
She tapped her chin in thought and nodded. "I think he's in his room."
"That's great. Is it okay if we come in?"
She nodded and stepped aside, letting us all in. Exploiting little children was a hard thing to do, but it was something we were all used to and completely necessary for what we had to accomplish.
The little girl shut the door behind us and grinned, holding up her glass to me. "Do you want some water?"
I shook my head and smiled politely. "No thanks. I'm not thirsty. You keep it."
She shrugged and took another gulp. I heard faint music coming from upstairs. Kenneth turned to the girl.
"Which room is Dean's?" he asked her.
"Allll the way upstairs. Can you hear that loud music? That's him. Always listening to two packs."
"You mean Tupac?" Dwane asked.
"Yeah, him." She gulped the rest of her water down and I laughed. She was such a character.
"Renae, who said you could open the door–" the voice paused and we looked to the hallway to see a much older girl. She was roughly our age with caramel skin, black shoulder-length hair and glasses. She blinked at us before looking to Renae, then back at us. "Who are you?" she asked with caution.
"Dean's friends," I answered with an amiable smile. "We came to check him. Sorry for barging in."
She watched us for a moment more. I could see her dark brown eyes studying us warily. Then she gave a slow nod. We began to head upstairs, following the thumping music.
"She's sexy," Nic said. "We should take her with us."
"You want anything with a heartbeat," Chris muttered.
"Fuck you."
We reached the fourth floor and heard the music seeping out of one of the doors. Without hesitation, I kicked it open. Dean was stood by the window bopping his head to the music, but he'd spun around when the door rebounded off the wall.
His eyes widened. "What the fuck?"
"Hold him," I said.
Kenneth, the bulkier of us lot, approached Dean and shoved him up against the wall by his neck – Nic, Chris and Dwane in tow to grip his other limbs as he tried to break free. He struggled but there was five of us and only one of him. He was powerless. Defenceless. Unprepared. Just like the rest.
I closed the door with my foot and walked to the stereo on the other side of the room. Dean's eyes were on me as I turned the music up slightly louder. The speakers thumped under the excessive bass. Wouldn't want his family to hear the commotion.
"Who the fuck are you?" he spat angrily, thrashing his head against the wall. "What are you doin' in my yard?"
"Don't ask questions. That's our job," Dwane grimaced.
"Dean, yeah?" I asked, taking a seat on his plush King-sized bed. "A.K.A Tremz. Right?"
"What the fuck is it to you!"
"It's everything right now. Wouldn't want to have the wrong guy. M would be pissed."
Dean froze and his eyes bugged at the mention of his name. "You're with M?"
I cracked my knuckle. "You could say that."
His body went lax, as if he knew he'd been defeated. "I said I'd pay him back!"
I raised a brow and Ken gripped his neck harder, pinning him higher against the wall. "Are you shouting at me, Dean?" He gasped for air and quickly shook his head. Ken loosened his grip slightly. "One thing you should know about M: he's not a patient man." I cracked my other knuckle. "Did you know that?"
"He's gonna get his p," he rasped.
I glared at his hopeless form. "When?"
"I told him myself – a week! That's all ... just a week, I swear."
I stood back up. "A week isn't good enough. In fact, that's way too long." He began to panic as I walked around his triple room, eyeing his possessions. "Nice place you got," I observed, taking in his 50-inch flat screen TV, multiple consoles and expensive furniture. Wouldn't be surprised if this dickhead had a walk-in wardrobe. "Nice house, nice family," I drawled, pacing about.
"IF YOU TOUCHED THEM–"
I laughed. "Calm down. We're not here for them." I opened what looked like a cupboard and saw a separate spacious room full of clothes and trainers. This fucking prick. I was joking about the wardrobe.
"All this money and you still couldn't run M his p?" Nic asked Dean.
Dean made a desperate cry. "It's not my money, man. Please."
"Bottom line is you made M wait," I said, slamming the wardrobe door shut and facing him again. The boys still held him firmly in place but he wasn't struggling anymore.
"I lost a lot of money," he muttered, barely audible over the music. I drew closer as he continued to whine. "I told him I'd give it back as soon as possib–"
I punched him hard in the stomach, winding him. He doubled over and made gasping noises, saliva dripping from his mouth.
"Keep lying and see where it gets you," I told him. I pulled back and flexed my knuckles.
"I can't pay him back yet," he wheezed. "I'm saying give me a week."
"You need to run it now," Ken said, releasing him. Dean slid down the wall to the floor, clutching his stomach and panting.
"I'll get the money," he muttered through a strained throat.
We all stood over him. I bent down to his level. "Right now?"
With his body still hunched over, he shook his head.
"Then I can't help you." I stood back up and gave them all a look. As I turned away, I heard the harsh sounds of flesh hitting flesh and Dean's wails of agony. I sat back on his bed and leaned over to his collection of CDs while the boys punched, kicked and stomped. "Rah, classic 50 Cent," I said, analysing the cover of The Massacre. I saw others by Nas, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Wu-Tang Clan and Mob Deep. He was definitely a lover of Hip-Hop. It's a shame we couldn't chat about it right now. "You've got a good taste in music, Deano."
He didn't respond. I looked over and saw he was bleeding all over the carpet, his body unresponsive.
"That's enough," I said. They pulled away and I got back up to peer at him. He laid on his side, his face bloodied, his nose crooked and his lips busted. One eye was welded shut and his form shook as he coughed out blood. "Let's go."
We left the music playing as we carried Dean out of his room, down the stairs and out of the house unnoticed. Once we closed the front door, we heaved his body into the boot of Chris' car, we got back inside and headed back to M's place.
"One down, one to go," Dwane muttered as he peered out the window thoughtfully.
Chris turned to me as he rounded a corner. "You sure he's alright in there?"
I shrugged. "He'll live."
We soon arrived at Marik's and waited outside the car. I called his number and waited for him to answer. He was out of breath when he did.
"What?"
"We got him," I said.
He was panting but I heard him smile. "Which one?"
"Dean."
I heard a woman giggle in the background and sounds of the mattress shifting. "Soon come."
Then he locked off.
"He's coming," I announced, stuffing my phone in my pocket and taking a puff of my zoot. I exhaled into the cool air and Chris cringed before holding his nose.
"Was he fucking that ting again?" Nicholas asked.
Dwane sighed. "When isn't he?"
"I need a life like that," Nic said.
"You're nowhere near his level," Kenneth snickered.
Soon enough, Marik came downstairs from the highest flat in the block. He wore a thick puffer jacket and Nike sliders. He approached the car with a glare, his eyes expectant.
"Where is he?" he demanded.
Just then there was a banging from inside the boot. Then muffled sounds. I continued to lean against the car, wishing we could keep Dean in there. He was an arrogant, entitled prick.
Chris unlocked the boot and Dean lay there contorted, his bruised lungs gasping for air.
Marik smiled in delight. "What's good pussy'ole?" He gripped the collar of Dean's top and dragged him out of the boot. Dean landed on the ground with a thud and groaned in agony.
"I was gonna call you," he whimpered straight away.
Marik crossed his arms. "Yeah?"
He nodded. "I swear..."
We watched as Marik pulled him up. "Come. Let's discuss this inside." Then he turned to us. "I'll sort him out and get back to you lot. Good job."
We nodded and entered Chris' car again as Marik dragged Dean into the block.
"He's as good as dead," Nic said with a snigger.
Chris sighed as he drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. "Feel sorry for his little sister."
Dwane hummed. "Best not to think about that. Let's go, man."
Chris started the engine and drove away. He dropped everyone off one by one. I asked him to take me to Aaliyah's instead. I spudded him before getting out the car and opened the gate to the maisonette Aaliyah and her family lived in. As I pressed the doorbell, I willed for her prick of a dad to answer. It would be a good time for me to fuck him up. But first I had to check that Li was okay.
A couple minutes passed and there was no answer. I retrieved my phone and called her instead; she answered on the fourth ring.
"H-hello?"
"I'm outside."
She sniffed. "Oh. Okay." She hung up and the door eventually opened. Aaliyah stood in her fluffy blue dressing gown, her straight, jet-black hair tied back into a messy bun to reveal her tired face. I watched the puffiness beneath her eyes and the hollowness of her cheeks. She'd been crying.
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. I held my arms out and she walked into me, hugging me tight. I embraced her fragile body and sighed, resting my chin on the crown of her head.
"Home alone?" I asked.
She nodded and mumbled: "She still isn't back."
I rubbed her back. "She'll come back. Don't worry." I kissed her forehead and pulled back to analyse her face. "You didn't do anything, did you?"
Aaliyah shook her head. "L-let's go upstairs," she muttered. I paused at the odd speech but followed regardless. Aaliyah spoke as if her tongue was too big for her mouth, but I couldn't put my finger on how or why. In a couple of minutes, we were resting in bed. As we cuddled under the covers, I noticed her entire body was burning hot, yet she was shivering.
"You're burning up."
"I-I'm fine," she insisted, her teeth chattering.
"Look at me," I whispered. She glanced up and I saw that her dilated pupils. Everything was starting to make sense. "What did you do?" I asked softly.
She turned away. "Nothing. I'm fine."
I pulled her towards me to inspect her closely. Sweat beaded at her hairline and her lips parted as she took short breaths. I cradled her and kissed her clammy forehead. "Aaliyah..."
"I'm okay." She closed her eyes. "I'm tired." Her body shivered and her fingers clasped onto mine desperately, as if trying to hold onto reality. She claimed she was okay but her body said otherwise. Her body told me the truth.
"What did you do?" I asked again.
"I'm tired." Her voice was a mere whisper now. She was slowly withering away. Aaliyah moaned softly as I kissed my way up her cheek, resting my lips by her ear.
"Tell me," I whispered. I felt her forehead with the back of my hand. Scorching hot.
"I'm tired, Kayden," she muttered again.
I rubbed her stomach gently in circular motion. "I know you're tired. Tell me what you did."
"Nothing. I'm tired."
I sighed. She was muttering the same thing over and over again. A sign of delirium. "What did you take?" I asked.
"Nothing. Stop shouting." She snuggled into my chest. "My belly hurts." I continued to rub her stomach. It was her turn to sigh as I kissed from her neck to her cheek. A faint smile danced on her lips. "That feels nice."
"Yeah?" I nuzzled my face by her neck and gently bit onto her skin. She stiffened and moaned once more. I pulled her even closer, caressing her stomach while kissing her neck and face. "I'll make it feel even nicer when you tell me."
"I didn't do anything," she mumbled. Even her stomach was feverish. I wasn't stupid; I know she did something dangerous to get to this state, and I wasn't leaving until I found out what it was.
"I'm not gonna ask again, Aaliyah."
"My head hurts," she muttered.
Suddenly, I spotted an empty glass and a pack of painkillers on her dresser. The pack was open and completely empty.
I clenched my jaw. "Li."
She cuddled me gently. "Yeah?"
"How many did you take?"
"Not that much."
I closed my eyes and breathed deeply in an attempt to suppress my anger. "How many?" I asked again.
"I'm tired, Kayden." I could feel my pulse quickening and my chest growing tighter. I kissed my teeth and reached over for the pack. Prozac, vitiman B tablets. My eyes narrowed and I scrunched it up.
"Why the fuck did you take them?!" I yelled. I knew this would happen. Every fucking time this happened!
She flinched at my voice. "Stop shouting," she pleaded quietly.
"Why, Li? I told you not to do anything stupid!" I left the room and went straight to the bathroom. Once I collected all of the tablets and pills, I headed downstairs. As long as they were in the house, she wasn't safe. I needed to dispose of them before she seriously harmed herself, but it might already be too late. I entered the kitchen and poured them down the sink. All the Anadin, Nurofen, Paracetamol, Ibuprofen ... all that shit was going.
"Kayden?" Aaliyah called faintly from upstairs. I heard light footsteps descend the stairs and felt her presence in the kitchen. "Kayden, I'm cold," she muttered. Her voice was as frail as she was, which pissed me off even more.
"Go lie down," I spat angrily, refusing to look at her.
"Kayden..." I heard her step closer. More footsteps. Even more. Then a thud. I spun around to see Aaliyah unconscious on the floor.
Shit.