Nate Powell and I were born an hour apart, in the same hospital. Our parents met before we did, and the friendship blossomed from there. We met officially on the first day of kindergarten, when Nate was the only other kid in the class who had a Ninja Turtle action figure. I had Leonardo, he had Donatello. After that, we became friends with Dinah and the Three Musketeers were born. And today, we turn eighteen together.
We both made it clear that we wanted a peaceful day with no parties, just a lot of time to be able to see our friends and families. Using our brain power, we set up a schedule for the day- we would have brunch together, head to the boardwalk arcade with friends, and have a fancy dinner with family. But if there's one thing I didn't trust, it was that Ally would do nothing.
Ally has always been one to celebrate. She threw parties for every occasion, including her own birthday party, which she has planned for years by herself. I was very suspicious, which will always be my downfall. If I wasn't a musician, I could be a great detective.
"You're thinking what I'm thinking, huh?" Nate smirked, stealing a fry from my plate.
"That there's something off about everyone today?" I responded. "Of course. Camila hasn't been answering my texts."
"Yeah, I blocked Ally last night."
"Why would you do that?"
"She kept sending me Pinterest recipes."
"That sounds incredible. Camila just sends me pictures of baby goats and asks if we could buy one."
Nate laughed, getting the attention of the waitress and asking for the check. All of a sudden, we both heard our phones go off.
Camila 😍🙊 🌺🎀: babeeee there's two train tickets on your car for you and nate. you both leave in an hour. we have a reservation for the sugar factory in the meatpacking district at 5. dress nicely!!!! pls don't get lost in the city
Nate showed me the phone, receiving almost the exact same text message from Ally. We paid the bill, tipped our waitress, and headed outside. Sure enough, there was two train tickets on the windshield of my car.
"Meet me at the station in an hour?" Nate asked. "I bet I can dress more like a GQ model than you."
"Before high school, you dressed like a kid at an amusement park. This," I gestured to his flannel and boots. "Is all you going out shopping with me."
"I hate you."
"Too bad you're stuck with me all day then."
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Nate fell asleep on the train. We made the mistake of sitting in the Quiet section. We were surrounded by old ladies and exhausted parents. I couldn't help but think on this train ride about how different everything would be next year at this time. Everyone would be finishing up their first year of college, and I hoped that there wouldn't be a disconnect in our group. Although we would go to different places and study different things, I didn't want to lose the great friends I had. I would've gotten anywhere without everyone's help. Hell, maybe I'd be doing worse. Growing up is weird. But growing up and having a change of heart about a kid that threatened to take everything away from you? That's unheard of. It sounds like something out of a crime novel.
The other day, someone in school came up to me and called me a hero for saving Shawn. I told them that I didn't save Shawn, because I don't feel like I did. I just uncovered the truth. Perhaps the truth saved him? But in doing so, I divided his family. His old group of friends. Him and his brother. Often times, I'll look and myself and wonder if I should've gotten involved at all. That's when I realized that no one else would've done anything. But does that make me a hero?
"Are you doing that weird thing where you sleep with your eyes open?" Nate whispered. "Or are you just daydreaming."
"Just thinking about everything that's happened."
"Hey, don't think too hard, okay? This isn't your fault."
Those words kept ringing in my head: This isn't your fault. Is it Sebastian's? That cop's? Shawn's? Or is it a group effort?
"This is New York Penn Station." The train car's silence was broken by the conductor's voice. Nate and I got up, heading out of the train and up the stairs. He started talking at his regular tone and volume, describing to me this new symphony he heard the other day on Pandora. Little did we know that we were being followed.
We headed down fifteen blocks until I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Luis. His hands were wrapped. He looked like he wasn't sleeping well- or at all. Before I could ask him anything, he took a step forward. Luckily, Nate caught his hands and pinned them behind his back. Nate got him into an alley, and I managed to punch him in the stomach.
"I can see you missed me, Allen." Luis smiled maniacally.
"What the fuck do you want from me?" I asked him, my hand on my concealed pocketknife. I was too cautious to leave the house without it.
"I'm here to warn you. Sebastian is going back to court. Can you believe I escaped and yet he couldn't? Some mastermind..."
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't smash your skull into the brick wall." Nate warned.
"Because you're just beach rats from Jersey? Also, this is a warning. He's not coming for Shawn any longer." Luis looked at me. "He's coming for Camila."
"You're joking."
"Wish I was. But both you and Shawn care about her. It's pure logic."
"You said he's still in there."
"Not for long. Did you hear about Ricky Baker?"
"What are you talking about?" Nate asked him.
"Ricky Baker was murdered last night in his Miami mansion. Gunned down on his balcony."
"No..." I checked my phone. It was true- all of it. Kelly was dead. Shawn would be so upset.
"This isn't a game anymore. People aren't just losing their memories. They're losing their lives. We need to put an end to this."
"I'm not teaming up with you-"
"And I'm not asking to you. But Ricky was my friend. He was Bass's too. You don't know what he's capable of."
"Y/N, let's go. We're gonna be late-"
"Nate, he has a point."
"He tried to break your hand! Now are we gonna start forgiving everyone? Maybe next we'll forgive Jacob for triggering Camila's persimmon allergy!"
"I'm not interested in messing around with high school kids." Luis broke out of his grasp. "I'm interested in taking Bass down, though. And you need him to be away from Shawn as far as possible."
"I'm not using Camila as bait."
"It might be all we got." Nate told me.
Luis handed me a realtor's business card with a phone number scribbled on the back. He told us that we could contact him through this number.
Nate and I walked away shaken up. There was a forced speed in our steps. We didn't know how Camila would feel about this. I didn't know how to feel about this either. Could staging a coup really put all of this to an end?
"Don't bring it up today. Please." Nate told me. "Camila and Ally spent so much time on this. They just want us to be happy."
"Okay. This just sucks. He's coming for her." I sighed.
"Hey- we have time. Don't worry." Nate and I walked into the Sugar Factory to be greeted by Dinah, Jarryd, Normani, Ally, and Camila.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Ally and Camila enveloped us in a group hug.
"The table is ready." Ally said.
"You guys are gonna love it." Camila winked at me, grabbing my hand and leading me into the restaurant.
Camila sat right next to me as we had dinner. We talked about our plans for college and the future, but this time it wasn't so scary. Jarryd got a football scholarship to an out-of-state school, and Dinah was now considering legal studies as a major. After we all finished our entrees, Nate and I opened our presents and ordered dessert. It was the most fun we've had in a while. The waitstaff came and sang to us, and I could tell Camila and Ally put a lot of work for this. I was really grateful for this.
"Camila, you didn't give Y/N her gift." Ally remarked.
"Oh, Ally, I don't think she's gonna like it..." Camila told her.
"Shut up. I'll like anything you get me."
"Okay, close your eyes." She smiled. "And hold your hands out."
I did as she told me, and suddenly I felt a box being placed into my hands.
"Open sesame."
I opened my eyes and my jaw dropped. Camila got me a new MIDI controller keyboard.
"I know you kept writing songs on Garageband, but you always complained about how you wanted a compatible controller to go with it. It does everything, it has a synth and a keyboard."
I put the box down and gave her a big hug.
"Thank you, baby. You didn't have to do this."
We finished up and all got on the train back home. It was a great birthday, and now I got to go have dinner with my family. Although it was a family party, my mom did invite Camila. She said she was a part of the family now, and that made me happy.
We got inside, and Camila asked to take my jacket for me. I agreed, but I immediately regretted it when she found my pocketknife.
"What is this?" She asked, with a concerned tone that could give her mother a run for her money.
"It's just in case I see him." I reassured her.
Camila then also pulled out the card Luis gave me.
"Y/N, do you have a knives dealer or something?" She half-joked.
"No, but-"
"Tell the truth." Camila demanded. "I can't help if I don't know."
I sighed. I didn't want to tell her today. Motioning to the chairs on my patio, we both sat down.
"Camila, when Nate and I were walking through the city today, I saw Luis."
"If he threatened you, my parents could have him back in prison in a week."
"He didn't threaten me. But he told me a few things that I think you would wanna know."
Camila nodded.
"Luis got out of jail, but he left Sebastian behind. Also, Machine Gun Kelly? He was murdered last night."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah. And then Luis told me that Sebastian is coming for me or Shawn. He's coming for someone else when he gets out."
"Well, who is it? We gotta tell them."
"Camila-"
"Just tell me, Y/N!"
"He's coming for you."
Camila's face turned from inquisitive to concerned.
"Me? Why would he come after me?"
"You're someone Shawn and I both care about. Luis had this idea that we could use you as a decoy to get the cops there."
"I don't know about this. Last time we got involved with cops, you freaked out." Camila explained. "I guess- I don't know- can we really trust him?"
"I'm afraid that if we don't, someone else is going to die." I confessed.
"Okay. Um, well, I need to think about it."
"I'm sorry if this is too much."
"Please don't be. This was supposed to be your special day, and Luis ruined it." Camila crossed her arms.
"No! I had an amazing time. Thank you for putting lunch together. Your gift was really nice, and it was great spending the day with you and my closest friends- and Jarryd."
Camila let out a laugh.
"Dinah said she wasn't going unless he came."
"I know that's a lie. But at the same time I know it's not. They're practically inseparable."
"How cute."
"Hey, can we really judge them?" Camila smirked. "I see you more than my own family."
"Other than Sofi, you don't really like them."
"I don't like you either."
"What?"
"I'm just kidding. Don't worry. I love you."