•This is only the last couple of paragraphs from the last chapter, not all the main points•
Previously on Annalise:
I snapped out of my mini trance and grabbed Alice's wrist, "Let's go."
"What? Why?" She frowns, forming a crease on her forehead and her lips parting out.
"For reasons!" I truthfully stated.
"Aye, don't go just yet," the older guy tells us.
Yeah, cause staying with creepy guys like you are the highlights of the party. My inner self brutally thinks.
I shake away the rude comments floating inside my mind and try to pull Alice away.
"Hey, room for two more?" A deep familiar voice questions.
Alice whips her head in the direction of a brown skinned guy with dreadlocks, holding hands with a light skinned girl with black curly hair and brown eyes.
Her eyes and his instantly connected.
"Tate," she growled.
"Sweet, sweet, Alice," he greeted.
He landed his eyes on me, "Annalise," he dryly addressed me.
***
The older guy maliciously grins at us, his lips curling up and his eyes twinkling with interest. He leaned further into the couch, angling his body to our direction, laying one of his arm on the armrest and the other bending, allowing his elbow to press against the armrest while he used his hand, which was balled up, to lay his jaw atop of.
"There's always room for one more," he told Tate, a sly smile taking over his face, making his lips turn up slightly and his front teeth become expose to us.
I snuck a look over at Alice, seeing her eyebrows knitting together and being pulled down, her lips were tightly pursed and her hands were tensely on her hips. Actually, her hands created firm fists, making her knuckles turn white.
"Like he said, only room for one more. There's two of you, so scram," she aimed to keep her attitude neutral, failing miserably when her voice gradually rose up and vexation weaved itself into her last few words.
"It's all good, there's still one seat left and the cutie can just sit here on his lap," the guy obscenity proposed, pointing his hand in the direction of the seat, next to the girl with diva curls.
"Alright," Tate concurs, pleased with the thought of letting Kim sit on his lap.
He takes a hold of Kim's hand and pulls her along with him, leading her to the couch. He sits down and tugs Kim down to his lap. She darts her eyes away from Alice and I, shifting her position to find a comfortable place. Once she settles, she slings her arm around Tate's neck.
"How about we make this game more interesting? If someone picks dare and refuse to do what is ask of them than they have to drink a shot of this," the older guy raises a bottle, his dark eyes piercing into mine, a small grin tugging at his lips.
"Pincer Vodka? That's 80 percent alcohol," Alice spits out, her green eyes slightly wide in disbelief.
"So? Can't hold your liquor all sudden? That's a real surprise," Tate butts in, ready to provoke, his voice dripping with judgement and unusually snippy.
"What's a real surprise is that I haven't-" she begins, but I placed my hand over the one she was pointing at Tate, instantly making her become mute.
"Deep breath in," I instructed, taking a large amount of air into my lungs. "Deep breath out," I stated lastly, exhaling out and feeling my chest go down as the air exits from my body.
"I know, thanks," she tightly smiled, her lips tugging up just a little.
"So, you guys are in?" The older guy asked, his eyes switching to me and Alice as he awaited for our answer.
"Uh, I don't-" I began.
"Yes! We can hold our liquor," she sassily responded, pointing her thumbs at the both of us, her eyes trained directly at Tate's squinted observing eyes.
I twisted my head in a funny angle at Alice, my mouth hung wide opened and my eyes continuously blinked, wondering if this was really her.
Hold my liquor?! I can barely hold 5 pound weights.
Pretty sad, my deep inner self whispered.
Alice's stare broke ways with Tate's eyes and landed upon me, however, her face didn't turn to me, it was at his direction.
"At least I can..." she mumbled, her words only audible to me.
She averted her gaze as I pouted at her, puffing my bottom lip out.
"Just do the dare and you won't have to drink," she flashed her white teeth at me, her front bottom teeth slightly crooked, but not so noticeable unless you're very close.
"Asher isn't going to like this," I whispered to her, my hand blocking the view of my mouth as the quiet words floated to her ears.
"Asher isn't here," she retorted.
I sighed, tearing my eyes away from her and putting my attention on the rest. Tate was playing with Kim's curly black hair, his eyes still intently gazing at Alice. The older guy's lips exhibited a diabolical grin, never once did he place his beady eyes off me.
The girl with diva curls sat with her legs crossed, a complacent smirk pulling her lips up. Her grey eyes roamed from Alice to Tate. The girl with the long, also straight, brown hair hasn't uttered a word. All she was doing was observing, her dull eyes swept across everyone's face. Her back postured was straight and her hands were resting on her lap.
"Alright, since this is a new game, I'll start it off," the older guy stated, repositioning himself so that he was sitting more on the edge of the couch instead of leaning back.
The guy rubbed his hands together and looked down at the floor, his right leg slightly bouncing up and down as he thought. Then, not seconds later, he rose his face up high and a mischief grin spread widely on his tan skin.
"Truth or dare?" He asked Tate.
"Dare," he instantly replied, his go to answer.
"I dare you to tell me why this girl over here," he said, pointing at Alice, "Seems to hate your guts?"
Tate serious expression broke as a deep chuckle arose from his mouth. "We use to date, like almost two weeks ago," he strangely answered, a knowing look overcoming his sly chuckles and bright aware eyes.
"Damn, and you already found a new girl?" He smirked, taking a once over at Kim's body.
She was wearing a beige crop top that exposed her under boob and a matching skirt that barely covered her upper thighs. It was a cute outfit, but I wouldn't wear it.
"What can I say? I just love girls, and I'm sure plenty of people do," Tate voiced loudly, grabbing Kim's chin and planting a kiss on her lips.
Alice took a sharp breath in, pushing her blonde hair away from her chest to her back.
"Ok, dreadlocks you're up next," the girl with the big sassy curls slowly and seductively informed.
Tate eyed her up and down before flicking his brown eyes to Alice. "Truth or dare?"
"Dare," she carelessly shouted over the blaring music in the mansion, her eyes clearly rolling at him.
Probably annoyed that he decided to pick her.
"I dare you to trade places with Kim," he wickedly smiled, whispering something into Kim's ear, then kissing her on the top of her head.
I ran my fingers over the golden necklace me and Alice got for each other. "Come on, Tate. That doesn't seem like a good idea," I opposed, before any movement could happen.
"What's not a good idea is you opening your mouth," Tate barks immediately, deadly squinting his eyes at me as his nostrils flared up.
Who does this fu, my deepest self started to say, but I changed my thinking in a split thought.
Who does this fudge nugget think he is? I mentally questioned.
"Sorry, I don't mean to offend you," I apologized, shifting my eyes away from his menacing ones.
Sorry? Sorry for what!?
"Don't be sorry, Annalise," Alice looked over at me, disliking my apology to him.
Turning her head towards Tate, she leered at him. Her eyes glistening with undeniable hatred and a tiny tint of aggravation.
"Don't give her attitude or I may happen to spill a drink on your lap," she shot back at him, stomping onto her feet.
She reluctantly approached him and waved off Kim from his lap. She plopped on top of him, which made Tate release a small grunt. Alice crossed her arms and had her lips puckered up tightly, her eyes were narrowed and focused on the bottle of vodka.
She was probably wondering if getting drunk was the better option. But she and her family has church tomorrow and I'm sure it's frowned upon to go having a hang over.
Kim smoothed over her skirt as she took a seat next to me, completing the swap between her and my best friend.
I flickered my eyes to the older guy and the diva girl, both were sharing a look of amusement. The guy's lips were twitching up and the girl's hand was barely hiding her mocking smile that was getting bigger by the second.
Tate wrapped his arm around Alice's waist, squeezing her against his chest. "Don't you miss this?" He asked, reminiscing of the two of them together, at the same time bending his head low to breathe in the scent of her blonde straight hair.
"Uh, no, I actually very much don't," she snorted, jerking out of his embrace.
Clink! Clink!
I turned my head towards two shot cups being bumped together. "Sorry, but we like watching drama with alcohol instead of tea," the girl with curls, next to Tate, laughed troublesomely. A delectable taste for entertainment rolling off her features.
I sheepishly smiled at the two and tucked a strand of my wavy hair behind my ear.
Drama? Drama is not my middle name. I strongly dislike it! It puts people in uncomfortable places, those involve and those who are not.
That's why it's fun to watch, my deep voice from inside chuckled evilly.
"I don't know what drama you're watching because there's none here," Alice offensively snarled, her eyes hardening, narrowing significantly more, and her face developing from a light tone to a deep shade of fiery red.
"Stop squirming around," Tate warned, placing his hands on Alice's waist to stiffen her movements.
"Get your freaking hands off me! The dare was to switch seatings with Kim, not for you to have your hands all over me!" She lashed out, ripping his hands away from her body in a flash.
"I warned you," he cockily grinned, placing his hands behind his head.
"Warn me? Warn me about wh-" she spits out, that is until her voice broke all of a sudden and her eyes bulged out of their sockets.
"She should've stopped squirming," the girl with diva curls beside them giggled, still amused, while she gulped down her second shot.
What the what is happening?
Alice's face was bright, bright as if she went to get a sun tan and forgot to put sunscreen on. I lifted an eyebrow up at her and caught her sight, but she shattered all eye contact as she tried to quickly rise up to her feet.
Tate's snake-like actions forbid her from moving off his lap, his hands found her hips and forcefully pulled her back down.
"This is what you're going to be missing," he hissed at her, his mouth mere inches from her ear.
Missing what!?!
I don't like the way he's touching or talking to her.
"What's going on here?" I gulped, voicing my confusion.
It irked me to not know why my best friend was blushing fiercely. It was also bothering me that the guy and the girl with diva hair was staring at me like I was truly oblivious.
The older guy smirked and suggestively patted his lap, "Why don't you hop onto my lap and I'll show you what you're missing."
My throat went dry, the connections finally were being made in my brain. "I don't think-" I started babbling.
"I don't think she's interested in creepy mother fucking guys like you, dipshit."
My head whipped behind me to see Asher, he finally came in.
"The fuck you say, kid?" The older guy insolently challenged him, daring him to repeat his words again.
Oh no.
"Dumb fuck," Asher started, "I'm not repeating myself. You heard what I said, and if you're too pussy to do anything about it then shut the fuck up," he finished, grilling the guy next to the quiet girl with brown hair.
The guy's face turned deadly serious, his lips closed together firmly and his fists were tightly clenching. He took a deep breath in and easily slipped his way from the couch to behind, next to where Asher stood.
"Kid, you have no idea who you're messing with," the guy forewarned, going inches away from Asher's face.
Asher didn't take to kindly to his invasion of personal space and his clear threat. "You were messing with my sister and now you're messing with me. If you think for a second I'll back down from beating the shit out of you, you're sadly mistaken," he spits out, purposely making spitballs fly to the guy's face.
The older guy gritted his teeth, taking some steps back to examine Asher. He glared at him from bottom to top, cracking his knuckles as he smiled to himself.
"Asher don't-" I spoke again, but like last time was cut off.
"Leave him alone," the girl with long brown hair finally uttered, gripping the guy's arm.
I didn't realize she got up to prevent this situation from escalating.
The guy met contact with the girl's eyes, "Alright," he gritted out, releasing his fists and letting his fingers relax.
"You're lucky, for now," the older guy unhappily steps away, turning his beady, also mysterious eyes on me.
"Maybe another time," he vilely smiles, winking with his left eye.
"Dude are you fu-" Asher starts to bark out, approaching the guy but then halting as his, our, attention got sparked elsewhere from a certain voice.
"Shut the hell up! Tate, I'm not kidding!" Alice screams off the top of her lungs.
I switched my head in her direction. She and Tate were now up on their feet, inches apart. Alice's hands were gripping a portion of Tate's long sleeved tan shirt. Her hands pulled at the cloth, which pulled Tate's body closer to her own. Her face was lava red, and if we were in a cartoon, I would see smoke flying out of her ears.
"One day you'll wake up and realize I was right," his voice covered in agitation and his eyes almost appeared watery.
Her grip loosen from his shirt, unclenching the fabric that was in her strong grasp. The moment his shirt was set free, he took two steps back, the plead in his eye went disregarded by Alice's line of sight.
She just blankly dazed at the floor, not wanting to contribute anymore to their 'conversation'. He shook his head, sucking his lips in as he turned around and stalked off. Shortly after, Kim trailed behind him.
We all just stood still, no words exiting the mouths of any of us surrounding the couch. The girl with diva curls did not hold a crude smile or a set of prowling eyes for drama. She just placed her popped out eyes upon Alice, blinking only a couple of times.
"I'm gonna," the girl slowly says, scratching her forehead. "I'm gonna go, everyone," she hops onto her feet and struts away.
The beats of the music lacked hype, the volume, I noticed, was decreasing. I knew this because conversations became more clear to overhear, that's when the many voices of people words mashing together made me react.
I picked up my frozen feet and directed myself towards Alice. I stood a good decent feet or two away, placing my hand gently on her shoulder. My touch was like acid as she jolted from the simple gesture.
I moved my hand more back, still raising it in the air until I closed my open hand and settled it beside my leg. I took a step back, a gut wrenching feeling causing havoc in my stomach.
Did I do something wrong?
Or did she not know it was me? She's still staring straight at the white marbled floor.
"Alice?" I asked, waving my hand in the spot she was so absorbed onto.
Her forest green eyes, which I compare to the forest due to one thing they both have in common; having one specific thing their known for. The forest constantly flaunting off it's one color most known for as green. As for Alice, the most she is known for is her mouth.
She'll have no problem saying how something is. She just simply speaks her mind.
"Alice?" Asher calls, trying to gain her attention as he approaches her.
He places his hand on the same area I did, slightly shaking her shoulder. This time she snapped out of her trance, turning her head and body towards us.
"Sorry," she answers, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"What did that dick say? I'll fucking punch the asshole," Asher truthfully tells her, his face partially red because of the verbal fight between him and the now quiet older guy.
"That's ok. If I wanted someone to punch him in the face, I'd be the one punching him," she notifies, her voice piqued by Tate's actions moments ago.
"Hey bitches!" Someone shouts from beside the three of us.
I directed my attention to the person, already knowing who it was. Michael was dressed in a bright red collar shirt that had big bolded rainbow letters saying 'professional gay'. His skinny jeans were a deep blue and being drag behind him was an annoyed Zachary.
Zach was dressed in his usual style. He had on a red button up flannel and washed out blue jeans.
"Guess who I brung along?" Michael thrillingly beams, showing off his teeth.
"We can all see Zachary right behind you, Mike," Alice sourly responds, using her index finger to point right at Zach.
"Damn what poked at your ass? No need for attitude, and no, it's Noah," he assures, turning his back only to see no sign of Noah.
"I'm sorry what?" Asher immediately asked, a crease forming because of his furrowing eyebrows.
Ignoring Asher's outburst, Michael uses his eyes to search the crowded room. "Noah! Over here!" He hollers, placing his hands next to his mouth to increase his call.
"Zachary can we talk?" Alice voices more quietly, no attitude mixed in.
He lifts his eyebrows, "Uh, sure," he nods, surprised.
Alice cocks her head to the right, walking over to the place after that. Zachary faces me and Asher, giving us a small smile before he goes away.
"Hey, Annalise," Noah smiles, approaching us with a nice black suit and a perfectly tied tie.
A lock of his curly light brown hair went to his forehead, his hands were dug into his pockets, pushing his suit jacket back in the process.
"Hey, Noah! It's nice seeing you," I widely smiled at him, delight reflecting off my face.
"Noah, what a nice suit you have on for the Day of the Dead party," Asher commented, no hint of a compliment. "Don't you think you're overdress for such a small event?" He questioned, tilting his head and harshly staring at him.
The smile on Noah's face faltered as he took notice of Asher's presence. "I think we all know this event is much bigger than it was lead on to be," he says, his smile lessening into a grin.
"Ughhhhhh," I heard a loud groan from Michael. "Stop it! You guys are just assuming this is Ricky's party, but you can't be sure and all those rumors of him being a gang leader and shit are probably false," Michael logically spoke to the two.
Too bad that isn't the case.
"The rumors aren't-" Asher begins to say until a clinking sound from high above catches the attention of me and all other party goers.
It's then I realized that the music is just a faded sound barely able to be heard.
Clink! Clink! Clink!
Where is that sound coming from? I scanned the vast room, only to find many girls and guys doing the same. Mutters and murmurs were quietly being made, the only form of conversation occurring.
The sound is obviously not down below, look up to the banister! My deep inner self rudely suggests.
I bring my eyes to the top level of the stairs, instantly sucking in my breath sharply. It was Ricky holding a empty clear glass and using a spoon to tap loudly against it, creating the demanding noise that couldn't be ignored.
He too, like Noah, had on a expensive looking suit. A black smooth formal jacket went over his white button up shirt, unlike Noah, he didn't have on any tie and his shirt was open from the first two buttons. He looks relax in the way he made himself appear.
But looks can be deceiving..
Drifting away from him, I noticed on each side of the stairs leading up to the second level was one person. On the left staircase was a guy who had a painted skull onto him, not colorful like it would be in the Day of the Dead, it was more sinister and creepy. To the right staircase was also a guy with a skull face paint on, he had his hands behind his back and a straight, almost still, stance.
"Shit, well... maybe it's his party," Michael murmurs, staring up at Ricky.
"Good evening, everyone. My name is Ricky Rodriguez and if it's not quite obvious by now, I'm the host of this fine party," he starts off, stopping to take the last sip of juice, hopefully juice, that's in his cup.
It's alcohol, just stop! The deep voice within me states, a bit annoyed.
Everyone around me starts to finally let his words sink it, mainly his name. That's when I see some faces of girls and guys turn pale, the rest have their mouth hanging open in shock and eyes unusually wide.
I'm guessing they know what he's connected to.
His eyes lingered on his cup for a quick second, seeming to be wanting more to drink, as if he couldn't go on without having something to make his next words fly out more easily.
"I like to," he takes a deep breath, "Thank everyone who showed up today."
"See he seems like a nice person," Michael jabs at Asher stomach with his elbow. "Even if it's clear that he struggles with manners," he mumbles to me.
"Very clear," Asher agrees, while leaning our way, his arms crossed over his chest.
I take a side peep at Noah, studying how his eyes and attention are hanging off every word slowly and loudly exiting Ricky's mouth.
"I will also like to clear up some rumors," Ricky speaks significantly more in volume, evidently demanding all the hush voices to come to an end, which it did when all mouths closed.
"Some may hear I'm in a gang, some may hear I'm a gang leader, those who believe that are absolutely..."
"Wrong as hell and stupid as hell," Michael insultingly whispered to Noah and Asher, neither of them rip their eyes away from Ricky.
"... Hundred percent right. I am the gang leader of the Imperishables, the number one strongest and most feared gang in America," he inhospitably and calmly announced, setting his empty cup on top of the banister.
He takes a step back from the railing at the center of the second floor, which gives a clear view of all happening below. People started to make a beeline to the possible closest exits, the girls and guys with cars started to dig out their keys. The girls shuffling around in their purse and the guys retrieving them from their front pockets.
Nonetheless did he let that discourage his continuance, "I'm back in Bellton, my hometown, because I want it back. I fully intend on taking back my lost turf, the territory I gave away. I won't be driven out, I will fight, I will conquer and run Bellton with or without your liking," he indifferently vocalized, his eyes capturing the hostility within him, and his face dead of any emotion besides the unsympathetic way he breaks this horrific news.
It's like his words formed into a big rough hand, laying its fingertips pointedly around my heart, and without notice they start slowly seeping its nails into my skin, piercing my now bleeding, throbbing, skin. Those fingers don't stop, they dig deeper into my chest, plunging painfully around my heart until it stops, but then those fingers bend, gripping my heart and stabbing at it with its sharp nails.
Just when I assume it's over, the fingers squeeze my red bloody heart and yank it from my chest, tearing through my skin and flinging my most beloved organ to the floor.
My breathing grew into unsteady breaths, the same happening to everyone around me.
"People can attempt to stop me, but I can assure you those attempts will fail miserably. Morte, muerte, all mean the same thing, death. Morte himself will have to put me six feet under to ever put an end to the fight that will erupt, if I don't get what I want," he coldly glared at us, like a tyrant looking down upon the weak who are oppressed.
He doesn't end his heart stopping speech there, "Trust me when I say, Morte does not have the amount of power to stop me or my gang. Don't. Fucking. Try." He forewarned with a bitter threat, losing his polite, casual voice.
Morte... why does that sound familiar?
"Is this guy for real?" Some guy with glasses and a stricken face, contorted with disbelief, whispered to the girl close beside him.
"Th- the most powerful gang in America?" Someone fearfully gulped, their words trembling and their breath shakily going out.
Asher's eyes immediately took in my face, alerting me that it was I who just said that. His eyes unblinkingly gazed into mine, his eyebrows pushing together upwards, revealing the worry overwhelming his facial features.
"Well fuck," Michael said in utter shock, his mouth gaping open like a fish.
Unexpectedly, Asher brought his right arm around my neck, tugging me to his chest. He firmly squeezed us together and whispered into my ear, "Don't worry...it'll... it'll be ok."
But he hesitated. Never did he ever hesitate with his words. Ash was the think it and say it person, not the think and rethink before saying what he thought guy.
Will things really be ok?
Do you think Tate's a nice guy? Oh! Why does it seem like he hates Annalise? Like she's the sweetest.
Morte... where did that pop up before?
Noah showing up? Hmmm and in a suit like Ricky.
I wonder what Ricky's next move will be, he is trying to take over Bellton after all.
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