''GIVE IT BACK." I yelled at Kendrick, chasing him everywhere around the house.
''Hell no. You got so many beautiful pictures in there.'' My cousin laughed, scrolling through my photos.
''GIVE IT BACK!" I shouted, running faster to catch him.
This house is huge, sure. But no house is big enough to handle such a race. I'm running a marathon, trying to catch up with this dickhead. Kendrick is good looking. Speaking as someone who sees him as a very unattractive person since we're blood related, I must admit, he does get the girls's attention. He's got blond hair and blue eyes.
''Stop Kendrick," I begged, gasping for air.
''Oh, look, a picture of when you didn't look like a human potato. Where did that body go? Did the cakes and cookies steal it from you?'' Kendrick said about a picture on my phone.
''Gosh, I hate you.''
He laughed.
''Kids, no running.'' Mariah said, discouraged.
Mariah is my aunt. Yep, the one who accepted me into her home until the end of my senior year while my mom was on a work trip. Whenever I had to explain this, I was used to everyone asking me: Why aren't you living with your dad while she's gone?
The answer was simple, really.
Can I live with someone I never met?
''How can you consider this as running ? Look how slow she's going?" Kendrick mocked me.
''Give her the damn phone, brother." Kassidy laughed, passing through the kitchen, with only a towel wrapped around her body.
''You're dripping on the floor Kassidy. What did I tell you about when you get out of the shower?"
''Sorry mamita." Kassidy apologized to her mother, who just sighed.
''Those kids." She said to herself.
Kassidy and Kendrick are twins. Kassidy is the girl version of Kendrick and so of course, she's gorgeous. Blond, blue eyes and dimples.
Anyway, you get my point. Really well done humans those two.
They're both 18. In other words, they've been annoying me for 18 years. We kill bugs just because they're annoying. They would have died a long time ago if we did the same to humans.
''Alright, Alright. I'd like to annoy you longer but I've got friends coming over so..." He finally gave me my phone back.
''Friends? He has friends? When did this happen?" I looked at Mariah, pretending that Kendrick wasn't there.
''Oh shut up. I'm super popular dumbass." He said, offended.
''Is it true?" I asked Mariah
Usually, Mariah follows me in my teasing Kendrick session but strangely, this time, she looked discouraged. Almost mad? She nodded faintly as an answer to my question. What's up with that ?
''Don't mind her. She doesn't like my friends very much." Kendrick said in a whisper.
''Why is that?" I asked.
''She thinks they're bad influences." He said like it was ridiculous.
''How come?" I raised an eyebrow.
''Some stupid rumors going around town." He shrugged.
''Oh well, I'd like to see those so called friends."
''Oh you might already know them. They're the popular kids ... You know, the people you never ever talked to?" He teased.
''Oh shut up. I'm going to the skatepark."
''Be safe, sweetie." Mariah forced a smile.
Woah, my aunt really didn't like those guys, whoever they were. I grabbed my skate and walked to the Skatepark. One of the really great thing about Florida so far is that my aunt's house is 5 minutes away from a skatepark.
Once I got there, I saw that the skate ramp was already taken. Great!
I marched to the skate ramp anyway, hoping the guys were almost done.
There were three guys. Really good looking guys. I feel like all guys are hot here in Florida. Just kidding. This is not some movie, Gee.
They were smoking joints and laughing like jerks.
''Excuse me. Are you almost done?"
They all stopped talking, glancing down at me.
''Oh god, do you see what I see?'' One of the guys hit the two others with his elbows.
''Wait, I think I see her too. Is she real?" The dark haired one said.
"Is there really a girl with a skateboard under my eyes?" The third one exclaimed.
''I told you girls who skateboard exist." The first guy laughed.
''That's so cool. What's your name?" The dark haired one smiled.
''I'm Winter."
''Hey Winter. Want to join us?" He asked.
I hesitated for a second but then thought '' They're hot. Why not ? ''
Oh wow, way to get kidnapped, Winter.
- - -
''Are you serious ? You never smoked?'' Will asked.
I had been skating and joking around with the three guys for about 2 hours. They were all super friendly and the fact that they were high made them hilarious. I don't do drugs but I'm just saying, this is a quite a show.
''Nope." I confirmed.
''So Winter's a good girl, huh?" Blake smirked.
'' You know what they say, good girls are bad girls that never got caught. " I joked, making them laugh.
Blake, William and Alexander were their names. Blake had black hair and Will and Alex were both redhead. Just kidding, Will was a dark shade of blonde and Alex had brown hair. Though they were all handsome, Blake's blue eyes made me melt.
''Are you new in town ? I'd remember seeing you around." William asked.
''Yup. I'm here until the end of my senior year." I explained.
We kept talking and cracking stupid jokes for a while, until the guys had a wake up call.
''Crap. We totally forgot him. He's going to kill us,'' Alexander jumped, apparently remembering they had somewhere to be.
''You should get going then." I smiled. I was thinking about heading home too anyway.
''Do you think he'll be pissed if we bring the hot girl from the skatepark?" William asked his friends, winking at me.
''That's Kendrick we're talking about duh. Kendrick will never say no to a girl." Blake laughed.
Wait... Kendrick ?
''I'm sorry. Did you say Kendrick?"
''Yeah, why ? You know him?" Alexander asked, confused.
''A little, yeah. He's my cousin."
''You're that girl who lives at his house now, of course." William figured it out.
A hint of anxiety appeared in their faces. They all seemed worried all of a sudden.
''He told me he had friends coming over 2 hours ago. You're so screwed." I laughed, already anticipating Kendrick's complains.
It seemed like they stopped holding their breaths when they saw I didn't hate them like Mariah did. After all, it would've made sense. I was told that they were bad influences. Did they think I was going to tell Mariah about them smoking weed or something?
''Then, we should get going before he kills you." I smiled.
Kendrick is an impatient person. I know what I'm talking about. We walked back to the house and finally arrived after a while.
''Home, sweet home." I joked and pushed the door open.
The kitchen was empty. Mariah and Kassidy were probably asleep by now.
''Where the fuck have you been?" Kendrick entered the kitchen, obviously annoyed.
''Oh you know, just getting lost. Skating, talking with your cousin,'' Will smirked, amused.
''Wait, what?" Kendrick frowned.
''Hi." I waved, making him notice me.
''So, the someone they met is you?" He said, surprised.
''Why didn't you tell us your cousin was so hot?" Will exclaimed like he had been lied to.
''Because she's not hot. Look at her." Kendrick teased, mocking me.
''Sure, she's ugly as hell with those big b... ''
''Hey watch your mouth, dick" Kendrick cut William off
''I was going to say big brown eyes" William laughed.
''Yeah, right" Kendrick hit William in the arm.
''Okay, well, let's go?" William proposed.
''Where are you going?"
''Oh you know, just some party?" Kendrick smiled nervously and looked away, avoiding my eyes.
LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE.
''Oh really? Can I go? I'd like to," I entered his lie, wanting to see him lose at his own game.
''Well, you know. There are already too many people there so." He rubbed the back of his neck.
I know this dude like the back of my hand. I remember him rubbing his neck when Mariah and my mom asked us if we had eaten all the popsicles when we were kids. He is totally lying.
''Yeah, Maybe some other time." Alexander smiled.
''Definetely some other time." Blake winked at me seductively. He was very handsome, I had to admit.
''Sure, okay. Have a good time." I hugged them all goodbye.
I waited until Kendrick's car left the parking to jump into Mariah's car and follow them. Bad idea? Probably.
Yeah, I know that's wrong and I know they kept the truth from me for a reason but I just had to figure out if yes or no, Mariah had good reasons to see these guys as bad influences.
And no, I am not forgetting that I caught them smoking, I'm just saying there's a difference between smoking with his friends in a park and setting places on fire because his friends told him to. Two different kind of bad influences.
They were driving pretty fast. After a while of following them, I looked around and had to ask myself the burning question ''Where the hell were they going?''
I was in a part of the town I didn't know. The scary part of the town. You know, old houses falling into pieces, abandonned factories and little streets.
Kendrick's word came back into my mind. '' Some stupid rumors going around town. "
Maybe those rumors were not so stupid after all.
I had been keeping a certain distance between the guys so that they wouldn't suspect that I was stalking them.
Yeah, stalking. I'm not going to try to deny it.
And then, they finally stopped. Okay, this place was so freaking creepy. Why exactly did I follow them ? I should be in bed right now, watching Netflix and complaining about my non-existant love life.
It was a little street. A dark little street. They got out of the car and I waited 5 minutes before doing the same and silently following them.
I heard voices, coming from the back alley I had seen them walk in. I was hidding so that nobody could see me. I was listening to their conversations.
''This is not fucking over, Adams." I recognized Kendrick's voice.
Oh god. Adams like in Haze Adams?
''Oh trust me, I know. It's just the beginning." A voice I knew way too well answered. I could hear a hint of arrogance in his voice.
No doubt, this was Haze Adams.
''We're going to get revenge. You won't get away with this. The next fight will be memorable." William barked, rage growing by the second.
''I'm sure it will be."
I could imagine Haze smirking.
My instincts were right. Something weird was going on. Mariah felt it too apparently. Kendrick was indeed a troubled kid.
I thought now was the time to leave. I had heard what I needed to hear and I was officially scared. I turned around to leave but ... I ran into something. Oh no wait, it was someone. A guy with the size of a brick wall..
''Going somewhere?"
Crap.
The gigantic guy grabbed my arm and dragged me towards Will, Alexander, Kendrick, Haze and the rest of Haze's crew against my will. My heart was beating out of my chest as I felt their eyes land on me.
'' Look what I found. '' He said, holding my arms so tight I wanted to cry.
What? I'm sensitive, okay.
''You again." Haze said as I avoided his eyes in everyway possible.
''Winter!" Kendrick eyes widened. ''What are you doing here?'' He tried to hide his fear.
''Oh come on, the neck rubbing? You can't honestly tell me that you thought I was going to buy that?" I exclaimed, putting my hands up.
''You know that girl?" The gorilla sized guy said to Kendrick, raising his eyebrows.
''Yeah. She's my cousin." He sighed, looking down. I knew if I didn't die tonight because of Haze Adams, Kendrick would kill me instead the second we got home.
''Bring her to me, Greg." Haze said severely.
What? Don't tell me the gorilla man holding me was on Haze's side? So called Greg grabbed my arm again, dragging me to Haze's crew.
''Haze. Please. Don't hurt her. She's just so freaking stubborn," Kendrick begged, mad and worried at the same time. He seemed to hate having to be this vulnerable in front of them.
''I know that Kingston. I experienced it myself." He licked his lower lip. Do you need chapstick boy?
Oh god... He looked like a lion ready to eat me.
''What? What do you mean?" Kendrick asked.
''She looked me in the eyes two days ago." Haze answered, amused.
A silence followed. Kendrick whispered ''Oh no, tell me you didn't do that?" in my intention.
"Oh please, what's the deal with looking into those damn eyes? Do they like throw lasers or something?" I exclaimed, causing Haze to laugh. What's so funny?
''What are you going to do to her? Kill her?" Kendrick ignored me and tried to stay cold as ice but fear was written all over his face.
''Kill her?" Haze laughed. '' Of course not. She entertains me. " He smirked.
What am I ? A freaking attraction park ?
''It's too bad I won't let you anywhere near her then," Kendrick gave Haze an arrogant smile.
''I'm going to make a deal with you Kingston," He said in Kendrick's intention.
''Is that so?" Kendrick said.
'' If you win the next fight, I will stay away from her. But if I win, I get to spend 48 hours with that girl and do whatever I want with her. "
I'M SORRY, WHAT ? You could've just said 2 days, dickhead. And what is he talking about ? What fight?
''Wait? What? Easy there, confusing shit right here." I frowned ''What fight is he talking about?'' I asked
They stayed silent.
''What do you think I'm talking about, love?" Haze smirked and looked me up and down, checking me out as he spoke. He wasn't even bothering to be subtle.
Then I remembered Kassidy's words. ''Word on the street is that Haze is part of a gang."
Of course. It made sense. But if Haze was part of a gang... Kendrick was part of a gang too? And it meant they were enemies? Oh! The joy!
''So do we have a deal?" Haze asked Kendrick
Kendrick stayed silent for a while, just staring at me, an hesitant look on his face.
''How do I know you'll keep your word?" Kendrick asked.
''The same way I know you'll keep yours. We both fight for what we want and you know I always get what I want." Haze smirked.
''And what exactly do you want?''
Haze looked me up and down and then he bit his lower lip.
'' Her. "
THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING.
''Kendrick, tell me you're not really considering this," I begged.
''Oh, he better be. Because he doesn't really have the choice, you see, love?'' Haze said in a raspy voice, making my heart skip a beat.
Everything about him is attractive and scary at the same time. This is so weird. Why do all the bad boys always look so good ? And why does he keep on calling me love ? And why does he want me ? Nobody ever wanted me before. SO WHY HIM OUT OF ALL THE BOYS I MET ? WHY ?
''So you win, I leave her alone. I win, I get the girl. Deal?" Haze asked.
''Could you please stop talking like I'm some kind of object geez!" I sighed, making Haze smile. Clearly, everything I said amused him. Asshole.
Kendrick gave me one last look as I shook my head from left to right. My face clearly meant '' No, no no. NO.NO.NO.NO.NO. Did I mention no ? ''
And then it took half a second but It all happened in slow motion in my head. It was like it was on replay. Kendrick looked at Haze then looked at me before pronouncing the one word that was going to change everything.
'' Deal. "
* * *
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