"Hey, Chika. wake up. We're here." I recognized the voice as Dante's and decided to ignore it so that I could try and fall back asleep. As you could probably tell I love my sleep and when someone tries to wake me up I shall either end up murdering them or not giving them any attention so they can leave me on my own. "Haley, chika, get up. Everyone is waiting for you inside the building."
"But I don't want to go." I groaned and hugged the bed I was sleeping on (that's me simply sprawled across the three seats). That's when I could feel someone tickling my legs and making their way up to my stomach which happened to be my most ticklish spot. My legs seemed to have a mind of their own as they started to fidget and twitch slightly while the warm fingers brushed against my bare stomach. "Haley, stop right there or else I won't be able to stop myself."
"Oh, really?" He chuckled with a playful glint in his voice. Clearly, his teenage and hormonal male brain thought I trying to lead him on so that an inappropriate event would untold inside the car. "What are you going to do?"
"Dante stop being so hor-"
"Mwahaha." He chuckled evilly before pulling me closer towards him. He began to use his fingers to tickle my neck, legs and waist. Unable to control myself, my body kept jerking forwards and back while I was screaming like a hyaena and wiggling about as though someone was trying to kidnap me.
God, sometimes I wish that I wasn't as ticklish as I was because I'm sure you could tickle me to death within like ten seconds flat. Other disadvantages were that even if someone poked me I would jump or look like I was some sort of crazy girl who was having spasms of some sort.
He began to tickle my stomach and I instantly opened my eyes, flinging myself forward and tried to clutch my stomach and try cover up as much skin as possible but it was a fail as Dante held down both my hands with just one of his while the other began to torture my stomach. He was clearly enjoying me screaming in pain and almost falling off the car seat while he stood there looking like the handsome version of the devil.
"D-Dante ... AHH ... stop... haha.. Dante... you pri-"
"No swearing now, chika." He winked at me as he interrupted my speech before continuing his evil and tortuous actions. The second his hand brushed a little higher, my leg flung itself forward smacking Dante right in the ribs- and unfortunately with my bad luck it smacked him right in his wound. It clearly did not help that my weak was NOT a weak one so obviously it had inflicted some pain. "Oh fuc-"
"No swearing." I stole his line and bit my lip before quickly sitting up and moving closer towards him. I wiped away the tears of joy, pain or whatever the heck tickling people was. "I'm sorry, Dante. I didn't meant to kick you... it's just sometimes my legs think they can detach themselves and have a live of their own.
"It's ok, I guess I had that coming, huh?" He shook his head with a small smile and helped me get out the car before turning around.
"I did warn you that I wouldn't be able to stop what was to come." I honestly felt very guilty right now for kicking his wound even though in some ways he did deserve it. Tickling people was not how it was in the movies where the girl just giggles and fidgets, girls can scream and roll around like monkeys when they get tickled. "I'm so sorry."
"It's ok." He chuckled but I could tell that I had just put pain back into his wound considering the fact that when I had woken up an hour ago he said it was fine (and I made sure he was since I blackmailed him to tell the truth) so I had managed to go back to sleep peacefully knowing everyone was alright.
"You're a bad liar." I retorted and quickly ran up to him. I stood infront of him before flinging my arms around him and resting my head against his chest. "I am sorry so stop lying that it doesn't hurt."
"Haha, you know I'm an amazing liar, you're the bad liar out of us two." He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer towards him before placing a small kiss on the top of my head. "Of course it hurts, stupid. I just need be strong though, don't I?" I pulled myself back from him with my mouth a little open.
"You know it's ok not to be strong twenty four seven. You can let your guard down sometimes." I placed my hand on his chest as I looked at him sympathically. He always this front put up and never let anyone see the true him. I mean, only Blake, Jase and I had seen his loving side and that too it was accidentally.
"When people see you in a certain light, they expect you to keep it up. I don't want people constantly thinking I'm some good guy so I put up my badass front, I like it and seems like everyone else does too." He smiled but it didn't seem genuine but more like it was forced. "Plus, only girls let their guards down."
"Excuse me?" My jaw dropped as I felt offended by his words. "Did you just say what I think you said?"
"Chika, your ears may have been pierced by your screaming because I know mine have been." With those words said he blew me a kiss before walking around me and towards the massive building behind me that I had not seemed to notice.
"Psht, rude." I scoffed and turned around to see Chris leaning against the car bonnet with a huge grin on his face. "What you staring at, butthead?"
"At how easy it is to annoy you, turd." Chris smiled and held up a thumbs up towards me.
"Well, at least I'm not clingy and over bearing." I stuck my tongue out at him before acting like an immature child.
"Anything is better than being a over attached and flirty partner that goes around the other gender trying to seductive them." Chris was doing his best not to burst into laughter as he bit his tongue and simply shrugged at me.
"Are you calling me a slut?" I gasped in shock as the audacity if my own brother.
"Well, I'm not NOT calling you a whore." This time as he spoke he burst into laughter and I could feel myself get annoyed and rather infuriated at how my own brother saw me because heck the last thing I want to be is a slut.
Just as I walked up to him to smack his shoulder he put his hand out to stop me before opening his stupid mouth. "You know, we called mom and she's going to be down in twenty so if I was you, I would hurry and get into something decent before she's there."
"I'll smack you later, now hurry and unlock the boot of the car." I snapped.
Somehow I had managed to keep calm and maintain my breathing as stable so that I was not hyperventliating as the thought of seeing my mom after almost two weeks popped into my head. I ran to the back of the car and opened the boot of the car while Chris stood behind me with a huge grin on his face. I let out a small giggle before punching Chris on his shoulder and grabbed my blue duffel bag before running off to the girl's bathroom. I could hear footsteps behind me and instantly knew that Chris was pacing himself behind me so that I would not go get myself lost (which was something very common for me).
As soon as I entered the huge building I realized eveything here was way out of my league. While I was comfortable with seeing myself as middle or business class, this whole building just screamed first class and stuck up snooby rich people. The building itself seemed to have a steel overbearing structure which was then covered with marble. The floor was polished and it was so smooth and glistening that I'm pretty sure you could use it to skate with just
"Urgh." I grumbled in distaste as a woman walked past me staring at my clothing and gave me dirty looks. She only proved my point and so I shook my head in disapproval at her causing her jaw to drop. "In a building of money crazed people."
The second I saw the washroom I ran over to it with the duffel bag flying over my shoulder. I kicked the door open and barged inside before finding an empty cucbicle to change my clothes in. Not giving a damn if I made any noises or disturbed the posh people here, I slammed the toilet seat down using my shoe so that I didn't touch it. Noisily after that I slammed the duffel bag on top of the closed seat and unzipped it.
I took out the neatly folded 'Rolling Stones' tank which I had bought with Juli from Forever 21 before placing it on the hook which was on the back of the door. I dug a bit deeper into the bag hoping that I would find some clothing that was to my taste and not Jase's. Thankfully I found a pair of white ripped skinny jeans, my favourite red and black plaid shirt and my white converses stuffed in the bottom of the duffel bag.
I took my top off with some diffuculty as the cubiciles were rather small and getting changed insdie one was not easy. I placed the white converses on the floor next to my feet so when I took off my current shoes I could step on the converses to ensure that my feet would not hit the ground. Even though the floor looked so spotless that you could eat from it, we were still in a washroom and heaven knows if someone posh socialite decided to get drunk and pee on the floor (I doubt it would happen but it is a possibility).
Once I had changed and had put on my white converse and was no longer wearing shorts with an open back top I felt more comfortable and decent in the environment so I shoved my previous clothes inside the duffel bag before zipping it closed. I tied the plaid shirt around my waist.
Glad that I was now finished, I grabbed all my bag and unlocked the cubicle before stepping out to go fix my hair grabbed my brush out the duffel bag which Jase had thankfully put in and I brushed through my hair before putting my hair up in a perfect messy.
"Finished." I sang to myself before stuffing my brush back inside the bag and leaving the washroom to be back in public lighting.
The second I was back near the reception of the huge building (which I still did not know what the name was) I noticed that the whole crew was here as well and were waiting for me. It seemed to be that only Dante, Juli, Chris and I had a wardrobe change as Jase was still in his plain grey tee with black skinnies, Charlie was still wearing a white tank and dark blue denim shorts and Blake was still in his black ralph lauren polo.
Chris was wearing a white tee shirt with black cargo pants. My brother looked good and the ladies in the building knew that as a few began to send flirty looks but that was cut short when Juli linked her arm through his so that the women would stop. Thankfully they did, because the women here all had class and knew that perving on a taken man was wrong.
Juli herself looked gorgeous. She stood there beside my brother in her embroidered gauze smock dress which we had bought the same day from Forever 21 when we bought my clothes. The dress gave her a relaxed and chill vibe as the tribal-inspired dress embroidery and tassels split round the neckline together. She finished the look with white lace ballet pumps and her wavy hair down one shoulder.
However, the person who had caught my eye was Dante. He looked so into his zone and as if his clothing simply summed him up (maybe he was a girl at heart). Men and women in the building gave him disapproving looks and small glances. They probably thought he was up to no good and I guess anyone would due to stereotypes about 'bad boys' or 'badasses'.
The way Dante was sitting- hunched forward with his knees apart- probably would seem unapproachable. His broad shoulders, a well-developed and muscular body, mesmerizing, intelligent green eyes were captivating and grasped you into a trance. His hair was dark and mysterious just like himself.
Only Dante had to finish his whole cliche by wearing the black hooded leather jacket, white tank underneath, a pair of black chinos and white and black adidas high tops.
"Close your mouth, chika. You'll catch flies." He chuckled lightly as his gaze met mine and he gave me one of his famous smirks. "Plus hasn't your mother never told you it's rude to stare."
"Psht,-"
"Actually, I tell her millions of times but she simply never listens." A mature female voice from behind me chcukled. I span around to see my mom standing before me in a black pencil skirt which was just above her knee with a white button down with the sleeves folded up to her elbows. She looked beautiful and fascinating as always even if she was just in her business clothing- it was one thing I was jealous of from my mom.
"MOM!" I screamed and ran up to her before throwing myself at her.
"Woah, girly. Your golden oldie isn't that strong." My mom giggled and just the sincerity in her voice made me feel at ease and comfortable. I even forgot that the reason we had come here was to get away from a dangerous gang and the crazy gang leader's son.
"I missed my golden oldie." I croaked, I had just about managed to hold back the tears that were threatening to escapre from my eyes and wet my mom's top. "You didn't even call, mom."
"I tried several times but it never went through to your phone and the same with Dante's house phone." My mom explained as we finally pulled back from our hug and just simply stood close next to one another.
"Mom, how are you?" Chris chuckled as my mom's gaze suddenly averted from me to Chris. She had tears in her eyes once again only this time she ran towards Chris while he walked slowly towards her. You could tell Chris looked very excited and chuffed that he was meeting his mom once again. After all, seeing your mom after she was hidden from you meant that you would love to see her whenever you could.
"My handsome son." She hugged him before pulling back and ruffling his hair.
"Not the hair, mom." Chris groaned as he began to run his hands through his hair to try and 'fix' whatever my mom had ruined.
"How has life been for Haley and you?" My mom asked as she stood beside Chris but montioned for me to come closer towards her. Unfortunately, she has some sort of hidden power over me so I obliged right away and walked next to her.
"Good." Chris and I looked at each other once with huge grins on each other's faces. God, if our mom even knew what we ahd been through or the hassle, pain, trouble, excitement or anything in the past two weeks then Chris and I would be grounded for life. We would die alone and with nothing to give to anyone but an apartment full of cats and dogs.
"Aunty!" Juli came running from thin air as she pushed Chris and I away and gave my mum a big bear hug. "We all missed you so much!"
"Oh my dear, Juli. I missed you loads too." My mom chuckled as she had to literally pry Juli off her and then breath for fresh air. "How's life been? Any decent guys?"
"Does Robbie count?" Juli asked with a smile on her face almost as though she wanted to surprise my mom but I was going to be the one full of surprises today.
"No, but I wouldn't mind if you went out with Chris-"
"Oh, mom. She is dating him, they've kissed and hugged and-"
"Please tell that's all they have done. I don't want to tell Juli's mom that she gave up her flower to my son." My mom's face had gone red as had Juli's and Chris'. Dante, Blake, Jase, Charlie and I burst into laughter and my mom turned around to see that the other guys were behind her sitting next to Dante on the sofa.
"Actually mom, she won't be losing her flower to Chris because she lost it to Robbie-"
"HALEY!" Juli gasped as her jaw dropped and she looked so furious that in less than a second I knew she would either murder me or torture me. "YOU'RE DEAD!"
"Juliet!" My mom gasped at her as she heard the truth that I was probably the only innocent teenager here but I think my mom was just distracting Juli long enough so I could hide slightly behind Chris. I now had some sort of shield to keep me out of Juli's radar. "So out of curiousity who actually is still as I'd like to put it ... innocent?"
"I am." I shot my hand up into the air and smiled. I was proud that I had held on to my virginity and not been stupid to give it to a complete jerk or total tool (no offence to Juli ... or the rest of them). "No one here is, but moi, no offence to you guys of course."
"Oh really?" Dante smirked and I instantly saw him get up so that he could move towards me. I felt my cheeks heaten up slightly as I realized I had just blurted something that should be kept private in a very public place.
"Oh lord. Haley you better hold on to yours or else your flower thief will be bruised black and blue by me." My mom shook her head but she had a small smile on her face almost as though she was proud of me that I had managed to hold on to my v-card for this long. I guess it was funny but I understood where she was coming from.
"What if she gave it to her husband a little earlier?" Dante chuckled as he was now literally standing beside me with his arm around my waist. I felt my cheeks darken even more, so much that I couldn't even look anyone in the eye any more.
"Is there something I should know?" My mom asked as she raised her eyebrow and glared at Dante. He definitely did not choose the right clothing to wear if he was going to tell my mom about our relationship because my mom was a very judgemental person.
"Well-"
But before Dante could even finish what he was saying we all heard a gun go off. No one had time to even register what was going on but the boys with Dante acting the quickest. He pushed my mom, Juli and I all away while several men began to run inside the building and all started to beat the heck out of Dante.
The gun went off again only this time I had somehow managed to keep an eye on the bullet. My jaw dropped as I watched the bullet fly in slow motion towards Dante. While he was busy fending for himself and us girls, the bullet dug itself straight into his bag and I knew enough biology to understand the bullet had just shot under his lung.
Dante suddenly fell to the floor his hand over his chest while the other was placed on the floor to keep him up. The men were still beating him senseless and so I finally managed to break free from my trance. I ran up to Dante throwing myself on top of him so that the men would move away ... and they did.
"Come here." A vile and disgusting voice snapped from behind me and instantly the men obeyed him and ran to the man.
"Dante." I cried. I could feel my heart beating faster than a cheetah's would if it was running. I felt like my life support was slowly being taken away from me while my body began to enter some sort of painful shock. I did my best to ignore it but it hurt so I let all the tears out. His breathing was slowing down but only because he was losing blood and fast.
"I'm OK, just get the others to the car and go." Dante commanded as he tried to get up so I helped him knowing he was going to get weaker and weaker.
"No, we aren't leaving anyone behind!" I exclaimed. Instead of Dante replying to me I heard a chuckle behind me and I turned around in anger only to see the one and only Spike himself standing near the doorway with his hideous goons and treacherous son by his side. Charlie and Chris had quickly run off through the fire escape and taken Juli and my mom to the car while Jase and Blake were busy fighting the huge men that were trying to grab Dante away from me.
"Oh, I'm afraid you will be leaving Dante behind." He chuckled once more as though he lived off from the pain and death of others and he put his gun up at me and the gun went off again and I was so stupid and idiotic that I couldn't move.
Dante quickly pushed me aside once more and took the bullet ... the bullet that was meant to dive into me and penetrate into my stomach to wound me, instead it has pierced through his chest and he staggered back.
"GO!" Dante yelled. I knew if I left him here he would die but if we managed to drag him with us he had a chance of survival. Either Spike would murder him here (short and fast), let him die a slow painful death or make him work for the gang again but judging from the amount of times Dante has portrayed his anger towards him I doubt the last one is even in the question.
"I can't leave you!" I weeped and knelt down beside him. At this point, a flow of tears was gushing down my face, an endless suplly that wouldn't stop. My eyes were going red and puffy while my heart felt like it was breaking over and voer again never to heal again. The pain in my body was torturous itself and I knew that Dante had to live through this.
He had won the game. He needed to come with us.
He could show off to all his friends and boast about how he had tricked another girl but I wouldn't care what he said because I knew he cared about me since he took a fricking bullet just for me. He was slowly dying just to save me.
I was nothing but a selfish and greedy pig.
"Haley, we need to go." Jase whispered in my ear. I looked up at Jase to see his eyes were red and puffy as well only he wasn't crying... he was holding his in to be strong.
"Jase, we can't-"
"Please, we need to go." Jase pleaded and I knew he never pleaded. He wasn't a quitter either and he loved his brother more than he loved himself so there must have been a reasonable explanation for this.
"Haley, promise me you'll find someone out there-"
"Dante, shut the fuck up. You're going to make this. When Chris and Charlie come back from the car they'll take you too with them." I snapped ignoring Dante. I brushed Dante's hair to side and kept telling myself not to cry as Chris ran back into the building and over to us.
Blood was pouring out from Dante and the worst part was ... that was meant to be me. Dante could've lived his life out to the fullest and become someone influential or of high status.
"HALEY!" Chris shouted and my head snapped so that I could face him as he was waving urgently towards Jase, Blake and I so that we would get out of here. The nerve he had!
We could not leave Dante.
"Come on, Haley!" Jase shouted, his voice was beginning to crack and I could tell that he would either break down or give his own life up so that it could be a distraction to save Dante.
"I'm not fucking leaving Dante!" I screamed, as I began to clutch my legs and tighten into a ball while clutching on to Dante's hand as he lay sprawled across the building's marble floor bleeding to his death unless someone saved him and we had to get him out of here but there were too many men.
"You are leaving me, chika," Dante spoke up weakly, his eyes opening and closing at their own mercy. "I love you, please, for me, get out of here!"
"Dante-"
"They have guns and weapons, we have nothing. Let me die knowing that the love of my life survived." Dante let out a painful groan as he clutched his chest and winced, I turned back to him. My heart stopped looking at his weak and frail body. His body was laying in a pool of blood and I was being a stubborn bitch by not letting him remain in the hands of the fricking enemy. Jase got up and began to defend Dante as more men made their way over here while Spike and Flynn stood standing near a wall smiling.
"You're going to be alright, I know the gang won't kill you. They need you and so they'll let you live and we shall come back for you!" I shut my eyes as hard as I could so that no more tears escaped my eyes.
"You're in denial, chika. They hate me and I'll never make it. Falling in love with you was the best decision of my life-"
"You're going to make it, STOP IT!" I whimpered, as more tears fell down my face.
"Promise me one thing." He pleaded and so I nodded.
"If you promise me one."
"Promise me you'll fall in love again and have kids and-"
"But you're going to make it!" I bit my lip to stop myself from whimpering any more.
"Promise me, chika. I need that promise."
"I promise." I wiped away my tears, Dante placed his hand against my cheek and smiled. "Promise me you'll make it.
"I-I ... I can't promise you that but I can promise you that you're the only girl I have loved, am in love with and ever will love, Haley."
"I love you too-" and just I was about to hug Dante someone yanked me up and threw me over their shoulder. I knew it was Jase as he began to shake as he held me and I knew his brother was taking a toll on him.
Dante's eyelids began to flutter until they moved no more and I felt my hand get dragged out of his as Jase ran off with Blake and Chris closely following behind.
I felt myself shake and sob so hard that I felt like I was almost out of breath and on my own deathbed. I wiped my tears on the back of my hand and hugged Jase's back.
"It's ok, princess. I know we shall get him back." Jase mumbled and yanked open the car door as we arrived. He threw me inside and umped in himself. Once Chris and Blake had gotten in too, they started the car and drove off.
I turned around to stare at the building and saw all the men; Spike and Flynn included, surrounding Dante's weak body until one of them picked him up. He wasn't moving... maybe he was sleeping to try and rest so that he wouldn't lose blood or something ... urgh ... he was going to make it.
I need him.
It felt like there was a whole weight on my heart, and I'm just it them slip away. It hurts even more when I remember looking into Dante's eyes, because it didn't hold that spark or personality it used to have before today. My heart felt like it's sinking and not going to come up ever again, not now nor ever.
"We need to go back!" I exclaimed and reached for the door to pry it open but Charlie grabbed me in a bear hug and restricted me from doing so. "LET GO, YOU PRICK!"
"Hal, calm down, love." He asked me nicely but I couldn't give a damn. We had to head back now!
"NO! I thought we never leave a man down. Isn't that right Jase?" I turned to face Jase but saw him with his face hidden in the palm of his hands while he sat in his seat being the most quietest in the car.
"You can't bring a dead man along." Charlie snapped but I felt furious because Dante wasn't dead. I somehow managed to release my arm out of Charlie's grip and I smacked him hard across his face.
"NO MAN BEHIND, YOU PRICK!" I screamed but Jase just turned to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. He pressed hard under my collar bone until I felt myself black out but I heard two words escape Jase's mouth before I completely passed out...
"Man behind."