I heard the car door slam shut and I saw Aster's old pick up truck pull up to the side of the house, he got out and slammed the door shut. I flinched at how loud it was and was not prepared for what was to come and the lecture I was going to get. After the whole thing, it was well past when I was suppose to be home so Aster started to call and blow up my phone before I finally admitted what happened and where I was.
Archer and the rest of the gang had arrived at the house now and all found out what Pierce and Mercury did. Some of them not seeing the problem with it, and some being sympathetic. I was standing on the front porch steps next to Juniper and Triston, with Pierce, Xander, and Archer to the sides.
As Aster approached, Xander stepped ahead of me and Aster immediately shoved him, gritting "Get the fuck away from me." I had never seen him so mad before, his fist were clenched, and veins were popping. It looked like he was ready to kill someone.
"Look Aster, I'm sorry this happened-" Xander begun "We told Pierce to watch over her, to protect her and her sake. You know they're gonna be after her, and Westwood isn't going to be able to protect her. You know you guys just can't."
He was talking quietly, almost as if he didn't want me to hear. Aster kept glancing over at me before turning to Xander to say quietly "I can protect her myself. You keep Pierce away from her. And all of you stay away from her, or I will go to the police about this incident."
Aster pushed past Xander, and came up to me "Aspen let's go."
"What was Xander talking about?" I tested. And Aster shook his head "It doesn't matter. Now get your bag and let's go."
"No." I crossed my arms "I deserve to know what's going on. I'm not leaving to you tell me."
"Aspen Seraphina!" He shouted "You will get your ass in that car now. Or I will be calling dad about this and you will move to South Carolina with him."
I huffed, throwing my backpack over my shoulder and started to walk towards the car and Aster pointed a finger "You lay a finger on her. I will kill you myself, do you understand me Gunner? Stay away from my sister."
Pierce didn't say anything but give him a look of amusement, obviously not taking him very seriously at all. I had gotten in the car and buckled up as Aster walked away furiously and got in the car. Not saying a word the entire ride.
* * * * *
I was sitting in my bedroom, staring out the window replaying the entire thing from the first night I moved here and the first time I saw Pierce. I wondered if moving here was a mistake and I tried to figure out what Xander meant when talking to Aster. My phone buzzed when I looked down to see a text from my dad.
Dad: Hey Kiddo, miss you like crazy! How's school going, make any friends? I hope Aster's taking care of you. Love you sweetheart.
A smile appeared on my lips, I had missed my dad like crazy already and needed him right now. He always knew how to cheer me up and would get me chocolate chip cookie dough every time I got my period. After my mom died, and Aster kinda went off the rails my dad and I only had each other and we grew really close. I would've moved down to south Carolina with him but he has to move around every 3 months for his job now, and that wouldn't work with school for me.
Me: Hey Dad, miss you too! School is school, and he sure is lol. Love you too!
I heard Aster shout my name repeatedly, so I headed downstairs to see that Evangeline was sitting their in the kitchen at the table while Aster was cooking. She gave me a big smile "Hey Aspen."
"Aspen, Evangeline is going to be joining us for dinner tonight." Aster said as I took a seat at the table where the bowls were set up. Aster came around placing some spaghetti in our bowls before sitting down as well.
I twirled my food around my fork, resting my head on my palm with my elbow on the table. I wasn't hungry after being kicked in the stomach. Harley said I didn't have any real damage just maybe some bruising and that the puking was normal for getting the wind knocked out of me, and as long I wasn't pregnant there was no other reason to worry.
A couple minutes went by and then I felt their eyes on me and saw them glance at each other. "Are you going to eat?" Aster asked, and I dropped the fork into the bowl before looking up at him.
"What were you talking about with Xander?" I asked bluntly, I don't know why but I couldn't shake it. There was something being hidden from me. "Why did they say you can't protect me? Protect me from what? Why did they ask me to join their gang?"
Evangeline and Aster looked at each worried before Aster turned his attention to me "They asked you to join?"
"Yeah. They did. And what the hell is the RSP? And who is Westwood? And why were you and Xander talking like you know each other?" I babbled out questions but Aster stopped me "Aspen it's none of your business."
"Oh really? None of my business?" I practically yelled "Right. Not like they're hiring Pierce Gunner as my personal body guard? That I got spit on, choked, and kicked all today at school. And that they kidnapped me yesterday!"
"They what?!" Aster screamed and Evangeline was holding him down from jumping out of his seat "So you lied to me, and that's why they didn't come home yesterday!"
Realizing what I had just said, I stayed silent in my seat. Aster started to shout at me and slammed his hands on the table "What did they do Aspen!"
"Nothing." I murmured looking at my bowl of spaghetti.
"Do NOT make me repeat myself! What did they do?" He shouted. I sighed and mumbled under my breath "They just said I knew something about Westwood, and said they needed me to join or I'd get hurt but I declined.."
"You're fucking kidding me." Aster stood up, running his hands through his hair and pacing back and forth. "Aster, you need to tell her, she's going to get hurt. She needs to know what to be aware of everything." Evangeline said to him calmly.
"Aware of what?" I asked, and Aster shook his head "No. You're moving in with dad, I'll get you a flight tomorrow. Go pack your stuff."
"What?!" I exclaimed, shooting up from my seat "No Aster, you took me in! You're not just going to abandon me again like you did after mom died!"
He sighed, and Evangeline got up and walked over to him, rubbing his shoulders while I waited to find out what was going out and why I was some bait. "Ok sit down." Aster stated, pointing to the seat as which we all regained our seats.
"I should've never moved you to New York." He admitted "There's a lot you don't know Aspen. The Crestmont gang has been around for decades, and of course you've met them. They're one of the most powerful and dangerous ones right now, with international members opened up for drug trade. The RSP is Recruiting Substance Proposition, it's a world wide drug trade between gangs and it's how they make their money. Lately the RSP got robbed here in New York, which means that a gang went after everybody else's trade so everyone started to point fingers. With the crestmont's portion gone, they blamed the Westwoods but the Westwood's couldn't of done it."
"Why couldn't of the Westwood's done it?" I raised an eyebrow. Aster and Evangeline sighed looking at each other. Aster took a deep breath before exhaling "Because we're the Westwoods."
"W-What?" I stuttered, and I had felt like I had been lied to for years "Y-you're in a g-gang?"
"Aspen, please. I know it's a lot to take in. I debated for a very long time whether I wanted to take you in because I had been scared of this happening." Aster said wholeheartedly but didn't stop there "The Crestmont's are were our rivals. 5 months ago, we were at our warehouse and someone laid gasoline all around the perimeter of it and put a flame to it then locked all the doors from the outside and windows were too high to jump..Evangeline and I weren't there, we lost all our members. We have no idea who had done it, but we suspect it was Xander and Archer that had after what happened with RSP. But we didn't think at first, and so we thought it had been the Coniston Gang, which is one of our biggest rivals."
He paused for a minute, looking at Evangeline and she gave him a slight nod then looking back at me "So we set fire to their leader's house where they were having a meeting and lost 15 members out of 20."
"S-so." I blinked repeatedly "You killed people.."
"Aspen.." He sighed "I know it seems bad but-"
"Seems?" I questioned "You murdered 15 people Aster, who the fuck does that. And for what? Revenge? I'm sorry you lost your gang members or whatever, but you murdered 15 people who may have been innocent. I hope you're happy with yourself. And drugs? So do you do them or just sell them? I thought you moved out to New York to better yourself and start fresh but seems like you just are waiting to be killed."
I got up to walk away but Aster grabbed my hand and pulled me back "Aspen, please just listen. You know I would never ever hurt you. But you need to listen to me. The Crestmont's are bad, you cannot get yourself caught up in this mess like I did."
"But why do they want me so badly?" I asked confused as to what the fascination is with me.
"You're 17, you're a new kid who has no friends in a completely different state; it's kids like you they target to recruit. They want to get back at me for the RSP, and for killing Coniston. See Coniston and Crestmont weren't rivals, they were allies but when our gang; Westwood was attacked we blamed Coniston for it without thinking and went after them, but Coniston blamed Crestmont for the fire and losing their 15 members. So now they're rivals, but Crestmont really is behind all of it. It's all a huge misunderstanding. Xander and Archer are leaders of the Crestmont, they hate Westwood now for the RSP and killing their allies and making them turn against them. They're trying to get you because if they get you, they can get to me."
It was all a lot to take in, and I couldn't wrap my head around all of it. I stayed silent as I took it all in and Aster took my hand and gave it a squeeze before continuing "But they're right. I can't protect you completely because with just me and Evangeline left of Westwood and everyone else dead, we can't keep you completely safe. But I promise I will do everything in my power to try. If you want to go back with dad, I'll call him tonight-"
"No." I stopped him "I don't want to go. You're my big brother and I missed out on so many years of our childhood, I got to make it up sometime."
He gave me a small smile, before pulling me into a hug "I love you Aspen."
"I love you too Aster." I hugged him back and I knew what I had to do now. To protect Aster. To protect Evangeline. And To protect me.
* * * * *
Next few days, I had stayed at home from school but it was the last day before thanksgiving break for Northeast and Aster had wanted me to get all the work I had missed in the past 3 days. He had let me stay home, to lay low after what had happened at school since we couldn't just go to the board about it without revealing everything.
Aster never left me home alone. When he went to work Evangeline would come and stay with me. He had told me that it had been Archer's house who had lived next door, and that's why I saw all the boys out there the first night I moved here. As much as I hate being on house arrest, I didn't mind it too much. I mean no classes, no cafeteria humiliation, and Evangeline was kinda fun to hang out with; it had been a long time since I could just have girl talk. After talking with the both of them, I've come to terms Juniper and Triston had been the best manipulators and only were nice to me because they wanted something from me. It's like they were all playing a game of good cop/bad cop.
Aster even explained more about how the RSP worked, what having warehouses/or houses were for, and what a gang basically did. It was a long list of things, most of the typical. Drag racing, parties which included alcohol and smoking, prostitution of girls sometimes, fights, drug and weaponry trade and about putting you first and saying fuck you to everyone else. Sometimes they would take people hostage if they wanted something from someone else, but they never got in trouble because in the end police knew there was too many of them to take on.
The Crestmont gang had been led by Archer and Xander as co because the Crestmont gang was originally founded by Axel Gunner who had been Pierce, Juniper, Xander, and the rest of the Gunner kid's grandfather. Xander was suppose to take the title, but Archer had been the oldest and basically said what goes. But apparently once they turn 16 in the gunner family, they are initiated into the gang.
Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I had arrived at school and got off the bus. I immediately had saw Pierce, Cypress, Tucker, Mars, Mercury, Triston, and Juniper all standing but the entrance leaning up against a wall with cigarettes lit, each taking a drag.
I shifted my backpack on my shoulder, keeping my head down I started to walk towards the doors. I went to push the door opened, not making any type of contact. My backpack was grabbed and I halted back. I turned around, immediately knowing who it was.
"Ambrosia." He said, taking a drag and blowing the smoke out at my face. I hated cigarettes, the smell made me fell gross myself. I could never get into the drinking and smoking, of course I had done it from time to time at parties but never actually enjoyed it.
"I don't know if you've ever realized, but I do have a name...Gunner."
"Oh please, no one even knows you exist." Mercury put her cigarette on the ground before stomping on it to put it out.
Apparently faculty and rules do not exist at this school?
"So have decided whether you're going to move back to Seattle yet? It'd make the world a whole lot happier with a stupid skank like you gone." Pierce stated. I stood up straight before asking "Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever fucking do to you?"
Pierce chuckled a laugh before looking directly at me, his face became straight and eyes went dark the minute his chuckle faded "I don't like fucking sluts in my town. And if you want to help yourself at all, I'd advise you to get the fuck back to where you came from."
Slut shaming I see. Classy.
With that I just ignored him, and headed into school where I head to my first period which had been British Literature. I know I shouldn't let what Pierce says to me get to me, but I could not understand why he had so much hatred for me.
When I got to the class, I picked my seat just in the middle. Not right front and center but not in the back with the stoners. Juniper followed in shortly after, as she was the only person in this class I knew. She didn't say anything to me but gave me a small wave but I ignored it.
I pulled out the addition of Macbeth we had been working on, and skimmed what parts were being read today and was taken up mostly by Lady Macbeth's soliloquy. As I skimmed through, a hand had landed on my desk.
"Pierce please just fuck off for the-" I started, but then looked up to see it wasn't Pierce but some guy with blond wavy hair that curled at the top with brown eyes.
"Hey." He smiled "I'm Finn, Aspen right?" I nodded slightly, closing my book and trying not to turn bright red that I just told him to fuck off two seconds ago. He sat down in the seat in front of me, but faced me and gave me a bright white smile.
"You just moved here right?" He asked, and I nodded "Yeah, from Seattle."
"Oh that's so cool, my parents go visit the city every year, lots of rain huh?" He asked, and I just gave a small smile back.
"Ok look I'm gonna get straight to the point." He looked down nervously then back up at me "I've seen you around, and I think you're really cute. I was wondering if you wanted to go Jack Wilder's party with me tonight?"
"Who?" I questioned. "Oh right, you're new. He's the quarterback, having a huge thanksgiving party. Well a belated thanksgiving party-Everyone's gonna be there, you have to go."
"Oh.." I trailed off "No, I don't-"
"Oh come on." He persuaded "It'll be fun, plus it would get you to meet a bunch of people. Find your footing, you know? I can pick you up at 8 and drive you home whenever you want, promise. I'll even give you my birth certificate, address, and social security number so you know who I really am."
I chuckled in response, thinking for a minute and he cocked an eyebrow at me. He was really cute, and meeting some new people who weren't in a gang did seem very pleasing plus as much as Evangeline will laugh at vines with me, I wanted to get out for a night.
"Ok." I smiled, "Pick me up at 8. 723 Camden St."
"723 Camden St." He repeated, tapping my desk then taking a seat at his desk across the room. I smile to myself happily, as it had been awhile since I've gone on a date.
But for some reason something felt off, and I stared down at my desk and blinked for a second before turning back and looking over at Juniper who's eyes were boring into me, making me quickly turn around.
Something was off..
* * * * *
A://N Early update! Surprise! This chapter is dedicated to @wonu45ad! You commented the most on chapter 4.
Reminder: Chapter dedication's are given to the person who commented the most on the most recent chapter. To earn one in chapter 6, make sure to comment!
What do you think of everything Aster said? Any conspiracies?
Just to clarify. Pierce is part of the Crestmont gang (not the leader) and Aster is part of the rival gang aka the Westwood gang where all the members died in the fire except him and Evangeline.
What do you guys think about Finn and how the party will go over?
Also bonus question: Who's character development are you looking forward to the most and why?
See you guys Thursday!
~ Ash