Another day, another six hours of boring classes. I've only been sitting in my second lecture of the day for an hour, and I already feel like shooting myself. Why did I choose this module? Oh right, to make my parents happy and let me move here, where their son was murdered. I spend the rest of the class cursing myself for choosing law instead of any other class until my mind starts to wander towards Isaac and the rest of his gang. I haven't seen them since two nights ago at the bar, as I was in no shape to go to class yesterday. I keep thinking about Brad and the possible reasons he had to help me that night. I mean, his friends seem like total jerks. I know I'd have spent the night lying on the disgusting floor of that bar if Brad hadn't taken me to his place. And who knows what the guys at the bar would have done to me. I simply don't get why someone like him would help me when he clearly doesn't want me to interfere with his business. He made that clear yesterday morning. Before I can think more about it, I notice my classmates making their way out of the room, and I realize the class is over. Shit, I didn't take any notes. With a little luck I'll get to Reggie before midterms, and before my parents drag my ass back to Southampton for failing my classes. I gather my stuff and throw my book in my bag before following the last students out of class, and I am met with James sitting across the hallway. As soon as he sees me, he stands up and comes to greet me.
"Bundle of Joy", he says with the same irritating tone he uses every time he calls me by that nickname. I can't help but roll my eyes at the nickname. I don't think it'll ever grow on me, but it doesn't seem like he's gonna stop calling me like that anytime soon. "I've missed you yesterday".
"I was...", I start to say, thinking of a coherent lie. "Sick", I add, giving him a faint smile. I can't tell him the real reason I wasn't at school yesterday. First, he would probably think I'm crazy for willing to do business with Isaac's gang, and second, he would try to make me give up on the idea, and I simply don't have time for that. He gives me a questioning look, and I can tell he doesn't really believe me, but thankfully he doesn't question it and simply nods.
"Hungry?", he asks, and I don't even have time to answer that he pulls me in the direction of the cafeteria. I follow him as we leave the main building and walk outside to reach the cafeteria on the other side of campus. As we get closer to the building, my eyes fall on the group of tattooed guys standing at their usual spot. Thing One and Red Hair guy are sitting on the back of a bench, their feet on the seat, while Thing Two is talking to some other dude I have never seen before. My attention is dragged to Brad and Isaac who seem to be in the middle of a heated conversation, their hands flying everywhere. We're too far to hear what they're saying, but it looks serious.
"Do you have a death wish?", I suddenly hear James ask me, making me turn my head towards him as we continue walking towards the cafeteria. I raise an eyebrow and quickly realize what he is referring to. I was staring, again.
"They don't seem that dangerous", I answer, making him scoff.
"Not that dangerous? Those guys beat up a guy from my class so bad he needed facial reconstruction", he says, making my heart skip a beat. "Facial reconstruction!", he adds, as if he needed to emphasize that fact. "Everyone who crosses their path ends up at the hospital or dead. It's as simple as that. And that fucking school is too shit scared of them to kick them out. In fact, the fucking police itself is too shit scared of them to take any action too. It's like they control the entire city".
"Do they go to school here?", I ask, wondering why they hang out on school property when they clearly don't fit the student profile. James starts laughing, answering my question.
"Do they look like they give a shit about school?", he says, and I can only agree.
"Then why do they stay here? Out of all places in Birmingham, why do they choose to spend their days on campus?", I ask, not getting it.
"They go where the money's at", he answers while he holds the cafeteria's door open for me. I enter the building and instantly get hit by a strong smell of cheap food. "Students here are loaded, and desperate for a kick. It's good business for anyone who sells here", he continues as we walk towards the hot food bar. We both grab a tray and start lining up to get to the mains. James stays quiet the entire time we wait to get our food, which is surprising considering the fact that he never shuts up, and finally starts talking again once we are both sat at a table, a plate of food in front of us. "It wasn't always their spot", he says, his mouth full of mashed potatoes. I can't help the small smile that appears on my lips at the sight. I should be grossed out, but for some reason, I just find it funny. "There was another gang before them, and long story short those guys kicked the old gang out or won this spot or whatever and now it's their territory", he continues before swallowing the content of his mouth. "It wasn't pretty. I mean it was before I started school here, but everyone in the city talked about it for months. Five guys died during their little war", he says as if he's talking about the weather. I'm surprised by how relaxed he is as he's telling me all of this. Shit, people died, how can he be so nonchalant about it? I think of Isaac, and Brad and the rest of their group, and what they had to do to get that spot on campus. They killed people to get to sell drugs. They killed people for money. Did they help Reggie kill Charlie? My heart starts to race in my chest as I realize they are not as harmless as I thought. I might have underestimated them. But then I think about Brad, and how he helped me at the bar. What kind of killer would help a girl he doesn't even know like that? "They won't fuck with you if you don't fuck with them, don't worry", James adds, probably noticing the look on my face. Well, that warning comes a little too late. But it doesn't matter. I need to get to Reggie, no matter what. I have nothing left to lose anyway. Our conversation cut my appetite, and I end up spending the rest of our lunch break watching James eat his mash and bangers like a neanderthal, while I play with the peas and carrots on my plate, barely listening to what he's saying about some girl in his class. I can't keep my mind from thinking about what he said about Isaac's gang, my heart breaking for the families of the guys who died during their fight. How can you live with yourself knowing that you took a life? How can they continue to sell drugs there after having to kill for that spot?
Our lunch break quickly comes to an end, and we both have to go to our next class. James's majoring in music, so his classes are not in the same building as mine, and I end up walking back to the main building by myself. I don't mind it though, as there's only so much I can tolerate of James's constant blather. I spend the entire afternoon gathering enough courage to go back to Isaac's band and ask about meeting Reggie again. I didn't come this far to give up so easily, no matter what James said about them. As soon as our professor lets us go, I make my way towards the back of campus where the group always hangs. Luckily James was not waiting for me at the door for once. Thing Two is the first one to see me approaching, and he mumbles something to the rest of his friends. It doesn't take long before they all turn their head in my direction. Isaac's notorious smirk is back on his lips, giving me literal chills again.
"Didn't get enough the other night, Snow White?" Thing One asks just as I reach them, and I stop a couple of steps away from them. I try to ignore him and keep my eyes on Isaac, feeling five pairs of eyes burning my skin, my breathing already starting to shake.
"Did I pass your stupid test?", I ask Isaac, trying my hardest not to shake and sound confident when in reality I feel like I'm about to pass out. Isaac laughs, quickly imitated by Thing One, Thing Two and Red Hair guy. Only Brad is not laughing, simply staring at me from the bench he's sitting on, with that same tense look he had yesterday.
"Aren't you a breath of fresh air, princess", Isaac says before taking a step closer to me, making my heart race even faster in my chest, and I'm sure he can hear it, if not see it about to jump out of my ribcage. "You really think you can simply ask and join our little group here?", he asks, reaching his hand towards me and pushing a strand of hair off my shoulder, sending shivers down my spine. The smile on his lips tells me he noticed the effect he has on me. Shit. He's never going to take me seriously if he thinks I'm scared of him.
"Why not?", I ask, trying again to act like the killer I am about the become. "I did what you asked, now I want to meet Reggie". The three dumbasses behind him are laughing their asses off and I wish it wasn't five of them against one, because I would have punched the hell out of their ugly faces.
"What the fuck are you not getting?", Brad suddenly says as he stands up from the back of the bench he was just sitting on and walks towards me. I wasn't expecting him to speak to be honest, as he's been so quiet every time he's with the other guys. "Get the fuck out, we don't deal with daddy's girls". He might have looked intimidating yesterday, but he looks fucking scary today. His threatening tone sends a wave of goosebumps all over my body, and I realize I have been holding my breath for a little too long now. This time the four other boys laugh, Isaac included, and I find myself digging my nails in my palms to stay calm and keep my stand.
"He's right", Isaac says, quickly regaining a serious face. "Find another way to get daddy's attention". I feel like a fog has taken over my brain as I'm barely able to think straight, having to stand up to these guys. There's no way I am leaving Birmingham without meeting the man who killed Charlie. I won't give up. I simply can't. So I decide to play my last card as I don't really have much choice here. 'Don't do this Pops', I suddenly hear Charlie say, and for the second time, I have that overwhelming rush of emotions take over my body as I see him standing there, behind the group, the exact same sad look on his face as he had two nights ago. Why is this happening? Why do I keep on seeing him? He's not real, I tell myself as I blink a couple of times until he's gone. I notice the guys look behind them where the ghost of Charlie was standing a second ago, before they bring their attention back to me, looking at me like I'm cuckoo. I'm sorry Charlie, I have to do this, I think before looking at Isaac.
"I'm not a fucking little girl", I say and he smiles, as if entertained by the situation. "Introduce me to Reggie".
"Why do you even want in?", Red Hair guy asks lazily before pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He grabs one and places it between his lips before lighting it.
"I need money", I lie, not thinking of any other reasons one would want to start selling drugs.
"Don't we all", Red Hair guy answers before pulling on his cig and blowing the smoke on the side. Isaac keeps on staring at me, clearly thinking about something.
"Look, you either let me in, or I find another group to work with. I've heard you've got some competition", I say before I can even realize what just came out of my mouth. Talking about the other gang was probably not my brightest idea, but at this point, I don't really have much to lose. The five of them stay quiet for a second as they look at me as if I just invoked Satan.
"Who the fuck that bitch thinks she is?", Thing One says, but I ignore him. Something in Isaac's eyes switches and a sly smile replaces his usual smirk.
"I have a job for you. You do it and you're in", he says, taking me by surprise.
"What?!", Thing Two exclaims, and I agree. I was expecting Isaac to fight back. Before I can answer anything Brad comes in front of him.
"The fuck no", he says as he stands in front of me, his back facing me. I can see his back muscles tense up through his white tee-shirt, his jaw clenched again. "There's no way she's getting in".
"I don't recall asking your permission, Simpson'', Isaac says, and from Brad's body cues, I can tell he's trying hard not to fight with his friend. His hands are clenched so tight his knuckles are white, and I can hear his loud breathing from here. All of a sudden Isaac's eyes move from Brad to behind me, making Brad turn around as well, and before I can do so myself to check what they are looking at, I hear James calling my name.
"Joy!", he says as he walks in our direction, all eyes on him. Fuck, what is he doing here? Now is not a good time, James.
"What now?", Thing Two says to his friends, clearly annoyed.
"The fuck is he doing here?", Thing One says as if he knows James. Wait, do they know him? I stare at the five of them looking tense as James approaches and it's obvious that there's some history here.
"Want me to take care of it?", Red Hair guy asks Isaac whose eyes are focused on James. He stays quiet and brings his eyes back to me.
"We'll be in touch", Isaac tells me, ignoring what his friend has just said, and turns around before starting to walk in the opposite direction. Thing One, Thing Two and Red Hair guy follow him, but Brad doesn't move, still looking at me with the same intensity, and that darkness in his eyes.
"Is everything okay?", James asks me as he reaches us, and Brad finally detaches his eyes from mine and gives James a weird look before he turns around without a word. I have no doubt those guys know each other. James walks to where Brad was standing a second ago, coming face-to-face with me. "What did they want with you?", he asks, seeing I didn't answer his previous question.
"They were just asking for a cigarette", I lie and again I can tell James is not sold by my lying skills. "Do you know those guys?", I quickly ask to not leave him time to question my lie. He hesitates a second, which gives me the answer I was looking for. I knew it.
"Everyone knows them", he finally answers, giving a half-ass answer. But it doesn't matter, his hesitation made it clear, they do know each other. Why doesn't he just say it? What is he hiding? I decide not to question him about it, as clearly he doesn't want me to know whatever history there is between them. We all have our secrets don't we?
What do you guys think of this story so far? I just finished writing chapter 15, and I can't wait for you to read more about Joy's adventures :)
Don't forget to like the chapter if you liked it ❤️