"Morning," I mumbled to Aster and Evangeline as I walked downstairs and headed straight towards the coffee pot.
"It's 12:30..." Aster trailed off, which I had just ignored as I didn't sleep the best last night. Heading over to the kitchen table, I sat down sitting next to Evangeline and across from Aster. After last night we all slept at the warehouse since Coinston was going to be on us and I got a ride home from Tucker around nine o'clock this morning.
"So how was the race?" Evangeline asked as she tapped her acrylic nails against the coffee mug she had in her hand. "Besides the shooting at cops? Oh yeah, it was fantastic." I responded sarcastically.
"Wait a minute.." Aster shot up from his seat and walked over to me, pushing my hair back from my neck "Is that a hickey!?" I quickly covered my neck with my hand as I had completely forgotten about the hickey from Pierce last night.
"No-..it's a curling iron burn."
"Aspen Seraphina do not lie to me! Do not tell me that's from who I think it is!" Aster shouted, his fist was clutched and the vein in his forehead started to pop up to the surface of his skin while his face started to turn red.
Biting my lip out of nervousness, I looked up at him and gave him a half-smile in order to not answer the question out loud to admit that the hickey was indeed from Pierce.
"Are you fucking serious!?" Aster exclaimed "What the hell were you doing with him!? I agreed to him to watch over you, not to suck the soul out of your neck-"
"Aster calm down, Aspen is seventeen she can make her own decisions." Evangeline interrupted Aster's shouting and before he could say anything else the door swung open with the words of "Hello Ambrosia's!" being yelled.
Triston walked in with a hoodie and leggings on, an outfit I had never seen her in as it was always the gang's uniform. "Hey." I stood up from my seat and grabbed my sweatshirt that was thrown onto one chair.
"Where are you going?" Aster asked, still mad from the whole hickey thing. "It's Juniper and Gunner's birthday party today, we have to go find some dress's," I explained as I threw my sweatshirt on over my head.
"Oh try the new store at the mall, they had some really cute ones on display." Evangeline chirped while Aster went over and over with the rules for me going.
Apparently being on the Police watch list is a lot harder than it sounds...
I waved Aster off as I knew everything that he was already saying and soon followed Triston outside to her car. As I let the door swing behind me I saw Pierce's challenger sitting right in front of the sidewalk in front of the house.
"Why is Pierce here?" Triston cocked an eyebrow at me. "Because he's my 'bodyguard', I'll be right there," I said to ger as I walked up towards Pierce's car.
He rolled down the passenger seat car window and I leaned slightly into the opening of the window "What are you doing here Pierce?" I asked blatantly not wanting to play one of Pierce's games today.
"Wow, jeez no happy birthday?" He sent me a wide-eye look. "Happy Birthday." I rolled my eyes in response to Pierce.
"What'd you get me?"
"Who said I got you anything?" I raised an eyebrow at him "Do I not need to remind you almost strangling and killing me to death? Your birthday present was letting you pretend fuck me in the Alleyway."
"Pretend? How about I get the real thing for my birthday?" He sent me a million dollar smirk followed by a wink. "You wish," I smirked back at him and flipped him off.
"Where are you going with Triston? I have a bunch of shit today and can't play babysitter so can you please just not do anything fucking stupid?" Pierce warned as he put his foot on the break and put the car in drive.
"We're going to the mall and no Promises." I leaned back out of the window and tapped the roof of the car before walking over to Triston's car and hopping into the passenger side. Pierce slammed on the gas and sped past us. Triston soon took off as well and headed towards the mall.
"So?" Triston glanced over to me "When are you going to tell him that you like him?"
"What?" I was taken back at what she said, looking over at her with a confused look "I do not like Pierce. He's the biggest dick I've ever met, not to mention the spitting, kidnapping, and strangling me and if I did you might need to send me to a therapist because Stockholm syndrome much."
"Oh come on Aspen, as someone who was head over heels for Pierce once and watched two other girls go through the same thing, I know the look and the act. Pierce Gunner may be a dick but he is a charmer. I mean the grey eyes, the smirk, the body, and the hard-ass personality it's not a question as to why people fall for him." Triston went on as she stared at the road and kept her hands on the wheel.
"Ok that's great and all Triston but I am not falling for Pierce. I only talk to him because we're practically forced to with how Xander and Archer make him follow me around like a lost puppy half the time." I was sure I had no feelings for Pierce. I mean sure I was attracted to him, what girl wouldn't be? But there was absolutely no way I had feelings for Pierce Gunner.
"If you say so.." Triston trailed off "It's only a matter of time Aspen, just don't let Xander or Archer find out there is a strict no dating within the gang rule after all the shit went down specifically with Pierce and Mercury. We can't afford to lose members over petty breakups."
We eventually got to the mall and found ourselves walking around, in and out of the shops. It was nice to finally be able to make friends and for us to get away from all the gang chaos for awhile. Although as we walked through the mall I couldn't help but keep thinking about what Triston had said. Did it really look like I like Pierce?
* * * *
After about an hour of trying on different dresses, we both got ours and checked out of the stores. "Wanna grab some food?" Triston asked and I nodded in agreement as we made our way to the food court.
"Hey, could I have an order of fries, a small coke-" Triston began to the man at the front of the counter at some pizza shop. A feeling of uneasiness came over me and felt like I was being watched, scanning over the mall only for my eyes to land directly on someone whose eyes were boring into mine.
My eyes widened in response and I quickly pulled Triston away from the counter as she was mid-order. "What the hell Aspen, I was ordering food-" Triston started but I quickly stopped her mid-sentence "Knox Kingston is here."
"Knox?" Triston's eyes widened and she scanned the crowd herself before turning back to me "Oh shit- Knox and his gang are here. We need to fucking go now."
Triston and I quickly began to walk in the other direction while a voice shouted out "Ambrosia!" Ignoring the call, Triston and I stopped our walking and took off running instead. Looking back I saw Knox and three other guys take off after us.
"Shit, shit, shit." Triston muttered as we ran through the crowds of people that filled the mall "How the hell did they know we would be here?!"
"Carpenter! Ambrosia! Stop running!" Knox called after us and we only continued to run as well got yelled at by security to stop running. Pulling my phone out, I quickly scrolled through my contacts and landed on Pierce's.
"This way." Triston pulled me towards an exit of the mall which left us in a parking lot that felt like it could be miles long. "Pick up, pick up, pick up," I muttered as the phone call just continued to ring.
"Pierce." I said breathlessly as the phone call went through "We're at the m-mall. K-Knox is here."
"I'll be right there."
The phone call hung up as we ran through the parking lot to find Triston's car but was no use when we found ourselves on the total opposite side of the mall. It was no wonder Knox was chasing after us after shooting out the tires of his car and making him lose the race that had how much money riding on it.
Triston and I took a turn into the back of the mall to try and lose them only when we found ourselves stopping in our tracks when two of Knox's guys were already at the end of where we were about to run. Turning around we went running in the other direction only to see Knox and another guy standing to directly face us.
"Shit," I muttered as I tried catching my breath. My heart was pounding in my chest and my throat was dry. I felt like I was going to pass out any minute. Throwing my bag on the ground I quickly tried to search for my inhaler as my throat started to close up.
I've had terrible asthma since I was little, especially exercise-induced asthma although slowly started to get better with it as I got older. Every time we ran the mile in high school I ended up passed out on the track from oxygen deficiency.
Triston helped me search for it but Knox and his guys approached closer to us. Triston was grabbed and restrained. "Let me go!" She kicked and screamed, struggling to get out of the guy's arms.
Know stood in front of me and knelt down to me as I still searched to find my inhaler but began to panic when it was nowhere to be found. Knox took his hand and turned my face to face his as he gave me a fake sad look "Oh no, your lips are turning blue."
He grabbed my sweatshirt and pulled me up from the ground and separated me from my bag. I gasped for air but wasn't managing to get any. Knox slammed me up against the back of the building, while Triston screamed for help but was no use as no one was to be seen.
Knox examined my neck before his eyes meeting mine "Looks like I was right about you being Gunner's new toy. Won't it be great when he finds out I have his new little girlfriend." Knox's arm clasped around my neck, cutting off any circulation I had left and I gripped at his arm to pull it off but I was too weak to do anything.
Knox's hands tightened around my neck and I struggled to keep my eyes open as the feeling of fainting was upon me and Triston's screams became muffled. Knox's eyes were dark and boring into me, as I failed to fight back.
Car tires screeched in the back and before I knew it Knox was ripped off of me. I fell to the ground as I grasped my neck and was gasping for air, as my lips started to tingle. I looked up to see Cypress take care of the two guys Triston was held by and Pierce beating the shit out of Knox.
Pierce clutched his fist and sent a punch flying into Knox's face and sending a kick right to his stomach while Cypress fought the others. Triston ran up to me once she was free and grabbed my bag to search for the inhaler.
"Stay with me, Aspen." She grabbed me by the shoulders to keep me upright "Deep breaths." My deep breaths were only wheezing at this time period but the wheezing soon stopped altogether as the asthma attack went on.
"Pierce!" Triston shouted in panic. Struggling to keep my eyes open, the moments they were I saw Cypress and Pierce takedown Knox and his gang. Knox was beaten to a bloody pulp and maybe a few broken bones at this point.
Knox and his gang soonly retreated as fast as they could, making Cypress and Pierce rush over to me. Pierce knelt down to me and placed two fingers under my chin and examined my face "Her lips are completely blue. Get her in the car now, we have to get her to Harley. Cypress take my keys."
Pierce picked me up from the ground and carried me to the car as Triston pushed the passenger seat back and Pierce got into the back with me while Triston got into the passenger seat and Cypress on the driver's side.
"Triston there should be a Ventolin inhaler in my center console," Pierce instructed as he tried to keep me awake so I wouldn't pass out. Triston searched through the center console before tossing Pierce the inhaler.
"Aspen sit up," Pierce demanded as he helped me sit up and held the inhaler up to my mouth and I took two puffs, breathing in the medicine which made me break out into a coughing fit. "She's too far past the inhaler, she has to do a nebulizer." Pierce stated "Call Harley and tell her will be there."
Cypress sped through the streets and I couldn't even stay up enough to see where we had been as I felt myself getting weaker. It felt like an eternity as I struggled to breathe and gasped for air but failed to get it circulating.
We eventually came to a stop as Cypress put the car in park. Triston pushed the passenger seat forward and Pierce helped me out of the car before picking me up and running into Harley's house.
"Harley!" Pierce yelled for her as she came running down the steps with a shocked look. "Ok set her down on the couch and make sure she is upright." Harley hurried Pierce to the couch as she went and grabbed a nebulizer before filling it with medicine.
Pierce sat me down on the couch as they all crowded around me. Harley placed the nebulizer mask onto my face and placed an oxygen reader on my finger. "83. That's really low." Harley announced as she looked down at it "The albuterol sulfate should circulate her breathing, she should be okay. Triston has she ate today?"
Triston shook her head in response and Harley nodded "Ok well she's going to be super jittery after the treatment with no food in her system, she may need to sleep it off but she will be ok. You guys got here at the right time."
I could feel the medicine coating the inside of my lungs and I began to couch in response. Harley looked at me and placed a hand on my knee "You're coughing which means you're breathing. Noise is good. Are you starting to feel any better?"
I nodded in response as I held the mask as close up to my face as possible. "Thank you guys, for saving us." Triston turned to Pierce and Cypress "But Pierce since when do you have asthma?"
"I don't." Pierce clenched his jaw "But I know she does so I have a spare in my car in case of this shit."
Does Pierce have an extra inhaler just for me?
"Is she going to be good for tonight?" Triston asked Harley in concern. "Yeah, she'll be fine and back to herself once the treatment wears off." Harley nodded "Cypress and Triston can you come with me in the kitchen? Pierce stay with her and make sure she's ok."
I remembered back to the last time when Harley helped me after Pierce choked me and Mercury kicked in my stomach and how she was an old nursing student. Harley was definitely the caretaker of the gang and did play that nurse role.
Triston, Cypress, and Harley headed towards the kitchen and Pierce sat down next to me on the couch "Now I thought I told you to not do anything stupid because I couldn't play babysitter?" Pierce narrowed his eyes at me, making me let out a small chuckle in response.
My breathing was regulated and I was feeling a million times better and could gather my words now. "Could you text Aster? Let him know." I asked through the mask and Pierce nodded "I already did."
"Thank you, Pierce..for everything." I gave him a small smile. His grey eyes met mine and I could see his pupils grow as we stared and just sat in silence.
* * * * * *
A://N I know this chapter was supposed to be the party chapter but I got sidetracked and have to plan out how the party is going to go so it will be in the next one!
Thoughts on this chapter?
Favorite moment?
What do you think of Triston?
Do you think Knox is going to continue to be a threat?
What about Pierce and Aspen's "relationship" so far?
Any guesses as to what will happen at the party? Your guesses I may even include in the next chapter to help with my writer's block.
Bye,
~Ash