The siguiente morning, despite being deprived of sleep, I was wide awake. Carmine was in the kitchen, Nikolai getting ready for work in his room. I frowned when I saw Carmine in his work uniform.
"I thought..." I began. He shook his head, his mouth full of cereal.
"I gotta work today. We'll go another día though, ok?" he said.
"When are tu off...?" I asked.
"Next weekend," he answered. I groaned.
"Seriously?!"
"Sorry! tu know, tu could get a job too, y'know!" he shouted. I clamped my mouth shut. Carmine never yells at me. Ever. "Y'know, tu complain about Nikolai all the time! You're just as bad!"
"I'm only fifteen..." I dicho quietly.
"You could pass for sixteen if tu want," he rolled his eyes. He stood up and left, slamming the door behind him. I was speechless. Nikolai came in, all ready to go to work. He sighed.
"He hasn't been the same since tu and Reed've been gone," he dicho quietly.
"I don't even think I did anything!" I tried to explain.
"I know. tu don't have to. When tu were gone... he'd just have fits and scream and yell at me. He's just having a hard time..." Nikolai sighed again. "I gotta go. Stay here, ok?"
"But--" I began, but he didn't want to hear it.
"No Harley. Stay here. Please." He kissed my forehead then left. I tried to listen. Honestly, I did. But the house is so boring with no Reed to hang out with. I grabbed my gun, slipped it into my pocket, and left.
I had no idea what I was going to do. It's not like Dalton's murderer is going to go skipping around town bragging about how bad he beat his ass. I stopped and thought. Who would have a reason to kill Dalton? A lot of people actually... I guess I'd have to start somewhere. I walked down the street, until I came to a club; Rafael's hangout.
Rafael is one of the biggest man-whores I've ever met. He's got at least six girlfriends. He hangs out in the back of the club most of the time, because he's too lazy to go to his house. For some reason, lots of guys back him up. Probably for protection. tu protect Rafael, and he'll protect you. Rafael's a real hot-head, maybe Dalton took it too far and pissed him off.
I made my way through the bodies, avoiding being knocked into, o even noticed. I got to the back, where two heavy set men were guarding the room door. The room had originally been a public hangout, a place to for parties and what not, but Rafael turned it into his personal room; a place where he could bring his whores. I went up to the two men, and they looked down on me, surprised.
"I need to see Rafael," I told them. They both raised an eyebrow and looked at each other.
"He's busy," one of them dicho in a deep voice. I pulled out my gun, just enough so they could see what it was. When tu want something, tu gotta know how to get it. They sighed. One of the men knocked on the door, then let himself in.
"A girl wants to see you." There was a chuckle.
"Well, then let her in," dicho a voice.
"...She's fourteen, sir." Fifteen actually.
"Oh..." the voice sighed. "Fine. Let 'er in..." Two girls walked out of the room, barely dressed. I grimaced and moved out of their way.
"Go 'head," the man grumbled. I walked around him, into the room. It was tiny, painted a deep green with lights everywhere. There were chairs and a sofá there, along with a TV. Rafael was lounged on the couch, wearing only sweatpants. I wrinkled my nose in disgust, trying not to look at him. Even when he was fully dressed he was hard to look at.
"What do tu want?" he asked.
"I'm Harley Cameron," I told him. I let that sink in. Rafael and Nikolai had gone to high school together; they were actually friends. It was obvious he remembered.
"No way!" he laughed. "You must be Nikki's lil sis! How is he?"
"He's been better," I shrugged. "I came here because I need to find something out.... Have tu seen Dalton at all lately?" I asked.
"No. Not in a long time, actually. Why?" Hmm... Maybe he was lying.
"When was the last time tu saw him?" I asked.
"I dunno, maybe, like, five o six months ago?" he asked. "That asshole came down here like he owned the place; pickin' on my girls, so I kicked him out. Haven't seen him since." Ok, he seemed like he was telling the truth.
"Thanks," I stood up to go leave.
"Wait, why?" he asked.
"Dalton's dead," I told him. "And they blamed my brother Reed." Rafael's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. I got to the door, only to see that he was leading me out. He cleared his throat.
"Well, if there's anything I can do, just let me know. Like, if Nikolai needs anything, o you, o your brother...?"
"Carmine. And thanks. I'll let Nikolai know." No I wouldn't. He patted my shoulder as I left, and I had to hold my breath to keep from shuddering. Even though he was nice to offer help, I still couldn't stand this guy.
***
I had gone around everywhere, looking for guys similar to Rafael: tough, lot of backup, short temper, and knew Dalton. I checked with all the head "gang leaders," as some of them liked to be called. None of them seemed to have killed Dalton. They all either have a really good alibi, o have been avoiding Dalton for a really long time, so they couldn't have killed him.
I went home, still an hora before Nikolai o Carmine were to get home, and thought and thought. Who else would possibly murder Dalton? Then one name came to mind.
Andrew.
"I thought..." I began. He shook his head, his mouth full of cereal.
"I gotta work today. We'll go another día though, ok?" he said.
"When are tu off...?" I asked.
"Next weekend," he answered. I groaned.
"Seriously?!"
"Sorry! tu know, tu could get a job too, y'know!" he shouted. I clamped my mouth shut. Carmine never yells at me. Ever. "Y'know, tu complain about Nikolai all the time! You're just as bad!"
"I'm only fifteen..." I dicho quietly.
"You could pass for sixteen if tu want," he rolled his eyes. He stood up and left, slamming the door behind him. I was speechless. Nikolai came in, all ready to go to work. He sighed.
"He hasn't been the same since tu and Reed've been gone," he dicho quietly.
"I don't even think I did anything!" I tried to explain.
"I know. tu don't have to. When tu were gone... he'd just have fits and scream and yell at me. He's just having a hard time..." Nikolai sighed again. "I gotta go. Stay here, ok?"
"But--" I began, but he didn't want to hear it.
"No Harley. Stay here. Please." He kissed my forehead then left. I tried to listen. Honestly, I did. But the house is so boring with no Reed to hang out with. I grabbed my gun, slipped it into my pocket, and left.
I had no idea what I was going to do. It's not like Dalton's murderer is going to go skipping around town bragging about how bad he beat his ass. I stopped and thought. Who would have a reason to kill Dalton? A lot of people actually... I guess I'd have to start somewhere. I walked down the street, until I came to a club; Rafael's hangout.
Rafael is one of the biggest man-whores I've ever met. He's got at least six girlfriends. He hangs out in the back of the club most of the time, because he's too lazy to go to his house. For some reason, lots of guys back him up. Probably for protection. tu protect Rafael, and he'll protect you. Rafael's a real hot-head, maybe Dalton took it too far and pissed him off.
I made my way through the bodies, avoiding being knocked into, o even noticed. I got to the back, where two heavy set men were guarding the room door. The room had originally been a public hangout, a place to for parties and what not, but Rafael turned it into his personal room; a place where he could bring his whores. I went up to the two men, and they looked down on me, surprised.
"I need to see Rafael," I told them. They both raised an eyebrow and looked at each other.
"He's busy," one of them dicho in a deep voice. I pulled out my gun, just enough so they could see what it was. When tu want something, tu gotta know how to get it. They sighed. One of the men knocked on the door, then let himself in.
"A girl wants to see you." There was a chuckle.
"Well, then let her in," dicho a voice.
"...She's fourteen, sir." Fifteen actually.
"Oh..." the voice sighed. "Fine. Let 'er in..." Two girls walked out of the room, barely dressed. I grimaced and moved out of their way.
"Go 'head," the man grumbled. I walked around him, into the room. It was tiny, painted a deep green with lights everywhere. There were chairs and a sofá there, along with a TV. Rafael was lounged on the couch, wearing only sweatpants. I wrinkled my nose in disgust, trying not to look at him. Even when he was fully dressed he was hard to look at.
"What do tu want?" he asked.
"I'm Harley Cameron," I told him. I let that sink in. Rafael and Nikolai had gone to high school together; they were actually friends. It was obvious he remembered.
"No way!" he laughed. "You must be Nikki's lil sis! How is he?"
"He's been better," I shrugged. "I came here because I need to find something out.... Have tu seen Dalton at all lately?" I asked.
"No. Not in a long time, actually. Why?" Hmm... Maybe he was lying.
"When was the last time tu saw him?" I asked.
"I dunno, maybe, like, five o six months ago?" he asked. "That asshole came down here like he owned the place; pickin' on my girls, so I kicked him out. Haven't seen him since." Ok, he seemed like he was telling the truth.
"Thanks," I stood up to go leave.
"Wait, why?" he asked.
"Dalton's dead," I told him. "And they blamed my brother Reed." Rafael's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. I got to the door, only to see that he was leading me out. He cleared his throat.
"Well, if there's anything I can do, just let me know. Like, if Nikolai needs anything, o you, o your brother...?"
"Carmine. And thanks. I'll let Nikolai know." No I wouldn't. He patted my shoulder as I left, and I had to hold my breath to keep from shuddering. Even though he was nice to offer help, I still couldn't stand this guy.
***
I had gone around everywhere, looking for guys similar to Rafael: tough, lot of backup, short temper, and knew Dalton. I checked with all the head "gang leaders," as some of them liked to be called. None of them seemed to have killed Dalton. They all either have a really good alibi, o have been avoiding Dalton for a really long time, so they couldn't have killed him.
I went home, still an hora before Nikolai o Carmine were to get home, and thought and thought. Who else would possibly murder Dalton? Then one name came to mind.
Andrew.
"It's nice here. I don't know many people though..." Victor brushed his hair back, smiling again. "Well, por tomorrow, all of the kids at school will wanna be your friend." "Oh..." Jade turned slightly to see the raven haired boy deep in thought. "What is it?" "Hn? Oh, it's nothing. Oh, we're here." The blonde looked up ahead and saw her house. "Really? Cause my house is right there." She pointed, and Victor burst out laughing. "Haha-I live right siguiente to tu then..." The blonde looked at the house siguiente to hers. It seemed normal. A little old fashioned, but definitely normal. "Cool! Well, I'll see tu tomorrow then?" "Yeah..." The onyx eyed boy took Jade's hand, kissed it lightly, then walked off. "What was that?"
Jade Adams was making her way inicial when she saw him. The dark haired kid everyone had been talking about earlier today was walking in the same direction she was. "Hey! You're the new kid in school right?" "Hn?" The boy turned around to face Jade, making her corazón skip a beat. He had to be one of the most strikingly beautiful people she had ever seen. He was pale, with onyx colored eyes, and jet black hair that hung over his eyes slightly. "H-hi. I'm Jade..." the poor girl was at a loss for words when he flashed his dazzling smile at her. "Hey, I'm Victor." She blushed slightly and readjusted her Slipknot tee over her black skinny jeans. "Soo... what road do tu turn onto to get home?" "I turn onto Salem road, what about you?" Victor looked over at her again, scratching his head awkwardly. "Me too! Wanna walk inicial together?" "Sure!" The blonde girl started walking ahead, leaving Victor o follow. "So, how do tu like it here?"