by Raathi Chota
“Even though I can see that’s a lie, I’m not going to pressure you to tell me. But just remember, other than your dad, I’m the only male whose been here your whole life.” Griffon let out a dry laugh. “So, if you ever need an adult’s perspective, I’m here…not just as a teacher, but as your godfather and uncle.”
“Thank you.”
“Have you heard from Levi yet?”
“No. He’s probably busy with college and stuff.”
“Uh huh,” Griffon murmured as I blew my nose. I stared at him with a questioning look, then put the tissue in the trashcan that I kept next to the sofa.
“Uncle Griff, what do you know about Levi?”
“He reminds me of a younger version of myself. So reckless and just…living in the moment, you know? Yet he’s sort of, how do I say it?” He snapped his fingers. “He likes to have authority, but there’s a small part of him that he only shows to you, Lana, and that’s affection.”
“Then why doesn’t he tell me anything? He treats me like a child sometimes.”
“He just doesn’t want you to worry. If I could tell you, I would, but he said that he intends to tell you when the time is right.” Griffon shook his head.
“When is the time right? When I go to college?”
“He was supposed to tell you when he was here. Yet he just stalled. Typical Radcliff.”
“You said ‘us’ earlier. Who else knows?”
“Obviously his parents, who are dis—” Griffon cut off when the doorbell rang. He gave me an apologetic smile, then got up to answer the door. I folded my arms and huffed because whoever was behind that door better be important to interrupt. I stood up to get my phone that was charged upstairs, but Uncle Griff came into the room with two people behind him.
“Hey, Lana,” Keene greeted as he gave a half-smile.
“Hi…Keene a—”
“Pumpkin!” Axel exclaimed as he approached me, then picked me up. “You’re okay! You brave little pumpkin, you’re okay!”
His muscular arms wrapped around my waist as he swayed me. I placed my hands on his shoulders to stop him. He looked up with a bright smile on his face, then set me down.
“I will never understand how you choose your friends,” Griffon stated as he shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Hey, Griffon. Long time no see,” Axel said as he greeted Griffon with a handshake.
“Same to you, Axel.” Griffon smiled as I looked at them.
“How do you two know each other?”
“Err…we met at a bar,” Axel replied as Griffon opened his mouth. “Yeah, a while back, so…nice seeing you again.”
“You too,” Uncle Griff stated, then walked into the kitchen. We sat down, and I glanced up to see Keene look around while Axel sighed. I awkwardly played with my sleeves and sniffled.
“Blake couldn’t be here. He’s grounded,” Axel said as I nodded. “Your principal is a real prick, you know that?”
“What happened?”
“Blake wasn’t even supposed to get suspended, but since Katrina is his daughter and they dated, he obviously suspended him,” Axel scoffed, and I laughed at the name.
“It’s Kelly, dude,” Keene corrected.
“Whatever.” Axel shrugged. “We would’ve come earlier, pumpkin, but I was busy with classes, so…”
“You go to college?” I tilted my head.
“Yeah, my friend Tamia said I should start, so I did.”
“How is she?”
“She’s good, still sassy, but you gotta love that about her.”
“You two a thing?” Keene asked Axel with a lopsided grin.
“Nah, we’ve known each other since we were kids, like you and Levi.” Axel pointed at me.
“That must be fun,” I mumbled.
“Yeah.” Axel smiled as he looked at the ground.
“Can I use your bathroom?” Keene asked.
“Of course. You’ve been here so many times, so I don’t need to show you the way,” I said. Keene smiled, then walked out of the living room and upstairs. I turned back to Axel, who anxiously played with his fingers.
“My brother told me why he got suspended and how Benny was going on about…” Axel started as my mouth twisted. “Can I still call you pumpkin?”
“You call me pumpkin like it’s my name,” I said and watched as his face reddened. I opened my mouth to speak but stopped when I heard Dad and Griffon yell in the kitchen.
“A drug dealer is after my daughter, Griffon! Those four boys who didn’t do their job had to pay, and since James knew Lana, he will try and ge—”
All of sudden, it went quiet, and Axel and I locked eyes. He smiled as I got up. Axel stood up and gripped my arm; I looked up to see him shake his head. Out the corner of my eye, I saw Uncle Griff enter the room with his wallet in his hand. Keene walked downstairs as Uncle Griff took out cash.
“Angie won’t be back till late, so…” He gave Axel the money. “Take her out for a while, have pizza or something.”
“What about Dad? Is he okay?” I tried to walk into the kitchen, but Griffon stopped me.
“He’s okay. We’re just gonna talk,” Griffon said.
“And he’s okay with them taking me out?” I pointed at Axel and Keene.
“Yeah, we trust them.” Griffon nodded with a smile plastered on his face.
“Err…okay. I’ll just go and change,” I said, because I still wore my onesie.
“Oh no, you look fine, pumpkin. You look cute and warm, plus it’s at night. Nobody’s gonna notice.”
“You don’t have to go upstairs. Here,” Keene stated as he handed me my phone and black combat boots.
“Boots with a unicorn onesie, nice,” Griffon commented as I put on my shoes. When I was ready, I wanted to say goodbye to my dad, but Uncle Griff said it wasn’t a good time. I gave him a weird look, but he rolled his eyes and shooed me away with Axel and Keene.
It was strange to drive with two guys who were twenty and twenty-three years old at night. I didn’t know where we were going, but I wasn’t even hungry. Griffon watched me eat my sandwich, so I knew he wanted me out of the house.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“You’ll see. We’re first gonna get your adrenaline pumping, then eat,” Axel said as he looked away from the road, then turned to me.
“Adrenaline pumping? I have the flu. I sound like a blocked drain,” I groaned.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be gone in no time,” Keene assured me from the backseat.
“I hope so. I got so much stuff to do.”
“Don’t worry, pumpkin, you’ll get in there. They’ll be stupid not to accept you.”
“Yeah.” I forced a smile. After we drove for another twenty minutes, we finally arrived somewhere near downtown. I got out of the car, and the wind blew in my face. “Where are we?” I asked and looked at the old concrete building where people entered.
“You wanna see some entertainment?” Axel asked as we walked. I didn’t answer but followed him with Keene behind me. We didn’t go through the front entrance where everyone else did but rather the back. I entered the building and noticed the people around us were much older than me. I followed closely behind Axel because I got weird looks from people, but I didn’t blame them since I was dressed strangely.
“You’re fighting,” I stated as we walked past the cage where two guys roughed each other up. Axel told us to get a good spot while he got ready. Since it was Keene and me, it was easier to get space in the front. We managed to squeeze right in front, a few feet away from the cage. I didn’t like it one bit. The guy who lost was knocked out, and I barely saw his face from all the blood. People cheered, and I turned my head to see Axel enter the cage. He was shirtless as he put the mouthpiece in. I looked at his opponent, and my eyes widened. The guy was twice the size of Axel. His veins stuck out of his skin to show how muscular he was.
“Go, Axel!” I cheered as they approached each other. As the referee spoke to them, Axel glanced at
me and winked. The referee raised his arm as Axel and the other guy took their positions. I let out a shaky breath when the referee lowered his arm and backed away. Everyone erupted in roars and threw profanities at the competitor.
The other guy punched Axel in the face. He was about to hit again, but Axel dodged it and punched him in the stomach. It didn’t seem to affect the guy as he instantly hit Axel’s temples, left and right.
“Oh my God,” I breathed out when I noticed the blood drip from Axel’s mouth. The guy wrapped his hand around Axel’s neck, then shoved him against the fence. People went wild as they hit the fence too. I watched in horror as the guy continuously punched Axel.
When the guy was about to knock him again, Axel dodged it and hit him in the hip. Using his other fist, he punched the man in the jaw. Axel raised his leg and put his foot on the guy’s chest, then shoved him away. The guy did an overhead kick, but Axel dodged it. Keene and I cheered as Axel jumped up and kneed the guy in the face, making him fall to the ground.
Axel continuously punched the man as I cheered. The man dodged one of his punches, then pushed Axel off him. He got up, and Axel marched toward the guy, then threw him against our side of the fence. Keene took my hand and pulled me away as the man sat against the fence. Axel held onto the fence for support as he kneed the guy in the face. It was tense since the guy had his back to us, and I watched the blood splatter everywhere. When the guy had enough, the referee pulled Axel away. He walked around the cage and cheered; people shook the fence and praised him.
“Come on,” Keene yelled over the noise as he took my hand. We walked out of the crowd and toward a room. Keene opened the door, where we found Axel on a chair with his feet propped up on the table. “Dude, congrats,” Keene said as we entered the room. Axel turned to us with a smile plastered on his face.
“Especially when you jumped and kneed him in the face, it was awesome!” I exclaimed as I stood in front of him.
“So do you feel better?” he suddenly asked.
“Well yeah, a bit. I still have the flu, though, but I-I don’t know. It was just exciting.” I smiled as he cleaned his face.
“Well, you look better,” Axel pointed out, then smiled.
“I’m gonna get the car, so when I honk, you guys must come,” Keene said as he took Axel’s car keys. I watched as he walked out of the room, then shut the door. When I turned to Axel, I noticed he struggled to clean his face.
“You need help?” I asked. He lowered the towel and gave it to me. I took it from him and slowly patted the cuts on his face. I sniffled, which made a weird noise from my nose. My eyes widened in embarrassment as Axel laughed.
“Here.” He took a tissue and covered my nose. I gave him a strange look, but he insisted. I blew my nose in the tissue while he held it. We laughed at the noise, then Axel put the tissue in the trashcan. A car honked in the distance, and I straightened my posture, then gave the towel to Axel. He stood up and smiled at me.
“Where are we going now?” I asked as we walked out of the room.
“I’m hungry, and Momma’s making dinner.” He grinned, then swung his arm around my shoulder as we walked to the car.
“What about the money Uncle Griff gave you?”
“Pumpkin, Momma’s food is ten times better than takeouts.”
***
We arrived at the Gunner household, but I didn’t want to be here. “I’m home, beautiful family!” Axel announced as he turned on the living room light. Blake entered the room, and his eyes landed on me. I noticed his left eye twitched. He looked at Keene and Axel, then approached his brother.
“What the hell is she doing here?” Blake demanded as he stood right in front of his brother.
“I wanna go home,” I whispered to Keene.
“Relax, brother. I texted Momma, and she said it’s fine if pumpkin joins us for dinner. Besides, doesn’t she look adorable in that outfit?” Axel asked as they turned to me. Instead of looking away, I stared at Blake and saw his black eye and bandaged nose. He eyed me up and down, then sighed.
“I’m sorry, baby—”
“Don’t you dare call me that. I don’t like it, and my boyfriend doesn’t like it.”
“I like it,” he said blankly. I stepped forward and was ready to lecture him like he did with me, but Axel came between us and Blake smirked. From the corner of my eye, I saw Mrs. Gunner walk in from the kitchen.
“Momma, pumpkin’s here.”
“Who is?”
“Lana Willson, Momma.” Axel frowned, then swung his arm around my shoulder.
“Well, the food is almost ready,” she said as I gave her a kind smile.
“You need help, Mrs. Gunner?” Keene asked.
“Sure, thank you, Keene.” He followed her into the kitchen. Axel let go of my shoulder and stood in front of me. I looked into his brown eyes and noticed the smile.
“I’m just gonna go clean up quick. Don’t kill each other while I’m gone.” He faked a smile at Blake. He walked down the hall, and I folded my arms. Blake walked toward me. As I turned to him, he picked up his pace and forced me against the wall.
“What the hell are yo—”
“Pretty hot that you got balls to hold a gun, GG.” He pressed his chest against mine. He raised his one arm and placed it on the wall as he towered over me.
“I thought you knew by now I’m no good girl,” I muttered.
“Oh, I know. I just wanted you to say it.” He leaned down to my ear. “You’ve been a naughty girl lately, but you’re my bad girl,” Blake whispered as I shuddered. “You might be a nerd,” he said as his other hand went down to my thigh and stroked it, “but you’re a very bad girl.” As I felt his bottom lip flick my earlobe, I shoved him away.
“Food’s ready!” Mrs. Gunner announced from the kitchen. I glared at Blake and pushed myself off the wall. He swung his arm around me, and I tried to remove his arm, but he wouldn’t budge.
“But my brother’s right. You do look fucking adorable in that onesie, baby girl,” Blake whispered in my ear, then dropped his arm. To sit was hard since Blake wanted to sit next to me. We walked around the table like idiots until Keene noticed something was up. He approached the table and asked if I wanted to sit next to him. I naturally accepted since I trusted him. So I sat next to Keene with Axel opposite me, Mrs. Gunner on end, and Blake next to Axel. Even though Blake was far away from me, I still noticed his smirk.
“Lana, I heard what happened earlier today, and I’m sure you’re tired of hearing people pity you, and you seem just fine,” Mrs. Gunner said as I chewed my food. “Have you heard from any of the universities you applied for yet?”
“Yeah, I know from ones here in Illinois, but I’m still busy with my Yale application. It’s the school I really want to get into.”
“All Blake’s applications have been sent in,” she said as we turned to Blake, who stared at his mother.
“There’s a lot of work they want, so I have till next week,” I said.
“Oh, well, hope you get in. You’re a smart girl.”
“Dude, where you going?” Keene asked Blake.
“Minnesota.” Blake grinned and poked his food with a fork.
“Or the University of Illinois, Blake. They really like you,” Mrs. Gunner added.
“I got time,” Blake said as his smile faded.
“Okay now, I’d like to know why my one son looks like he’d been kicked by a donkey several times. I know my other son got suspended, so what happened to you, Axel?” Mrs. Gunner gestured to the bruises that formed on Axel’s face. “Don’t tell me you’ve been in a cage again?”
“Told you, Momma. He’s not my brother. He misses the zoo, so he’s always fighting in a cage with another animal.” Blake sipped his water.
“No! I’m winning, Momma. Even ask pumpk-Lana.”
“Is this true, Lana?”
“Yes, he’s very goo—” I cut myself off as she stared at me. “It’s not good for you.”
“But I enjoy doing it.
”
“I don’t enjoy seeing my son coming home every second night with a new bruise,” she pointed out as Axel sighed. “Baby, you don’t need that money. You have a job, you’re going to college now, and you have a roof over your head. Why would you still want to fight?”
Axel shrugged and continued to eat. An awkward silence stretched in the room as we continued to eat. Blake didn’t seem phased as he picked at his food while Keene was on his second plate.
“May I use the bathroom?” I asked.
“Of course, down the hall. Second door on your left.” Mrs. Gunner smiled.
“Thank you,” I mumbled, then walked out of the room. I used the bathroom as quick as I could yet it was hard since I wore a onesie. Once I was done, I zipped up the thing again and washed my hands. When I looked into the mirror, I noticed a shadow underneath the door. I closed the faucet and spun around. I looked down at the door and walked toward it. The shadow didn’t move, yet I noticed its legs. I rested my palm against the door and listened. “Blake, if that’s you, you’re not funny,” I said as my breaths quickened. I twisted the doorknob and pulled the door open. I felt paranoid because there was no one. I shook the thought away and walked out of the bathroom. While I walked down the dimly lit hallway, I had a strange feeling that someone watched me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Lana
The next morning, Mom made breakfast, then went to work. Dad went to the station but left me in the hands of Linda. I wasn’t in the mood to talk, yet she didn’t mind since she spent the time looking for her cat. Dad was only gone for an hour, then came back. He told Linda to leave since she was obsessed with her cat. I also decided to take a shower earlier since I wanted to get out of the onesie and into a comfy pair of sweatpants and one of Benny’s sweaters. The doorbell rang as I sat down with a bowl of popcorn, ready to watch Footloose. I let out a groan as I got up and walked to the door. When I opened it, I was surprised to find Blake. I gave him a once over; he looked good in his black ripped denim jacket, band tee, black jeans, and combat boots.
“Blake, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be doing co—”
