by Raathi Chota
“What are we doing? Or are you guys just hot—I mean getting hot?” I stuttered as I turned to Levi. Blake crouched down and picked me up. My eyes widened as I glanced up to see Levi smirk at me.
“You’ll see,” Blake answered my question as Levi caught up with us.
“Y’know I’d do that, but I’m afraid you’re gonna hit me in the balls again,” Levi confessed then ran a hand through his dark hair.
“Well, I’m not afraid to do it to someone else.”
“Calm down, princess, and just have fun. I mean, when was the last time you got wet?” he asked then awkwardly scratched the back of his head and looked at me. “Shit, I should’ve rephrased that, right?”
“Totally,” Blake muttered.
“What do you mean by when was the last time I go—” I cut myself off when Blake ran. My eyes widened as I pressed my hands against his back to look behind me. We were going right into the lake. By now, everyone else noticed and backed away as I screamed for Blake to put me down. First, I wore clothes, and second, these were brand new shoes!
Everything happened so fast as my hair fell in my face. Blake leaped forward, and for a split second, I saw everyone cheer. We fell, and that’s when he finally let go. I brought my knees to my chest and braced for impact. I landed in the water three seconds later then swam up for air. I gasped then immediately wrapped my arms around Blake’s neck. He laughed as my breaths quickened.
“Are you crazily stupid?”
“You said you liked swimming.”
“Yeah, in a pool. Not in ice cold water! We could’ve di—” I cut off when someone else jumped in and splashed us. Blonde hair rose from the water, and I glanced up to see the rest look down on us. I peeled myself from Blake’s grip and swam away. Everyone else jumped in afterward, and we messed around.
“Dude, you’re stupid.” Keene shook his head in amusement. I turned my head to see Levi swim to where the truck and car were parked a few feet away.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as Blake swam up next to me.
“He had his phone in his pocket,” Keene muttered.
“Levi! Take my shoes with you!” I exclaimed and pulled them off. I threw them at him, and he caught them quickly.
“Do you remember when we went to that indoor pool and had our Troy and Gabriella moment?” Blake asked as he ran a hand through his wet hair.
“Yes, I do,” I said as my cheeks reddened.
“Before that, we went to the paint party, so you asked me to help get the paint off you.” He grinned and swam closer to me.
“I think I remember that,” I lied, because I remembered every single bit of it and how his hands were on me. I swam away and let the water cover me the deeper I went. I bumped into someone and turned to see Axel.
“Oh, hey, pumpkin,” he greeted, and I smiled. In front of him was Tamia, who stared at me, and my smile dropped. She pulled her hands back then pushed water toward Axel and me. By the time we realized, Blake was behind me. Axel splashed Tamia, Blake splashed me, and soon after Carter and Keene joined.
After we had fun till our fingers pruned up, we got out of the water. Carter and Axel had towels, so I dried myself with one. Since I wore a white tee, I felt uncomfortable, but thankfully Carter had a button-up shirt. It was late afternoon by the time we were out of the water. Axel had his radio on from his car, and Keene had a nap in the back of Carter’s truck while Blake, Carter, and I sat on the edge of the truck bed. Tamia laid on the hood of Axel’s car while Levi sat on the brink.
“Blake, remember Dad used to love his CDs,” Axel said as he leaned against a tree.
“Yeah.” Blake nodded and offered me a sip of his beer. I accepted and took a sip.
“Oh yeah, then when I’d come over, your parents would be dancing to New Kids on The Block.” Tamia laughed as she looked at Blake and Axel.
“Yeah, they liked any type of music as long as it was catchy.” Axel smiled and took a long sip from his beer bottle. I gave the bottle back to Blake and thanked him. Out the corner of my eye, I saw Axel walk toward his car. He turned up the volume and bobbed his head and looked at Blake.
“Come on, brother, you know this song!” Axel said and raised his arms. I turned to Blake, who continually shook his head as “Dear Mama” by 2Pac played. Axel sang along to the lyrics while the rest of us laughed. He encouraged Blake, who shook his head. I nudged him to follow his brother, who danced with a beer bottle. Blake playfully rolled his eyes then hopped off and joined Axel. We clapped along as Axel swung his arm around Blake’s shoulder. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I took it out to see Dad’s name. My eyes widened as I thought he found out that I ditched school. I got off the truck and walked away from the music.
“Hello?”
“Lana, wherever you are, you need to go home right now!” Dad scolded.
“Dad, I’m fine. I’m with Axel and Levi,” I said and looked over my shoulder to see Blake laugh while he sang with Axel.
“I don’t care. You all need to go home right now,” he repeated, and I tugged on my hair in frustration.
“Look, Dad, I can explain—”
“No, Lana, you are going home right now. Get in that car and go straight home,” he said, and I heard familiar voices in the background.
“Dad, what happened? What’s going on?” I asked as I heard Detective Kale’s voice. Dad sighed into the phone then told him to wait. He cleared his throat and mumbled out words. “We just found Ernst…he’s dead.”
***
Since Benny, Nick, and Liam would attend basketball championships, Melissa and I decided to sleepover at Benny’s place with them. I told them what happened to Ernst and how Dad found him dead in front of the diner. Another person to add to Liam’s wall.
My head rested on Benny’s chest as he played with my hair. It was a beautiful morning with the sun’s rays through the curtain. We’ve been awake for a while but remained silent. I moved up and placed my leg on his torso. He ran his fingertips across my thigh as I got goosebumps. I left soft kisses on his neck and his cheek. He deeply sighed, and I stopped and placed my chin on his shoulder.
“I don’t even want to go anymore.”
“Why? It’s State Championships, and Coach needs you. So does Liam if he’s not up for it.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to leave you. James is out there, ready to strike at any moment.”
“I’ll be okay. While you’re gone, I’ll be studying and hanging out with everyone else,” I said and sat up.
“Okay, but just call me if you need anything,” he said and stroked my cheek. I put my hand over his and nodded.
“Yo, Benny!” Liam’s voice echoed on the other side of the door. He knocked, and Benny and I turned our heads simultaneously. “Ethan’s picking us up in forty-five minutes. We’re gonna shower now.”
“Okay, no problem,” Benny replied.
“Oh, and can I use your loofah?” Liam asked. “My grandma forgot to buy me one when she went shopping.”
“What happened to your old one?”
“Oh, err…” Liam mumbled. “It somehow broke.”
“Yeah, Liam’s loofah somehow broke in the shower because he was scrubbing too hard down there,” Nick snorted as we laughed.
“Hey! Those things are fragile!” Liam complained.
“Sure, Liam, you can use my loofah,” Benny said.
“Thanks, bro, I’ll make sure not to scrub down there,” Liam said, and Benny picked up the basketball that was on the floor and threw it against the door.
“Never mind. There are extra ones in the bottom cabinet. Take it with,” Benny said and stood up.
“Oh, yeah, I remember seeing those. I call dibs on the red one!” Liam sang, and I heard his footsteps descend.
“I’m showering before you!” Nick exclaimed and chased after Liam. I laughed as the two argued down the hall. I turned to Benny, who had his bag ready. He grabbed his clothes and swung a towel over his shoulder. I gave him a tired smile and collapsed onto hi
s bed as he walked into the bathroom. While the guys showered, I chilled in my boyfriend’s bed. I’d miss his scent and bed for the next few days. Even though I said I’d study, Melissa wanted us to have a girls’ day since our boyfriends would be gone. Hopefully tomorrow I’d review. Benny came out ten minutes later with a towel draped around his waist. I watched as he walked across the room to his desk. His back faced toward me, and I got up. Whatever he did made his back muscles flex. I wrapped my arms around his torso and rested my head against his back. The smell of his cologne filled my senses, and I relaxed my shoulders. He turned around and leaned against the desk. I looked up at him and kissed him. As we continued to kiss, the sudden urge to drop his towel grew since he smelled so good.
“I have to get ready,” he murmured against my lips. I opened my eyes and pressed my forehead against his. I pouted, and he chuckled.
“Then I’ll go freshen up,” I said as I straightened my posture. I wore one of Benny’s t-shirts and my pajama shorts. I quickly brushed my teeth, washed my face, and brushed my hair. By the time I walked out, Benny was out of the room. I grabbed my phone and walked out of the room. I walked downstairs and heard the guys’ voices in the kitchen. When I entered, they stopped and turned to me. I gave them strange looks as I saw Liam and Nick on one side of the island while Benny sat opposite. I sat next to him and glanced around. “Where’s Melissa?”
“She just woke up, should be down soon,” Nick replied as he folded his arms. I nodded and turned to each of them. Benny casually ate his toast while Liam tapped his fingers against the table.
“What’s wrong?”
“Just thinking about this whole Ernst James thing,” Liam instantly responded as if he waited for me to ask.
“What’s there to think about? Ernst is dead because he spoke to me.”
“Yeah, but now it’s just James and that guy who was in your room,” Nick said and closed his eyes. “Mike.”
“Yeah, and err…” I mumbled and unlocked my phone. I went to my pictures and showed them the photo I managed to take at the crime scene.
“I don’t know if that was James or Ernst.” I put the phone in the middle for all of them to see. Ernst’s body was inside an abandoned black van in front of the diner. He was still in his chef disguise, which meant that he died over a week ago. One of the employees got suspicious as to why the van was out there for so long then acted. I snuck into my dad’s study last night to look at the files. This was the only case he’d ever brought home. I took a photo because before he died, he or James managed to cut a message into his arm. Know the rules or else.
“What does that mean?” Nick asked, and I shrugged.
“Well, we know that James loves to play games,” Benny spoke up.
“Yeah, and if we don’t follow the rules…” Liam trailed off and looked at the picture again. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment. I wished I’d gotten more answers from Ernst. Yet, of course, James watched us or knew something was up, so he killed his own men.
“We don’t even know what rules he’s using, let alone what freaking game he’s playing!” Nick exclaimed and slammed his fist on the table.
“Dude, calm down. We’ll figure this out,” Benny said as Nick shut his eyes. I stared at the blond with a frown because it was all my fault.
“How is he always one step ahead? I know he has connections and weaponry, but it’s like he planned all of this from start to end,” Liam said.
“Just like S1, S2, and S3. Like what do those even mean?” Benny asked.
“Well, we know he likes games and killing people who don’t cooperate so…” Liam trailed off as I tried to think of words that fit the symbol. Liam groaned and took off his glasses. He leaned on the island and rubbed his temples. “There must be a goal to all of this. James planned everything. It’s like he’s doing it for some reason, a special reason to make him kill his own men. There must be something or someone he’s doing th—”
“He’s doing this for her,” I said as I remembered what Ernst told me. “I’m bad for her.”
“Who?” Benny asked.
“I don’t know. Ernst told me that it’s not just about Christo, it’s about her. James is doing this for her, yet he didn’t say a name,” I mumbled.
“Then it must be someone you know. It could be a relative, girlfriend, ex-lover, or friend. Anyone,” Nick said.
“What does he look like? Since you’ve seen him before,” Liam asked.
“Well, he’s probably six feet something, but his men are even taller.” I breathed out as I tried to remember their heights from the cottage. “He has dark hair, always wears suits, and has blue eyes.”
“Blue eyes,” Liam murmured as he typed on his phone. Before any of us continued, we heard a yawn. I turned my head to see Melissa enter the kitchen in her tank top and pajama shorts.
“Hey, Melissa,” Liam greeted.
“Ugh,” she groaned and did a dismissive wave then wrapped her arms around Nick’s waist. Nick looked down at her and cupped her cheeks. He was about to kiss her but straightened his posture. “What?”
“You have blue eyes,” Nick said as my eyes widened.
“No shit, Nick Byrne. How’d you know?” Melissa rhetorically asked and walked to the fridge. As she observed the contents of the fridge, Liam threw his hands up in exasperation and mouthed out words none of us understood. He immediately stopped when she closed the refrigerator door, and Melissa stared at Liam, who forced a smile. “Liam, are you okay?”
“Peachy.”
“Okay then,” she said and glanced around. “Where’s Sam?”
“He stayed over at a friend’s house,” Benny said and looked at his phone. “He should be back by no—”
“Missed me, big bro?” a familiar voice asked, and we turned our head to the back door to see Sam walk in.
“Hey, little man,” Nick said and fist bumped Sam as he walked past. Melissa sat next to me while she made herself a sandwich. Sam sat opposite us and grinned.
“Don’t you start, Samuel Nielson,” Melissa said as her forehead creased.
“What? I even lost my train of thought at the sight of you two.” Sam pouted as he rested his hands on the table. Benny let out a deep sigh while Nick scoffed. Liam, on the contrary, gave Sam a high five.
“Are you sure this friend you slept at isn’t Carter?” I asked.
“Well, yeah! I was at Gabe’s house. His dad said I should follow my dreams, and how ironic that you’re here, Lana,” Sam said as Melissa snorted.
“Why is Ethan taking so long?” Benny demanded as he stared at his phone. Melissa and I laughed as Sam tortured Nick and Benny more about us.
Eventually, Ethan showed up while the guys got ready. I got up and walked to the living room with Melissa. She walked to Nick while I went to Benny. He put on his maroon hoodie and shoved his phone in his pocket.
“Do you have everything?” I asked as he picked up his bag.
“Yep,” he replied and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around him and looked up. He pressed his lips against mine then put a lock of hair behind my ear. “Be safe, Lana, and call me, okay?”
“I will, don’t worry.” I smiled, and he nodded and kissed my forehead.
Chapter Four
Lana
For some reason, Marcus picked us up because we were going to meet at Miranda’s house. Sam told us not to worry about him because his mother would be home soon, so we left. It was weird to drive with Marcus because Melissa and I were in the back. He only talked when Melissa spoke to him, and he sent me strange glances. I never spoke because it was awkward to talk to him after I learned Liam had a crush on Miranda.
“Since Aidan’s having that beach birthday party, guess who else is coming because their daddy also owns a beach house.” Marcus laughed.
“I remember going to Jennifer’s beach house one weekend,” Melissa stated.
“Do you think Noel will come?” I asked because Noel shared an apartment with Keene. Dammit, Ethan should’ve invited
him, too.
“I don’t know. I spoke to her the other day, and she says she barely speaks to him,” Melissa said and looked out the window.
“If Jennifer is coming then Kelly will make sure to come,” Marcus added.
“Ugh, do you know she’s dating that loser, Quinton? If our boyfriends see him, then he’s screwed,” Melissa said. I shook my head in disappointment as I wondered why Kelly would date a basketball player from Park Town High when she wanted Marcus.
“How ironic. Ethan told me Park Town High is in the State Championships, too.” Marcus laughed. “But hopefully Quinton doesn’t come. If he does, then his stepbrothers will definitely come, too.”
“Who’re his stepbrothers?” Melissa and I asked in unison.
“Those Willis twins. They’re always going to parties and getting into trouble. I think they’re good friends with that Jaden guy,” he answered, and Melissa and I groaned. Melissa probably groaned because the twins knew Jaden, but I groaned because they’re huge perverts. They’re also scared of Jaden, so hopefully Jaden could keep all of them away. “Yeah, I see them often because they play for Park Town High’s soccer team,” Marcus stated as we stopped in front of Miranda’s house. “They’re good, but just like Quinton, they like to play dirty.”
Since Melissa and I sat at the back, I got out the same side as Marcus. I walked behind him, but he stopped and walked around. I raised a brow as he looked over his shoulder.
“Watch your step,” he said and pointed downward. I followed his finger to see a utility hole in the middle of the road. I instantly froze as I saw the number two on it. I barely saw it because it was old and rusty, but it was there. It all flooded back as the utility hole in Ethan’s cottage had the number three while the one in the city had the number one. I glanced up at Marcus, who studied my face. I forced a smile as he let me walk first and quickly walked around the car. I’d stepped on that road many times, yet that was the first time I took note of the utility hole. Then again, I always sat in the passenger seat, so I never got a glimpse of it. A strange feeling swept through me about Marcus. It felt as if he wanted me to see that, to see my reaction. He’s probably been to Miranda’s house multiple times, so he noticed it after the day in the sewers. Marcus and I walked into the house where we were greeted by Aidan and Tiffany. Melissa pulled away from Tiffany and squinted her eyes at Aidan.
