by Raathi Chota
Flawed
Caught by the Bad Boys
Book Two
By Raathi Chota
Flawed
Copyright © 2019 by Raathi Chota
All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: March 2019
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
www.limitlesspublishing.com
Formatting: Limitless Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1-64034-543-0
ISBN-10: 1-64034-543-4
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
To my younger and only sister, Razaanah. I’d do anything and everything for you no matter what gets in our path.
To the quiet ones wanting to be heard, don’t worry…I hear you.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter One
Lana
I’d experienced a lot of déjà vu in my life, such as being dragged to the empty part of the school, being babysat by Griffon Bronx one too many times, or Kelly embarrassing me, but this topped all of that. We spent the last five hours in panic mode in search for Jack’s body. We dug up the whole area and finally concluded that he wasn’t there. We left his jacket underground, not wanting anything to connect to us. None of us spoke since we got into the car. It still rained as I sat in the back with Benny while Nick drove and Liam called shotgun. I called Mom and told her I’d be staying at Miranda’s. She’s glad since I left a big chaos for her.
“Maybe we just looked in the wrong place?” Liam assumed as he broke the awkward silence. Nick let out a scoff as he turned to his friend.
“Then why was his jacket there?” he asked. Liam shrugged.
“What are we gonna do?” Benny asked as he looked out the window. To be honest, I was tired of that question. I didn’t know how to respond, yet the answer always came to us sooner or later. I turned to Benny and thought about the kiss we shared a few hours ago. I didn’t know why, but I enjoyed it, yet whenever something good happened it seemed something terrible topped it.
“I don’t know, just keep an eye out for anything and watch the news,” Nick said.
“Boring. I’ll just ask around,” Liam said as Nick scoffed.
“What are you going to ask them, huh? Have you seen a dead body lurking around? I buried him, but he managed to escape,” Nick babbled as he turned on the radio.
“Everyone thinks he’s missing, dude. You can’t just ask that,” Benny said.
“Oh yeah…I forgot,” Liam responded. Silence took over us, but it soon ended as the radio played weird old music. Liam turned to it and threw his hands up in surrender.
“It’s Will from Stranger Things!”
Nick hit his radio, and it replaced with the radio station he set it as. He turned to Liam with an annoyed look.
“For the fifth time,” he said, “my radio’s been faulty, and no, it’s not Will from Stranger Things!”
“Oh yeah…I forgot.”
“Why don’t you get it fixed?” Benny suggested.
“Yeah, Blake said he’d help me out,” Nick replied.
“Blake?” I questioned.
“Yeah, he’s a pro in fixing cars and stuff. No wonder he’s had that motorcycle for so long,” Liam stated, then started a new topic. “Who do you think Nancy should be with, Lana?”
“Huh?”
“Nancy from Stranger Things? Steve or Jonathan?” I raised my eyebrow at his sudden change of subject. Then again, I’m talking to Liam Sanchez.
“Err…I don’t know.”
“I like Jonathan. He’s cool,” Nick stated as he drove through the rain.
“The upside-down thing was cool,” Benny added as I raised a brow at their casual conversation even as we’d lost a dead corpse.
“Wish we could’ve dumped this in the upside-down…” Liam trailed off as he held up his black high tops. My eyes widened as Nick hit the brakes. He turned with an icy glare as he looked at the shoes, then Liam. We brought them with us because we had to get rid of them once and for all. We specifically told Liam to do whatever it took so that we wouldn’t see them ever again, yet with his addiction to Stranger Things, he thought he’d dump them in the upside-down!
“We told you to get rid of them in the woods!” Nick grunted as his fists tightened.
“Oh yeah…I forgot.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Benny move forward. I tried to hold him back as he continuously whacked Liam. We looked like a bunch of idiots on the side of the road. Liam tried to lighten the mood while Nick mumbled to himself and I told Benny to stop. You wouldn’t say that they played football, because after a minute it was quiet, only their heavy puffs to be heard.
“That guy didn’t have to mark it, though…these were my favorite,” Liam complained as he held the one that had a mark on it.
“What does it say?” Benny asked as we stared at it.
“S1,” Nick replied as we observed the white marker on the black Converse.
“What the heck does that mean?”
“Sanchez!” Liam suggested.
“Why would he put your last name and then the number one?” I asked. He shrugged as he looked up and thought for a bit.
“Maybe I wrote it…I tend to forget things,” Liam said as Nick sighed and started the car. “I’ll get rid of them, don’t worry.”
Benny shook his head in disappointment as we drove through the city. It looked beautiful, the bright lights followed by the big Christmas tree in the middle. It startled me how close Christmas was. I felt an arm around my shoulder as Benny shifted next to me. I gave him a smile as I rested my head on his shoulder.
“You can stay with me if you want,” he suggested. I gave a nod because it was already late and I didn’t want to wake Miranda or her mother.
“Aren’t you guys glad that we came?” Liam asked after a while.
“Yeah, I’m glad that we came and got our clothes dirty again and found nothing…so happy,” Nick replied sarcastically.
“That’s the spirit!” Liam clearly ignored his sarcasm. We pulled in Benny’s driveway and got out. We said goodbye to Liam and Nick, and they said we’d meet up tomorrow…well, later today. I followed Benny to the back of his house. Needless to say, his house was big. I remembered at Thanksgiving he said he’d take over
the family business. Whatever business it was, it must be going well. Benny took out his keys and unlocked the back door as we snuck in. I followed him up the stairs and into his room. It was pitch black throughout the house, but as soon as he shut his bedroom door and turned the light on, I was blinded. I awkwardly sat on his bed as I watched him rummage in his closet. A few seconds later, he brought out a pair of sweatpants and a baggy sweater. He handed them to me, then ran his hand through his hair.
“Bathroom is right next door; you can clean up, then I’ll throw your clothes in the wash for tomorrow,” Benny suggested as I stood up. I thanked him as I strolled out of his bedroom and into the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror, and I honestly looked dull. My hair was in all directions, and my black sweater had dirt on it. I quickly slipped into the baggy sweater and sweatpants, then put my hair up into a ponytail. I walked out of the bathroom and saw Benny in his sweatpants and shirt. He had a smile on his face as he gestured for me to follow him. We tiptoed down the stairs as Benny took my dirty clothes. He seized my hand in his as we walked through the dark. Once we reached the basement, he turned on the light. It was like Ethan’s but looked more like a family room than a man cave. Numerous games were stacked by the TV, as well as consoles. A bar was in the corner, and a pool table stood next to it. Benny put our dirty clothes in the washer and took out blankets and pillows. I watched as he set them on the two sofas. “It’s almost two in the morning,” he mumbled. “We should probably get some sleep.”
“Yeah,” I agreed as I rested on the one sofa and him on the other. I set my glasses on the coffee table as I snuggled into the blankets. Once I was finally comfortable, I lay on my back and stared at the ceiling. “Night, Benny,” I whispered as my eyes became weaker.
“Good night, Lana Willson.”
***
I slowly opened my eyes and noticed a figure towering over me. It was clear that it was morning since the person’s head seemed to glow. I squinted my eyes as I fluttered them open to see Benny, although it wasn’t Benny. It was a younger version of him with spiky hair and he wore headphones. The boy raised a brow at me but immediately grinned.
“You’re pretty,” he stated as I slowly sat up.
“Err…thanks,” I croaked out, then sat up. He looked to be twelve years old. He held a game controller in his hand as he eyed me.
“Can you make pancakes?” he asked as I glanced around the room. I saw Benny get up as he rubbed his eyes. Our eyes locked as he gave me a sleepy smile. He looked adorable with his morning hair.
“Morning,” he grumbled. Oh, his voice sounded deep and groggy.
“Morning,” I murmured as Benny turned to the boy and squinted his eyes at him.
“What are you doing here?” Benny asked as he forced the blankets off himself.
“I always play Xbox on Sunday, but I see I’m interrupting something,” the younger Benny said as he sent me a wink.
“Lana, this is my little brother Sam; Sam, this is my friend Lana,” Benny introduced us as we looked at each other.
“I knew that you’d be too cute to date my brother, but you can call me anytime, cupcake,” Sam said with a smirk plastered on his face. Benny let out a groan, clearly embarrassed by his younger brother, while I tried to hold in a laugh. He reminded me of a confident blond playboy. Sam was tall with golden brown hair and bright brown eyes.
“Sorry, but you’re too young for me,” I stated as Benny and I walked upstairs.
“Wait for me, you beautiful blue-eyed girl!” Sam shouted. I let out a chuckle as Benny shut the door. He turned to me and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.
“Sorry about that. He plays this game where the female character has bright blue eyes, so I guess he has a liking for any girl with blue eyes,” Benny stated as we walked down the hall.
“He reminds me of Carter,” I blurted out as we approached the bathroom.
“Yeah, hopefully, he doesn’t mix with Carter any time soon.” We laughed as he handed me my clean clothes.
I walked out of the bathroom with my hair neatly brushed. I heard voices at the end of the hall as I walked in that direction.
“Mom, I want peanut butter spread on my toast!” Sam whined.
“Why do we even buy this brand? It’s horrible!” Benny complained as I stood in the doorway.
“I like it!” Sam argued as he snatched the jar from his brother. I did an awkward cough as Benny’s mother spun around. I pushed up my glasses as everyone watched me.
“Oh my god, it’s a girl,” she blurted out, then rested her palm against her chest.
“Told you, Mom!” Sam said as I slowly approached her.
“Lucas Nielson, get in here. Your son finally brought home a girl!” she said. My eyes widened as I turned to Benny, who jumped out of his seat and scurried next to me. Lucas Nielson, who I assumed was his dad, walked in with a stunned look.
“Wow, and for once it wasn’t Sam,” Mr. Nielson commented as he walked to me. “I’m Lucas Nielson, and this is my lovely wife, Amber Nielson.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lana Willson, a friend of Benny’s,” I responded and noticed how his mother frowned.
“Are you related to Sheriff Willson?” his dad asked.
“Yeah, I’m his daughter,” I answered with an innocent smile.
“How lovely. Would you like to join us for breakfast?” his mother asked.
“I’d love to,” I said with a warm smile. I sat next to Benny as we ate in silence. I glanced up and noticed Sam was opposite me. He sent me a wink, and I shuddered because it got weird.
“So, Lana, how long have you known Benny?” Mr. Nielson asked.
“Well, since first grade, I guess,” I said as Benny smiled.
“And we’re only seeing such a cutie now?” Sam asked as he looked at us. It was awkward to think that he did all those things to me. I didn’t like to think about it, and I knew he didn’t either. I looked down to my food as Benny glared at his brother.
“Well, err…Lana, what are you doing for winter break?” Mrs. Nielson asked.
“I have family friends coming over from California today, so we’re gonna spend time with them.”
“I hope Benny brings you over again soon. You seem like a lovely girl!”
“Mom,” Benny groaned. I felt sorry for him because it was funny to watch him be embarrassed by his family. The way he continuously ran his hand through his hair and looked away when his mother mentioned us. The rest of breakfast was spent “getting to know Sam’s future girl,” as he said it. Turned out the Nielsons owned a bunch of seafood restaurants. Benny’s dad and Ethan’s dad were close friends since they’re both in the marketing business.
Afterward, Liam picked all of us up in his grandma’s station wagon. Melissa, Nick, and Miranda were in the car as well, but Marcus was attending a family gathering. After an hour, we finally arrived at my house. The place looked the same before the sleepover, which meant that Mom cleaned up.
“Mom, I’m home!” I exclaimed.
“Lana, could you come here for a sec?” Mom ordered as her voice roared through the house. I raised a brow as Miranda gave me an assured look that they’d be fine. I nodded in response as I bolted up the stairs and into their room. A big smile formed on my face as I spotted Dad at the edge of their bed. Yet it immediately it dropped to a frown as his head was placed in his hands. Mom stood in front of him with a drained expression.
“Hey, Dad,” I greeted as I sat down beside him. “When did you get back?”
“This morning.”
“D-did you g-get him?”
He shook his head and let out a huff. From the corner of my eye, I saw Mom raise her arms.
“But you know what he did get?” she asked. “A bullet!”
“I was wearing a bulletproof vest!” Dad said as he raised his head.
“But what if you weren’t, Harry? You could’ve been hurt!” Mom yelled, then crouched in front of my dad and took his hands and gripped them. “You could’ve
been dead.”
Dad let out a sigh as he brought Mom in for a hug as he assured her that everything was going to be okay. A million scenarios ran through my head at the thought of James killing my dad.
“Lana, don’t worry. I’m fine, sweetie. We’ve been in worse situations, but the Willsons always manage to fight through it, right?” Dad asked.
“Yeah,” I breathed out as I wiped a tear away.
“Come on, our friends are coming today…wouldn’t want to spoil the mood,” Dad said as he got up and walked out of the room. Mom and I followed as he walked downstairs and came face to face with everyone else. “Mood ruined,” Dad muttered, then walked into his office.
The rest of the day was spent indoors. Melissa called Carter, but he and the rest of them were recovering from a hangover from a party. I still wanted to talk to Blake about what we almost shared the other night, yet something told me that I shouldn’t. That’s if I wanted to face more rejection. Ugh, I hated it so much. I didn’t know what to feel. Benny and I didn’t talk about the kiss last night either, yet what he said still made me squeal a bit on the inside.
“Yeah, his red hair is finally gone,” Nick said as we looked at Benny’s brown hair. A grin spread across my face as I remembered that day.
“But I liked tomato face Benny,” Liam said with a frown. “Hehe, it’s funny because when he used to get angry, his face would go all red, so the hair made it even more entertaining.”
“Liam, your lips keep moving, but all I hear is bullsh—”
Benny got interrupted when a loud honk erupted through the house. The television was turned off a while back because we were talking.
“They’re here!” Mom exclaimed as I groaned. We heard footsteps as Mom rushed through the house while Dad trailed behind. We followed causally as Mom ripped off her apron and fixed her hair. She opened the door, and we went outside. We stood on the porch as Richard and Jade Radcliff got out of their car, but no Levi. I couldn’t contain the excitement as I double-checked the vehicle to see if the familiar dark-haired boy was in it. Thankfully he wasn’t as Jade and Richard approached us.
