Caught by the Bad Boys Series

by Raathi Chota

  “Well, it’s almost nine p.m. What do you guys wanna do?” I looked at my phone.

  “Oh, meet me by the car in five minutes. We’re going out.” Liam grinned, then bolted up the stairs.

  “Finally.” Sam sighed in relief as he continued to play on his phone. We did as told and gathered our things. We walked to Aidan’s car and got in. I sat in the back with Sam and Carter while we waited. A minute later, Liam ran to the car. He knocked on the trunk and Aidan opened. We heard things being moved as Liam put stuff in the back. He shut it then got into the passenger seat. Aidan started the car then turned to Liam with a questioning look.

  “What’d you put in the trunk?” he asked as we pulled out the driveway.

  “A body,” Liam dramatically said as my eyes widened. “Just kidding, bro. Skateboards. Since you had yours in the trunk, I came with mine, so all I had to get were three more for them.” He pointed to us. “There’s this underground place I always go to after school.”

  After we drove for ten minutes and listened to music, we finally arrived at the underground skate ramp. I didn’t want to skate, so everyone else carried a skateboard except me. We entered the place where most guys skated. A few girls lingered around, and they looked so cool.

  “What’s up, guys?” a voice said as I turned my head to see Tyler. He was one of Liam’s friends, and he was on the basketball team, but other than that, I barely knew him.

  “Hey, this is Benny’s weird little brother Sam.” Liam pointed to Sam, who looked around.

  “’Sup, dude, you know how to skate?” Tyler asked as he fist bumped Sam.

  “Hell yeah.” Sam grinned as he dropped his skateboard on the ground. He followed Tyler and Liam where they went skating. I leaned against the wall and listened to the music that played through the speakers. Everyone seemed so chilled and enjoyed themselves.

  “Hey, Lana,” Aidan said as he skated toward me. I smiled as he stopped right in front of me then picked the board up. He stood next to me as he put one leg up to lean against the wall.

  “You’re not skating?” I asked.

  “I did. Can’t beat Liam, though. He’s in the zone.” Aidan chuckled as he pointed at Liam. I followed his gaze to see Liam; he was magnificent. The tricks he did were so cool, and he seemed relaxed. “Carter told me what happened before Christmas…with Parker,” Aidan blurted out. I turned to see the concerned look, yet he lowered his gaze and sighed. “I knew it. That first day when I saw Parker push you into the janitor’s closet, I knew it…yet I didn’t do anything. I asked him, and he said it was nothing. I should’ve known better. I could’ve saved you. I’m sorry, Lana.”

  “It’s okay. It’s my fault. It’s over, and it happened.” I shrugged.

  “I’m not leaving you alone with Parker or Austin ever again. Not only did Parker sexually assault you, but he and Austin stole the two parcels. We’re in deep shit, Lana. When we get our new schedules, I’ll make sure that none of them are in your classes.”

  “Thanks, Aidan.”

  “No, thank you. You’re the brave one. With everything you’ve been through, you stuck strong. You’re one of the bravest and strongest people I know,” he said, then dropped his skateboard again. He stood in front of me and opened his arms. “Come on, I know you wanna. I love hugging,” he said. I playfully rolled my eyes as I hugged him and placed my chin on his shoulder since we were almost the same height. After a few seconds, I tried to pull away, but he squeezed and mumbled in my ear.

  “No, no, just a bit longer.”

  For the next hour, the guys skated. Tyler and Liam insisted on teaching me how to skate, and let’s say I almost face planted if it weren’t for Aidan and Carter. Sam was pretty good, especially since he tried to show off his moves to me. We went back to Benny’s house pretty late and fell asleep after we watched a few movies.

  ***

  “Lana, Lana, wake up!” Benny yelled as my eyes snapped open. I jolted up to see that I was in Benny’s bed. I glanced to my side and noticed Benny’s face drained of color. “Hey, are you okay? You’re sweating like crazy.” He wiped my forehead with a cloth.

  “Yeah, I just…” I trailed off.

  “Nightmare?” he guessed.

  “Y-yeah…well, no, a dream that I keep on having. Well, it’s not a dream since it happened,” I mumbled as Benny laid down beside me. I rested on his chest. His fingers grazed through my hair as I let out a sigh.

  “What was it about?”

  “The night of Homecoming. When I was running in the industrial area. It was raining, and I don’t even know how I ended up there. Then the part when I ran to the alley and just when I turn around to face Jack, I wake up.” I sighed. “Then the next night it replays, just that part.”

  “Well, maybe it’s trying to tell you something,” Benny said. “What do you see?”

  “Well, when I ran, gangs walked past me. None of them took note of me. I got closer to the alley and cars were parked,” I said.

  “Are there people in the cars?” Benny asked as I sat up and glanced at him.

  “I-I don’t think so,” I mumbled, then rubbed my eyes. I yawned, then glanced around the room. I raised a brow since the sun shone through the window. “What time is it?” I asked and collapsed on his chest. He laughed as he wrapped his arms around me, then kissed my forehead.

  “Well, I didn’t want to disturb you, so I left you to sleep. It’s now one p.m.” He looked at his phone.

  “What? How did I get here?” I asked as I straddled him.

  “Last night I came home, and you were all passed out in the basement. So I brought you up here, put you in comfy clothes, then in my bed,” he said as I looked down. I didn’t even notice that I was in a pair of sweatpants and a baggy sweater. “You’re quite a heavy sleeper, babe, but don’t worry…I didn’t look.” He gave me a cheeky grin. “You can get done up here. I’m gonna go check up on the guys.”

  “Thanks,” I mumbled as he got up and walked out of the room. I brushed my teeth with the toothbrush I used the last time I was here. Since it was already late, I decided that I’d shower when I got home and get ready for the party there. I put on my clothes from yesterday then walked downstairs where I heard voices.

  “If you clear the dining area then we can have beer pong over there!” Nick said as I reached the bottom of the stairs. Most of the furniture was pushed back or out of the living room. Melissa was on a sofa as she texted on her phone while everyone else worked.

  “Hey, Lana,” Aidan and Tyler greeted as they walked past.

  “Hi,” I murmured. “Where’s Benny?”

  “He’s in the kitchen,” Aidan replied. I thanked him then went into the kitchen, where I saw tons of Solo cups on the counters. Benny had his back faced to me while he was busy with the stove. I sat by the island and watched him. He spun around with a pan in one hand and spatula in the other. He placed the fish on a plate then looked at me.

  “Hey, babe, lunch is almost ready.” He put the pan on the stove then took another fish and put it in.

  “I didn’t know you cooked,” I said as he approached me and pecked my lips.

  “Yeah, well, when your dad owns seafood restaurants, and your mom loves cooking, you’re bound to learn something.” He chuckled.

  “Okay, DJ is set up, and we’ll do the lighting later. Now, where’s the food we were promised?” Liam asked as he sat next to me.

  “Almost done, bro,” Benny replied as he took the fries out of the oven then went back to the stove. Five minutes later, we were in the kitchen eating Benny’s fish and fries. It was superb, especially the fish, yet Liam stole my fries. “You guys have to go and get the drinks, right?” Benny asked Melissa and Nick.

  “Yeah, we’ll take Lana with us so we can drop her at home to get ready,” Melissa said with a wicked look in her eye.

  “And you three.” Benny pointed at Tyler, Liam, and Aidan.

  “We get the fireworks!” Liam cheered.

  “Oh no,” I mumbled.

&
nbsp; “Wha—it’s not like when we pull up the driveway fireworks will be going off in the car,” Aidan said.

  “Hopefully not.” Nick sighed.

  “Tyler, I trust you, dude. There’s a lot of fireworks,” Benny said.

  “Tonight’s going to be freaking lit. This house is gonna be packed,” Aidan cheered.

  “Can we have throwback songs? That’d be cool,” Liam said.

  “Yeah, dude and EDM,” Tyler added. We talked about tonight and the events that would happen. Once we were done, I drove with Nick and Melissa. Nick said he’d drop me at home with Melissa then get the drinks. Apparently, Liam’s cousin Bethany supplied them with alcohol. When we’re done, he’d come and get us. Melissa explicitly stated that she wanted to be at my house when I chose an outfit.

  ***

  When we got to the house, I wasn’t surprised to see Levi, Blake, and Keene. We walked upstairs and into my room. I shut the door, then opened my closet.

  “I haven’t been to a party in like…forever,” I muttered.

  “Don’t worry, I got it covered. You take a nice shower while I get ready, then I’ll pick out something for you,” Melissa said as she took out underwear for me. It had to be the black lingerie that Levi found in my drawer when he came here. I walked into the bathroom and locked the door.

  Once I finished, I wrapped a towel around my hair. I put on my underwear, then wrapped the towel around me. I slowly put on my contacts because I didn’t want to wear glasses. I walked out to see Melissa dressed in a red jacket, black dress, and white heels. Her hair was curled up as she stood in front of my mirror and did her makeup.

  “Wow, you look beautiful,” I said as I dried my hair.

  “Thanks, and you will too. Your outfit is on the bed,” she said. I took the towel off my head and walked to the bed. A black leather jacket, tight white crop top, black shorts, and the red heels she got me for Christmas was placed there.

  “It’s still winter.” I looked at the shorts and crop top.

  “Yeah, but we’ll be indoors, and you look hot in black. Trust me.” She grinned, then looked around my room.

  “What are you looking for?” I asked.

  “I just didn’t come to help you out. I came because I want to see this so-called Bucket List that you and Levi created,” she stated with a grin. I let out a sigh as I walked to my closet and bent down to reach the last drawer. I took out the list and stared at it with a sigh. There were a few things ticked off. Whenever Levi came, we’d finish it, but it didn’t look like we’d do it since he’d leave tomorrow. I handed it to Melissa as I got dressed. As she read it, she laughed at some of the things.

  The Bucket List

  Levi / Lana

  Bathe elephant: - / -

  Whale watching: - / -

  Night at the museum: - / -

  Make soap: √ / √

  Attend a street fight: √ / -

  Go to a paint party: - / -

  Be in the newspaper: - / -

  Read a book before the movie: - / √

  See a movie in black and white: √ / √

  Volunteer: √ / √

  Give blood: - / -

  Donate: √ / √

  Buy matching shoes: - / -

  Dress in sexy lingerie: - / √

  Get a tattoo piercing: √ / √

  Indoor swimming pool at night: - / -

  Meet Oprah: - / -

  Shave head or someone else’s: √ / -

  Wear colored contacts: - / -

  Don’t fall in love: √ / -

  Sleep on a haystack: - / -

  Milk a cow: - / -

  Drive a Harley Davidson: - / √

  Bodyshot: - / √

  Say ‘Hello’ in 80 Languages: - / √

  Help homeless person: √ / √

  Pose with a wax figure at Wax Museum: - / -

  Climb a tree: √ / √

  Professional Photoshoot: - / -

  Smoke a cigarette or use a hookah: √ / √

  “You can immediately point out who wrote what.” She pointed to “read a book before the movie,” and I rolled my eyes. She put the list on my desk, then helped me get ready. My hair was left loose, but Melissa curled it a bit. Even though I got a haircut a month ago, it grew a lot.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked as she looked at her phone.

  “Nick’s outside. He wants me to come now since they want the drinks.” She sighed, then grabbed her things. “The trunk and backseat are loaded, so you’ll have to get a ride with one of the guys. I’m sorry, girl,” she cooed, then eyed me up and down before she left. “You look hot, though.” I let out a sigh as I did my makeup, which was a soft, smoky eye. I put on the chain, which completed the outfit, then grabbed my phone. When I walked downstairs, I saw Keene on his phone. He looked up and took in my appearance. He slowly nodded his head in approval as I reached the bottom of the stairs.

  “You look lovely. I like that thing going on with your eyes.” He pointed to the smoky eye.

  “Thanks, you look good too.” I laughed as I looked at his outfit that consisted of a red baseball tee, grey tight sweatpants, and Vans.

  “All right, let’s g—” Levi stopped mid-sentence as I spun around to look at him. We took in each other’s appearances. He wore a black leather jacket, white tee, black jeans, and high-top Vans.

  “Nuh-uh, you two aren’t going anywhere,” Jade’s voice echoed. Levi spun around to face his mother. I gripped on my leather jacket as Mom and Jade approached us.

  “You two are not going. Remember last year when you two went out to a party?”

  “This is Benny’s party, Mom, plus it’s New Year’s Eve,” I whined.

  “Nope, unless you get someone else to supervise you, none of you are going,” Jade said as she gestured to the three of us. Mom and Jade walked upstairs and left us in a pissed mood. Blake came from the kitchen with a cinnamon roll in his hand.

  “What if we sneak out when they’re watching their soap operas?” Levi chuckled.

  “No.” I shook my head because I didn’t want to sneak out anymore.

  “Got any other ideas, princess?”

  “They say we can go if someone else takes us.” I smirked at Blake. “I know just the person they’ll approve of.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lana

  As expected, Mom and Jade were fond of the idea that Axel was with us. Blake and I found it weird and decided to question Axel and Levi while we drove to the party. They said they met at a party and quickly changed the subject. I glanced at Keene, who sent me skeptical looks. Of course, he’d know because he knew Axel and Levi.

  We arrived at Benny’s house and noticed the party already started. Since its winter, everyone was in the house, which only made it congested. It was easy to walk since the entry had been cleared of snow.

  “Gotta admit Nielson throws a lit party,” Levi said as we looked at the house with the bright lights.

  “Name?” the bouncer asked.

  “Levi Radcliff.”

  “Nope.”

  “Of course,” Levi muttered as he stepped aside. I sighed as I stepped forward and looked at the scary bouncer.

  “Lana Willson.”

  “Enjoy the party,” the guy said.

  I pointed behind me and said, “They’re with me.”

  “One only,” the guy said as I turned to look at them.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll get in.” Levi smirked as he took out his phone. I looked over to Keene, who put his arm around Levi, stating that he wasn’t going anywhere without him.

  “I’m not going anywhere without my brother,” Axel said as he playfully hit Blake’s back. I groaned as I looked at the party, then at them. They turned their heads simultaneously to a tall girl who wore a midnight blue dress and black heels. We watched as she gave her name to the bouncer, then walked in. “Love you, brother. See you on the other side,” Axel said as he swung his arm around my shoulder and we walked in. “Love you, man!” he said as we entered th
e house. People surrounded the place, either dancing, talking, or mingling. “Well, pumpkin, we have arrived. Don’t know when I’ll see you but just remember…” He trailed off as girls walked past us. “Actions speak louder than words.” He smirked, then followed the girls.

  I playfully rolled my eyes as I walked through the crowd of people. On the way, I danced since the whole crowd jumped to the beat. I finally reached the kitchen and saw familiar faces.

  “There she is!” Ethan cheered as he pointed at me with his Solo cup. I smiled as I walked over to Benny, who sat on a chair. A hard look filled his features as I sat on his lap. Ethan handed me a drink, and I thanked him.

  “You’re looking beautiful tonight,” Benny said as he put an arm around my waist.

  “Thanks.” I smiled as he kissed me.

  “Hey, what’s with the bouncer?” Miranda asked as she sat on the counter with Marcus next to her.

  “Freaking Park Town High don’t like losing, so they heard we’re throwing a party,” Benny said.

  “Yeah, this place might be crawling with them.” Ethan laughed as we looked at the living room.

  “Cool party, though. Love the throwback songs,” Marcus cheered. As we talked over the loud music, I turned my head to see Carter walk in. He wore a gray sweater, yet there was a big mark on it as he walked to the island with a paper towel.

  “Dude, what happened?” Benny asked.

  “I was talking to this chick, and she dumped her drink on me,” he said as he wiped his sweater.

  “What’d you tell her?” Marcus asked.

  “Well, we were off to a great start, then I sort of told her a dirty pickup line.”

  “Reminds me o—where’s Sam?” I turned to Benny, who facepalmed.

  “I knew I forgot something,” he said as I gaped at him.

  “Dude, how do you forget your own brother?” Marcus laughed.

  “Never saw him the whole day. He’s probably in his room.” Benny shrugged as Aidan entered the kitchen with Tiffany. Miranda and I sent Tiffany a wink, and she nervously shook her head too. “Dude, have you seen Sam?” Benny asked Aidan, who gave a drink to Tiffany.