The Life I Thought I Knew

4-I am Not Afraid to Keep On Living

For the first time in days, the warehouse on the dock was lit up against the inky black sky.

"This is a huge mistake!" Texas ranted pacing back and forth on the loft. The three finally got DC home after Florida struggled for a good twenty minutes carrying DC. Eventually Louisiana took over and carried the heir with ease, and DC almost swooned when he discovered that the Cajun man was, in fact, very strong.

"The hell is wrong with me, first Florida now Louisiana? Make up your mind brain." DC remembered scolding himself.

"What were we supposed to do?" Florida whined. Around him, Utah was struggling to keep DC's pant leg up to uncover the wound and California was warming up some hay by a small lantern.

"Take him to the hospital?" Texas pointed out.

"They would've taken one look at us and arrested us, you know that sha." Louisiana argued.

"So you take a hostage?" Texas yelled.

"He is not a hostage Tex." California said rolling his eyes as Utah produced a pair of scissors.

"Do you have any attachment to these pants?" Utah asked.

"My mom bought them for me, I hate them." DC said with a snicker. Utah chuckled before cutting off the part of the pant that was covering the wound, tossing the discarded part further into the loft.

"Who are you anyway?" Texas asked, crossing his arms. DC sighed.

"I like to be called DC." DC began. "But my full name is George Kelly." Silence filled the loft.

"A KELLY?" Texas yelled at Florida who hid behind Louisiana. "You brought A KELLY to our hideout?"

"In my defense, I didn't know he was a Kelly." Florida pointed out.

"And we would've brought him anyway sha, look at him, he's hurt." Louisiana added as California knelt down besides DC.

"This may sting a little." California warned.

"I've probably had wor--NOPE THIS IS THE WORST." DC yelled as California put the hot hay on his wound. Utah handed California a piece of gauge which the western state used to strap the hay to DC's leg.

"This is a mistake, we might as well just go down to the police station now." Texas muttered.

"CDC is going to be here tomorrow, once he heals DC up he can leave." California pointed out.

"And I won't tell anyone." DC announced.

"Yeah you better not." Texas hissed before climbing down from the loft. DC jumped a little as Florida plopped down next to him.

"Texas is a nice guy once you get to know him." Florida announced.

"I think he hates me." DC muttered.

"He hates everyone in the beginning, don't worry, he'll grow to like you." California explained, winking at the oil heir. DC felt his face go red.

"First Florida, now Louisiana, now California? Make up your damn mind brain." DC hissed in his head as Utah and California left the loft leaving DC with Louisiana and Florida.

"Want some of that chilli now?" Florida asked.

"I am a bit hungry, mom ordered these little finger sandwiches for the party and that can hardly fill up a kid then an adult." DC said, making the states laugh.

"I like you sha, maybe you can stick around after that legs healed." Louisiana said with a wink before he and Florida left the loft to get DC's dinner. DC felt himself go even redder and his heart beat faster.

"I'm screwed."

DC tossed and turned later that night, trying to sleep against the cold hay in the cold warehouse. Luckily Florida had gifted him a blanket but it was doing nothing against the cold ocean air filtering in through the thin walls.

The rest of the night went as expected for DC; the chilli Colorado made was, as Florida described, delicious but the oil heir was pretty high when he came up and asked as everyone was cleaning up after supper. Most of the states slowly accepted DC and tried to make friendly conversation, only a small group of states (Georgia and Arizona) were on Texas's side and regarded him with suspicion.

(DC figured Alaska only accepted him to spite Texas.)

DC continued to toss and turn, before opening his eyes in frustration over his lack of sleep. Instantly he jumped up at the figure sitting beside him just staring.

"JESUS." DC hissed.

"Sorry, just wanted to check on you." New York announced.

"So you were just staring at me?" DC asked.

"Isn't it illegal or something to wake someone from a nightmare?" New York asked. DC face palmed.

"Anyway if you're awake, want to sit with me by the window? It's my night to keep watch." New York explained. DC nodded and the state helped him up, letting him use his body as a crutch as they hobbled over to the large window facing out of the harbor and the pier. The window sill was large enough for DC to be put down gently on one side as New York walked around him and sat on the other, making the oil heir think the window was used for craning in goods when the warehouse was functional.

The window itself was large enough to look out to the entire pier and the connecting ocean, as well as with a good view of the dock below so anyone keeping watch could see anyone leaving or approaching the warehouse. Tonight it was relatively quiet, however, only the occasional cat or stray dog dashing around looking for a meal. DC gazed out the window, looking around at the twinkling stars and the small splashing of waves against the dock, grateful that it seemed that New York wasn't much of a talker.

"This is nice, I've never been this alone my entire life." DC whispered.

"What, you're never alone back home?" New York said with a snort.

"Nah, I'm my father's heir, everywhere I'm surrounded by man servants, my mother, my sister, all that crap." DC said snickering before holding up his hand. "Look I get it, poor little rich boy complaining about his life."

"I wasn't going to have a go at you for that." New York said and DC bit his lip.

"Oh. Sorry."

"I know where you're coming from though, I was never alone until my parents died." New York muttered. DC studied New York for a minute before snapping.

"YOU'RE A CRUGER." DC gasped.

"Surprised you hadn't figured that out yet." New York said with a smirk making DC go red.

"T-They died five years ago and their son was never recovered." DC gasped. "You've been running around with The Lower Forty Eight this entire time?"

"Not the entire time, but I did join as soon as Massachusetts promised me food and a place of shelter." New York said with a shrug.

"Wow. If you went back, society would have opened their arms to you, you would've been a rich man." DC pointed out. New York shrugged and looked back out at the pier.

"Y'know how you said, poor little rich boy complaining about his life? I could've had that, I could have that right now. I could leave here tonight and stack my claim as heir to the Cruger Steel Company. But I never felt like I belonged in society, everyone either laughed at me or called me dumb. Here....I have a purpose, I feel accepted for who I am, and yeah this might kill me someday but so would be sitting in that ivory tower." New York explained. DC went quiet, how was it that the stoic state knew exactly what he was struggling with? New York snorted and looked back at DC.

"And from the sound of it, you know exactly what I'm talking about." New York smirked. DC blushed again and turned back to look out the large window, his emotions all swirling around in his stomach. He had been thinking that way for years, it just took a gangster who was formerly in his shoes to say it.