Murders Of The Past

FIVE

I COLLAPSE ONTO the bed, wrapping myself in the warm thick blankets.

"You tired?" I look towards the bathroom where Carlos is brushing his teeth in front of the mirror, having a clear view of me.

"Yeah." I yawn.

"Me too," he replies. "So how was your day?" I shrug.

"A day."

"Was it good?"

"Nope. Just a day. You know, until we went to the hospital and everything." Carlos takes the brush from his mouth and turns to look at me.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I growl, staring up at the ceiling. I hear him spit and the sink turn on. I never asked him about that box. "Carlos?"

"Sadie?"

"A package came for you today."

"Oh yeah. Where did you put it?" He turns around and walks into the bedroom.

"Right there." I point towards the window where his box is sitting.

"Thanks." He walks over to it and opens it, pulling out the three useless objects.

"What are those for?" I ask, not pointing to any particular one.

"I got meat claws so I could chop meat easier." I nod. "Plus, they looked cool." He puts them on and swats at the air. "Roar." I crack a small smile.

"And the remote?"

"Uh..." He sets the claws back in the box and takes out a remote, pointing it at me. "It's a present for Sam. Julie wouldn't make him a sandwich so I got him a remote that will make her make him a sandwich." I roll my eyes.

"Carlos, that doesn't actually work."

"You don't know that." He points the remote at me. "Give me a kiss." He presses a button. I raise a brow. "Maybe it needs batteries," he mumbles, putting it back in the box.

"And the last thing in there," I remind him.

"Did you look through this?"

"What? No, I would never- Yes, yes I did." Carlos turns around with a pink circle propping his mouth open. I try to hold it back, but it's just too much and I burst into laughter.

"Why did you get those?" He says something but all I hear is gibberish. Realizing even he can't understand himself, he takes them out.

"To slim my face."

"Why would you need to slim your face?" I shake my head at him.

"Uh..." He drops the lips into the box and walks over to me, turning the light off on the way before laying down beside me. "Kiss me."

"No thanks."

"Sadie!" He groans.

"Remember when we were in high school and you told me to kiss you but instead I licked your lips?" Carlos and I both laugh.

"That was really weird."

"I miss those days."

"Me too." Carlos snakes his arm around me and pulls me closer to him. "I love you." I lay my head on his chest, relaxing into his arms and closing my eyes.

"I love you too."

WHERE IS IT? It has to be here somewhere. Groaning out of frustration, I shove the box away and jump to my feet. I did not just get out of bed at midnight to crawl around in a dusty musty attic for no reason! I spin around to leave when my eyes catch a box with the word Gang written on it. It better be in there. It has to be in there.

  I drop to my knees beside it and open it, reaching my hand in and feeling a cool, leathery material. I smile. That has to be it. I pull it out and hold it from the sleeves, grinning.

  "It's been a long time," I say, emphasizing the 'ng' in long. I bring the jacket to my nose and sniff it before embracing it. "Way too long." I quickly pull off my white robe and slip the jacket on before standing up. I close my eyes, imagining myself from ten years ago. Sixteen-year-old Sadie, stealing Doritos and kickin' ass. Man, this feels good. I feel like my real self again.

  I creep out of the attic, my phone in my hand as I wait for him to respond.

  "Why are you calling me at midnight?" His groggy voice groans.

  "Meet me at the club."

  "The club?"

  "The one downtown."

  "With the fights?"

  "That's the one."

  "Sadie, I am not going to the club right now." I sigh, rolling my eyes and walking into my bedroom, straight to the closet.

  "I wasn't really asking."

  "You can't just force me to go somewhere with you." I freeze, my hand in the air, and narrow my eyes. Ten years not being a gang leader and suddenly no one listens to me. I really miss people taking orders from me. I miss it so much.

  "Adam," I growl lowly. "I need this." Adam is silent for a moment. I turn my head to glance at Carlos who's drooling all over his pillow. I roll my eyes. Dog.

  "Why do you need to go to the club?" I turn and grab a pair of black Nikes, then black sweat pants, and a black tank top.

  "Don't ask questions."

  "Then don't expect me to show up." I grip the phone in my hand. I don't have time for this.

  "Fine." I turn around after changing my clothes, slipping on my jacket again, and look over at Carlos. He's sound asleep. "I want to fight." I have to quickly turn my phone down so Carlos isn't woken up by Adam's loud cackling. I hurry and leave the room, shutting the door and walking down the hall.

  "Sadie, I don't know if you realized, but you're twenty-six years old!" Adam reminds me and I roll my eyes. How could I forget? I walk past Thana's room and stop, poking my head into the door and looking at her peaceful face squished against her green snake plushy. That girl is in love with snakes.

  "-you're a mother." I look away from Thana and at my phone, remembering I'm talking to Adam.

  "Huh?" I shut the door and continue downstairs.

  "You're twenty-six years old, you're a mother of three kids. And... when was the last time you fought?" I shrug my shoulders as I open the garage door, getting on my black Honda motorcycle that I haven't been on since last summer. It's been a while.

  "Tonight," I reply to Adam's question, starting up the engine, the scent of exhaust filling my nose.

  "Listen, Sadie," Adam starts, "you shouldn't fight." I scoff, rolling my eyes.

  "Why not?"

  "Because you could die!" I shake my head. "You have a family to take care of. You're a mother, a wife." I look at the white door. Carlos could burst through that door any moment. I look back to my phone.

  "Not tonight I'm not," and I hang up. I glance down at the helmet sitting on the table. Sadie Bane doesn't wear helmets because Sadie Bane is a reckless, rebellious psycho.