Burned Ones

Chapter 29

Cameron.
17 years old.

"Cam!" Alex's voice rose high in his panic.

"Alex!" I mocked, in a much lower voice than the screech my brother had managed.

I closed the notebook I had been writing a letter to Hannah in and hopped up from my seat on the arcade motorcycle.

Alex stood in front of his favorite game and was trying for the fifth time today to get past level six before dying. He grumbled something under his breath.

My notebook and pen clattered to the floor as I walked to him. I leaned close to him saying, "I didn't hear that."

A monstrous glare was sent my way and he looked between the video game's homepage and me for a few moments. I raised my eyebrows expectantly. Alex muttered a very pained, "Will you help me?" through clenched teeth.

I started to push him out of the way but he pushed me back. "No, let me do it," he argued. "I've got it. Just tell me what to do."

We spent the next few minutes glued to the arcade game with me telling Alex when to jump and when to duck. He made it to level nine and cheered victoriously when he died that time.

____________________

Dear Cam,

I'm afraid I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first? Just kidding, you don't get to choose.

The bad news is Eli didn't get the scholarship my dad's hospital provides. I tried to sweet talk my dad into picking Eli even though he told me again and again that it didn't work like that. I even told my dad that I would love him forever if he picked my friend, but I guess he doesn't want my unconditional love or maybe he just knows I'm too big of a pushover and will love him no matter what. Eli was very sad but he tried not to show me because I think it was some macho thing but what no one knows about Eli is he's very sensitive.

Did I ever tell you how we met? Someone was getting bullied at school years and years ago and he was the only one to stand up for the kid. It was very sweet and I told him as much. But then after school, those guys were waiting for him to try to beat him up with some of their older friends and Eli didn't even run away which was stupid because he got his ass kicked but he kept on fighting. I was staying after school, waiting for my older brother to finish with football practice because he was my ride home and I saw the whole thing. I helped clean his face up and told him we should report those kids to the principal but he said no because he didn't want to give the kids reason to bully that first kid again if they thought that kid was the one who tattled. I'm very sad because all Eli's ever wanted to do was protect and help people and my dad is walking around the house looking very guilty every time he sees me.

The good news is that I took my feelings out on arts and crafts. I made you something and I'm not going to tell you what it is. You'll have to come visit me to get it. Do you think you can manage that? I would hate to have to give this to someone else.

I'll be waiting for you,

Hannah

____________________

Blue and red flashing lights illuminated the dark street. Melkin police hauled one of the Caseys out of the jewelry store and into the back of one of the cop cars. The Casey being arrested, Shane, was one of the owners of the store. The unofficial owner was my dad. Shane was being arrested for money laundering suspicions. I wasn't sure how he managed to alert the Caseys when the cops showed up but he managed it and I stood in the distance with Jay and Lucky beside me. Lucky was busy inspecting his own jewelry.