"Where's the money?"
"I- I don't have it, but I promise I'll get it soon."
"We've given you weeks, and you still don't have our money; now you'll face the consequences."
"No, please-" Before I could finish my sentence, someone's fist was heading straight for my face. I could feel blood rushing from my nose, flowing past my mouth like a raging river. With each blow came more and more pain.
"How long had I even been laying there?" I thought to myself. My head was spinning and my eyelids were heavy. I felt as if that at any moment, I would collapse. Above me, a sombre sky drowned the entire town in gloom. Flickering street lights failed in their attempt to beam brightly. As I came closer to our apartment, I was filled with dread. I really didn't want Amaya to worry about me; she's already got enough to deal with.
"Hey, I'm home." I called.
"I ordered food if you don't mind."
"No it's cool, what've we got?"
"Pizza: I ordered you BBQ - your favourite - and I've got pepperoni."
"Lush." I smiled, entering the kitchen.
"So, how was your day?" she asked, her back facing me.
"It was average, what about you?"
"Same here, it really dragged today. Also, you'll never guess what Emelia-" she cut herself off as she turned around and her gaze rested on my bruised face. "What the hell happened?"
"I, uh, fell."
"I bet you did. Now what really happened?"
"Nothing. I'm fine."
"Was it the same guys?"
"No, I told you-"
"You're clearly not fine so stop pretending to be so tough! Just because I'm supposed to be the sad little girl who lost all of her family and you feel obliged to look after me most of the time, it doesn't mean that you can't be not okay." Silence swept through the air.
"I think I need a minute." I mumbled.
"No, Axel, wait. I didn't mean to-" Amaya tried. Before she could convince me to do anything, I was on my way to my bedroom. All of a sudden, the fuzzy feeling grew stronger and engulfed my brain in a thick fog. Everything turned black and I felt myself lose control of my limbs. CRASH. Amaya's voice was the last thing I remembered before time seemed to skip forward.
When I regained consciousness, my ears and head felt fuzzy. Amaya sat next to me with loving eyes and her hand placed gently on my back to keep me upright. "What- what happened?" I asked, dazed.
"You passed out."
"Oh." I tried to get up but in turn, Amaya's grip became strong: a force acting against me and pulling me back towards the floor. "What are you doing?!" I exclaimed accusingly.
"Helping you."
"I don't need help." At these words, Amaya raised her eyebrows and tilted her head down slightly, showcasing her doubt. "Okay fine," I admitted. "Maybe I do need a little bit of help."
"Yes, and we can start with talking about what happened earlier."
"Do we have to sit on the hallway floor?"
"Unless you're ready to get up, yes."
"I'll make it to the sofa in the living room."
"Right," Amaya said, baffled. "So you're telling me that the same people you defended Oliver against managed to find you and you said you'd pay them off, knowing that you didn't have the money to, and now you're basically stuck in debt."
"Well, that's a harsh way of putting it. You didn't have to make it sound so depressing."
"I didn't, I'm simply stating the events as they happened."
"Are you saying my life is depressing?"
"No, I was reciting the events as you told me they happened."
"Oh my God, did I call my own life depressing?" I gasped, hoping it would trigger a laugh from Amaya. She smiled briefly before painting the blank expression on her face yet again as she spoke: "Look, I know you've always gotten yourself through things with humour, but we're adults now, and sometimes you have to be serious."
"Yeah, I know."
"Are you okay?"
"I just think it's crazy how time went so quickly. It feels like just yesterday I met you."
"Thanks?" Amaya furrowed her brows.
"Oh no, not like that. I mean that I can't wrap my head around the fact that the past few years have passed in the blink of an eye. You know, I could tell there was something going on between you and Avery from the beginning."
"Yeah, Avery." Amaya's tone dropped.
"You don't still miss her, do you?"
"No, it's just... forget it." Then, something on the news caught my attention. Both Amaya and I were shocked to say the least. Every word made our jaws drop lower: "Movie star Avery Turner reportedly engaged to her boyfriend of 4 years, Jake Lawson."
"Oh sh-" I began.
"I'm gonna go for a walk to burn off some of that pizza."
"Amaya, wait." I called as she grabbed her coat and headed for the door.
"See you in an hour or so, bye." The door slammed shut in my face. I groaned in frustration. Amaya wasn't over Avery, that's for sure.
YOU ARE READING
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Teen Fiction⚠️THIRD BOOK IN SERIES⚠️ Years have passed since we last heard from our favourite group of teens; it's been so long that now, they're all grown up. The incident with Joker was far from the last creep they've had to deal with, but last year, there wa...
