Angelica

Two

The next day...

" Take a right. "

"How do you not know the address of your own place?" Mateo asks with a laugh.

" Shut up. " I say with a small smile.

Ares, Mateo, Diego , and I are currently navigating our way towards my apartment and I know we are close when I see abandoned homes and broken windows.

" You lived down here? " Ares asks.

" Yes." I say.

Soon enough, the run down brick building comes into view and I tell Ares to pull into the small parking area which is made up of gravel.

I hop out of the car and step over the sleeping drunk bodies that litter the dead grass as well as the glass bottles.

I walk up the rotten wooden steps before I pull open the broken door for it to not budge.

Don't do this right now.

I put both hands back on the handle before struggling to open the door once again. I hear a few small chuckles and turn around to see the three amused by my failure.

" One of y'all try it then. " I say giving up.

Mateo goes to the door and swiftly opens it before gesturing for me to step inside.

Beginners luck.

I'm immediately hit with the smell of cigarettes as Frank is going through his mail at the front. I try to sneak past him but his eyes immediately are caught on Ares's and then mine.

" Three at once Angel? " Frank says then whistles.

Before I can blink, Ares pulls out his gun and points it at Frank.

" What did you say? " Ares asks as he steps closer.

Frank freezes as his mail drops from his hands and his eyes turn wide.

" Hey man, I was just joking. " he says with a nervous laugh.

No he wasn't.

" Can we just get my stuff, please. " I say grabbing Ares's hand and leaving no room for an answer as I drag him away from a terrified Frank.

I maneuver past the empty beer bottles as I head up to the third floor and once I am finally at my door , I turn around to look at Ares only to be confused.

He looks a bit nervous and his cheeks are a bit red.

I look down and I see we are still holding hands. I quickly take my hand away before muttering a small " sorry ". Mateo and Diego find this amusing as I turn back around and unlock the door.

When you enter the apartment, there's not much. To our left there is a small kitchen. Few cupboards with broken doors , an old yellow fridge, and a sink. To our right there is an old blue couch that a neighbor on the fourth floor was selling.

My bathroom door is open, giving a clear view of the cramped space. There's minimal room to move in there, seeing as the shower, toilet, and sink are cramped in there.

Walking in , I see Diego has closed the door behind us as I venture into my room and they follow suit.

My room consists of a twin sized mattress, a torn rug,  and a small closet where I keep my clothes. The light in the room is minimal since the windows are boarded up, so I pull the string to the light bulb.

" I'll be just a second. " I say as I pull out the duffel bag I know all to well. I gather the clothes folded on the closet shelf and stuff them in my bag before grabbing my spare pair of shoes and tossing them in as well.