The Nefarious Crew ✔️

˗ˏˋ ꒰ 𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒖𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 ꒱ ˎˊ˗

𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒖𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏

Ezra Holmes

I stood outside Raya's room like a freak. I wanted to ask her if she was okay after the mission we had, and to see if the skin where the bullet had pierced her skin was doing all right, but Archie beat me to it first, leaving me standing outside her bedroom, roaming in the hallway instead.

I couldn't help but to perk my ears up at their conversation to hear what they were talking about.

"I called the Red Devils." Archie said. "They're coming on Friday to collect the crates."

There was silence for a few beats before I heard Raya's voice. "Wow, they're eager to get the goods." She said. "They don't wait at all."

"The Red Devils hasn't gotten a stash in a while so I think they really are eager to get something in again." There was rustling, telling me that Archie might have sat down onto her bed. "I thought you would've hung them by now."

I stood still, frowning at his words. Could have hung what by now? 

I stood closer to the door, wanting to hear Raya's reply, and to find out what Archie was referring to.

There was a sigh coming from Raya, and I could just picture her dark eyebrows pulling together. "I don't know if I can hang them by myself, to be honest." There was a slight pause, and I could hear the pain in her voice. It was the first real emotion I have ever heard coming from her other than pure disgust toward me. "My dad and I used to hang them, before he..." Another pause. "...you know."

"I can help you hang them?" Archie suggested. "It doesn't look so complicated. I'm sure I can hang a few strips of the lights."

Ah. He referred to the LED lights I saw lying on her desk the other day.

These LED lights really must have meant so much to her if it made her so vulnerable and emotional.

"It's fine, Archie." I heard Raya say, and then I heard footsteps. There was rustling again. "I don't want to trouble you with something as stupid as hanging LED lights on my walls. We have better things to do and you know it."

I heard something being thrown into the trashcan.

"It's not stupid at all, Ray." Archie said to her. "Bear..." Archie sighs, and I heard slight hesitation in his tone. "Bear told me that the nightmares have been getting worse and worse, without the lights."

My frown only deepened. 

I didn't know Raya struggled with nightmares.

"Bear should just mind his own fucking business!" Raya snapped.

"You know we're just worried about you and Bear meant well when he told me." Archie said. "I don't like it when one of my own has been struggling." The way Archie said it made it sound like how a father would talk to their daughter. And I guess in a way he was like a father to her.