The Crew That Died

Chapter Eighteen

James

I bang my head on a vending machine when Liam walks in.

"Hey, I just got your message. Is she okay?" Liam asks, Hazel walks up to him and hugs him and kisses him.

I scrunch my face, something I apparently do without noticing when someone gets close to Hazel.

I look to the ground before deciding to buy Alara a snack.

"Diamond, what's Alara's favorite food?" I ask.

"Only everything. She's fat." Hazel says, I raise an eyebrow and slowly turn around to look at her. Controversial words. Is exactly what my face says.

"That's what she says. She likes to say that your weight isn'twhat makes you fat. What you eat does. She is proudly fat."

"Okay..." I respond as I turn back to the vending machine. But if I call Alara fat, it's a problem.

I just grab the best tasting thing and take it to Alara, I can not look at Hazel and Liam anymore. It's literally torture.

♧

"Yo, yo." I say as I walk into the room and, for some reason, scan it.

"Yo, yo." Alara responds weakly.

"You know, ODE would come in handy right about know with their futuristic medical shit." I state plainly as I hand her oreos.

She lets out a happy gasp as she takes it with a smile. Alara sits up and starts opening the Oreo's.

I laugh at her and walk out, Liam is gone. I gesture around the room with a confused face, voicelessly stating that I want to know where Liam is.

"He went to the bathroom." She states as she sits down. Great. Being with while with Liam is torture, but without him? It's like a dream, but from hell, she's so beautiful, but I can't do anything about it. I can't kiss her, or hug her, or even have feelings for her.

I shouldn't feel this way.

"What?" She asks with an awkward laugh. I noticed that I was staring.

"You're just...." I start. The way she looks at me almost softens. Without thinking, I grab a piece of her hair and look at it. It's so damaged. I laugh to myself.

The entrance doors swing open, and Alara's mother waltzes in, making Hazel and I jump.

"Where the hell is my daughter you Outer Banks wannabes?" She asks as she points us. Damn.

I stand up, prepared to defend my friends. "Uhm...well, would you prefer a lie or the truth?" I quote V for Vendetta. Mrs. Katz just stares at me blankly.

"Damn, tough crowd." I whisper to myself.

"Who even are you?" She asks me, kind of hurting my heart.

"Hugo Weaving." I smile proudly, making Hazel laugh. Alara's mother shoves past me. I hear her let out a yelp.

"That's dramatic..." I say to myself as I walk into Alara's room.

"You did this!" Her mom yells at me.

"Me!? I wasn't even there!" I yell back.

"Well, you should have been!"

"And what would I have done?! Stopped the car with my body like Superman!?"

"You know what..." she says to me. I give an expecting look.

"What?! R Kelly!" I yell at her, her face fills with offense.

"You son of a-"

"Mom!" Alara yells. Her mother turns around and looks at her.

"I don't want you hanging out with these kids anymore." She tells Alara.

"Wh- Now, wait a minute." Hazel says, stepping forward.

Alara's mother points at Hazel.

"You. You're the worst of all of you." Mrs. Katz starts as she walks towards Hazel. "You claim to be my daughters best friend, but you take her out of the country, away from her mother, and get her stabbed!" She raises her hand as if she's about to slap Hazel.

Before I can think, my flies up, and I grab her wrist. I step in front of Hazel and tighten my grip on Mrs. Katz wrist. She winces.

"Throw a tantrum all you want but do not lay a hand on her." I say harshly. I don't even know what I'm saying, I'm not a violent person and I've never wanted to hit a woman - other than Alara - but right now, I have the very strong urge to deck this prissy rich bitch.

She glares at me and wrips her hand out of my grip before walking over to Alara.

I turn around and check on Hazel.

"You okay?" I ask as I subconsciously put both of my hands on the sides of her face.

She looks up at me and nods, but I see the faint tears in her eyes. I clench my teeth.

"Where is your tatto???" I hear Mrs. Katz yelled. I sigh and put my head down.

Alara winces and pulls her wrist out of her mom's grip.

"Gone." She says quietly. I let go of Hazel and looked over at Alara. Another person walks through the door. Not at all who I expected.

"Kira?" I ask, my voice filled with shock, but she's not looking at me. She's fixated on Alara.

"Are you okay, Alara?" Kira asks from the doorway. I look over at Alara with a confused look.

"We were beer pong buddies." She tells me with a shrug. I sigh and shake my head, Kira and I dated for about two years but didn't really get along the whole time. I think she just wanted me for sex. It's the only reason she ever wants anyone.

Hazel's mom walks in and wraps her arms around her.

"You guys can't catch a fucking break!" She says as she holds Hazel. I let out a laugh and nodded in agreement.

"Ain't that the truth." Alara says from her hospital bed as she shoves her mom away from her.

"Hey, auntie." She says to Mrs. Jones. My brows furrow.

"Auntie?" I accidentally say out loud. Everyone looks at me.

"I've been best friends with Hazel for years. I call her mom auntie." Alara explained plainly.

"Right..."