No Way (#Wattys2015)

Chapter 22

 Antonio 

I don't know who called 911 but now, nearly an hour after the gang fight, ambulance and cop cars surround the warehouse and we are all filed out of it. There's a lot less of us alive now and the few of us that survived this battle, we're different. 

Gabriel and Caine lost two of their best friends and no longer smile.

Jamie's face will forever remain emotionless.

Shauna lost the good in her, she will never know how to control her own temper.

And Ella looks tired as she hugs Cori. 

And I am in love.

Glaze and Valdarez are talking to all 6 of us, but none of us are listening. We're covered in blood and full of grief. We're no longer normal teenagers who can smile and laugh and talk normally. I'm afraid we will never know what normal is again. But I meet Ella's eyes over Jamie's head and I feel normal and I feel lighter, somehow. I'm the one who was supposed to save her, but it seems, now, that she is the one doing the saving.

"Antonio, please. I need you to answer my questions." Valdarez says, frowning, but I can't listen to her, because I'm too busy watching the body bags be rolled out of the warehouse. Every one that passes, I wonder if it's Claudia. "Antonio!"

I look at Valdarez, blinking, wishing that I could be anywhere but here. "Yeah?"

"I asked if you knew who killed Gilver?" she sighs, exasperated.

I open my mouth, prepared to lie, tell her that they were accidentally shot in the fight, but I can't. I'm interrupted by shouts erupting from besides us. I look over and my eyes widen as I see everyone screaming at the officer who's handcuffing Ella.

Ella's eyes meet mine and time freezes. The lights are flashing on her face and a small, hopeful smile lights up her face as she mouths, "I love you." And she's never looked as beautiful as she does now, covered in blood, wearing that look of hope. Hope that says: don't worry, I'll be back for you.

"It was in self defense!" Shauna screams, trying to pull the officer away from Ella but Ella gives her a look and it's a look that causes Shauna to take a step back and sob. I can understand why Shauna is sobbing. Shauna is sobbing because both of her best friends are being taken from her in the same day and Cori sobs because the only family she has left is being ripped literally from her tiny hands.

But Ella and I smile, because we know this isn't it. 

She's covered in blood and bruises, but I've never loved someone so much as her. She doesn't look scared of prison or what's to come, she looks hopeful and defeated and tired all at the same time. Her eyes are still sad but they have a light in them now. She doesn't fight the officer and she quietly reassures the only two street rats she has left that it'll be okay. She kisses Cori's head and tells her to be good for auntie, who really isn't their auntie, which I know for a fact.