ℂ𝕠𝕓𝕒𝕝𝕥 & ℂ𝕣𝕚𝕞𝕤𝕠𝕟 ❪✘❫ 𝑁𝑂𝑇 𝐶𝑂𝑀𝑃𝐿𝐸𝑇𝐸𝐷

17 || 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄-𝐎𝐍-𝐎𝐍𝐄

It was late. Jade must be tired after a long job serving tables and gathering stacks of dishes. She took off her apron and hung it up in the kitchen after cleaning up the dining area with Raquel. "Finally." She walks to the time clock with Rocky right behind her. She approved her punches and grabbed her bag from the coat rack and hung it over her shoulder. "It was a long few hours."

"Too long..." Rocky breathed out, approving her punches and taking her bag, too. Now that the restaurant is being closed up for the night, the crew all walk to the front door of the diner and walk out together.

"Okay, guys." Rocky's Dad said, the cook of the diner. "You all have a good night and be safe. Wonderful job tonight." He praised them, locking the door with his keys.

"Thanks," Jade waved. "Night."

Just when Rocky was going to follow her Dad home, she came next to Jade for a quick moment. "You want me to walk you home?"

Jade appreciated the offer. "Oh, I'm okay, Rocky." She smiled, feeling confident to walk home alone. After learning so much from Leo and his brothers, she felt a little safer.

"Alright, have a good night." Says Rocky, side-hugging Jade before she left with her Dad.

Jade turned away and brought out her smartphone to see the current time displayed on her phone's wallpaper. 

𝟷𝟷:𝟹𝟻 𝙿𝙼

She blinked away the sand-like feeling in her eyes, put her phone back in her pocket, and began the short walk home to her apartment. Afina-Jade must walk a little quicker because, during this time of night alone, anyone could be around and harass her. And just when the night couldn't get any better... three young thugs who believed they were high and mighty on the streets were sitting in an alleyway, smoking cigarettes and swigging up some fresh booze.

Once Jade walked by with her belongings, she could hear their voices getting closer. "Sh*t..." She whispered faintly, hearing their small chuckles.

"Hey, baby!" One of them called out. "Come here!"

Jade could feel her heart racing and her palms sweating. Just the way the three men were approaching her from behind was sending her through a warzone of awful memories.

"Hey, come here!" Another one of them called out, his voice much louder than the first one. "I ain't gonna tell you again! Stop!" He demanded.

Then, she obeyed. Jade's breath shuddered as she clutched her bag's straps and the wind tickled the back of her neck. When she came to a stop, Jade felt the three thugs come next to her, immediately touching her shoulders and running their finger tips along her loose hair strands.

"Damn, girl, you're sexy as hell." One of them commented.

Another one of the thugs purposely got into her personal bubble. He put his chest on her shoulder, able to smell her hair and get satisfaction out of her being in gripping reach. "Why don't you hang out with us?"

Jade doesn't make eye contact with them. She is frozen and quivering with fear. "Stop it." She spoke up.

"I call dibs, man." The third thug said, putting his hand on Jade's shoulders.

"Don't touch me." Jade says louder. Another one of the thugs took hold of her, too. Jade reacted much more brightly. "I said don't touch me!" Jade fired up her fist, punching one of the thugs in his chest, causing him to cry out and buckle. She took this time to flee, running down the sidewalk with the other two thugs chasing after her.