Accidentally Good & Bad

Chapter 29: Archer Scott

Her name isn't Manhattan Hood.

Her name is something foreign. Her name is something I don't know. Her name is something hidden from me. From the rest of the world. Her name is something Manhattan knows.

Her name is New York Hood.

"So, you're telling me that you are Manhattan's baby sister that was kidnapped when she was six months old?" Parker repeats, rubbing the side of his face tiredly.

New York nods her head quickly, not annoyed at Parker's repeated question like the rest of us.

Will, Parker, and I have managed to convince New York to sit in the car with us to talk. To tell us everything. New York's told us her entire backstory, how she's always thought her name was Genesis Spencer, but hasn't told us about Manhattan's whereabouts. The whole point of luring her into the car was to get Manhattan's information, yet we get everything but that!

You can only imagine how frustrated I am at this.

"And you are 15 year's old?"

Again, New York nods her head quickly at Parker's question. I can feel the crush blooming in her already. "Almost 16!"

Oh, honey. Parker doesn't go for younger girls.

Especially a younger girl who is actually the little sister of the girl who used to be in love with. Who is mine now, by the way. Just making sure you all remembered.

Parker smirks and leans back across the backseat. He rests an arm over her seat, flirtatiously. He's obviously noticed how enamored New York is with him and is using it to boost his ego. Which doesn't need boosting by the way. "You're basically a little kid."

New York shifts in her seat uncomfortably, but her almond shaped gray eyes never leave Parker's face. "It's only a two year age gap. I hope you will treat me like an adult."

Will and I exchange a look. This girl is in deep.

"Then act like an adult and tell us where your older sister is!" I snap, unable to hold back my frustration anymore.

New York finally breaks her stare away from Parker's face in shock at my harsh tone. "I-I am! Manhattan specifically told me not to tell you guys!"

Parker rolls his eyes, retracting his arm. His act of a flirty older boy drops faster than you can say Manhattan. "Yeah, and that's acting like an adult by doing what an older kid commands you to do. Sounds childish to me." Parker's eyes pass mine, a glint in them. I see Will sneaking a peek at me.

We know what we need to do. A plan we've kept under wraps just for us to know. This is Plan Pressure. A plan where we pressure someone into telling us information. Up until now we used it against our parents to find out what we were getting for Christmas. Time to put on the big kid pants and use our practice on something truly important.

Although finding out I got a new phone for Christmas wasn't bad. It was actually pretty good.

"Come on, sweetheart. Grow up and tell us!" Will taunts.

Will may be the shy one, but he's big on acting. He's already consumed the role of bad cop in this. Although, there is no good cop in this scene. Just three teenage bad cops and a somewhat innocent 15 year old girl.

We all three glare at New York, not moving even as her eyes flicker from face to face to face. Her hands tremble in her lap, twisting and clenching. Before she breaks. "Fine! She's in our hideout house!"

"Good girl, and where is this house?" I ask, leaning toward her. I make sure to flex my arms, letting the muscles bulge. Just to freak her out a bit, you know. The usual.

"The gray one at the end of the street! It has boarded windows and a flamingo lawn decorator in the front yard!" New York blurts. A split second after she clamps a hand over her mouth. Bingo.

"Drive, fucktards!" Parker commands loudly as New York slumps in her seat beside him.

Will slams on the controls and we're off. We drive all the way to the end of the street, tripling the legal speed limit. No one catches us, no one cares. Maybe New York does, she's clinging to her seat-belt like her life depends on it. It kinda does.

Once we reach the house everything happens in slow motion. The car doesn't come to a stop before I'm already opening the door of the car and leaping out. Will's curse doesn't register in my mind as I run towards the house. My Converse slip and slide and slap against the gravel. The road is gravel, not smooth pavement like the rest of the street. Like this part of the road was forgotten. A perfect place to hide.

I hardly remember glancing at the flamingo in the lawn, watching it dance back and forth while the wind sings. I distinctly remember a sharp rock slicing a slash through my khaki jeans. My white shirt presses against my chest as I run. I don't stop running until I reach the white door to the gray house. I was so determined to find Manhattan I didn't stop to think about what I would do when I actually found her. And now that I have? I don't know what to do.

My hand rests on the rusty gold door handle. There are scratches on it exposing the black metal underneath the paint. When I open this door my life changes again. Like when Parker convinced Will and I that we needed a good girl. When Will convinced us that Manhattan Hood would be the perfect girl for us to take under our wing. The bullied and loner girl would be friends with three bad boys. What a great idea!

The scratched up knob is just an object in my clenched fist. Without thinking anymore I twist it and swing the door open. The inside of the house is small, simple Ikea furniture scatter across the living room. Pizza boxes litter the floor and the walls are painted unevenly. Like someone tried to create a pattern but stopped, giving up completely. But I only have eyes for the girl standing in the middle of the room.

And time seemed to stop.

She is dressed in a plain navy blue sundress. Her feet are clad in her favorite white Converse. She should get new ones, hers are ratty and covered in dirt stains. Just like mine.

Her wavy chocolate brown hair is frizzy. Strands of hair is falling out her side braid, sticking to her body like a second skin. There is a smudge of dirt on her forehead. Her sapphire eyes are wide with shock. Her red mouth slightly open in surprise. There is a band-aid on her left arm, right above her elbow. She touches it self consciously. Her legs are dirt covered, and another band-aid rests on her right leg, above the knee. Bruises scatter across her shins.

To anyone else, she would've looked crazy. Insane. But to me?

I'd never seen anyone look more beautiful in my life.

Then time started again.

I rushed to her and she rushed to me. I jumped over furniture as she swerved out of the way of scattered pizza boxes. There seemed to be too much space between us. The length of the small room. The two weeks we were separated. We simply needed each other.

When our bodies finally met, my arms winded around her waist without a thought. My hands clung to the material of her dress. Her thin arms wound around my neck, tightening when they made contact with my neck. Her tears soaked through my shirt, mine trailed down her body. Her slender and short frame pressed against my strong, tall build. Our bodies meld together as if we were finally complete now that we were together.

And that's exactly how it is.

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UPDATES TWO DAYS IN A ROW?? WHAT?!? I'M PRETTY PROUD OF MYSELF, IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF. TWO MORE UPDATES NEXT WEEK, THEN THE EPILOGUE WILL BE POSTED ON NEW YEAR'S DAY. THE FIRST CHAPTER FOR THE SECOND BOOK WILL BE IMMEDIATELY POSTED AFTER THE FINAL CHAPTER.

DID YOU LIKE THE CHAPTER, Y'ALL? ANOTHER ARCHER SCOTT CHAPTER, HOW FUN! IT GOT PRETTY DEEP IN THE END OF THE CHAPTER, WOWZA. I KINDA LOVED IT.

HOW DO Y'ALL FEEL ABOUT THE CRUSH NEW YORK ALREADY HAS ON PARKER? ANY FORESHADOWING THERE FOR Y'ALL? I DON'T KNOW, ONLY MY FOLLOWERS WOULD KNOW FROM MY MESSAGE BOARD ;)))

MUCH LOVE FOR MY READERS AND FOLLOWERS. I LOOVE Y'ALL!

XOXO,

MIKAILAXRYAN