Gang Wars

two | volleyball practises

We all ended up going to Alec's volleyball practise. The whole aura of the gym was tedious; the intoxicating scent of body odour, the murkiness of sweat entering the gym's atmosphere, the single guys that attempted to get Ava and I's attention through their exaggerated spikes and blocks.

Gael, Roman, Ava and I weren't beneficial supporters, since we constantly shouted out profanities that made the ever-so righteous captain of the volleyball team fail in front of his allies. Gael would mimic a dying cat when Alec was about to serve, Roman shouted out witty remarks that severely embarrassed the blond, Ava's whole presence encouraged his teammates to play the best they possibly could, and me? I informed them all about Alec's weakness, or the ones I was able to observe after watching the first set of the non-serious but intense practise match.

"Damn it! They received my spike again! AGAIN! This is the seventh time yet!" Alec shouted as his dramatic spike ended in an anticlimax where it was easily received and turned into a point against his side. We all snickered under out breaths, especially me since I was the one who told the opposing side Alec's favoured spot. "DAMN YOU IRINA CADWELL!" He shouted, pointing an accusing finger at me.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's not her fault that you're so bloody obvious. Change up your spikes, why don't ya?" A velvety voice spoke out from the final row of the bleachers. Everyone in the gym jumped in sync at the unexpected voice, turning towards the source of it, whilst I just groaned, bracing myself for the chorus of voices.

"CHAAAASE!" Gael and Alec shouted, scaling the bleachers to tackle the older boy down. Ava, Roman and I shortly followed behind, watching amusedly as my older brother struggled to pry the two teenage boys off of him. In the end, he managed to detach himself from the grip of the two troublemakers.

"You two sure are hellish, aren't you?" Chase laughed, doing his best to maintain his professionalism, especially since he still bore his uniform. His strawberry blond locks were dishevelled thanks to the two boys, not like his hair was ever neat in the first place.

"Yeah, and we have to deal with it." Roman said, his eyes narrowed down towards the two now-hyperactive males. Of course, this had caused a slurred whine to escape their lips.

"Anyways..." Chase coughed, before masking his hidden seriousness with his typical and charming grin. Hidden to everyone but me. "I just dropped by to tell Irina something from Mum, so if you don't mind." He said, his lie remaining undetected by the others. He always was a deceptive boy.

The group parted, allowing him to wrap his slender fingers around my wrist and guide me down the stairs. His grip was tight, and his hands were sweaty.

"Oh and before I forget!" He said, abruptly craning his head back to face the group. "Roman, keep those two in check, we've been getting reporters of two delinquents graffitiing the hospital, and Ava, hurry up and get yourself a boyfriend." He said smoothly, waving them all a dismissive goodbye before walking out of the gym with me in tow.

The dawn rays gently cascaded the gym as we walked a good distance away from it, just to ensure there were no eavesdroppers. The clouds were dyed soft shades of pink and orange, the sky a pastel blue. Roman had once drawn the serene sight dawn provided and, unsurprisingly, he managed to capture the sight's tranquility and vivid colours.

"Remember the gang that killed Dad?" Chase asked straightforwardly, his two hands firmly holding my shoulders in place. I was shocked.

Chase never mentioned Dad, nor did he mention the gang that was responsible for his death. Both of us were traumatised when the police broke the news to our mother. We were eavesdropping that night, curious as to why the police were at our door, and why our mother was on the brink of tears. Looking back at the memory, I now regretted eavesdropping on the conversation.

I nodded.

"For the past few weeks they've been raiding houses and kidnapping others. We've had over two hundred reports of missing people and even more house raids. I've heard of gangs overrunning multiple suburbs, but not to this extent. The town's outskirts have been completely overrun by them, and they're preventing others from entering." Chase said sternly, our gazes holding as he relayed the confidential information to me. His emerald eyes seemed to sparkle under the sunlight.

"Isn't that where Alec lives?" I asked.

"Yes, which is why I came. To see if he was fine, and since he is, I can only assume his father is as well." Chase said, before his arms released themselves from my shoulders. He placed his hand on my mousy brown hair, giving it a little ruffle. "That's the most I can tell you, just be alert, they may consider working their way to the town's centre."

"There's something else." I said unconvinced, shoving his hand off of my head.

"Farout sis, I can't tell you everything." He sighed, turning around towards the school's gates. His head tilted upwards, his mind probably racing with thoughts I could only imagine. I didn't know the things he saw as a policeman, nor about the information he learnt. For all I know, he could be thinking about an upcoming war right here in this plain and monochromatic town. "Something's brewing in this town, Irina, lay low."

Those were his final words, before he walked out of the school, throwing a lazy hand over his shoulder as his unspoken goodbye.