Red and Green

Chapter 2- The Unexpected Favour

Chapter Two- The Unexpected Favour

Violets tears didn’t show on her face when when she re-entered the back of her house. She reached for the long red flag that hung vertically by the door and discreetly wiped her cheeks on the soft material. Even though her tears were mixed with water from the sprinklers she knew her eyes were puffy and red. Violet quietly ran down the hallway until she reached the comfort of her bedroom. Despite trying to forget it the question kept ringing in her mind.

Why didn’t he kill me?

There were endless possiblities. 

Maybe he has enough blood on his hands? 

No he’s a Green. They don’t care.

Maybe it was a fake gun to scare Reds away?

But they’re a gang! They ALL have REAL guns; so why would he have a fake one? 

Maybe he was out of ammo?

Maybe his family was sleeping?

What if he.... What if.... Maybe he... He could have.... Perhaps he.....

Violet awoke to the comforting warmth of sunlight streaming through her window. She kept her eyes closed and enjoyed the blissful feeling of being completely relaxed. She finally opened her eyes when the events of last night came flooding back to her. Dammit.

* * * *

“JAKE!”

Jake opened his eyes and sighed. He was in trouble. Again.

“JAKE GREEN!”

Jake considered the truth behind the phrase “If you ignore it. It’ll go away”

“OI YOU ASS! COME HERE NOW!”

Yeah. Crap. He never believed that. Gloomily, Jake heaved himself out of bed and plodded across his bedroom. He opened his door sleepily to the shock of a red spray paint can shoved an inch from his face. Wow. Twice in 24 hours.

“What. is. this?”

Jake looked closely at the can pretending it’s origin was a mystery to him. He could feel his older brother’s outraged stare. He wasn’t going to crack this time

“Beats me”

The wind was knocked out of him by a swift punch to the stomach.

“WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!”

“YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON PATROL LAST NIGHT!”

“oh..”

Cedric’s eyes just about leapt out of his head. A strong kick in the shins brought Jake down to the cold welcome of the old wooden floorboards. Cedric crouched down to his level held a finger to Jake’s face.

“If you ever let another Red get this far into our land....” He breathed

Jake waited for the end of his sentence but half-knew that he wouldn’t know the exact details of his horrible demise until the next time when he would probably let another Red get away. Him and his stupid favours.

Cedric let the threat hang in the air for a few seconds before he stood up and spat on his little brother in disgust for having let a Red get away unscathed.

* * * *

Violet was still sitting in her bedroom by 12:00. So much had happened since last night’s conversation with Ali and Bronte. Could it even be called a conversation?

Violet had almost forgotten about the trouble Alison had undoubtedly caused, until she saw Alison her self appear at the door.

Alison Red hadn’t always been a Red. Her parents had joined the fierce gang when they lost their home in a fire. Alison had become much like a sister to Violet and her biological sister, Bronte. An annoying, mischief causing sister...

“Vi?”

“Are you here to tell me what you did yesterday?” Violet asked flatly.

Alison bit her lip and swished her head of thick ginger hair from side to side. She fiddled with the red ribbon tied around the waist of her dress.

“Is it lunchtime already?”

As Violet leaned forward to stand up Alison moved slightly to the side and put her hand on the doorframe as if to prevent Violet from leaving her room.

“Ali!?”

Alison was so nervous she practically shouted her explanation.

“YOUR DAD IS REALLY ANGRY BECAUSE ONE OF THE OTHER “REDS” SAID THEY SAW YOU COMPLETELY VULNERABLE IN THE GREEN’S TERRITORY WITH A “GREEN” BOY HOLDING A GUN IN YOUR FACE AND NOW-”