Fire Meet Gasoline

Prologue

It was a rainy morning in Paleto Bay. I woke up and took a shower. I sat and stared at myself in the mirror while my hair dried. I pulled it back into a ponytail, my bangs framing my face. I did my makeup lighter, at my aunts request and I put on the white dress she bought me.

"Don't you look pretty!" My aunt Penny cried, as she stood in the doorway. I rolled my eyes as she got her camera out of her purse. "Picture! Eden, smile. You're graduating  high school! Exciting stuff!"

My twin brother Carter enthusiastically added "Not as exciting as attending LCU in the fall with the best brother in the universe."

"Yep, that is pretty exciting." I smiled the best I could. After Aunt Penny took like a million pictures, we headed down to the school auditorium for the graduation ceremony.

"Eden Barnes." My name was called. I walked across the stage an received my diploma.

After the boring graduation ceremony, I met up with Carter in the parking lot. He stood next to his Karin Futo, glancing at his watch.

"We did it!" He held up his hand, waiting for a fist bump which I unenthusiastically gave him, and his smile drooped into a frown, and he sighed. "Come on Eden. Don't do this today."

"Sorry my depression is getting in the way of the celebration."

I unlocked the car and climbed in the passenger seat. I rolled down my window and we drove to a gas station close to Paleto Bay High School, which we just graduated from.

My brother and I share everything. Including the Karin Futo. The one thing I haven't shared with my brother is my plan of moving to Los Santos. He thought we would be attending college together in Liberty City and major in visual arts together, but I got an internship with some guy I met online.

I did tell Carter and my aunt  about the internship, just I told them it was a the LifeInvader Office in Los Santos. I didn't want them to worry about me meeting up with some guy that could be a killer or a rapist trying to lure me or whatever. And I didn't mention the internship  wasn't just for the summer, either.

Carter offered to drive me to Los Santos, but I told him I'd rather take the bus. Since he thinks we are going to college together in a couple months, he thinks the separation over the summer won't be a bad thing. So we spend the rest of the day together as high school graduates before I leave for LS in the morning.

===

The next morning, I quickly got moving to head to the bus station. While applying a coat of mascara, Carter entered my room slowly.

"Hey Eden?" I nodded in response. "You sure you don't want me to drive you down?"

"Thanks for the offer, Car. But really, the bus will get me there just fine. Plus I already bought a ticket."

"Oh, okay. I'm just gonna miss you."

"I am going to miss you too. Maybe you can come down and we can go to the beach in LS or something together. Its not like I'm going across the country. Just across the state."

"I know that, Eden. But the city scares me. What if something happens to you? Like if you get mugged, or raped, or abducted..."

"I'll have my ID on me. If I get murdered in an ally they can identify me." He looked unamused. "Everything is going to be fine, trust me."

I wanted to believe what I was saying, but I was just as worried as Carter. I've never done anything without him, but there is a first time for everything. Everything is going to be fine.

He awkwardly paused before saying So... Who's Lester?"

His question took me by surprise. Like I said, I didn't mention the real internship that was awaiting me in Los Santos.

"Carter... How do you know about Lester?"

"I might have read an email that popped up when I was using your computer last week. I don't know what it is about this guy. But something feels off about it, Eden. I get this awful feeling in my stomach when I think about you moving in with some guy you've never actually met.."

"You don't think I feel the same way?" I questioned him. "Look. I don't know what this guy is like in person. But I have never done anything in my life for myself. This guy sees potential in me. He said he can make me money."

"It's shady. The whole situation. It isn't for LifeInvader?" I nodded, avoiding eye contact. I know how bad this looks but I'm doing it for my own reasons. "What does this internship entail?"

"I'm not entirely sure, okay? But I need to go catch a bus that's gonna take me to find out. Carter, you're my brother and I love you. But back off. I know what I'm getting myself into. I'll call you when I can."

"There's nothing I can say to stop you from going?"

"Nothing." He let me go. Not before giving me his pocket knife. I insisted it wasn't that kind of thing, but he didn't want to hear it.

The truth is, I didn't know what I was getting myself into.