'Ragged Little Devils'

Chapter 3-1 - He's Coming

ANONYMOUS -

It's been a few hours since I witnessed the shocking discovery of my favorite boys being back in town. I have to admit I am pretty excited about my first target. The only way I can make this plan work is to take out the head of the snake and that's exactly what I plan on doing. I've sat back for years waiting for the perfect moment to strike and tonight is finally my chance. This is just the first step towards reaching my goal of REVENGE and I will do anything to achieve it. Even if that leaves dead bodies to be found. In the end they will all know the name ACE. It's my codename guys relax. I'm not revealing who I am so early into my plan. It'll just give away everything. I look at the clock and see that it's almost 7:30. "It's time." I say to myself as I put on my gray hoodie, my black face mask and walk out the door. I take the secret exit I created out of my house so people don't get suspicious as to why I'm dressed this way. I don't need other people involved in this plan. I already have enough people to get me through this. Once I make it outside and unlock my car from the key that I had in my hand I quickly dash to my car and hopped inside hoping that no one saw me. Seems quiet so that means I'm off the hook. I crank up my car with a smile on my face as the roar of my engine comes to life and I drive off with determination. There was a sadistic smile on my face the whole drive. So I only have one message for the boys. Get ready 😈 because I'm coming.
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ALEX -

It's been a few hours since my friends left my apartment and I am currently in my bedroom preparing myself for the dinner tonight with my friends. If I can even call them that right about now. I still can't believe the events that have occurred earlier. The awkwardness, the negativity, the fighting. I've never experienced so much tension in one room before. Especially around people that I love and cherish. Just hearing all of the pain coming from them actually threw me off guard on the real purpose of that meeting and why I really asked them to meet up with me. The truth is some really crazy things are about to take place here in Wildehaven and the four of them are just the beginning. I have to tell them tonight or they won't have time to prepare for ACE. I take a look at the clock and it's fifteen past 7:00. "Great." I have fifteen minutes until I have to meet with them. Then I will finally let them know about ACE and all of the secret our families have hidden from us since we were children. "I hope they don't take it too hard." It was at that moment where I heard a bang on my door. I quickly make my way down the stairs and hear another forceful bang on my door and someone harshly toying around with my doorknob. It looks like someone's trying to force their way into my home. As soon as my brain registers what's happening I reach into my shoe and pull out the pocket knife that I keep stashed in there for emergencies. However as soon as I happen to pull it out, the door opens to reveal my father who seemed to be out of breath, angry, and carrying some Chinese food. "Oh dad it's you." I tell him relieved as I carefully place the pocket knife back into my shoe. He was silent for as few seconds so I'm guessing he was glaring at me. "Well, your door was jammed son. You might want to get that fixed after we leave." Ugh. He came to talk about that. "Yeah..." I fell silent again as my dad was preparing him something to eat. To be completely honest I knew he was going to bring that up eventually. I'm just waiting for him to ask the question. "So how did the meeting go?" Damn. I really don't want to talk about this right now. "What meeting?" "You know which one. Don't act stupid with me boy." "Please dad not now. I have somewhere to be." He was already angry. Fuck. Here comes the arguing. "So I'm guessing you didn't tell them." "I couldn't." "Like hell, you couldn't?" "You weren't here to witness how much heat I was getting from them. They were closed off before they even stepped in the building." "You had one shot and you blew it." Now, I'm starting to get angry. "What the hell is the problem? I was planning on telling them tonight." "BECAUSE IT'S TOO LATE. HE'S COMING TONIGHT." Now, hearing those words really put me off guard. That and the yelling. I never really like it when my dad yells. It's like an alpha telling his pack to obey. Anyways, back to what I just heard. "What?" "If we don't leave within the next hour...we're dead." I'm trying to register everything that I'm being told. "How do you know?" My dad gave me a serious look as he began to reach into his pocket and grabbed his phone. I watched him as he silently searched on his phone for something important. As he walks next to me he opens the Snapchat app and goes through his messages until he reaches one named ACE and opens the message. I can't believe what I was seeing from the phone screen. It was a picture of my apartment building and my friend's car was parked in the driveway. "Oh my god." My dad taps the phone screen and another snap comes up but this time with a message attached to it that read 'Looks like I found my first target 😈 I told you douchebags never to cross me. -♠' My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of its sockets and I was beginning to panic. "He knows where you live Alex and he's targeting you. He knows you're all back home." I can't believe it. Things are happening sooner than I expected and I have no idea what my next move should be. I have to warn my friends but my father and I also have to get out of dodge and leave town. I'm so lost and confused now. I must've been thinking to myself for a while now because dad finally began to speak. "Why aren't you moving?" "Because I'm still processing. I gave them my word that I would be there tonight and now is when this bitch wants to attack." I was annoyed and it was evident. My dad slowly approaches me with a soft expression on his face. "I'm really sorry son. Maybe they'll understand." I was thinking about when they first got here and how they reacted then. "This time. I'm not so sure they will."
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THE BOYS -

It was nightfall when Garrett and Jayden were seen at Tom's Diner. They were sitting at their usual table totally surprised by how quiet it was in the diner. It was the midst of one the diner's slowest nights. There were barely any customers around and the workers were standing at the front counter bored out of their minds. Actually if it wasn't for the slight voices being heard and the faint jazz music playing in the background the room would be filled with dead silence. This was good for them actually. It allows them to talk without being interrupted with all the commotion around them. Which is what Garrett and Jay were taking advantage of since they got here. They talked about things that they normally wouldn't say with other people around and have surprisingly learned a lot more about each other than before. However, it seemed like they were kind of circling around asking why they were really here and it was driving Jay crazy. So he finally decided to bring it up. "Are you okay with this?" Garrett thought about it for a bit as a heavy sigh escapes his mouth. "I don't know. It does seem a bit peculiar that we're even here right now" he finishes with a chuckle. It's kind of like his mind was somewhere else and Jay noticed it. He usually notices everything when it comes to his friends and that's due to how overprotective he is. He hates seeing his friends in pain and would do anything to make sure that they're okay. "You know we can go somewhere else when Chase and Nate get here." Garrett smiles to himself. Same old Jayden. He hasn't changed a bit. You'd think after all he's been through all of that newfound confidence will overshadow his heart but you'd be wrong. He's still the same caring person I knew back in high school and that's why he's one of my best friends. "Thanks Jay but no. The only way to get rid of this feeling is to resolve it and that's what I plan on doing tonight." "Understandable." They've both fallen into a comfortable silence. It was at that moment when their phones began to come to life. A simple ding from Garrett's and a overzealous chime from Jay's. They picked up their phones and read the text Alex sent to their private group chat they created a while back. The text read 'Sorry guys. Something came up and I won't be able to attend the dinner tonight. I'm sorry guys please forgive me but you'll understand soon.' "You've got to be kidding me." Jayden angrily throws his phone at the table. "I'm actually not that surprised. He hasn't shown any care for us since we went our separate ways so there's no need for a reaction Jay." "True but that doesn't mean that it hurts any less." "Stop having that mindset Jay. People leave all the time and lives change so there is no need to keep putting yourself through this." Silence erupted between the two again. This time it lasted long enough for the other two boys to arrive. "You guys will never believe what just got texted to me?" Nate says abruptly. "Alex is ditching us again like can you even believe that?" "We know Chase, he sent us the same thing." Garrett replies to his very angry friends. There were still no words coming from Jayden so he decided to let him just have this moment to think. "I just can't believe we're putting ourselves through this again. I mean we pretty much just let him talk us into giving him another chance." Nate takes his seat next to Jay as Chase takes the final seat available next to Garrett. "Whatever it's his loss and I don't want the topic to be about Alex all night so tonight we are going to eat some food and have some well deserved guy time." "Guy time Chase were not teenagers anymore." "Come on Garrett this could be good for us especially me" Jay spoke for the first time since they got here. "See, Jay is up for it." "Fine, you maggots. Let's do this." The boys happily cheered on Garrett for agreeing. "But in order for this to work, I want everyone to give me their phones." That started the argument just as fast the cheering had began but eventually Chase was able to convince them into giving him their phones as they walked out of the diner. He turned all of the phones off including his and stuck them in his glove department as the boys got into their cars and drove away.