Black Mail

Hungry

When we started the operation we started, it wasn't on purpose. When it all started, we were hungry high school graduates. When I started this, it was the day I watched my neighbour, my childhood crush- my best friend leave my life for good.

Everything I did pointed to the hopes that perhaps one day, I'd find her again. Here, in the disgusting, dirty place I had created for myself.

We had been neighbours for as long as I could remember. Second story, windows facing each other. The ledge just thick enough for us to stand on, making it easy to jump from one to the next. As we got older it went from play dates, to sneaking into her room late at night while my parents fought. She never asked questions, she always just stood back from her window, just enough to allow me to slip through. In the dark she would climb back into her bed, never uttering a word until the silence stretched to long, and she would ask me if I was going to stand there all night, or join her. Those were my favourite memories of her. We never did anything. Not a thing. However, there were countless nights I laid beside her, dreaming about how things could be different if perhaps I was different, or if I could find it in myself to speak my best kept secret. Despite all that, up we woke the next morning, and continued on with our separate lives like we always had. Always at arms length from each other.

And it went like that, for years. Until it all stopped. Until she moved.

"I think that's the last of it." She slammed her trunk shut, turning back to smile at me. "Thank you for helping me."

"Don't mention it." Shoving my hands deep in my pockets, I couldn't meet her eyes. I heard my mates muttering amongst themselves behind me. I blocked out their chatter, focusing on her. This was it. She was moving to London, accepted on full scholarship to Oxford. She was leaving Mullingar Ireland, for four years.

"Well I suppose this is goodbye," She breathlessly replied.

"What do you mean?" I looked up at her suddenly. She would be back for the holidays surely.

"I wanted to tell you..." She trailed off slowly.

"Tell me what?"

"I'm not living in the oxford dorms, I um... well I've actually got an apartment. My own..." She said.

"Well that's great." I smiled softly.

"No you don't understand. I'm not coming back Niall. I'm moving to London for good. We always said we were going to get out of this place. I'm finally getting out. So I'm not coming back. Not for holidays, not for the summer. I'm moving, and I'm staying." She finished hotly, riled up that I hadn't understand. "So this it really. I know you've been accepted to Dublin. I know you'll be great there. In illustration. One day your going to be the best anime creator ever."

I simultaneously had the urge to fight a cry and a laugh. It felt like my heart was squeezing so hard it would cease to exist. I wanted to compliment her, and yet chew her out. Why didn't she tell me she was planning this all along?

"Hey, don't look so grim. I do have my own apartment you know." She winked at me playfully. "Maybe you could come visit me sometime."

"I want you to have this." I pulled the large white envelope off the hood of her car, where I had left it. Inside it was a drawing I had done of her, one thousand times. I had drawn her as a fairy princess since I was around 6. The idea had come when I was a kid, and I had been drawing her like that ever since. I'd never shown her. Some of the drawings had been of her naked, how I imagined her, some of them of us together. I never planned on showing her those. This was just one. The first one I ever did.

"I drew this when I was like six. I wanted you to have it." Her face lit up at my words.

"You've never given me a drawing before."

"Well, don't forget me."

She didn't respond, simply hugged me tightly just as her parents came waltzing out of the front door.

"Merrie, are you ready to go?" Her mother asked.

She released me, stood back clutching the envelope close to her chest. "Yes. I'm ready." Her brown soft curls bounced light over her shoulders.

She waved to my mates behind us, and they waved back. Her parents got in the car, and she followed instantaneously.

They started up the car, she stared at me through the windshield. Her face was sad, sad for the house, or for the life she was leaving behind, I wasn't quite sure. In that moment I felt like I'd never get the chance to ask her. They pulled out, and turned towards the street.

She didn't turn around to look back at me, or at her old house. She didn't turn back around once. Not once. I followed the car out into the street, silently begging for her to look back, just for a split second. Just to let me know that she had seen me for all those years, and that it hadn't just been my imagination all along. But perhaps it was.

"Not even a last glance goodbye. I guess you really just were her neighbour after all." My mate Louis said.

I ignored him. For years to come I wanted to believe she didn't look back for a different reason.

I liked to believe she didn't look back she because for once she didn't want to me to see her crying.

"London huh? I wish we were doing the same," Liam mumbled.

Her words echoed in my head. Maybe I would go visit her.

"So why don't we?" I replied, an idea suddenly popping into my head.

"We need cash, and a lot of us. And we'd need it quickly." Harry reasoned.

"There are loads of ways we can get that kind of money, and quickly." Louis that time.

We all looked at him questioningly. He was going into business. That should have been the first indication that this was all going to get out of hand.

"What are you going on about?" Liam snapped. He was the sensible one. Was one day going to be a fireman.

"We could go into porn."

We all laughed together at him. A moment later we all quieted down and seriously thought about it. That would get us the money, that was for sure.

Finally, Harry spoke up. "No way mate, I'll never get employed if I do that."

Harry wanted to be a paramedic, and with him I had to agree. However, a new idea hit me just at that moment. Something better. Something smarter. Something with even more money.

"I have a better idea."

"Yeah? And what's that?" Liam asked.

"High profile woman. We make sex tapes with them, and then we black mail them. Those tapes will never leak. There lives and probably their husband's professions would ride on it."

There was a pregnant pause. For once, my idea was actually being considered.

It was Louis who finally spoke up, and from that moment on, it was decided.

"Ride on it, huh?"

Honestly, at the time it sounded like the best idea in the world. Older women, sex, and all the money we could squeeze outta them.

A/N: 

I have been thinking about this story for months, and I've finally sat down to attempt at writing it. All ideas are my own, however, characters are that of one direction. 

I'm exciting for this story, and think it has a lot of potential, as long as your all willing to roller coaster it with me. 

Don't be shy, leave comments below!! 

Michelle