The Dream

CHAPTER 14

I pushed my way through the crowd to see what everyone was looking at. Jennifer followed close behind as I led the way through the swarm of bodies. My nostrils flared with the medley of smells permeating the air. The humidity of the night, coupled with the warm bodies high on alcohol and adrenaline, gagged me as I squeezed through. 

"Did you see what happened?" someone said.

"Someone pulled a gun."

"I saw him run off into the trees," another added.

"I heard it was a rival gang indoctrination."

And still another, "It was just fireworks."

"What do you think happened?" Jennifer asked.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," I said.

I heard another voice yelling over the others. I blocked out the gossip and shoved my way through the last of the bodies. The backyard opened before us, vacant, save for two figures near the edge of the trees. 

"What's going on?" Jennifer said.

I waved her off as I walked towards my friend, Gabe. The chattering bodies crowded the backyard as if my movement spurred them to action. The air grew colder with each step. Something didn't feel right. As I got closer, I noticed the other mystery person was scrawny Johnny. Gabe had his hands raised while Johnny flailed his hand in the air. It wasn't until I was twenty paces away when I realized what the silver object in his hand was.

"Johnny, what are you doing?"

Gabe's eyes shot in my direction, but Johnny didn't budge.

"Alex, stay away," Gabe said.

"Gabe, what's going on?"

"Stay out of it!" yelled Johnny. "This is between him and me."

"He has a gun," Gabe said. I didn't miss the angst in his tone.

My eyes followed the silver revolver through the air.

"Why do you have a gun?" I said.

"Why?" Johnny said. He seemed to laugh.

Johnny raised the revolver to Gabe's temple. My stomach did a summersault and tried to squeeze through my belly button. I held back the urge to vomit.

"He had it coming," Johnny said through clenched teeth. "Why couldn't you just leave me alone! If you had just left me alone all of this could have been avoided."

"Johnny, let's talk about this. This is all a misunderstanding. You don't want to do this."

He continued, "You thought that just because you were bigger than me you could tease me and mock me? Just because you were some hotshot superstar that you could go around demoralizing the rest of us? Well, I have news for you, karma comes around. Not so tough now, are you!" he said, tapping the edge of the gun against Gabe's cheek. "Where's all the fake bravado now, huh?"

"Johnny—"

Gabe cut me off with his eyes. My heart went cold, and the silent shiver of fear echoed through my limbs. I had never seen terror like that. Certainly not from my friend. He had always been a tower of strength and confidence. His giant stature only made the situation worse. Something about the panic in his eyes and the burden of his shoulders reeked of desperation. I was trapped in immobility, a slave to the same totem of indecision and fear as Gabe. 

Suddenly, Johnny turned the gun on me.

"And you!" he hissed.

I stopped dead in my tracks. My hands took on the same vertical angle as Gabe's. I swallowed the knot forming in my throat and forced the words out as calmly as I could.