My Mob Wedding

Chapter 5 - Trusting Blindly

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEEP!

I smash my alarm clock with my hand and trudge out of bed and into the bathroom around the corner.

Exhaustion weighs down on me as if its thousand pound self is lying on my back. The first day back from break is always rough especially when my whole life is about to be flipped upside down.

Dad and I hardly talked for two days straight. Then I couldn't stand it anymore. I broke down and talked to him. I questioned him on everything and found out that he doesn't want this for me just as much as I don't. Apparently it's crucial that this Colton guy gets married so Vince set out groups to look for a specific "type" of girl to look for. Dad was kind of over-seeing the whole area's findings and making the decisions. He was obviously not too happy when he found my name at the top of the list and tried to change it. That was when Vince stepped in, chose me, and set up a threat. My dad was never in on the choice to pick me, but once I was chosen, there was nothing he could do to stop it. I decided to forgive him; there's no point in being mad over something out of his control.

+++

I make to school rather early. I really want to spend as much time with my friends as I possibly can.

I end up sitting and waiting on a windowsill for someone to show up. It doesn't take very long for me to fall asleep. I'm awoken by Jared who is standing there laughing. Jared is probably my closest friend. Things aren't awkward with him. We made out once or twice but that was before he came out of the closet to me. Things were awkward for a bit, but we're closer than ever now.

"Have a nice nap, Ana?" he asks, laughing.

I sit up and fix my hair a bit, knowing I always manage to mess it up whilst asleep.

I laugh and yawn but jump as soon as I hear strange pounding. I glance around for a minute and jump again when I see Hunter peering in the window behind me. I nearly have a heart attack.

"Who's that?" Jared asks.

I stand up, quick and rush out the door. I call out to Jared, "I'll be right back."

I rush outside, hoping that no one will notice Hunter looking suspicious on school property. I like Hunter, he's a decent guy. A gang member on school property isn't exactly something that the school encourages.

I walk briskly around the side of the building to the other side of the window where Hunter stands waving in the window at passersby.

I grab his wrist and yank him over to my side of the window where no one can see us.

"What do you think you're doing here?" I demand.

He smiles innocently. "Just waving at your friend. He your boyfriend? Might want to end that or Vince'll end him."

I roll my eyes. "Jared is not my boyfriend. And if Vince even so much as thinks about Jared, then I'll end him."

"Jeez, you're feisty in the morning," Hunter chuckles.

"Ha ha," I say. "Besides risking a trespassing charge, what are you doing here?" I then realize how stupid a trespassing charge sounds currently. The guy is in a freaking gang.

"Well," he starts, "I'm here to give you your departure date."

"My departure date?"

"Yes, your departure date."

"Okay," I say, taking a deep breath. "So when is it?"

Hunter sighs. "Friday is your last day of school and your flight is early Saturday morning."

I slide down to the ground, resting my back against the cool, brick wall. In three days, I'll be shipped across the country to live with a guy who I don't even know but will still someday marry. I'll have no friends and know no one in just three days.

"Diana?" Hunter crouches down next to me. "Are you okay?"

I nod. A wave of nausea hits me and I swallow it. "That's just a little sooner than I expected."

"I'm sorry, Diana. I really am. Vince was going to have you sent out there tomorrow morning but Colt and I said you probably need time first," Hunter says apologetically.

"I do and-wait a sec. You and Colt? As in the Colton I'm supposed to be marrying?" I ask.

He nods. "Yeah. Colton and I are close. He's a good guy."

"Wait so he's not like thirty or forty? He's your age?" I ask.

Hunter just laughs. "Why would we send you to him if he was like forty? That's just creepy. He's even younger than I am actually."

"Well, wait. How old is he then? How old are you for that matter?"

"I'm twenty four. Colton is twenty two. He's only got a four year difference on you."

That eases my mind a bit. He's not too much older than I am so he shouldn't turn out to be the creepy pedophile I pictured him to be. "Oh."

"You crack me up. But anyways I should get going. I don't want to get caught hanging around here any longer than I have to. I don't need to get arrested. See you Saturday!" Hunter waves and ducks down into the shadows alongside the building. I know exactly where he is headed too. He's going to the little area in the fence that people can squeeze under to come vandalize the school or make out with your under-aged girlfriend without being detected by the authorities. The school is honestly pretty stupid if they haven't realized that the gap is there by now.

I head back inside and plaster a fake smile on my face so Jared won't notice the horrified look that naturally would plague my face right now.

Jared watches as I walk up the hall to meet him. "What was that all about?"

I say nothing and just glance down at my feet.

"That guy had gang tattoos, Di! What was here doing here? Actually better question: what were you doing talking to him?" Jared demands.

I can't even think of a valid explanation for all of that. Honesty is the only way to go here. "Would you mind ditching first period with me? This is going to take a while to explain."

He looks at me like I'm the craziest person in the world but follows me off into an unused supply closet anyway. That's what I call trusting blindly. I tell Jared the whole story starting at that day not even a week ago that Hunter first stole my wallet.