"There's gonna be a fight to tonight." Lacie said. "Because of Caleb. We're fighting the Columbus gang in the West Lot tonight at ten."
"You serious?" I asked.
"When do we joke around about shit like this?" Alex asked, pacing back and force. We were sitting around Christina's living room. It was a little past seven. The room was dark and smelling of cheap perfume and leather and fear.
"Who called on the fight?" Christina asked, crossing her arms.
"Tony and Danny." Lacie said. Elle shuddered at Danny's name, like someone had poured a glass of icy water down her spine.
"I'm fighting. So's Lacie. We're meeting the guys there. You in, Christina?" Alex asked. Christina looked conflicted for a minute before nodding. I guess it was her responsibility, as the oldest, to go.
"What about Gemma and I?" Elle asked, sitting on the counter.
"I didn't know if you guys wanted to." Lacie said. "Especially you, Gemma. I don't want you getting hurt."
Suddenly, I was angry. "I'm barely a year younger than you and I can fight just fine." I snapped. "Do you really think I'm going to stay here, in this empty house, and wait to hear if you guys are lying dead out in the street? No, I'm coming. That's final."
Lacie looked to Christina, as if for an okay, and she nodded. "It's fine. Just stay by us when we go."
"Elle?" Alex asked. "You really don't have to go if you don't want to go. You can stay here."
"No, I'm coming." Elle's voice was strong. "We're all together in this."
"Okay." Christina said. "But you guys know what the Columbus gang is like. We don't know how many kids they're going to have. They could have guns. All we have is blades and fists. If anyone pulls a gun, I want you all to get the hell out of there. Okay?"
We all nodded. I tried to act confident, because I had insisted on going, but inside I was scared to death.
****
We knew, as soon as saw the group of kids waiting in the lot, that the odds were against us. The group of kids were congregating in the dark lot, under the dull glow of street lights, waiting for us. They were yelling and stamping and I heard what sounded like a knife being sharpened. I felt like we were walking straight into hell, right into a pit of lions who would tear us to shreds and eat us alive.
The Columbus gang was bigger, stronger, meaner. They had maybe 15 or 20 kids against our 10. It wasn't just the numbers, though. Their kids weren't really kids. They were adults, big and mean and strong and violent. The girls were tall and tough-looking. Even the youngest ones, younger than me, looked capable of ripping someone to pieces.
