"What do you think?" Blaze turned away from her reflection in the mirror and faced the girl. She had tried on yet another dress, this one being slightly less revealing and prettier than the rest. It was red, sleeveless and came down to mid-thigh, showing off her curves perfectly.
"It's pretty" The girl answered, barely looking up from her book - The Grapes Of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
"You said that about every dress," Blaze frowned at her, "Look, I know you're worried about James and the deal - and for a pretty fucking good reason - but you've gotta help me out here, okay?"
It was true. The girl was scared shitless. Why did she have to go and open her big mouth? She was usually the quiet one, always keeping her thoughts to herself. But something happened to her that night, made her want to save James. Maybe it was the effect of the alcohol she consumed. Or maybe you just wanted to be noticed by Ace, an annoying voice at the back oh her head told her.
"Sorry. But it's really pretty. You should get it."
"You're so right. I'm totally getting it and I even know which shoes to pair it with!" Blaze clapped her hands excitedly, "Now I've only gotta buy a mask and then we'll look for your outfit."
Right now they were in a vintage store in Brooklyn, looking for appropriate dresses to wear at the annual Masquerade Ball For Halloween. This was probably the fanciest event in Bronx, if you could even call it fancy. It was held at their school's gym.
The girl blew out a breath, relieved that she didn't have to give her opinion about clothes anymore. She didn't know anything about fashion, having been walking around in ripped, skinny jeans and band t-shirts all her life.
She turned back to her book again, while Blaze was running around searching a back-up dress, 'in case something happens to this one', she said. After a few minutes, the girl realized she couldn't concentrate on the written pages, all she could think about was the words that the infamous 'Ace' uttered few nights ago:
"The condition is, if he doesn't get the money on time, you're gonna be the one to pay the price."
"I'm gonna have to pay the money?" The girl stared incredulously at Ace.
"You're not gonna repay me with money," Ace chuckled, looking down at her with taunting eyes, "but with something else."
"With what exactly?" The girl didn't know where did she get the courage to interrogate him, but she couldn't take her words back now. It was too late. Besides, she really wanted to know his answer.
"That's for me to know and for you to find out." Ace simply replied, but his tone was sinister, making shivers run down her spine. "So, what do you say?"
She gulped. This was not good. This was a bad idea. Everyone around her said that The Spades were ruthless, unforgiving. She had already swallowed her pride, there was nothing left to lose. Still, she couldn't shake off the nagging feeling at the back of her head, telling her to run and never come back. She wasn't stupid, she knew that she was playing with fire and that there was no way she could win. But she couldn't just let them do god-knows-what to James, even though he was an asshole.
"Okay." She finally breathed out. Her voice was so low, she wasn't sure if he heard her. But by the self-satisfied expression on his face, she judged that he had.
"Great," Ace turned to the guys, "Let him go."
Just like that, the buff guy and the blue-eyed guy took their hands off of James.
YOU ARE READING
Let It Die
Romance"The suicide, as she is falling, Illuminated by the moon, Regrets her act, and finds appalling The thought she will be dead so soon.” -Edward Gorey Having been born and raised in Bronx, NY, she thought she'd seen it all; the delinquents, the crimi...
