Raised in a Gang

Chapter 3

Tyra POV

I was rudely awakened at three in the morning by some tapping on my ground floor window. I didn't want to get up from the comfortable bed I was laying in, but felt like I had no choice for if I ignored the constant tapping, it definitely wouldn't end and I definitely wouldn't be going back to sleep any time soon.

Though, I was more annoyed than anything else I might have been feeling at the moment, I put on a fake smile and opened the window to see who the shadowy figure in the night time light was.

"Ty?" the silhouette whispered.

I grimaced and nodded slowly. "Yeah? And you are?"

The silhouette chuckled and threw it's legs over the windowsill and climbed into my bedroom.

"It's me, Ray."

Great, a stranger who I just bet only yesterday for five minutes is now standing in my bedroom at three o'clock in the morning in Compton. Because everything is perfectly safe in Compton.

"What're you doing here?" I asked cautiously.

He chuckled and pulled me in for a hug. "My God, I'm glad to see you okay." he mumbled into the crook of my neck.

I cautiously hugged him back and patted him.

"Um, sure?" What's there to say when a complete stranger hugs you in your bedroom at three in the morning?

"You don't under-- You know what, never mind. Just hug me."

Okay, I was confused on a totally different level right now, but I can't lie and say he hug wasn't welcoming and warm.

His chest was heaving up and down meaning he was either running, or scared. Probably both by the looks of it. He was shaking and out of breath basically. Beads of sweat creeped down his face and water outlined his eyes. He was staring intently in my eyes and honestly, it was slightly creepy. Even though it was creepy, I couldn't rid myself from staring into his chocolate brown eyes and studying them for the emotions present.

I could barely see anything, however. The room was still dark and the only lights present was from the moonlight shining through the window and the car headlights as they passed by. The street lights shined faintly but it made the slightest difference in the situation at hand.

Finally coming to my senses, I closed the blinds at the window and made my way to the door. I turned the lock on the doorknob before flicking the switch and looking at Ray.

My eyes widened as I checked him over. He was shirtless, which hasn't come to my surprise due to the heat from outside, and his pants hung low around his waist. He had a huge gash at the side of his body with fresh blood flowing down his side. I looked down and noticed some blood stains on my fresh white t-shirt.

"Sorry," he said quietly.

He held a metallic object but I couldn't make out what it was since he quickly hid it.

"What's that?" I asked monotonously.

"Nothing," he responded a little too quickly.

"Ray," I said, quickly growing agitated.

He sighed and reluctantly pulled out a bloody knife from behind him. I gasped as my knees gave out. I couldn't think of anything else to do but crawl backwards to the door. I raised my hands to reach for the doorknob as he slowly inched towards me.

The closer he got to me, the faster I jiggled the knob to open.

He just chuckled nervously before grabbing my hand calmly. I kept my eyes on him the entire time, never finding the courage in my body to scream out for Tyler to come examine the situation.

"Shh," he quietly soothed. "It's not what you think."

I looked at the doorknob and noticed that I had locked it before turning on the light. I mentally face palmed myself before looking back to the boy in front of me.

"Why're you here?" I asked again, this time more scared for my life.

He closed his eyes before sighing and looking at me with ... pleading eyes?

"To see if you're okay," he said.

What? To see if I was okay? Why wouldn't I be okay? I've done nothing to be put in danger anyways. Honestly, I'm confused and this over-thinking mess is giving me a headache.

"See if I'm okay?" I scoffed. "You're the one in my bedroom with blood all over himself."

He looked down at the gash on his side and nervously chuckled. "Um. You wouldn't happen to have a first aid kit, would you?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes before unlocking the door to my room.

"Be quiet and stay unnoticed. Don't leave because if my brother sees you, he'll kill you. He already thinks you're sus."

Ray waved me off and found a spot behind the closet door so he remains unseen.

I tiptoed to the bathroom and rummaged through the cabinets for the first aid kit we kept. I couldn't see the bag with a big red cross on it and was growing frustrated with the situation.

"What're you looking for?" a male voice says.

I jump from the unexpected noise and turn to see my brother leaning on the door frame with his arms folded.

"The first aid kit." I said, turning back around and looking beneath the sink counter.

"Why? You don't look hurt." he said.

His nosiness was always annoying and a vexation to me. I rolled my eyes and sighed. "I need it for something that is none of your concern. Do you know where it is, man?"

"Ma had it last. Check her room." he huffed before walking away. "Oh, and next time you have a boy over make sure he talks quietly. That's how you get caught."

I sighed and rolled my eyes again before going to my mother's bedroom door and quietly opening it, leaving it slightly ajar and crawling across her floors to the other side of the room where I spotted the white and red duffle bag full of medical supplies. She works all day and was quietly sleeping in her bed, tossing and turning while mumbling words about Dad.

"Come home..." she mumbled in her sleep.

I shook my head and kept my thoughts back to the original mission-- grabbing that bag.

I made my way to the other side of the room and swiftly grabbed the bag before sprinting out of the room, regardless of the creaking wooden floors.

I got back to my room and closed and locked the door. I kicked the closet door and sat on my bed.

Ray looked around the room to make sure no one else was around before making his way to me and on my bed. I went through the bag for the stitches and the big patch band-aid that you'd usually use for your knee. I fixed the gash on his side and stitched and patched it up. I cleaned his wound and wiped the blood away. The stitches were slightly sloppy but what can you expect from a sixteen year old girl?

"Thanks," he said.

I smiled at him and nodded. "You're welcome I guess. Care to tell me what happened?"

It was silent in the room as we waited for his response. He bit his lip and contemplated on what to say to me.

"Nope. Not really," he said before grabbing his shirt that was apparently in his back pocket the whole time. I made a face.

Just as I was about to speak up, he kissed my cheek and hopped out the window and ran down the street.

Um. What just happened?