The Gang Leader's Best Friend

Chapter Three

My alarm clock went off at five forty-five again. Groaning as I reached across the bed to the nightstand, hitting the desk until I reached the off button. My head was still buried in the pillow, my body was exhausted from not only the long day that was yesterday, but from just the sheer weight of what today means. Flipping over, so I was staring at my ceiling as I looked towards the peak. My bones ached, as I felt the weight of the world sitting on my chest. All the pressure in my body made it difficult to breathe. All of what I've learned in the past twelve hours is too much for me to even try to comprehend. It was already bad enough being pushed into this role. Being eighteen and having to pretend I'm the parent in this house. Now I have to be the one who makes sure my parents don't come home for a funeral of one of their sons. Or my funeral even. If I die because of this shit, I'm coming back and haunting all of them in life and in death.

    Looking to the clock to say it reads six o'clock, I decided to roll out of bed as there was no chance of me falling asleep again. I drag myself down the two sets of stairs to the kitchen to make myself coffee. The sun hasn't even come up through the kitchen windows, as I saw a shadowy figure standing by the coffee pot. Flipping on the light, Xavier was leaning against the kitchen island counter with only a pair of sweatpants on. Mans looks like he was carved by god himself. "Good morning, princess," the morning grog comes out between his sips of coffee.

    "Princess, seriously?" As I walk past him to grab a mug for myself.

    "Yeah, princess. I figured that's a more appropriate nickname than darling," he laughs to himself as he places his mug behind him.

    I poured myself a full cup, while looking up through my eyebrows, "How so?"

    "You seem to be the princess of this household," he let out with a mischievous smirk across his face.

    I gagged on the hot coffee going down my throat, "You've got to be fucking kidding me, right?"

    "That was not the reaction I was expecting," he laughed at me.

    "Okay, you know what, we will finish this conversation later due to the lack of brain function I'm having," as I take another sip of my coffee before putting it on the counter, "How was Zach last night?"

    "He was good. Slept the entire night. Did stir a few times, but overall was fantastic. I took his temperature a few times to make sure he didn't have a fever," the attempt at playful behavior was gone, and replaced with the way a recruit talks to a drill sergeant .

    "That's good," as I turned around the counter to look into the living room to see Zach still sound asleep on the couch.

He looks so at peace, like none of yesterday's events occured. I wish I could feel that way.

Looking back to Xavier, whose once somewhat relaxed demeanor was now tense. He was now standing like he was attention, continuing with the drill sergeant act he started with, and honestly making things quite confusing. The ability he has to switch from what seems to a normal twenty year old guy, to a man faced with some hardships he isn't allowed to show. It is terrifying, but intriguing. I want to know more. "What's the plan for today?"
    "What do you mean?" his eyes questioning me.

"Since this is like my first day at a new job, what are going to show me? I don't really think there is a newcomer orientation of joining a gang," I tease.

The demeanor switches once again to the attempt at being playful and casual, "Well first you are going to meet everyone. Then you'll find where you fit in. That's how it normally goes," he speaks while placing the dirty mug into the sink.

"Sounds like a plan to me," as I place mine in the sink as well, standing side by side once again, "I'm going to shower before I wake the rest of them up. Help yourself to anything in the house, Xavier."