Dark Nights

~30

ARI POV

Me and Damon drove Izzy back to my house. I cleaned him up washed his clothes. Damon came in the house with some basketball shorts.

"I had these in the car If you wanna wear them." Damon said tossing the shorts at Izzy.

"Yeah thanks man." Izzy said.

I finished cleaning up the cuts and bruises on Izzy then went to put his clothes in the washer.

***

DAMON POV

"Look man I'm really sorry about what happened to you."

"It ain't your fault." Izzy said looking up.

"Are you Ari new boyfriend or something?"

I let out a small chuckle. "Nah man I mean I took her out once and I do like her but-

"You don't have to explain yourself, I messed up and have to take responsibility for my actions, I really want her back but it's like she gave up on me already."

"She didn't give up on you, she just needs some time to-

"So this is what guys talk about when they get together huh."

I looked up and saw Ari standing in the doorway. I smiled and stood up.

"How long were you standing there?"

"Only the whole time." She chuckled .

I looked at her then at Izzy. "I should probably leave you two alone for a minute."

***

ARI POV

I walked in and sat next to Izzy on my bed. It was quiet for a while until he finally decided to break the silence.

"Are the others still here?"

"Yeah there downstairs."

It was quiet for a few more minutes until I spoke up.

"Izzy-

"Ari I miss you...a lot."

I looked down at my bracelet and played with little charms.

"I know...but you need to focus on your family-

"You mean Asia? I broke everything off with her and told her that we only talk when it's about the...the baby."

"Izzy I still love you but things just have to move slowly."

"I understand."

Things just seemed so different now. I still wanted to be with him but I just needed time to think things over. Damon and the others walked into my room and sat on the floor, bed, or on the bean bag.

"You guys done talkin?" Drew asked.

"Yeah cause I have questions that need to be answered." Kyla said crossing her arms. Victor had his arms around her. They were so cute!

"I think we all have questions." Victor said.

I took a deep breath and looked at Izzy.

"What exactly happened to you Isaiah?"

He sighed.

"After I left your house the other night I was just driving, I didn't know where to, I was just thinking and driving. I saw a van behind me. The van. I started driving faster and so did it. It was going so fast it hit the back of my car. I kept driving but they turned...I thought everything was fine now. But I was wrong. I stopped at Hopeland river and looked at the back of my car. From there I just started walking. I heard footsteps somewhere around me so I just started running. They found me. They beat me. They put me in that place. Still they kept beating me. I heard someone yell for them to stop. It was a very familiar voice. They all had on black clothing and their hoodies were bold black. They all left and said that if I went to the police that they would kill Ari. Everyone left except for one. He came to me and took off his hoodie. It was Dj."

"DJ? LIKE DJ DJ. Aw nah man Vic and Damon let's go. We finna go catch a body." Drew said as he stood up putting on his jacket.

"No he told me that he was sorry. That he didn't mean for it to get this far. He said we had to leave...all of us."

"What do you mean leave? Why was Dj with those guys?" I asked.

"I don't know but I think that we all need to be together or in pairs at all times." Izzy said.

"I agree and wasn't Dj in that little drug dealer gang thing? Along with Braylon and-

"Me." Izzy said.

"We need to go to Braylon and see if he knows more than he said." I stood up and got my keys. Everyone followed behind.

"Excuse me but who is Braylon." Damon asked.

"My brother. He was shot by those guys in the black van and they left him in a ally...alone." Kyla said.

***

We walked into the hospital and went into Braylon's room. He wasn't there.

"What?...h-h he's not here." I said looking around the room.

Kyla stopped a nurse and pulled her over.

"Excuse me but there was a guy in this room...Braylon..um where is he?"

"He was checked out a couple of hours ago."

"He checked himself out?"

"Im sorry I can only discuss these things with family-

"I'm his sister." Kyla said stepping closer to the lady.

"His brother. He was checked out by his brother."

"Which one. I have many brothers ma'am." She lied.

"I believe his name was Dj."

"Okay thank you ma'am."

The lady walked away and Kyla grabbed my keys out of my hand.

"That good for nothing negro stole my brother." Kyla said as she walked out the hospital.

***

Wait where are we going." I asked as she pulled out the parking lot with me and Damon with her.

"To find Dj."

I called Victor and Drew and told them to follow us so we could all meet at the same place.

"Kyla are you sure you want to do this." Damon asked.

"Yes."