A Crybaby in the Badlands: HALSANIE

14 - Young God is Dead To Me

Where did she go? She was literally just unconscious! Unless... Unless she was pretending to be, while she was actually getting free? Damn, my girlfriend was smart. My... girlfriend. I wanted this. She was. My girlfriend! MY MOTHER FUCKING GIRLFRIEND!

I was actually willing to admit it now, that I loved Melanie. I fucking loved Melanie. I, Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, loved Melanie Adele Martinez. I couldn't die now. Not before telling her. I reached around for a piece of rubble that could have been around my hands. I found a broken piece of cement and began sawing my rope. I didn't feel my phone on me, so I figured she'd collected them.

Wait, earlier, Yaileen had left her phone in my car. That's the phone that was on me when I was knocked out. The Find My iPhone app could lead her to me if she thinks to use it... Yaileen, come through!

"Eeny meeny miney mo, catch a tiger by its toe, if he hollers let 'em go, eeny meeny-"

"Melanie, bitch."

I got distracted from my sawing when I heard a loud thump. I looked up and saw Melanie standing over Hayley with a cement block in her hands. She dropped the block when Hayley was presumed unconscious. After taking the gun out of Hayley's hand, Melanie jogged over, removing the rag from my mouth and untying my hands. I rolled my wrists then hugged her, pressing my mouth into hers.

"Shit, Melanie, I fucking love you," I mumbled, pulling away. "I'll untie the others, you keep an eye on Ho-ley," I instructed, rushing over to everyone else. I untied Gerard, then Patrick and Pete, who were tied together, then Frank, but before I could get to anyone else, I heard a roar from behind myself. I whipped around as I saw that Hayley had tackled Melanie, and now had her pinned. "Guys, get her!" I commanded the untied members of our gang while I rushed over to the phones. I dropped onto my knees and shoveled through the pile,

"Going somewhere?"

I slowly looked up and a tall, creepy man was looming over me, and my heart leapt to my throat. This was the man that I saw Hayley with at the mall. He looked to be about in his late thirties, wrinkles crinkling his face as he grinned at me.

I couldn't speak as his foot met my stomach, actually causing me to fly back just a bit. I coughed up blood, and he continued closer. He reeled his arm back then launched it downwards, busting my lip. I gasped and groaned.

"Naughty girls need to get punished," he purred, petting my head before backhanding me, and I felt a welt forming on my cheek. "Don't you agree?"

"Naughty men do just as much," I growled, kicking his jackpot powerfully, as he stood in the most vulnerable position for this attack. He dropped and I rolled onto my knees, trying to crawl away but he grabbed me by the back of my shirt. I squirmed and eventually got free, jumping up and kicking him across the jaw. While he was stunned, I obtained the cement block Melanie had abandoned earlier. I raised it and hit him with it as he sat back up. I was certain that he was out cold.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching us quickly and prepared myself again. I was surprised when Yaileen came into view, clearly shocked by what she was seeing.

"Why did I track my phone to here, and what is happening?" Yaileen asked after taking a minute to digest what she was witnessing.

I drew in a breath and quickly let it out all at once, "After I dropped you off I went to Josh's house to leave the flowers and chocolate I got at the mall for them, I went straight home from there and since I left the door to my house unlocked Hayley got in and was waiting for me and when I was off guard she knocked me out with a bat and brought me here and you forgot your phone in my car so I had it in my pocket when she kidnapped me."

Melanie was rushing over. "Yaileen, leave with everyone else, and call the cops," she instructed, and I looked to her curiously. "Josh, Ashley, and I will stay here with Hayley and whoever the old man is."

"I'm staying, too," Tyler insisted. "I wanna see how this plays out."

I eyed him curiously but didn't defy. Yaileen, after checking to make sure Brendon was okay and vice versa, left with everyone.

Hayley stood, still clearly not having had enough. "Josh," she groaned, collapsing again at his side.

"Hayley, I thought you loved me," Josh whimpered, nursing the bullet wound on his leg. As adrenaline subsided, I began to remember the bullet in my own shoulder.

"Josh..." Hayley frowned. "This was never about love. Not for me, and not for you either, you just liked having something other than your hand touching your cock, and for me? This was about revenge."

"Revenge..? For what?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"For you!" Hayley shouted. "Since freshman year you've gotten whatever the fuck you want! A hot boyfriend, good grades, awesome friends, and you've ruined my entire highschool experience! You're an entitled, prissy bitch, and if I hadn't put you in your place, no one would have!"

Josh shook. "Hayley, you lied.. about our entire relationship? You did this for something as petty as that?"

"You know what, you may have endangered me, and all my friends," I started. "But you still didn't fucking win."

"That's what you think," Hayley scoffed. She stood again, staggering a few inches closer. From her front pocket she retrieved another gun, aiming it at me and shooting.

Melanie jumped in front of me, squeezing the trigger on her own gun. Hayley's bullet went through the middle of Melanie's chest, and Melanie's bullet pierced precisely through Hayley's heart. Both fell to the ground simultaneously, and I let out a silent scream. No fucking way that just happened...

I dropped down onto my knees and cradled Melanie. "Mel, you..." I looked over to Hayley and tears streamed down my cheeks. "You killed Haley."

"Ash," Melanie rasped. "I need to be honest before I die myself. I killed my mom and dad, and my grandfather... I'm... a mur-m...murderer. I was forced. My grandfather..."

She trailed off and I shrieked. Suddenly, I heard a fleet of feet approaching, and I turned to see police officers aiming guns at us.

"Over here!" the head officer beckoned another troop.

Paramedics came and took Hayley, Melanie, and that strange man to the hospital, and I assumed the man was Hayley's sugar daddy or something. They took care of Josh and I on sight. I smiled, praying for the best for Melanie.