The Connor's (Watty's 2018)

Traded for granite and salt

"That's your ride?" I wondered as Penn gave me a cocky grin.

Finally, he had led me to the parking lot where his precious car was...except it wasn't a car.

"She's a beaut, ain't she?"

"My dad would kill me if he saw me on this" I mumbled staring at the shiny red bike. I didn't know the first thing about motorcycles; all I knew was that this one was the color of blood and looked slightly menacing...scratch that, it looked super menacing.

"Get on" Penn said impatiently. He threw a helmet at me and, as usual, I dropped it onto the concrete with a clank, "Pick it up, Andrea"

"We can't take a bus, or something?" I asked fingering the straps on my backpack. Words couldn't describe how scared I was at this very moment.

"You've never been on one of these before?" He let out an airy laugh and placed his dark eyes on me, "I promise I won't let anything happen to you...hopefully"

Despite his words doing the opposite of putting me at ease, I shoved the helmet on and, with his help, got onto the back of the bike. He got on in front of me and with a sigh, pulled my arms around his waist.

"You have soft hands" He murmured as the bike whirred to life. Instinctively, I clung onto him as the motorcycle lurched forward. I felt my phone vibrating against my side, in my backpack, but made absolutely no move to answer it. I wasn't about to die.

NATE

"She isn't picking up" I hissed pacing across the hallway. I hadn't known what to make of the news that the girl had told me. So in a fit of confusion, I texted Stephen and London, instructing them to meet me by the freshman lockers.

"Why does it matter? She's trained for this kind of stuff" London shrugged examining her cuticles, "If she gets messed up then it's her fault"

"You're horrid" I snapped, "We can't just let her fend for herself...this guy is bad news"

"Then what do we do?" Stephen wondered running a hand through his, still, wet hair. Did the air really not reach him from up there?

"She said that this guy was a big time drug dealer. She said, herself, that he's the most notorious in town and that everyone knows about his shady business....he's been to jail six times; all for selling narcotics" Despite not having a particular interest in Andrea, I didn't want to see her in danger. She was, sometimes, human.

"Are you sure...."

"He's on the entire football, soccer, and lacrosse teams speed dial" I snapped shutting London up, "remind me how many of the pictures we saw in Fields' office were high school sports stars"

"More than three fourths" Stephen said immediately. If the situation weren't as pressing as it was, I would've commented on the air of intelligence that seemed to have hit him but stopped as he opened his mouth again to speak,

"Or like 9 fourths...that's a lot, right dude?"

"I'm not your 'dude', you hyperactive ape" I sneered turning to London, "we have to do something"

"Then we do what we have to do..." London gave me a knowing look and alarm crossed my features, "To help Andrea"

I gave her a reluctant nod and began dialing a number I had been hoping we wouldn't have to dial on the first day.

ANDREA

"I've never been so scared in my entire life" I practically threw myself onto the pavement the moment Penn parked in front of a large three story mansion. I tried to catch my breath but found it incredibly difficult as my heart was pounding like a drum.