Dancing with Danger

Chapter 2: Rude Awakening

I picked up my softball bag as I made my way out the gym door with Alicia and Kayla trailing close behind me.

"Do you think we made the team?" Kayla asked us nervously.

"Of course we made the team" Alicia reassured her

"Yeah not to be rude, but half the girls there kinda sucked, I don't think you'll have to worry too much about that" I chuckled.

We made our way out the front doors of the school building and started walking towards our houses, I shivered at the cold air as it hit my face. As we got closer  we approached a McDonald's on the top of the street we were heading down.

"I'm hungry" muttered Alicia

"Same let's go to McDonald's" Kayla replied

"I can't" I sighed, " My mom wanted me to come home right after tryouts"

"Come on" Alicia urged, " Just tell her you got hungry.

"It's fine", I frowned at the ground as my stomach growled at me. "Just go I'll be fine, besides I don't have any cash on me."

"You sure?"

"Yeah" 

"Alright" Alicia said as her and Kayla waved me goodbye. I waved back and continued on into the night.

The cold wind began to blow even harder as I walked down the concrete sidewalk towards my house. I zipped up my windbreaker and continued on. I then pulled my phone out of my coat pocket and checked the time. 7:35, it's getting late I should hurry before my mom starts to worry I thought to myself. I looked at my surroundings and remembered that just around the corner was an shortcut through an alleyway that I could take to get home faster.

I  know now that it probably wasn't the best idea to go through there at night but at the time I didn't care, all I knew was that it was cold and I needed to get home.

As I walked down the narrow path of the alleyway, two figures came into sight under the dim, yellow light of a streetlamp up ahead. As I inched closer I was able to make out two guys one in a hoodie, talking with each other. Me being the nosy person I am, I quickly ducked behind a nearby dumpster, and peaked my head out around the corner and tried to listen to what they were saying. I now regret not just turning around and taking the normal way home because this, is where things get REALLY fucked up.

As I watched, the guy with the hoodie pulled what looked like a small plastic bag out of his bookbag, and handed it to the other guy. There was a moment of silence while he inspected the bag. Then it clicked, could I have been watching a real life drugdeal go down? Before I got a chance to try and make a run for it, I began to hear yelling.

"What the hell is this? This isn't what I asked for, where the fuck is the rest of it?!"

"I- I thought that's what you asked for" the guy in the hoodie muttered as he took a step back.

"Listen kid I'm not fucking around here you promised me 8 grams... This, is one gram you think you can screw me over and get away with it?" The guy slowly reached for his back pocket.

Before I knew it the guy in the hoodie then quickly pulled out a gun and put two shots into the other guys chest.

I watched, frozen in fear as he fell to the ground. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I just sat and stared while he did the same, staring at the lifeless body laid on the concrete, hands trembling he slowly tucked the gun back into the waist of his pants. Once I finally regained my courage, I slowly stood up and walked backwards towards the way I came. Before I made it out, I tripped over a trash can and fell to the ground, I let out a loud "Ow!" as I scrapped my elbow. I then realized my mistake. The guy snapped his head in my direction as soon as he heard me fall. My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach. It's not I thought, It cant be.....

It is. I couldn't tell at first but now it was clear, under the streetlamp stood Stephan Baratelli, our schools golden boy, and I just watched him kill a man. I stumbled, but eventually got up and I ran, I ran faster than I ever have in my entire life, I could hear the soles of his shoes hit the pavement, he was getting closer.I turned the corner and finally made it to a neighborhood street. I turned around to see that Stephan hadn't turned the corner yet. I ran into the nearest driveway and ducked behind someone's car. I heard Stephan turn the corner then he stopped, he realized he had lost me.

"Shit!" he yelled as he continued down the sidewalk.

I held my breath as I watched him run right past the car. I listened and waited until I couldn't hear his footsteps anymore. Once it was completely silent I slowly creeped out of the driveway and ran in the opposite direction. I made my way up the sidewalk, and down a few blocks till I reached my street. I stopped for a second to catch my breath, once I could breathe again I ran all the way home. I struggled as I tried to shove my key in the door. Once I finally unlocked it I took one last look of my surroundings before stepping inside.