Retribution

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

 

    I was covered in blood. Michael was passed out in the bathtub, shirtless and finally stitched up. Boss was washing his hands in the sink. I had yet to ask how Mike had ended up this way, but I knew Boss wasn’t the one to ask.

    Once he left the room, cigarette dangling from his mouth, Crystal (who had helped me out) nonchalantly said, “That’s what he gets.” She made a small nod towards Michael.

“Pardon?” 

    Turning to face me, towel in her hands, she continued, “Dumbass tried to rob a gas station before scouting the place out. The owner had a gun and decided to fight back.”

“Oh.”

“He’s lucky though. You know, being still alive and stuff. Can’t believe he made it all the way home without, like, dying.”

“Right.”

    I waited until Crystal left to start cleaning up everything. I decided to stay with Michael until he woke up. It was the polite thing to do. Mere minutes passed as slow as days, and I found myself wishing I had gotten a book or something.

    The loud ticking of the analog clock was about to drive me insane.

    Eventually, the hour hand reached seven. Mike stirred, finally coming to.

“What happened?” he asked groggily, wiping at his eyes.

“What don’t you remember?” 

“Getting here. I remember everything before that though.”

“Want me to fill you in?” 

“Please don’t. The details aren’t really that important to me.” Slowly, he rubbed at his temples, only using his right arm. If he had used his left, the pain in his shoulder would have been unpleasant indeed.

“Do you. . .need anything?” I questioned while standing up. Sure, I didn’t like talking to anybody, nor did I know Mike that well, but that didn’t mean I wanted to see him in pain.

“Can you get me some pain killer? Everything hurts.”

    I nodded and and swiftly fulfilled his request. Before I could ask if he wanted a glass of water, he swallowed a handful of pills.

    “That’s not good for your liver.” I couldn’t help but add my two cents.

“Huh?” 

“Taking that many pills. It can really hurt your body.”

“Nes, I don’t think anything could be as bad as being shot.” 

“It’d be a really painful death,” I muttered.

    He must’ve heard me, because he scoffed.

    When he tried to stand, he almost instantly fell down. I was barely strong enough to catch him. He mumbled and forced “thanks” as I took him to his room.

“Holler if you need anything,” I said, making sure he was as comfortable as could be in his bed.

“Will do.” 

    As I walked towards my own room to get changed, I bumped into Crystal.

“Boss said he wants to talk to you.” 

“Oh. Okay.”

“I think he’s in the living room.”

“Alright, thanks.”

“Yeah.” 

    Once I changed, I easily found Boss in the living room, just like Crystal had said. There was an overpowering stench of cigarette smoke and whiskey.

    “Crystal said you needed me?” I meekly squeaked. Boss always intimidated me.

“Yeah. I need you to make fliers. Since we’re down a member, I’ve decided to start recruiting.” He wanted me to make fliers to join The League? What was I supposed to do, draw somebody committing a crime? “Write something about needing strong people. Athletic even.” 

“Like a sports tryout?” He snapped his fingers and replied, “Atta girl! Something like that. Tell ‘em to go to the park. The one you’re always at.”

“Yes sir.”

“After they tryout, make ‘em come here to see me. . .the ‘coach’.”

“Yessir.”

“Good girl. Now scram and get to work.”

    I did exactly as I was told.

 

---

 

    I went to school with bags under my eyes. That’s what happens when you stay up all night making fliers. My hands even still felt sore. And it wasn’t like we had a computer back at the house, no, I had to make this stack of fliers by hand.

    Already having posted fliers on my way to school, in the hallways, and placing some on the cafeteria tables, I had gotten rid of a good amount of them. Now I just had to figure out what to do with the rest of them.

    “Hey!” I heard a male voice call. “Hey, girl with the fliers!” Oh great, was I going to get in trouble or something? Probably, seeing as I hadn’t asked if I could put up the stupid fliers. Finally I turned, just to see the second to last person I didn’t want anywhere near me.

    It was one of the guys that was hanging out with Chauncey the first time I met him.

    He came jogging towards, his golden curls bouncing, me and asked, “Can I have one of those fliers?” 

“Um. . .yeah.” I handed it to him and started to walk away.

    He followed me, easily falling into step.

“I know you probably don’t care or anything, but I wanted to, uh, apologize for being an ass the first time I met you. Mob mentality I guess.” I stayed silent. “So uh,--”

“Riker!” a girl with medium length neon green hair and greenish-blue eyes stepped in front of us.

“Hey Nina,” Riker responded with a small smile.

“Who’s your new pal?”

“Oh, um. . .” he looked over to me and I answered, “Vanessa.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. You new?”

    I nodded slightly, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

“Well, I’m Nina. And this big doof here is my boyfriend, Riker.”

    I nodded again.

“If he ever gives you any trouble, you just let me know.”

“Okay.”

“‘Cause everybody knows a soccer player can beat up a football player,” she joked.

“Pfft, you wish,” Riker said.

    I opened my mouth to actually say something when the warning bell rang.

“We’ll see you around, okay?” Nina said, closing her locker and grabbing Ricker’s hand before bolting down the hallway.