THE KEY (book one)

|twenty-one|

"Erra come on we're heading up." Phoebe yells from the hall. I throw on a cropped black velvet jacket and walk out of my room to catch up with Phoebe. As I'm closing the door Levi walks out of his room. I can feel my stomach tie into a knot. He nods his head telling me to keep walking and I do.
"How do we get up?" I ask walking through the kitchen.
"There's a ladder in the gym that leads to the roof." He says his voice flat . I stop when I notice he does. Turning around I see him reaching in the fridge for something. He pulls out a large bottle filled with alcohol and walks towards me.
"How'd you get that?"
"The fake I.D's Luke gave us remember." He says walking past me. I follow him into the gym and to the ladder. I think I've only been in here about once but never accomplished anything. I climb the ladder to the rooftop to meet a cool breeze blowing against my face. The sun is setting into the horizon leaving the sky painted with an array of orange, pink and yellow. The clouds hold a promise to a calm peaceful night, and the pale glow of the moon begins to show.
"Erra check it!" Phoebe yells. I turn to see her standing next the fire I'm guessing they set up.
I walk closer and watch the fire dance in the wind. I can feel the nerves taking over, an unsettling feeling. Tonight can be a hit or miss. Coming face to my fathers killer, finally getting justice, the forth key.
I'm pulled out of my thoughts when the the bottle is passed to me.
"No backing out now." Luke chuckles. I can tell he's already a little tipsy. I look at Levi who is holding the other bottle. The end of his lip curls up and he raises his bottle. Looking down at my bottle I'm hesitant but I bring to bottle to my lips and take two large gulps.
"Yayyyy!" Phoebe yells taking it for herself. I can only hope this eases my nerves.
                          XXX
Nine fifty pm
It's been an hour and a half already, we decided not to go to the party until eleven o'clock. My head is pounding from the alcohol. I can remember the last time I drank. Me and Eli snuck out to the abandoned tracks and had a few sips. Phoebe and Luke are laughing about something across from me but I refuse to ask. Levi hasn't really said a word. He's leaning against the edge of the building looking out into the city.
"Hey we're gonna head inside, try and sober up okay." Luke says slurring his words. I chuckle and look back into the fire. I want to understand Levi. I haven't really sat down and actually spoke to him about him. Taking a deep breath I find my balance and stand to my feet.
"One to many?" I ask standing next to him looking out.
"Nah just checking out the view." He says taking a sip out of his bottle. I can tell he's a little tipsy.
"Ready for tonight?" I ask picking at my nails. He sighs and chuckles.
"Are you?" He mocks and I chuckle slightly shaking my head. Tonight I come face to face with the person I've been searching for, the man who murdered my father.
I don't think I'll ever be ready but I'm not gonna back down now.
"I... I'm sorry." Levi mumbles out. I frown and look at him.
"For?"
"Going off earlier. I just don't understand... I don't understand why you would want to do it alone." I just stare at him.
"Help me understand. I'm just trying to figure you out, you're making it hard." He says he's words somewhat slurring a bit. I bite my tongue contemplating if I should tell him or not.
"My father." I blurt out. I look away to avoid eye contact.
"I was seven... he was shot twice by the leader of The Vipers, Ramon I'm sure of it. Something about... my father having something they needed. When he refused they took something I needed."
"Him." Levi finishes my sentence. A slight chuckle escapes my lips. I can feel this heavy weight just sitting on my chest, I'm not sure what to do with it.
"So I'm guessing that's how you ended up here huh?" He says frowning.
"Yes sadly, I chose to sneak into the file room to get information but it turned out for the worst. I just wanna know why... what did my father have that was so important? Why didn't he just turn it in? Was it really worth leaving us behind? It hurts a ton... so when Edith told me The Vipers were in on this too I took advantage of the deal. I guess I just feel like if I confront him I'll feel better." I explain breathing harshly. I've never told anyone that ever, it's weird opening up to those who I don't know very well.
It's silent for a good minute. I turn to Levi who's already staring at me. A little flutter pops into my stomach but I shrug it off, I can't feel this way.
"So what about you, what's your happy story?" I say sarcastically. He rubs his eyes and sighs.
"Uhhh at thirteen my mother died and father... always in the clouds, the worst kind. He didn't feel like taking care of me, told me that was my mothers job. So he put me out, sent me to one of those homes at fourteen. Then he fled haven't heard from him since. The foster family wasn't any better, drunk mother druggy father. It's how I got the scars on my back and chest." His voice cracks and can feel his pain. I place my hand on top of his in effort to comfort him.
"Ran at fifteen did everything on my own until Edith found me at sixteen."
"Four years." I say squeezing his hand.
"Levi I..."
"You don't have to say you're sorry." I frown and sigh moving my hand away.
"I wasn't.. I wasn't going to say I'm sorry Levi. We all go through difficult situations. I'm not saying you deserved what happened to you honestly none of us did, but it's whether we fight through it or not... that's what matters. Four years you've been here seen things no teen would dream of seeing, but look at you...still here,still fighting. A leader better than your father I'm sure." I exhale and force a small smile. He stares at me with his honey brown eyes and shakes his head.
"What?" I question nudging his left shoulder.
"Fell right into my arms." He states loud enough for me to hear.
I frown and try to think about what he means. He doesn't say anything, just looks at me with this somewhat amusing look on his face.
"The night you were running from the guards you slipped and I caught you, told you to run." He explains and it clicks.
"You... you know I knew you looked familiar." I laugh shaking my head.
"I had a feeling you were gonna show up... here." He says taking another sip.
"What where you doing there?" I ask rubbing the back of my neck.
"Ready to give up and when I saw you... I knew. I knew they were gonna take you in and something in my gut made me wanna stay. Told me I needed to stay." He explains turning towards me. I can feel my heart beating fast and this weird foreign feeling taking over my stomach.
"It's a good thing you didn't. Two more keys and we're free." I say taking a step towards him.
"Free? I have nothing to go to. You have your mother-"
I cut him off.
"And we have one another... we all have one another." I say gripping onto his shirt and staring right into his eyes.
"Levi were all gonna walk out of here with all five keys side by side... whatever it takes." I say and he looks down at me and slowly slides his hands to my cheeks.
"Unless you trip..." He says slightly bending down and brushing his lips against mine.
"And I have to catch you again." He finishes staring into my eyes like he's searching for something.
"I think you already caught me." I breath out smiling. He chuckles and softly presses his lips against mine kissing me. His lips soft and full fitting perfectly with mine. I slide my hands down to his torso pulling him closer, as if we aren't close enough and kiss him back. We go on like this for a little while, enjoying one another's presence. Slowing down I pull away and we make eye contact.
"Ready?" He questions holding out his hands. A cold chill runs down my spine.
"Yea." I blurt out placing my hands in his. Tonight I'm either walking out alive or not walking out at all.
"Together." I say forcing a smile and he squeezes my hands.
"Nobody's dying tonight... none of us." He reassures me shaking my hands. I can feel water fill my eyes but I blink then away and pull Levi into a tight embrace.
"Together." He whispers kissing the top of my head. This will work after all these years it will. Questions will be answered and I will get what I risked my life for. Whether I walk out alive or not.