Tina's Tales (idk I'm bad at naming things)

Chapter 4

Things are looking up.

I’ve been here for a week now, and the mood in the apartment has lifted, it’s almost cheerful. I’m still on the couch; there’s only two bedrooms in this apartment, and Merritt isn’t exactly a roommate kind of guy, but I feel like part of the group a little more. Jack isn’t afraid of me, that’s an improvement. Danny is still a dick most of the time, but together, Justice and I always have a comeback to shut him up. Everything is going great.

It’s a Tuesday morning, and we’re watching TV together; Gilmore Girls, with Merritt. There’s a knock on the door, and Justice snaps out of her little trance (she doesn’t find Gilmore Girls very engaging, clearly).

“I’ll get it!” Justice gets up from her spot and jogs to the door.

I hear the door open, and it immediately slams shut again.

I get up myself, and quickly go to where Justice is now cracking her knuckles loudly. She’s either super mad, or super nervous.

Or both.

“Who’s at the door, J?” I say cautiously. She may explode at any moment.

Justice takes a shaky breath, and almost forces herself to say the name: “Lula.”

Oh my god. I honestly don’t know how I’ve been here this long and haven’t asked about Lula. The last time the world heard from the Horsemen, Lula was the “girl one”, and when I showed up last week, it somehow didn’t occur to me that she wasn’t there.

Not that I would have cared.

I never liked her that much, she’s a more annoying, less talented version of me, really.

But now, according to Justice, she was standing outside that door.

And Justice was pissed.

“Just, um, asking… why are you angry that Lula’s here? I mean, I know she’s annoying, but what did she do to you?”

“Not me, what she did to Jack. They dated for a year, and then she walked out, moved to Canada, and left Jack all alone. And that’s how we met. He was sitting on the curb crying, and I comforted him.”

That bitch.

“I have no goddamn clue what she’s doing here, she has no business even laying eyes on Jack, let alone talking to him. Tell you what, you open the door and I’ll beat the living daylights out of that whore.” Justice really is protective, isn’t she?

“Woah, calm down, J. Let’s let someone a little more sensible decide what to do.” I turn back to the couch. “DANNY!! MERRITT!! GET OVER HERE!!”

The two men come over, and I explain our predicament.

“Oh, yeah, stab her, I always hated that girl.” Danny says immediately. I elbow him aggressively.

“Not what I was going for, Daniel. Can’t you tell she wants to do that?” I hiss. “Merritt, do you have any more, less murdery options?” Merritt puts his hands up defensively.

“Don’t ask me. I didn’t really know her.”

Justice cracks her knuckles again.

Loudly.

“It’s two against one, Tina. Let me at her.” She makes for the door, but I hold her back.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not letting you beat someone up on my watch.” I drag her back to the couch and shove her onto it. “Merritt, make sure she doesn’t move.”

Jack is still watching the TV and is curious.

“Babe, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you allowed to move?” Aha! She’s trapped, she could never tell Jack his ex was here. Knowing it is safe, I walk back to the door.