Guns and Roses

Twenty Seven ~ Quinn

I sit in the dark of the shop, my phone cradled in my hands. I haven't moved for hours, not since I phoned Matthew and told him what had happened. Told him that she was gone.

He advised me to stay away from the house. Apparently all hell broke loose when her uncles found out and they're out for blood.

I stare out at the pitch black night and wonder where she is. Is she with my grandfather? Is she still alive?

Ellie texts again wondering why I haven't replied for the past 10 hours. This one tells me that she's going to sleep and will phone me in the morning.

Rya's car keys sit beside me on the counter. I drove her car here but now I don't know what to do with it. I don't know what to do at all.

I check the time 01:49. I should go to bed. I have school tomorrow.

But I don't move. I sit there and I stare at the black screen of my phone.

Then it lights up. I have a phone call from Rya.

I've never answered a call faster in my life. "Rya! Where are you?"

"Help" Her weak voice answers and then I hear a crack as the phone hits the ground.

Silence.

A ship's horn blares.

I grab the keys and run to the car. She's at the dock, it's about an hour away but there won't be any traffic. I can get to her in about forty minutes.

I really hope I don't get pulled over, I don't think four driving lessons counts as being able to drive unsupervised.

****

I pull in at the port and see the maze of shipping containers. She could be anywhere. I pick a gap and walk a little bit down before I reach my first decision.

Left or right?

I pick right and then phone Rya. Even if she doesn't answer, I'll be able to hear her phone ringing.

I wait a few seconds and then I hear it. The soft chimes of a phone. My pace picks up and then I'm running full speed towards the source of the sound.

She turns out to be not that far away. She could have made it out if she just kept walking in a semi-straight line.

When I see her, my heart stops. She's lying awkwardly on the ground. Her legs are splayed out in front of her and her top half is folded over to the side like a broken doll.

I run over and see the puddle around her tinged red with blood. Her hair is soaking wet and there's a thin, dark bruise forming around her neck.

It's her arm that I'm worried about though. When she's fallen, the jumper has loosened and the blood has been able to flow freely. I try to tighten it and my fingers brush against cold skin. Her face is so pale and the red blood smeared across it is a stark contrast.

"Rya" I say quietly. Whoever done this could still be close. "Rya, wake up for me" I tap her cheek lightly and she starts to stir. I hear voices and realise we don't have time.

"Come on" I whisper and wrap an arm around her middle to lift her. She cries out in pain, not lucid enough to know she needs to be quiet. She clutches at her ribs and leans against me. "The car's not far away," I tell her "You can make it"

When I do see the car, my heart flutters slightly. I try to speed up our staggering steps and then push her into the back seat before climbing into the front and driving away as quickly as I can.

I drive for about ten minutes before pulling in at a McDonald's and getting out. I open the back door and she frowns at me "Why the fuck are we at a McDonald's? Do you want a McSlap?"

"I thought you were dead" I say, my voice breathless.

She scoffs "There's a first aid kit in the drawer thingy in the front"

"The glove compartment?" I ask her.

She glares at me again "Does it look like I give a fuck what's it called right now?"

A grin finds its way to my face as I get the first aid kit and climb into the back seat with her. I start to wrap her arm in a white bandage and she winces. "What happened?" I ask her.

She stares at her hand. Three of her fingers look mangled and purple. "The Italians wanted money. Said we stopped one of their deliveries or some shit"

I don't really know what to do with her fingers and when I try to wrap them Rya swears at me in every language she knows and then smacks my hands away.

I go to get out of the car and she smiles at me "Now that we're here, can you get me a cheeseburger?"

****

For the rest of the journey home, The bounced from being delirious and hyper, to in great amounts of pain and saying she was going to pass out.

It's extremely hard to drive when:
1. You don't actually know how to drive and
2. Someone is screaming at you to drive faster before she dies.

The second one is particularly terrifying because I'm not certain that she's being overdramatic.

I drive up to the house and Rafa is on the doorstep with a joint. He seems surprised at our arrival and then opens the door to let me half carry Rya in.

Alexander stops in the middle of the foyer and his hardened expression suddenly disappears as he sees the broken girl in my arms. She's currently saying she's about to pass out and/or be sick and she's an unhealthy shade of green.

He races over and shouts something in Russian. "Broken ribs!" Rya shouts at him as he goes to reach for her. He backs off slowly and then looks over at me. "Where's Artie? I'm literally dying"

She lifts up her sliced arm which has soaked through the bandage. "Take her to her room and get her into bed. Artie will take care of everything after that"

I nod and help her up the stairs. She lets out a small, pained cry with every step and by the time we get to the top there are tears rolling down her face. "I fucking hate broken ribs" she mutters.